The Turkic Peoples in World History is a thorough and rare introduction to the Turkic world and its role in world history, providing a concise history of the Turkic peoples as well as a critical discussion of their identities and origins.

The "Turks" stepped on to the stage of history by establishing the Turk Qaghanate, the first trans-Eurasian empire in history, in 552 CE. In the following millennium, they went on to create empires that had a profound impact on world history such as the Uyghur, Khazar, and Ottoman empires. They also participated in building the Mongol empire, and these Turko-Mongol empires are credited with shaping the destinies of pre-modern China, the Middle East, and Europe. By treating the history of the Turkic peoples as a process of amalgamation and integration, rather than simply categorizing the Turkic peoples chronologically or geographically, this book offers new insights into Turkic history.

This volume is a comprehensive guide for students and scholars in the fields of world history, Central Asian history, and Middle Eastern studies who are seeking to understand the historical roles of Turkic peoples and their origins.

About the Author

Joo-Yup Lee is an intermittent lecturer at the University of Toronto, where he received his Ph.D. in Central Eurasian Studies (2012). He has published several books and articles, including Qazaqliq, or Ambitious Brigandage, and the Formation of the Qazaqs (2016), which won the 2017 CESS Book Award. He also wrote entries on Turkic peoples for the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Asia and the Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE.

Reviews

Lee's book is an outstanding contribution, an important introduction to the Turkic-speaking world and its role in world history. It is a very convenient, readable introduction to a highly complicated area of study (the Central Asian and Middle Eastern Turkic world). Halford Mackinder (1861-1947), one of the founders of modern geographical studies, termed Central Asia "the pivot" of Eurasia, a role it is again playing in modern affairs. For those seeking background knowledge of the Central Asian/Central Eurasia states, Lee's book offers a very solid introduction. This is an excellent introduction to the history of the Turkic peoples.

Dr. Peter B. Golden, Professor Emeritus of History, Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies, Rutgers University (and Honorary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences)

Lee's book is an excellent piece of scholarship which gives a well-proportioned introduction to the theme. The author yields an in-depth narrative which is readable nonetheless. The book is useful for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Istvan Vasary m.p. Emeritus Professor, Eoetvoes Lorand University, Budapest

The movement of Turkic peoples into western Eurasia represents one of the major world historical events during more than half a millennium that stretched between the ninth and sixteenth centuries. It culminated with the establishment of the Ottoman Empire by Oghuz Turks. Joo-Yup Lee's book The Turkic Peoples in World History offers readers a lucid guide to the complex process of Turkic migration, settlement and empire-building. Dr. Lee is the author of the widely praised work, Qazaqliq or Ambitious Brigandage, and the Formation of the Qazaqs: State and Identity in Post-Mongol Central Eurasia, as well important scholarly articles on the history and identity of Turks and Mongols. His work is informed by an ability to utilize sources in half a dozen languages of the Eurasian region as well as by a specialized knowledge of the genetic relationships of Central Asian peoples. His new book is, quite simply, the best new introduction to the broad geographical and historical expanse of Turkic history.

Stephen Frederic Dale, author of The Garden of the Eight Paradises, Babur and the Culture of Empire in Central Asia, Afghanistan and India (1483-1530) and The Muslim Empires of the Ottomans, Safavids and Mughals

This survey is an excellent addition to the study of world history. Joo-Yup Lee provides a concise study with depth and substance that demonstrates the importance of the Turkic peoples in world history, while lucidly connecting the past with the present that both student and specialist will appreciate.

Timothy May, Professor of Central Eurasian History, University of North Georgia

Book Information
ISBN 9781032170015
Author Joo-Yup Lee
Format Paperback
Page Count 206
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 380g