Kashmir & Central Asia

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Back of the Book The Geographic location of Central Asia has been of decisive importance for trade and cultural exchanges. Before the discovery of the sea route between the East and the West, all the main trade routes connecting Eastern countries with Eastern Europe and countries of the Near East lay across this territory.

Here races from other parts of the world have met and fought for power and left behind vestiges of their cultures and religions. The result was giant migrations-not only of peoples but of cultures and religions as well.

Astride the caravan route from China, Central Asia and Tibet, to India, Kashmir has had a special position in the political, social and cultural structure of Central Asia. In the first ten centuries of the Christian era, it was to Kashmir they looked for inspiration and guidance. The contribution of Kashmir to the spread of Mahayana Buddhism in the region and beyond is a fascinating study.

The book for the first time embraces a study of the geographical, political and cultural relations between Kashmir and Central Asia from pre-historic times. Fully documented, it is a work of significance to the study of the social, political and cultural history of the "Heart of Asia".

About the Book The Geographic location of Central Asia has been of decisive importance for trade and cultural exchanges. Before the discovery of the sea route between the East and the West, all the main trade routes connecting Eastern countries with Eastern Europe and countries of the Near East lay across this territory.

Here races from other parts of the world have met and fought for power and left behind vestiges of their cultures and religions. The result was giant migrations not only of peoples but of cultures and religions as well.

Astride the caravan route from China, Central Asia and Tibet, to India, Kashmir has had a special position in the political, social and cultural structure of Central Asia. In the first ten centuries of the Christian era, it was to Kashmir they looked for inspiration and guidance. The contribution of Kashmir to the spread of Mahayana Buddhism in the region and beyond is a fascinating study.

The book for the first time embraces a study of the geographical, political and cultural relations between Kashmir and Central Asia from pre-historic times. Fully documented, it is a work of significance to the study of the social, political and cultural history of the "Heart of Asia".

About the Author Born in a Kashmiri Pandit family of scholastic traditions, the author received his first lessons in historical research from his father, Pandit Anand Koul, who was a pioneer of modern research on the history and folklore of Kashmir.

He got his degree from the Punjab University. His articles and papers pertaining to the history of Kashmir have been published in several journals in India and abroad. Besides writing several books on the subject, he has to his credit the monumental work- A History of Kashmir which carries an Introduction by Jawahar Lal Nehru.

In 1954, he joined the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, as Editor of the monthly Kashmir, which he conducted for six years. He has been Editor of almost all the cultural journals published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government on India. Lately he was deputed by the Government of India to work as Adviser (Publications) to the Government of Ethiopia.

**Contents and Sample Pages**