• Date & Time: Friday, 27 October, 14:00-16:00
• Venue: Yang Doo Suk Hall(3F, Kwanjeong), SNU Library
• Organizers: SNU Library, SNU Asia Center
• Inquiry: Nahyun Lee / +82-2-880-2868 / julianalee@snu.ac.kr

Winner of the IBP 2017 Korean Language Edition

[The History of Turk Empire 552-745: The Rise and Fall of Ashna’s Power], Paju: [Sakyejul Publishing Ltd], 2016.

Author : Jaehun Jeong
● Professor, Department of History, Gyeongsang National University
● President, The Korean Association for Central Asian Studies
● Major Books
– 『Understanding History of China』(co-author) (2009)
– 『The History of Uyghur Nomadic Empire(744~840)』(2006, selected as an Outstanding Academic Book by The National Academy of Sciences) (2005)
● Major Translations
– 『History of Asia through Historical Records』 (co-transl) (2014)
– René Grousset『 The Empire of the Stepps, a History of Central Asia 』 (co-transl) (1998)

This book deals with the history of an ancient nomadic empire with a pioneering spirit, which rose to power during the mid-6th century on the North Asian steppes and oases, only to fall 200 years later, leaving Turkic identity behind. The author examines epitaphs in Turkic letters, newly excavated archaeological data, as well as the existing Chinese texts. By comparing nomadic kinships, distinguishing feature of the Turkish ancient nomadic empire, he offers key insights for understanding the complex identities of short-lived states in Central Asia. This study leads us to view Asian history in a more balanced way by leaving behind a Sinoscentric perspective and deepening our understanding of North Asian history. In this sense, this study is in line with the works of Masaaki Sugiyama in Japan, Ho-dong Kim in Korea, and Nicola Di Cosmo in the US, which employ the Eurasian perspective in the historical understanding of Asia. Overall, this book is a showcase study that demonstrates the depth of Korean scholarship in Central and North Asian history. It is also a timely work, as the region is now getting more attention with the rise of China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative.