Silk Road: News, Events, Articles

The scientific research of the Great Silk Road from historical, geographical and cultural perspectives started by many scholars of the world in the second half of the 19th century. The scientific and public interest to in-depth study of the region has increased after in 1987 the UNESCO adopted the international programme "The Silk Road – the road of dialogue" and the implementation of world-importance project on the ancient road revival was started.

The academician of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences, D. Sc in history, professor Edward Rtveladze is a native of Georgia. But his lifetime and scientific activities are closely connected with Uzbekistan. He is the member of Academy of Sciences and Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan, a winner of Beruni State Prize. For his great contribution to science he was given high awards of different countries. Edward Rtveladze is an honorary member of many world scientific organizations. His lectures on archeology, history, numismatics, and written language of Central Asia are attended by the students of many universities and colleges of Great Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and Asian countries.

From his pen there came more than 600 scientific works, including fundamental researches and monograms. They are published not only in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries, but also in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, other CIS countries, as well as in Great Britain, Italy, USA, Japan, and Holland, Hungary.

For more than 40 years the scientist has been studying the history and culture of ancient Bactria, which is the cradle of civilization in the East. He bears the palm of many archeological discoveries connected with this state that vanished from the face of the earth thousands of years ago. The collected data enabled the scientist to defend the Doctoral thesis titled "Ancient Bactria- Medieval Tokharistan. The dynamics of historical and cultural development".

Edward Rtveladze is also known as an expert for Kushan kingdom – another ancient powerful state on the territory of Central Asia.

His monograph on commodity-money relations in the ancient East was universally recognized as the best book on Central Asian numismatics and was translated into many languages. Being one of the biggest experts of Eastern religions, Edward Rtveladze edited the collection of essays published to commemorate the 2700th anniversary of great "Avesta". In this collection for the first time there was given the translation of "Videvdata" ("Extracts") from "Avesta" – a significant monument of ancient law in Central Asia. And his bibliographic research "Amir Temur in the mirror of world's science" evoked widespread response in the scientific circles of the world.

The monumental work of Edward Rtveladze is his encyclopedia "The Great Silk Road". He had nurtured the idea for years. He set his mind on revealing fully and without bias the role of this ancient caravan road in the history of world civilization, on tracing the impact of Central Asia on formation of peculiar cultures of the region and neighbouring countries, on showing the benefits of interaction of Eastern and Western traditions.

In his book Rtveladze revealed the significance and role of various countries and peoples, Greece, Roman empire, China and Sogd in particular, in formation of the Great Silk Road, vividly described the dramatic events connected with the struggle for silk, as well as interaction of ancient civilizations of East and West. The special attention in the book is called to Central Asia, its spiritual and material culture.

Chronologically the encyclopedia covers the period up to the 7th-8th centuries A. D., when evidently the first, early stage of the Great Silk Road development ends. The book contains extensive historical material starting from the Bronze Age to early Middle Ages.

One can realize the breadth of the research by the titles of its parts. In the first part of the book there are the following chapters: "Ancient Greeks and Hellenistic culture in Central Asia", "The Romans on the Great Silk Road trails", "Following in the footsteps of the Christians, the Manicheans and the Judaists", "Central Asian preachers of Buddhism in the Far East", "Sogdian diaspora in Central Asia". The second part titled "From East to West" presents such topics as:

"China and Central Asia", "Struggle for silk. The Turkic people on the Great Silk Road". The book also contains separate chapters "Coins on the Great Silk Road" and "Diplomacy on the Great Silk Road".

The book is completed with broad encyclopedic glossary and is decorated with numerous wonderful illustrations. It is a valuable scientific source revealing the "Great Silk Road" concept as well as a really gripping narration for all those who are interested in history.

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