Central Asia in the Sixteenth Century

The book relates to the Uzbegs and provides an account of their origin, antecedents, early exploits, conquests and finally the occupation of Central Asia in the sixteenth century. Since three kingdoms namely the Mughals of India, the Safavids of Persia and the Uzbegs of Turan had been established simultaneously, their mutual relations are a natural part of the study in this book. The tripartite relations among these powers indicate how the medieval diplomacy rehearsed what was to follow in the shape of a big game in the later centuries. Due to the lack of adequate material on the Uzbeg history and its culture, even their cultural heritage and contribution to the fine arts had been passed off as being a Persian legacy. The present work, presents this warrior group with all their mundane aspirations and medieval imperialist achievements along with a depiction of their keen interest in the sphere of culture. The ruling dynasty of the Uzbegs produced men of talent who possessed command over the sword and the pen alike. Even well-known warriors from amongst them had excelled in mastering and patronizing various fine arts. The florescence of art, learning and culture as ensured by the Uzbegs in the best traditions of Central Asia has also been described in this work alongside their battles and annexations. It is the first work on the history and culture of the Uzbegs in English language published in this country. It is primarily based on original, contemporary and later sources though most of the available modern works in Persian, English, Russian, Uzbeg and French have also been drawn upon.