http://asianhistory.about.com/ Get the latest headlines from the About.com http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hh http://www.about.com/ 118 20 en-us 2012-02-16T10:25:45Z Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:25:45 +0000 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/17/told-you-so-pekingese-wins-westminster.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/asianhistory/1/H/5/I/-/-/PekeMalaMichaelNagleGetty.jpg" alt="Westminster Dog Show &#34;Best in Show&#34; winner, the Pekingese Malachy" /><p>OK, I didn't really predict that a Pekingese dog would win the Westminster Dog Show. But I <i>did</i> write a <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/od/china/p/History-of-the-Pekingese-Dog.htm">history of the Pekingese</a>, which originated in imperial China, just before the show opened, so I'm going to pat myself on the back nonetheless.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/17/told-you-so-pekingese-wins-westminster.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/17/told-you-so-pekingese-wins-westminster.htm Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:51:07 +0000 2012-02-17T18:51:07Z http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/16/alternatives-to-the-nation-state-yes-they-exist.htm <p><img alt="Cover art, East Asia Before the West by David C. Kang" class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/asianhistory/1/9/1/I/-/-/EastAsiabeforeKang.jpg" /></p> <p>We take nation-states for granted these days. What country are you from? Where is the border with the next country? Every centimeter of dry land and every human being on Earth is claimed by at least one nation-state.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/16/alternatives-to-the-nation-state-yes-they-exist.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/16/alternatives-to-the-nation-state-yes-they-exist.htm Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:25:45 +0000 2012-02-16T10:25:45Z http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/12/what-hope-for-an-independent-kurdistan.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/asianhistory/1/3/q/7/-/-/KurdishflagatDohukbyjamesdale10Flickr.jpg" alt="Some 17% of Iraq's population are Kurdish." /></p> <p>In the post-Ottoman shuffling of Middle Eastern borders, the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryko/g/kurdsgloss.htm">Kurdish</a> people lost out. Even as the Arabs were divided into a number of previously unknown "nations" - <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/od/Iraq/p/Iraq_Facts_and_History.htm">Iraq</a>, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, etc. - the Kurds were left without a state.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/12/what-hope-for-an-independent-kurdistan.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/12/what-hope-for-an-independent-kurdistan.htm Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:04:19 +0000 2012-02-12T22:04:19Z http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/10/books-about-genghis-khan.htm <p><img alt="Painting of Genghis Khan, via wikipedia" class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/asianhistory/1/3/3/8/-/-/GenghisKhanWiki.jpg" /></p> <p>Few historical figures inspire as much interest and even awe as <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/od/profilesofasianleaders/p/GenghisKhanProf.htm">Genghis Khan</a> (Chingguz Khan), founder of the Mongol Empire. The Oceanic Khan also inspires a lot of books, both in the fiction and nonfiction categories.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/10/books-about-genghis-khan.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/10/books-about-genghis-khan.htm Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:43:33 +0000 2012-02-10T10:43:33Z http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/09/the-british-museums-mesopotamia-site.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/asianhistory/1/3/p/H/-/-/LionIshtarGateBabylonbyIainMastertonGetty.jpg" alt="Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers, ...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/09/the-british-museums-mesopotamia-site.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/09/the-british-museums-mesopotamia-site.htm Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:14:51 +0000 2012-02-09T18:14:51Z http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/07/medieval-jewish-documents-from-afghanistan.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/asianhistory/1/3/n/H/-/-/AfghanMuseumPaulaBronsteinGetty.jpg" alt="The Kabul Museum in Afghanistan, which has been damaged and looted in recent decades." /></p> <p>Everyone knows that <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/od/afghanista1/p/ProfAfghanistan.htm">Afghanistan</a> is an ancient crossroads and storehouse of wonderful artifacts (at least those that the Taliban hasn't destroyed). However, a recent discovery in the north of the country is amazing even by Afghan standards.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/07/medieval-jewish-documents-from-afghanistan.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/07/medieval-jewish-documents-from-afghanistan.htm Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:43:16 +0000 2012-02-07T11:43:16Z http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/07/pictures-are-worth-1000-chinese-characters.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/asianhistory/1/H/-/G/-/-/BoxerPrisonerCangueKeystoneViewCoLOC.jpg" alt="Boxer prisoner in a cangue, Tientsin China 1900" /><p>To me, nothing brings home an historic event or era like a painting or (even better) a photograph. While sadly I cannot help with reader requests for photos of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/od/profilesofasianleaders/p/qinshihungbio.htm">Qin Shi Huangdi</a> [r. 246-210 BCE], I do love to collect pictures of more recent historical events.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/07/pictures-are-worth-1000-chinese-characters.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/07/pictures-are-worth-1000-chinese-characters.htm Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:15:30 +0000 2012-02-07T11:15:30Z http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/04/now-for-something-lighter-history-of-the-pekingese-dog.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/asianhistory/1/H/i/H/-/-/PekinesepuppiesHultonArchive1950.jpg" alt="Pekinese puppies in a Ming vase, c. 1950." /><p>Who can resist a <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/od/china/p/History-of-the-Pekingese-Dog.htm">Pekingese dog</a>? They have such lovely fur, such funny flat noses, and huge eyes. Not to mention, that imperious attitude! It's pretty comical in something so small.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/04/now-for-something-lighter-history-of-the-pekingese-dog.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/02/04/now-for-something-lighter-history-of-the-pekingese-dog.htm Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:16:59 +0000 2012-02-04T18:16:59Z http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/01/31/enough-to-shake-your-faith-pol-pot.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/asianhistory/1/H/e/H/-/-/KillingFieldsbyRevStanFlickr.jpg" alt="Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime massacred more than 1.5 million of its own population" /> <p>On a personal note, I have to admit that I love this job. I love writing about Asian history - the samurai, the wonderful historical figures like Jose Rizal and Zheng He. But every now and then, I run into a personage or a story that is so horrific, it shakes my faith in humanity.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/01/31/enough-to-shake-your-faith-pol-pot.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/01/31/enough-to-shake-your-faith-pol-pot.htm Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:00:07 +0000 2012-01-31T22:00:07Z http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/01/28/what-is-a-bactria.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/asianhistory/1/H/c/H/-/-/BactrianArtifactbyNickmardFlickr.jpg" alt="This golden chariot from Bactria dates back to the 5th-4th centuries BCE." /></p> <p>I will admit that as a child, I thought that <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/ig/Animal-Domestication/Bactrian-Camels--China.htm">Bactrian camels</a> had something to do with bacteria. After all, the name <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryae/g/Where-Is-Bactria.htm">Bactria</a> does not turn up in everyday conversation anymore.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/01/28/what-is-a-bactria.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://asianhistory.about.com/b/2012/01/28/what-is-a-bactria.htm Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:53:20 +0000 2012-01-28T21:53:20Z