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This Month in Mongolian Studies is a monthly listing of selected academic activities, resources and other material related to Mongolia. This list is based on information the ACMS has received and is presented as a service to its members. If you would like to submit information to be included in next month's issue please contact the ACMS at info@mongoliacenter.org This publication is supported in part by memberships. Please consider becoming a member of the ACMS, or renewing your membership by visiting our website at mongoliacenter.org/join.
Thank you!
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ACMS Announcements, News and Media References
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Fulbright ETAs Visited ACMS UB Office
After the long hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic the Fulbright English Teaching Assistants are finally back in Mongolia. Escorted by the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section, the Fulbright ETAs paid a visit to the ACMS. Pictured is the ACMS Communication coordinator Buka explaining what ACMS does and giving the ETAs a tour of the UB office. |
| | ACMS FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINES EXTENDED
ACMS deadlines are fast approaching. Make sure you have time to get every little detail right before applying. The fellowship programs are Field Research Fellowship, Library Fellowship and the Intensive Summer Language Program Fellowship. As usual the key eligibility is to be a U.S. citizen for Field Research Fellowship and Library Fellowship. For the Intensive Summer Language Program, the applicant must have an intermediate level of proficiency of Mongolian. Learn more about the fellowship programs by using the links below:
The deadline for each fellowship application has been extended to March 1, 2023.
The Intensive Summer Language Program deadline is March 1, 2023.
For inquiries about the Field Research Fellowship and the Library Fellowship please contact: baigalmaa@mongoliacenter.org
For inquiries about the Intensive Summer Language Program Fellowship please contact: tsermaa@mongoliacenter.org
To look up general information for our fellowships please visit: https://www.mongoliacenter.org/fellowships
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| | Apply to Mongolia Field School 2023
The Mongolia Field School offers an educational travel experience blending academic insights and discussions with travel experiences that allow participants to interact with local people and locations off the usual tourist track. For 2023 we are offering 3 different courses, which all begin in Ulaanbaatar with an orientation on Mongolian culture, history, language and contemporary issues. Participants will meet with their instructors and classmates from Mongolia and around the world and begin their learning journey. Class groups will then travel to selected sites across Mongolia where they will pursue field research, gaining an understanding of the topics studied in the context of the landscapes and people in the regions visited. All participants will have the opportunity to see important sites in Mongolia and participate in tourist activities, while also gaining the unique insights offered by their course leaders and the local people and officials encountered during the field studies. The course titles are: - Discovering The Sonic World of The Mongolian Countryside: June 2 - June 15
- Climate Change and Public Health: What does climate change mean for the people of Mongolia?: June 19 - July 4
- Mongolian Buddhism, Nature, and Conservation: June 19 - July 4
Priority Deadline: March 1, 2023
Final program application deadline: April 30, 2023
TUITION FEE:
International participants - $3500 Mongolian Participants - ₮1.200.000
To learn more about the Mongolia Field School 2023 and to apply, please visit:
https://www.mongoliacenter.org/mfs23
NOTE: Certain amount of fellowship awards is available based on merit, need and diversity. Apply by priority deadline to be considered for fellowship awards. |
| Mongolia Field School 2023 Webinar is now Available on YouTube
On January 18th the ACMS held an informational webinar for those who are interested in attending Mongolia Field School. The webinar was hosted by Dr. Charles Krusekopf and the instructors of all three courses planned for 2023. Click on the below button to watch the webinar recording on YouTube.
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| | | ACMS Receives First Donations of 2023!
Thank you, Tony Ettinger and Bill Brown, for your continued generous donations to the American Center for Mongolian Studies. We are grateful for your support and your confidence in the ACMS team.
We are a 501(c)(3) charity, if you would like to support our work at the ACMS by making a tax-deductible donation, you can make an online donation at our website:
If you prefer to send a check, please fill out this donation slip and return it to our US office (ACMS, 255 S. 36th St. Rm. 642, Philadelphia, PA 19104)
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| | Becoming a Member
ACMS membership is another way to support and engage with the ACMS. Individuals and institutions can become members of ACMS, both come with corresponding benefits. In January, 4 new people have signed up to become ACMS members and 3 members renewed their memberships. We also have new institutional member, Macalester College.
ACMS welcomes new members: - James Eighmey
- Aspen Greaves
- Nick Tobier
- Jeffrey Dolphin
- Macalester College
- Baigali Kh.
- Munkhtamir S.
- Khanadama Damdinova
- Enkhzorig
and thanks renewing members: - John Koprowski
- Philip M. Nichols
- Ryan Burner
If you are in Ulaanbaatar, you can also visit our office to sign up for membership in-person. Our UB office address is Natsagdorj Library, East Entrance, Seoul St – 7, Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar 14521
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ACMS Sponsored Programs and Events
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| For VSS January 2023 we invited Dr. Raj Deep, Political analyst from the Centre for Inner Asian Studies, School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University'. The presentation topic was "Gauging the Importance of Electoral Reforms in Evolving Procedural Democracy in Mongolia". Dr. Raj Deep provides an interesting perspective on the development of Mongolia's democracy and its electoral system. Click the button below to view. |
| Visit our YouTube channel to see more series of the Virtual Speaker and Virtual Panel Series, as well as our videos on Cultural Heritage Project, interviews with our Field Research Fellows and more.
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| We are working to bring back in-person speaker events, we will be putting these events up as more in-person speaker become available. If you would like to speak in-person for an ACMS Speaker event please email buyandelger@mongoliacenter.org
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Vacancies, Scholarship, and Fellowships
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Vacancy: Program Manager – Inclusive Societies in Mongolia
World Learning is a leading international non-profit organization advancing education, systems strengthening, and inclusive development through programming around the world. We are seeking a Program Manager for an anticipated DRL program working to promote inclusive societies in Mongolia.
The Program Manager will provide leadership, vision, and direction for the implementation of the program and ensure that all proposed objectives and targets are achieved in close coordination with program staff and donors. They will: manage and support staff, consultants, and grantees when applicable; provide training and technical assistance; support the development of and monitor program implementation plans, performance monitoring plans and all other required reports; and serve as primary liaison with DRL and other key stakeholders.
Position is contingent upon funding.
Responsibilities:
- Provide overall strategic direction and manage day to day operations;
- Oversee program administration, implementation, and fiscal management to ensure financial activity aligns with budget allocations, internal policies, and donor regulations;
- Oversee and monitor quality of all program activities, and ensure reports, work plans, and other program deliverables are timely and of high quality;
- Lead Monitoring and Evaluation efforts, ensuring efficient information tracking and sharing of impact data;
- Lead technical reporting to donors and stakeholders;
- Manage key relationships with government agencies, civil society organizations, faith-based institutions, and other stakeholders;
- Manage, train, mentor, and supervise program team;
- Represent World Learning at conferences, working groups, and meetings (when applicable); and Other responsibilities as assigned.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience; Master’s degree preferred;
- Minimum 5 years of relevant project management experience; management of programs related to human rights and/or religious freedom preferred;
- Experience supervising or mentoring employees required;
- Demonstrated effectiveness in cultivating and maintaining relationships with government agencies, civil society organizations, faith-based institutions, and other stakeholders;
- Experience managing donor relationships and reporting requirements required; experience with U.S. government donors strongly preferred;
- Excellent communication and diplomatic skills, with a professional level of verbal and written fluency in Mongolian and English; and
- Commitment to inclusive development programming that brings to bear the talents of women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ persons.
- An organizational commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
We are a globally diverse community of staff, faculty, board members, alumni, students, and participants who believe that inclusive and equitable practices are at the heart of a peaceful and just world. Each of us strives to honor diverse voices and lived experiences, examine our own biases and privileges, actively work to address inequities in our structures, and foster a community of open dialogue. We are committed to acting with accountability, transparency, reciprocity, authenticity, and empathy.
World Learning is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action/veterans/ADA employer, committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce.
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| | Teaching Fellowship at MYSP The Mongolian Youth Scholars Program is a weeklong intensive academic program intended to introduce Mongolian high school students to university level liberal arts courses and provide guidance on the global college admission process. - Create and teach a (in-person) weeklong college level seminar on a topic of your choice
- Work with 30 of the brightest high school students from diverse backgrounds
- Travel to Mongolia and experience new culture & meet new people
MYSP is looking for: - 18-28 years old current student/graduate of a university in Australia, Canada, UK or US
- Enjoys working with youth, specifically with local students whose first language is not English
- Can work with other like-minded teaching fellows to make their seminars and the program engaging for students
- Can travel to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to teach in-person during the first week of August 2023
Application deadline is March 1, 2023 at 23:59 ULAT Complete the form: https://tinyurl.com/tfmysp2023 For more information contact: misheel@soyolerdene.com & bacha@zorigfoundation.org https://www.facebook.com/mongoliaysp
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| | Scholarship: Fulbright Student Program (for Mongolians)
The Fulbright (Foreign) Student Program enables graduate students, young professionals, and artists from Mongolia to earn a master’s degree in the United States. The program operates in more than 160 countries worldwide and grants approximately 4,000 scholarships to foreign students each year.
Fulbright Student Program in Mongolia supports study in most fields of study but will give priority to candidates who plan to pursue studies in following fields:
- Data Science
- Artificial Intelligence
- Renewable Energy
- Environmental Protection Technology
- Petroleum Engineering
- Mining Technology
- Education (Preschool, TESOL, Special Needs)
- Agricultural Studies
Due to health system differences between the two countries, the program does not support studies in medicine except Public Health and in law only LLM degree study is supported.
To qualify for the Fulbright Student Program, applicants must meet following requirements:
- Be a Mongolian citizen, currently living in Mongolia;
- Have a minimum of 1.5 years of full-time work experience;
- Hold a first university degree (B.A. or equivalent);
- Be highly proficient in English, with a minimum TOEFL IBT 80-90, TOEFL ITP/PBT 550-575, IELTS 6.5-7.0, or Duolingo 115-125 depending on the field of study (please see below);
- Preference will be given to candidates with limited prior experience in the U.S. Note that Mongolians holding U.S. green card are not eligible to apply.
Candidates who are applying to pursue studies in the following fields are required to have a minimum of TOEFL IBT 90, TOEFL PBT/ITP 575, IELTS 7.00, or Duolingo 125:
- Arts Administration/History
- Biology
- Business/Economics/Finance
- Engineering
- English/TESOL
- Gender and Women’s Studies
- History
- International Development
- International Relations
- IT/Communication
- Journalism
- Law
- Linguistics
- Management
- Psychology
- Public Administration/Public Policy
- Political Science
- Theater/Drama/Creative Writing
- Urban/Regional Planning
- Veterinary Medicine
Candidates pursuing studies in fields other than named above should have a minimum of TOEFL IBT 80, TOEFL PBT/ITP 550, or IELTS 6.5.
In order to apply for the Fulbright Student Program, interested applicants must complete online application form. Complete online application must have following documents attached:
Recommendation Letters
- Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can attest to your academic and professional abilities
- Note that recommendations requested via the automated online system are still due on the same day and time of the application deadline. Applicants should notify their reference providers regarding the deadline.
- Recommendations must be in English or provide English translation by an authorized translation service along with the original letter in Mongolian. Recommendation letters submitted separately from the online application will not be accepted.
- Scanned copies of Diploma of all university degrees
- Diploma scan must include all language versions (i.e., Mongolian Cyrillic, Mongolian Script, English, etc.)
- In case the original is only issued in Mongolia, provide English translation by an authorized translation service along with the scanned copies of diploma/s in Mongolian.
- Original Transcript of all university degrees
- Official transcript must be issued by the school administration on a letterhead with an official stamp.
- Official transcript must be in English or provide English translation by an authorized translation service along with the original transcript in Mongolian.
- Diploma appendixes are not considered as transcript.
- Work experience proof
- A TUTs machine or e-mongolia reference indicating employment period of 1.5 years or more (only in Mongolian)
- A scanned/printed copy of TOEFL or IELTS official score report
- Curriculum Vitae
Things to remember when completing the online application:
Application must be completed in English in electronic format.
Applicants must answer all questions in the application form. Incomplete applications will be deemed technically ineligible. No questions can be left blank. Put N/A if not applicable.
Essays must be your own work reflecting your original thought. Other people’s works/ideas used anywhere in the application must be properly noted. Plagiarism in any part of your application will result in your disqualification from participating in the Fulbright Program.
Please note any word or character limit for essay portions of the application and give your answers within the limit.
The online application deadline is April 24, 2023, 8 a.m. ULAT. The Embassy will announce application results in May 2023 and will notify all applicants via email. Any inquiries about the program will not be answered via phone. Please direct all inquiries to exchange@usembassy.mn.
Visit the website of the U.S. Embassy in Mongolia for more information at (information is also available in Mongolian): https://mn.usembassy.gov/education-culture/scholarships/fulbright-student |
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Grants and Calls for Paper
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Call for Papers: Best of the Next Generation American Mongolists Research Paper Prize
The Mongolia Society, with generous funding from the Embassy of Mongolia to the United States, is pleased to open a competition for The Next Generation American Mongolists Research Paper Prize.
This prize will recognize the top three papers on a topic of Mongolian Studies by Master’s- and Doctoral-level students or new Ph.D.’s. Papers will be judged on the originality of the thesis advanced, thoroughness, quality of research, and importance of the topic for Mongolia and the Mongols. Winning papers will be recognized with awards of $2,500 (first prize), $1,500 (second prize), and $1000 (third prize). Papers will be considered for publication in Mongolian Studies: The Journal of The Mongolia Society.
Papers may be submitted by any U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident currently enrolled in a Master’s or Ph.D. program, or who has received a Ph.D. degree in the last three years, who is proficient in the Mongolian language, and whose scholarly record demonstrates a long-term commitment to teaching and researching in a field of Mongolian Studies.
Eligible unpublished papers will have a length of 3,000-8,000 words. Submissions will include a research paper, a CV, and a one-page statement of professional intent, describing the scholar’s research and career goals related to Mongolian Studies. (Eligibility, Format and Submission requirements summarized below.)
Entrants are strongly encouraged to become student members of The Mongolia Society. https://www.mongoliasociety.org/membership-1
The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2023.
Submissions should be emailed as attachments to Executive Director Susie Drost at MONSOC@indiana.edu.
Eligibility
- U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident of the U.S.,
- currently enrolled in a Master’s or Ph.D. program
- or who has received a Ph.D. degree in the last three years,
- who is proficient in the Mongolian language, and
- whose scholarly record demonstrates a long-term commitment to teaching and researching in a field of Mongolian Studies
Format
- Research paper must be typed in Times New Roman 12-point font – and the Bibliography in Times New Roman 10-point font -- and submitted in PDF format.
- For guidance on endnotes and other details, please refer to the Society’s Style Guide, available here: https://www.mongoliasociety.org/authors
Submissions should include:
1) Research paper of 3000-8,000 words (excluding Title page and Bibliography) (see Format requirements)
2) Title page that includes the author’s full name, mailing and email addresses, phone number with area code, current institutional affiliation and Master’s or Ph.D degree status, and level of Mongolian language proficiency.
3) Bibliography (see Format requirement),
4) Curriculum Vitae (CV), and
5) Statement of professional intent of not more than 1 page which describes the author's research and career goals related to Mongolian studies.
The Review Committee will consist of an interdisciplinary panel of scholars in Mongolian Studies who are members of The Mongolia Society’s Board of Directors. Using a “blind review” procedure, the Review Committee will consider the following criteria in selecting the winners:
- originality of the thesis advanced,
- thoroughness and quality of research,
- knowledge and use of primary sources in original languages,
- importance of the topic for Mongolia and the Mongols, and
- the scholarly promise in advancing the field of Mongolian Studies
Results will be announced and winners notified by April 15, 2023.
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| | CALL FOR PAPERS: XV ANNUAL MONGOLIAN STUDIES CONFERENCE (May 12-13, 2023)
Co-hosts: The Mongolian Cultural Center & Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Where: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History located at 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington D.C. 20560
The Mongolian Cultural Center is pleased to invite you to submit a paper for consideration for the “XV Annual Mongolian Studies Conference.”
Papers are invited for the 2022 conference, with a Mongolian Studies subjects, such as Mongolian language, history, religion, arts, culture, literature, anthropology as well as papers that address Mongolian social, economic, and cultural issues are also welcome. The papers must be original work of the author(s) and can be written and presented in either Mongolian or English. However, presenters who are planning on presenting in Mongolian must submit a full English translation of the paper at least one month prior to the conference.
Submission deadline for paper abstracts is March 1st, 2023. Abstracts must not exceed 500 words. If your paper is selected, you will receive an email from us by March 7th.
Prerequisite for presenting at the conference is payment of a $50 conference fee, which entitles you to 2-day attendance (including, breakfast and lunch), commemorative pen, conference proceedings book, and the closing reception.
Please send your abstracts to info@mongolcc.org
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Call for Papers: Religion and Society Special Issue Proposal
Editors:Simon Coleman, University of Toronto, Sondra L. Hausner, University of Oxford
Religion and Society has been receiving increasing numbers of excellent suggestions for special issues. We have therefore decided to invite proposals to be sent to us by a given deadline each year, in order to select the most appropriate special section for the journal. The pool of proposals will be considered by our editorial board, and decisions sent back to proposers as swiftly as possible. This arrangement will apply for the first time for our 2025 issue. Our timetable for proposals is as follows:
• May 1, 2024: submission of proposal to Religion and Society editors (no fixed number of papers, but maximum 50,000 words)
• June 1, 2024: decisions sent out, including choice of the proposal to be published
• June-December 2024: external refereeing and redrafting process, with submission of final proofreading by January 2025
The format of the proposal sent to Religion and Society should be as follows:
• Description of the special issue, including summary of its fit with Religion and Society, and assurance that all papers exist in draft form, fully ready to be send to reviewers (max. 500 words)
• Abstracts of all papers (max. 400 words each)
• Bios of special issue editors and all other contributors (max. 100 words each)
• List of potential reviewers for each paper, and assurance that special issue editors will work to obtain external reviews to fit with deadlines
Submission
The Religion and Society style guide is based on The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS). Please note that the journal uses US punctuation and spelling, following Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
Please refer to the Style Guide online:
https://journals.berghahnbooks.com/_uploads/air-rs/religion-and-society_style_guide.pdf
Please submit articles, reviews, and other contributions as Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format (rtf) files by e-mail to the editors:
Simon Coleman at simon.coleman@utoronto.ca and Sondra Hausner at sondra.hausner@theology.ox.ac.uk
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Interesting digital resource we discovered in January, 2023:- "Mandarin Mansion" - is a Dutch antique Asian arms and armor dealer website, the items shown on the website are usually accompanied by a well-researched description by the site owner Paul Dekker. There is also a wealth of knowledge on Asian arms and armor history, production methods, glossaries in Chinese hanzi, Manchu and Mongolian terminologies on weapon parts, warfare and military units.
- "ZBW Press Archives B99a Inner Mongolia" - is an online collection of historical press clippings about Inner Mongolia in German newspapers.
- "UMichigan Library" - University of Michigan Library now has a Mongolian studies guide. This guide aims to connect researchers to key resources, both within the U-M Library and beyond, on all dimensions of Mongolian history, life, and culture. It was drafted and continues to be developed in collaboration with an interdisciplinary group of scholars working on the region, helping to ensure that its contents are highly relevant and up to date.
Member contribution publications:(If you would like to announce your publication, please reach out to us at info@mongoliacenter.org. Make sure you put Member contribution publication in the Subject field of your email.
Selected scholarly articles published in January, 2023:
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| | FEATURE ARTICLES AND EVENTS ON MONGOLIAN STUDIES |
| Dzud in Mongolia: Critical to act early and protect herders’ livelihoods
/United Nations/ January 23. The Government of Mongolia reported that more than 60 percent of Mongolia’s territory is at high risk of dzud – a natural phenomenon that is unique to Mongolia. Heavy snowfalls in winter following a severe drought in summer cause animals to perish due to a lack of grazing pastures. Herders also wouldn’t be able to prepare hay and fodder to survive through the harsh winter in dry summers. Therefore, the Government of Mongolia calls for early actions and response to protect the livelihoods of the herder households. Read more |
| | U.S. Government Provides Disaster Assistance in Response to Mongolia’s Dzud
/U.S. Embassy in Mongolia/ January 31. The U.S. government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing $100,000 through the Mongolia Red Cross Society to respond to the dzud, by providing cash grants to vulnerable Mongolian herder households. The United States is carefully monitoring the impacts of the extreme cold and dzud impacts on livestock. “This dzud response builds on our ongoing work to help Mongolian communities prepare for, and respond to extreme climate events, and help them bounce back faster. As Mongolia’s strategic partner and third neighbor, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Mongolian people during this difficult time,” said U.S. Ambassador Richard Buangan. Read more |
| | The Writer's Union of Mongolia Announces the Recipients of This Year's Golden Feather Award/Eagle.mn/ January 31. The Golden Feather Award ceremony is being held for the 21st time this year to celebrate the best works in the literary field in 2022. The Writer's Union of Mongolia announced the recipients of the award in various categories. 2 friends of ACMS received the awards this year: Dr. Baatar Shirchin for his book 'Kharikhaan' in the Best Documentary Novel category, and Dr. Saruul-Erdene Myagmar, our Library Fellowship alum for his translation of Alexander Dow's tragedy 'Zingis' featuring Chinggis Khaan in the Best Translated Work. Read more in Mongolian |
| | President U.Khurelsukh Vetoes Controversial Law on Protecting Human Rights on Social Media Networks
/News.mn/ January 30. Mongolian President U.Khurelsukh has decided to veto a controversial “law to protect human rights on social networks” that was hastily passed by parliament 10 days ago. Civil society groups and journalists in Mongolia were alarmed when the country’s parliament passed a new law 20 on January, supposedly to “protect human rights on social media.” Approved less than three days after it was introduced to the public for the first time, human rights groups say the law threatens free speech and gives the state the ultimate power to regulate content on tech platforms. Parliamentarians can still keep their previous decision but they need to get more votes to overturn the veto. Read more |
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| Buddhist Leader of Kalmykia Declared Foreign Agent by Russia /Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/ January 30. The self-exiled supreme lama of Russia’s Republic of Kalmykia, who was the first religious leader in the country who publicly condemned Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, has announced his resignation. The statement came two days after Russia's Justice Ministry added Telo Tulku Rinpoche to its list of "foreign agents." The Buddhist monk, who represented the Dalai Lama in the Russian Federation and holds a U.S. passport, fled Russia for Mongolia last fall, where he is helping thousands of Kalmyks who left Russia after Moscow launched its war against Ukraine in late February, 2022. Read more |
| | The Taimen Fund Entrusts Mongolia Work to Wild Salmon Center
/Wild Salmon Center/ January 18. For decades, The Taimen Fund has worked to build scientific programming and partner networks to protect and conserve taimen in Mongolia. Taimen, a freshwater apex predator and the largest member of the salmonid family, are increasingly imperiled across their range—a vast area of Eurasia that comprises one-eighth of the world’s land surface. Found in remote rivers from Mongolia to the Korean peninsula and the Russian Far East, these resident wild fish can live over 30 years and reach 6 feet in length (and over 100 pounds in weight) given the right conditions. Now, The Taimen Fund hands its work to Wild Salmon Center and its International Taimen Initiative. Late last year, The Taimen Fund’s Board of Directors announced the transfer of remaining funds to WSC following extensive discussions with a number of organizations in the space. Read more |
| | Altai Mole Carcass Was Found in Khuvsgul Aimag
/Motsame/ January 31. An altai mole or talpa altaica-nicolky carcass was found on the snows of the Khridol Saridag mountains in the territory of the Red Taiga (Ulaan Taiga) state protected area in Khuvsgul. The altai mole are a rare species of mole that inhabit the Altai Mountains of Mongolia and Russia. The animal is oval in shape, and reaches up to 190 mm in body length and 34 mm in tail length. It lives mostly underground eating insects and bugs for sustenance. The rangers of the state protected area were surprised to find the subterranean animal on the surface of the snow. Read in Mongolian |
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"The King’s Road: Diplomacy and the Remaking of the Silk Road" by Xin Wen
Price: $49.95/£42.00 (Hardcover)
The King’s Road offers a new interpretation of the history of the Silk Road, emphasizing its importance as a diplomatic route, rather than a commercial one. Tracing the arduous journeys of diplomatic envoys, Xin Wen presents a rich social history of long-distance travel that played out in deserts, post stations, palaces, and polo fields. The book tells the story of the everyday lives of diplomatic travelers on the Silk Road—what they ate and drank, the gifts they carried, and the animals that accompanied them—and how they navigated a complex web of geographic, cultural, and linguistic boundaries. It also describes the risks and dangers envoys faced along the way—from financial catastrophe to robbery and murder.
Using documents unearthed from the famous Dunhuang “library cave” in Western China, The King’s Road paints a detailed picture of the intricate network of trans-Eurasian transportation and communication routes that was established between 850 and 1000 CE. By exploring the motivations of the kings who dispatched envoys along the Silk Road and describing the transformative social and economic effects of their journeys, the book reveals the inner workings of an interstate network distinct from the Sino-centric “tributary” system.
In shifting the narrative of the Silk Road from the transport of commodities to the exchange of diplomatic gifts and personnel, The King’s Road puts the history of Eastern Eurasia in a new light.
Xin Wen is assistant professor of East Asian studies and history at Princeton University.
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| | "The Great Mongol Shahnama" by Robert Hildebrand
Price: $195.00 (Hardcover)
A detailed study of the Great Mongol Shahnama, considered to be the greatest of all Persian illustrated manuscripts
The Great Mongol Shahnama is widely considered to be the definitive version of Firdausi’s epic poem, and the greatest of all Persian illustrated manuscripts. The paintings from this manuscript are held in private collections and institutions around the world, and have only been seen together in a single volume once since they were originally dispersed. This monograph reunites the paintings and reproduces them as 67 full-page, high quality color plates, alongside an analysis by leading scholar of Islamic art, Robert Hillenbrand. With newly commissioned photographs and insights into technical aspects of the paintings, The Great Mongol Shahnama is a comprehensive resource for those interested in Persian art and manuscripts.
Distributed for Hali Publications Ltd. and the Freer|Sackler, Smithsonian. Co-published by Hali Publications Ltd. and the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, and supported by Qatar Museums.
Robert Hillenbrand is an honorary professorial fellow in the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Edinburgh.
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Price: $27.54 (Paperback)
This book describes the author's intellectual and physical journey to her long-term work in the Altai Mountains of Russia and Mongolia. It recounts the challenges of getting to Siberia and the Russian Altai during the Soviet period and the physical and intellectual challenges of working in the Mongolian Altai—a region that was, at that time, virtually unknown even to researchers.
The focus of the author's work was the rock art and monumental archaeology of northwestern Mongolia. From her decades of survey, documentation, and mapping emerged an ancient world of deep culture and considerable beauty. The author's years in the Altai also revealed the lives of the local herders, inheritors of traditions going back to the Bronze Age.
The book is liberally illustrated with the photographs of Gary Tepfer, the author's husband and partner in this multi-year exploration.
Esther Jacobson-Tepfer received her doctoral degree in Chinese art history from the University of Chicago (1970). In her early publications she began to explore the interconnections between Chinese artistic traditions of the Zhou-Han period and those of the Early Nomads inhabiting the steppe region to the north of China’s borders. Extended study periods in the former Soviet Union allowed Jacobson-Tepfer to investigate more fully those nomadic traditions and to refocus her research interests in North Asia, the Early Nomads, and their Bronze Age predecessors. In recent years her research has been directed particularly to rock art of North Asia in the pre-Bronze, Bronze, and early Iron Ages.
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| | "The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East" by Nicholas Morton
Price: $35 (Hardcover)
How the Mongol invasions of the Near East reshaped the balance of world power in the Middle Ages
For centuries, the Crusades have been central to the story of the medieval Near East, but these religious wars are only part of the region’s complex history. As The Mongol Storm reveals, during the same era the Near East was utterly remade by another series of wars: the Mongol invasions.
In a single generation, the Mongols conquered vast swaths of the Near East and upended the region’s geopolitics. Amid the chaos of the Mongol onslaught, long-standing powers such as the Byzantines, the Seljuk Turks, and the crusaders struggled to survive, while new players such as the Ottomans arose to fight back. The Mongol conquests forever transformed the region, while forging closer ties among societies spread across Eurasia.
This is the definitive history of the Mongol assault on the Near East and its enduring global consequences.
Nicholas Morton is an associate professor at Nottingham Trent University. The author or editor of nine books, including The Field of Blood, Morton lives in Nottinghamshire, UK.
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