The Great Empires of Asia (Paperback) /anglais

by MASSELOS JIM

The religious thinkers, political leaders, law-makers, writers and philosophers of the early Muslim world helped to shape the 1,400-year-long development of today’s secondlargest world religion. But who were these people? What do we know of their lives, and the ways in which they influenced their societies? Chase F. Robinson draws on the long tradition in Muslim scholarship of commemorating in writing the biographies of notable figures, but weaves these ambitious lives together to create a rich narrative of early Islamic civilization, from the Prophet Muhammad to fearsome Tamerlane. Beginning in Islam’s heartland, Mecca, we move across Arabia to follow Islam’s journey across North Africa, as far as Spain in the West, and eastwards through Central and East Asia; we see the rise and fall of Islamic states through the political and military leaders working to secure peace or expand their power, and, within this political climate, the development of Islamic law, scientific thought and literature through the words of the scholars who devoted themselves to these pursuits. Alongside the famous characters who coloured this landscape, including Muhammad’s controversial cousin, ’Ali; the first Sultan of Egypt, Saladin; and the poet Rumi, the reader will also meet less wellknown figures, such as Shajar al-Durr, slave-turned-Sultana of Egypt, and Ibn Fadlan, whose travels in Eurasia brought first-hand accounts of the Volka Vikings to the Abbasid Caliph.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Asia

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2010

Reviews

[Ben Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the biggest challenges of assembling a book about such a massive subject must be knowing what to include and what to trim. With each chapter of this book an essay by a different scholar, focused on one of these mighty empires at a time, it feels like a good introduction to this enormous subject.

Naturally, this also means that uniform enjoyment throughout isn’t entirely assured. While the voice of one of the contributors might be engaging and lively, the next might be found a little flat and cold in comparison.

Nevertheless, this is an engaging snapshot that does its very best to summarise the rise, reign and decline of these Asian superpowers whose existence I know very little about. Though more focused on political, religious and military activities than social ones, it’s an excellent starting place for the neophyte.

[Joe Callingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

As for the majority of people raised in Europe, North America, and Australia, my knowledge of the achievements of Asia was seriously lacking. While I could list off some of the greatest monuments, political movements, and conquests, my broad knowledge of history of the entire continent was abysmal. “The Great Empires of Asia” goes someway to plugging that with broad brushstrokes of some of the greatest empires the world has seen. The book is best considered as an essay smorgasbord, with many flavors that you don’t get long to savor. It is designed to give you a brief glimpse of what an Asian empire did achieve and encourage you to read further if you feel so inclined. Going in with that expectation of sampling, rather than expecting a comprehensive analysis, you will not be disappointed with “The Great Empires of Asia”. The greatest weakness, as with most texts that are assembled by multiple authors, of “The Great Empires of Asia” is the wild variation in quality and information chapter to chapter. A few of the chapters, that would likely stand well by themselves, feel like drudgery to get through when next to a strong chapter.

[Declan Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of Essays on some of the 'Great Empires of Asia'. Masselos has gathered together seven experts to talk of seven cultures and empires. This is an interesting read, but each of the essays is ultimately too short, meaning an understanding of some of the background is needed to follow the essays themselves.

This is unfortuante, as the premise of the book is very good and long overdue in western non-fiction.

None-the-less an interesting and very knowledgeable group of people have contributed to this book and it makes it a good 'post-introduction' book to some of the eras. I think if you know about 1 or 2 of the empires before reading this book, it is a good level.

[Annikky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent introduction, but inevitably very compressed. I bought it mostly for the chapter on the Khmer empire, which unfortunately turned out to be the driest.

[Louis Armitage · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic introduction to seven of the worlds most influential Empires.

Despite there being a consistent lack of depth on each subject area (as each Empire is only given a single Chapter to cover their prominence, qualities and flaws), this book serves as a perfectly straightforward overview of Asian history.

The chapters on the Ming, Ottomans, Mughals, and the Meiji restoration were particularly strong in my opinion and I can’t wait to research them in more detail.

This book serves its function perfectly, in the sense it draws you into these ambiguous and fascinatingly complex time periods just enough for you to want to explore further. Jim Masselo’s concluding chapter on the “Ends of Empire” was the highlight for me, as it wraps up the alluring themes of this work so succinctly, and his postulations behind the decline of these Empires are profoundly thought provoking.

Despite quality varying (in my opinion) per chapter due to the various styles of each individual author, “The Great Empires of Asia” is predominantly successful in its Herculean task of condensing the vastness and complexities of Asian history alongside encapsulating the compelling themes of the topic that is the decline of Empires.

[Jordan Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having a different writer for each chapter makes this varied and encompassing history of Asia’s greatest empires feel fresh, engaging, and fascinating from start to finish. It mixes military and governmental history with the artistic virtues of each empire, as well as casts intriguing connections and crossovers between the different societies that bring everything to life. The only downside is the Khmer section. While undoubtedly an interesting part of history, the lack of solid evidence and sources from which the section could draw from made it less tangible and engaging than every other chapter. It felt more vague than the rest of the book - who exactly did what lacks conviction or visual charm - which made me wonder why it was selected for the book. Other than that, a top read.

[Iván · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un interesante libro que resume algunos de los grandes imperios de Asia. Cada capítulo es un buen resumen de un imperio: el Mongol de Gengis Khan y sus sucesores, la China Ming, los Khmer en el Sudeste de Asia, el Otomano, el Persa, el Mogol en India o el Japón imperial que va desde la restauración Meiji hasta la II Guerra Mundial. Escrito cada capítulo por diferentes expertos, sirve como una fantástica introducción para profundizar y buscar nuevas lecturas.

[Yuvraj chadha · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the empires discussed in the book by different historians can be written about for 5 full length volumes if not more, the writers for the most part do a good job in giving a condensed high level understanding of the empires in 30 pages.

Different authors leads to varying writing styles and focuses leading to each chapter being unique in not just subject matter but style. This means the book has something for everyone, the chapter on Khmer can only be described as a love letter to architecture where as the chapter on the Meiji restoration reads more so like a high school history book being extremely chronological and surface level (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing)

[Eric Sbar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to learn about Asian empires, especially the Ottoman Empire, which most history books write off as the Sick Man of Europe. I have read wonderful books about the atrocities against the Armenian population and the death of the empire after WWI, but nothing about its growth as a multilingual and multicultural entity that thrived while Europe was still in the Dark Ages. Sadly, this was only a taste of a Reader’s Digest version. I was engaged with the intricate descriptions of Khmer building and art but much fell flat. I studied Japanese history in college and felt the information presented on Meiji Japan was cursory, both the good and the very, very bad.

[Simon Binning · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no doubt that when we in the west look at history, we still tend to be very Eurocentric. Even when Europeans look at the history of the rest of the world, it tends to be in relation to our own imperial and colonial history.
Yet the largest land empires in history have been beyond Europe. The art, culture and cuisine we enjoy in the west has been influenced by other civilisations far more than most people realise.
But things are changing, and readers are searching out histories of people and lands beyond their own experience. What many look for first is introductory material. Something that might give them an overview and lead them to further, more detailed reading. This book, edited by Jim Masselos, falls into that category.
It is divided into seven principal sections, covering the Mongols, Ming, Khmer, Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals and the Meiji restoration. Each section is by a different author, and is designed to give a taste of each empire.
Unfortunately, it doesn't totally work. There is a huge amount of information, but written in such a dry, deadpan manner as to be almost unreadable at times. Emperors and kings come and go, often with little other information, and it becomes boring very quickly. Occasional glimpses of government structures, or advances in art or technology are mentioned, but are often so brief they hardly generate enough interest to seek further reading.
There is a bibliography, but it is academic in style. Merely a list of books, without any explanation of which might meet the needs of a different readership. In a general history book, a bibliography needs to guide the reader: interested in Mughal art? Then these books are for you. In Khmer architecture? Then look here. This dry list leads you nowhere.
The idea of this book is a good one, but the execution is hugely disappointing. I found myself getting bored on a  number of occasions, wishing myself nearer the end. Indeed, very unusually for me, I twice considered not finishing it. If you know nothing of any of these cultures, and are someone who enjoys your information in a clear, fact after fact, way, then you might find this useful as an introduction. But I would suggest looking for something which is more readable.

[Peter Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

When great empires are discussed, the list runs: Roman, Persian, Egyptian, Alexandrian, erm, Aztec? The great empires of eastern and central Asia are often overlooked. This book redresses that balance.

A different expert covers each empire and this works alright. There was only one contributor whose work was that dry I gave up on it and another that was a bit so so. The rest were mostly fine, with the Mongols being the stand out. Every single contribution taught me quite a bit about areas that I'm relatively unfamiliar with. It was nice to see modern spellings for names and places. This did take a bit of getting used to, but it's good to see positive changes like this.

Most of the papers were detailed enough to give you a good overview, but not so much as to get you lost in a welter of detail. However, a few felt quite shallow.

It was great that each empire was considered on its own terms and not through its contacts with the West. That made it quite a refreshing read.

Overall, though, this book felt a trifle lightweight.

[Alerk Ablikim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has partly satisfied my hunger for information on my three most interesting empires in human history; the Ottomans, the Safavids and the Mughals. But there is more, from the practically unknown Khmer Empire to the influential Meji Restoration and the orgin of most empires in Asia: the Mongols. It makes you imagine the societies and makes you want to witness cities such as Isfahan, Constantinople and Delhi. A historical journey. But since the book is a condensation of the imperial history of 7 empire over a 1000 years, it's a lot and sometimes a bit dry. But you can take your time and you don't have to read it chronology.

[Freido · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book once all the way through, then I re-read specific sections for consolidation. The second time going through the passages, which was a couple of months later, was a lot more enjoyable. When I first read the book I felt like I wanted to know more, "give me more detail" I remember thinking. But now I feel like for it's length, it's about as detailed as it could be. The Khmer empire was the driest though like the author describes a hydraulic system but too briefly so I missed out on gaining more appreciation for the empire.

I like the fact the economic system is covered for most of the empires, it's under-written about in my view.

[Sarah Parkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really accessible and interesting introduction to a lot of different topics, and the bibliography gave me a lot of ideas for how to find out more about each empire. The only drawback is that, because it tries to condense hundreds of years of empire into a 30-page chapter, it can fall into the trap of being a list of things that happened and under whose reign they took place, which can become a bit formulaic and dull. Still, it's very much worth your time to get a idea of what further research you want to do.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a concise oversight of the Asian empires of the second millennium with each chapter put forward by a different scholar of said civilization. It is not merely an expedition in the military conquests of these empires yet insights into administration along with other domestic matters such as taxes, culture and religion. The chapters flow well making contrasting and connecting points with aspects of the various empires.

So if you are looking for an introduction to the many past empires of Asia from the Ming dynasty to the Mughals you cannot go wrong with this book.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the chapters I found really interesting, others I was tempted to skip through. Much of the book was dedicated to describing military changes, which I find the least interesting aspects of any given historical period (I know studying them is necessary for understanding what happened around the time, but I just don't enjoy reading it). Many of the writers were making a great effort not to offer opinions, but that made it dryer.

[Saurabh Odak · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book comprises of essentially seven chapters briefing seven different Asian empires. The chapter itself is a very short summary of each empire. Most of the empires except from Japan are from the Mid ages. The conclusions drawn are logical but I was left with a feeling of abruptness while reading the book as I wanted to know more about some of the unique eimpires like the Khmer, Ming and likes.
Satisfactory to read.

[Riet · Rating 3 out of 5]

7 verschillende schrijvers beschrijven de "empires". die in Azie hebben bestaan. Dat is eigenlijk te veel voor dit nogal kleine boek. Wel interessant, maar niet uitgebreid genoeg als je meer wilt weten. Het meeste was mij al bekend, maar over het rijk van de Khmers wist ik niet veel. Dat was dus wel interessant. Kortom: aardig boek, maar te veel onderwerpen voor een boek.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read. Some chapters were more interesting (and well written) than others - no surprise considering each chapter is written by a different academic. This is more of a taster book for Asian history and glosses over most critical events. This is the sort of book which you read to familiarise yourself with the landscape before reading more deeply.

[Gabriel Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine but superficial

This is not a bad book, nor is it uninteresting. However it is still a fairly superficial overview of seven Asian Empires, with only the Khmer Empire relatively unknown. It looks briefly at their structures and achievements, and their eventual downfalls. A pleasant read, but it doesn’t give you much more than that.

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nice idea, but terrible Implementation. The main issue is that there are different contributors for each empire, leading to a inconsistent style. The chapters have the same structure (rise, fall, economy) which allows for easier comparisions, but it also makes a very dry read. Had to stop after the Ming and sold the book.

[Plexiform Identity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful dense summaries of select Asian empires

Appreciated chapter on Khmer empire which is not covered as often as the others. Especially liked the chapter on
Meiji which had interesting insights on Japanese mentality during its period of violent invasions.

Would have liked to seen coverage of Indonesian empires like Majapahit.

[Pete R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

More often than not, history books often focused on the European colonization part of the history but this book reveals some of the mysterious and most influential Asian empires that reduced the European conquest of the modern world a mere blip in the scale of time.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the chapters mixed some where accessible and well written such as the chapter on India. However some were pretty hard to follow with lists of rulers abd conquests and not much more. I think the book tried to cover too much in too short a text.

[Mathijs Loo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prima boek dat als kennismaking kan dienen voor de beschreven Aziatische rijken in dit boek. Het voor- en nawoord van Jim Masellos voegden analytisch zeker wat toe over de gehele breedte. Niet ieder onderdeel van de bundel was even goed leesbaar, maar dat mag de pret niet drukken.

[Haziq Hakimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative.

[Amber Meller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like it was missing something, despite the detail and knowledge the book gave. I couldn't put my finger on it, despite the good read

[Mark Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the major empires of Asia, the reasons for their rise, economic and cultural aspects and elements of their decline all wrapped up very succinctly.

[Henri Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative essays worth reading on ‘The Great Empires of Asia’. A good introduction inviting to read more.

[Alfie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great set of brief tellings of the wonders and horrors of Asian imperialism throughout history. How well these writers make one feel small and enormous at the same time.