Inner Asia

Map of Inner Asia, showing the extent of the area studied by the Sinor Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies, located atIndiana Universityin the USA

Map of Inner Asia, showing the extent of the area studied by the CIAS at theUniversity of Toronto.

Inner Asiarefers to the northern andlandlockedregions spanningNorth,CentralandEast Asia.It includes parts ofwesternandnortheast China,as well as southernSiberia.The area overlaps with some definitions of "Central Asia", mostly the historical ones, but certain regions that are often included in Inner Asia, such asManchuria,are not a part of Central Asia by any of its definitions. Inner Asia may be regarded as the western and northern "frontier" ofChina properand as being bounded by East Asia proper, which consists of China proper, Japan and Korea.^[1]

The extent of Inner Asia has been understood differently in different periods. "Inner Asia" is sometimes contrasted to "China proper", that is, the territories originally unified under theQin dynastywith majorityHanpopulations. In 1800, Chinese Inner Asia consisted of four main areas, namelyManchuria(modernNortheast ChinaandOuter Manchuria), theMongolian Plateau(Inner MongoliaandOuter Mongolia),Xinjiang(Chinese TurkestanorEast Turkestan), andTibet.Many of these areas had been only recently conquered by theQing dynastyof China and, during most of the Qing period, they were governed through administrative structures different from those of the older Chinese provinces.^[2]A Qing government agency, theLifan Yuan,supervisedthe empire's Inner Asian regions,also known asChinese Tartary.

Definition and usage

"Inner Asia" today has a range of definitions and usages.^[3]Denis Sinor,for example, used "Inner Asia" in contrast toagriculturalcivilizations, noting its changing borders, such as when a Roman province was taken by the Huns, areas ofNorth Chinawere occupied by theMongols,orAnatoliacame underTurkish influence,eradicatingHellenisticculture.^[4]

Scholars or historians of theQing dynasty,such as those who compiled theNew Qing History,often use the term "Inner Asia" when studying Qing interests or reigns outsideChina proper,^[5]although previousChinese dynastieslike theHan dynasty,Tang dynastyandMing dynastyalso expanded their realms and influences into Inner Asia.

According toMorris Rossabi,Inner Asia is composed not only of the fiveCentral Asiancountries, which includesTurkmenistan,Uzbekistan,Tajikistan,Kyrgyzstan,andKazakhstan,but also includesAfghanistan,Xinjiang,Mongolia,Manchuria,and parts ofIran.^[6]

In other languages

InFrench,"Asie centrale"can mean either" Central Asia "or" Inner Asia ", while Mongolia and Tibet are grouped as"Haute-Asie"(Upper Asia).^[7]

The terms meaning "Inner Asia" in the languages of Inner Asia itself are all modern translations of terms in European languages, mostly Russian.^{[citation needed]}

Related terms

Central Asia

"Central Asia"normally denotes the western part of Inner Asia; that is,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,Turkmenistan,andUzbekistan,withAfghanistansometimes also included as part of Central Asia. However,The Library of Congresssubject classification system treats "Central Asia" and Inner Asia as synonymous.^[7]

Central Eurasia

According toMorris Rossabi,the term "Inner Asia" is the well-established term for the area in the literature. However, because of its deficiencies, including the implication of an "Outer Asia" that does not exist,Denis Sinorhas proposed the neologism "Central Eurasia", which emphasizes the role of the area in intercontinental exchange.^[8]According to Sinor:^[9]

The definition that can be given of Central Eurasia in space is negative. It is that part of the continent of Eurasia that lies beyond the borders of the great sedentary civilizations.... Although the area of Central Eurasia is subject to fluctuations, the general trend is that of diminution. With the territorial growth of the sedentary civilizations, their borderline extends and offers a larger surface on which new layers of barbarians will be deposited.

References

Citations

^Bulag, Uradyn E. (October 2005)."Where is East Asia?: Central Asian and Inner Asian Perspectives on Regionalism".Japan Focus. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-04-02.Retrieved2012-12-09.
^The Cambridge History of China: Volume 10, Part 1, by John K. Fairbank, p37
^Book Abstract: "Inner Asia: Making a Long-Term U.S. Commitment."Archived2011-06-04 at theWayback MachineAuthors: Carol D. Clair; Army War Coll Carlisle Barracks Pa. Retrieved: 22 August 2009.
^The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia, Volume 1 By Denis Sinor.Retrieved: 22 August 2009.
^New Qing Imperial History: The Making of Inner Asian Empire at Qing Chengde,ed. Ruth W. Dunnell,Mark C. Elliott,Philippe Foret and James A. Millward
^Rossabi, Morris. "Central Asia: A Historical Overview".Asia Society.
^^a ^bResearch Institute for Inner Asian Studies (RIFIAS). Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.Retrieved: 22 August 2009.
^Rossabi, Morris (1975).China and Inner Asia: from 1368 to the present day.Pica Press. p. 10.
^Sinor, Denis(1997).Inner Asia: History, civilization, languages: a syllabus.p. 4.

Sources

Di Cosmo, Nicola. 1999. "State Formation and Periodization in Inner Asian History".Journal of World History10 (1). University of Hawai'i Press: 1–40.State Formation and Periodization in Inner Asian History.
Rogers, J. Daniel. 2012. "Inner Asian States and Empires: Theories and Synthesis".Journal of Archaeological Research20 (3). Springer: 205–56.Inner Asian States and Empires: Theories and Synthesis.

External links

[1] Bulag, Uradyn E. (October 2005)."Where is East Asia?: Central Asian and Inner Asian Perspectives on Regionalism".Japan Focus. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-04-02.Retrieved2012-12-09.

[2] The Cambridge History of China: Volume 10, Part 1, by John K. Fairbank, p37

[3] Book Abstract: "Inner Asia: Making a Long-Term U.S. Commitment."Archived2011-06-04 at theWayback MachineAuthors: Carol D. Clair; Army War Coll Carlisle Barracks Pa. Retrieved: 22 August 2009.

[4] The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia, Volume 1 By Denis Sinor.Retrieved: 22 August 2009.

[5] New Qing Imperial History: The Making of Inner Asian Empire at Qing Chengde,ed. Ruth W. Dunnell,Mark C. Elliott,Philippe Foret and James A. Millward

[6] Rossabi, Morris. "Central Asia: A Historical Overview".Asia Society.

[auto-7] Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies (RIFIAS). Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.Retrieved: 22 August 2009.

[8] Rossabi, Morris (1975).China and Inner Asia: from 1368 to the present day.Pica Press. p. 10.

[9] Sinor, Denis(1997).Inner Asia: History, civilization, languages: a syllabus.p. 4.

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v t e RegionsofAsia
Central (The 'stans)	Roof of the World Greater Middle East Aral Sea Aralkum Desert Caspian Sea Dead Sea Sea of Galilee Tartary Transoxiana Turan Greater Khorasan Ariana Arachosia Khwarazm Sistan Kazakhstania Kazakh Steppe Betpak-Dala Eurasian Steppe Kazakh Steppe Mongolian–Manchurian grassland Iranian Plateau Altai Mountains Pamir Mountains Tian Shan Badakhshan Wakhan Corridor Wakhjir Pass Mount Imeon Mongolian Plateau Western Regions Taklamakan Desert Karakoram Trans-Karakoram Tract Siachen Glacier Tibetan Plateau
East (Northeast)	Orient Japanese Archipelago Northeastern Japan Arc Sakhalin Island Arc Korea Gobi Desert Taklamakan Desert Greater Khingan Mongolian Plateau Inner Asia Greater Central Asia Inner Mongolia Outer Mongolia China proper Manchuria Northeast China Northeast China Plain Outer Manchuria Mongolian–Manchurian grassland North China Plain Yan Mountains Liaodong Peninsula High-mountain Asia Himalayas Tibetan Plateau Karakoram Kunlun Mountains Qilian Mountains Hengduan Mountains Tarim Basin Qinling Mountains Sichuan Basin Northern Silk Road Hexi Corridor Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau Lingnan Liangguang Jiangnan Jianghuai Guanzhong Huizhou Wu Jiaozhou Zhongyuan Shaannan Ordos Loop Loess Plateau Shaanbei Hamgyong Mountains Central Mountain Range Japanese Alps Suzuka Mountains Leizhou Peninsula Gulf of Tonkin Yangtze Yangtze Delta Yellow River Pearl River Delta Yenisey Basin Altai Mountains Wakhan Corridor Wakhjir Pass Far East/Pacific Asia Ring of Fire Asia–Pacific Tropical Asia
North (Siberia)	Arctic Arctic Circle Inner Asia Northeast Ural Ural Mountains Far East/Pacific Asia Russian Far East Okhotsk–Manchurian taiga Beringia Chukchi Peninsula Kamchatka Peninsula Extreme North Tartary Siberia Baikalia(Lake Baikal) Baraba steppe Khatanga Gulf Transbaikal West Amur Basin Yenisey Gulf Yenisey Basin Sikhote-Alin Kolyma Bering Strait Ring of Fire Outer Manchuria Asia–Pacific
Southeast (East Indies)	Orient Sundaland Mainland/Indochina Northern Triangle temperate forests Maritime/Malay Archipelago Peninsular Malaysia Sunda Islands Greater Sunda Islands Lesser Sunda Islands Indonesian Archipelago/Nusantara Wallacea Timor Philippine Archipelago Luzon Mindanao Visayas Leyte Gulf Gulf of Thailand East Indies Nanyang Alpide belt Far East/Pacific Asia Ring of Fire Asia–Pacific Tropical Asia
South (Indian Subcontinent)	Subregions Eastern Northern Northwestern Southern Orient Greater India Indian subcontinent Himalayas Kangchenjunga Nanda Devi Hindu Kush Bactria Carnatic region Tamilakam Western Ghats Eastern Ghats Ganges Basin Ganges Delta Guzgan Pashtunistan Punjab Balochistan Gedrosia Makran Marathwada Kashmir Kashmir Valley Pir Panjal Range Thar Desert Indus Valley Indus River Delta Indus Valley Desert Indo-Gangetic Plain Eastern Coastal Plains Kalinga Western Coastal Plains Meghalaya subtropical forests Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows Doab Bagar tract Great Rann of Kutch Little Rann of Kutch Deccan Plateau Coromandel Coast Konkan False Divi Point Hindi Belt Ladakh Aksai Chin Gilgit-Baltistan Baltistan Shigar Valley High-mountain Asia Karakoram Saltoro Mountains Siachen Glacier Bengal Bay of Bengal Gulf of Khambhat Gulf of Kutch Halar Gulf of Mannar Palk Strait Trans-Karakoram Tract Wakhan Corridor Wakhjir Pass Lakshadweep Laccadive Islands Aminidivi Paropamisadae Andaman and Nicobar Islands Andaman Islands Nicobar Islands Maldives Alpide belt Asia–Pacific Tropical Asia Tibetan Plateau
West (not to be confused withMiddle East)	Red Sea Hanish Islands Caspian Sea Mediterranean Sea Zagros Mountains Elam Persian Gulf Pirate Coast Strait of Hormuz Greater and Lesser Tunbs Al-Faw Peninsula Gulf of Oman Gulf of Aqaba Gulf of Aden Balochistan Arabian Peninsula Najd Al-Yamama Hejaz Tihamah Eastern Arabia South Arabia Hadhramaut Arabian Peninsula coastal fog desert Al-Sharat Tigris–Euphrates Mesopotamia Upper Mesopotamia Lower Mesopotamia Sawad Nineveh Plains Akkad (region) Babylonia Suhum Eastern Mediterranean Mashriq Eber-Nari Kurdistan Levant(Syria region) Palestine region Transjordan Jordan Rift Valley Philistia Golan Heights Hula Valley Galilee Canaan Gilead Syrian Desert Judea Samaria Arabah Aram Aram-Naharaim Negev Phoenicia Retjenu Anti-Lebanon Mountains Bekaa valley Levantine Sea Sinai Peninsula Arabian Desert Fertile Crescent Iranian Azerbaijan Hauran Iranian Plateau Dasht-e Kavir Armenian Highlands Caucasus Caucasus Mountains Greater Caucasus Lesser Caucasus South Caucasus Shirvan Kur-Araz Lowland Lankaran Lowland Alborz Absheron Peninsula Kartli Anatolia Taurus Mountains Aeolis Paphlagonia Phasiane Isauria Ionia Bithynia Cilicia Cappadocia Caria Corduene Chaldia Doris Lycaonia Lycia Lydia Galatia Pisidia Pontus Mysia Arzawa Speri Sophene Biga Peninsula Troad Tuwana Alpide belt