Christopher I. Beckwith Boeken

Prologue: Central Eurasian innovators -- The Scythians in the Central Eurasian steppes -- The Scythians in media and Central Asia -- The Scytho-Mede Persian empire -- One eternal royal line -- Imperial Scythian in the Persian empire -- Classical Scythian in the central Eurasian steppes Eurasia -- The Scythian empire in chao and the first Chinese empire -- The Scythian capitals of Media, Chao, and Ch'in -- Epilogue: Scythian philosophy and the classical age.

This narrative history of the Tibetan Empire in Central Asia from about A.D. 600 to 866 depicts the struggles of the great Tibetan, Turkic, Arab, and Chinese powers for dominance over the Silk Road lands that connected Europe and East Asia. It shows the importance of overland contacts between East and West in the Early Middle Ages and elucidates Tibet's role in the conflict over Central Asia.