Xinjiang: China's Muslim Borderland (Studies of Central Asia and the Caucasus) [Paperback]

S. Frederick Starr (Editor)

Product Details

• Paperback: 506 pages
• Publisher: M.E. Sharpe; New edition edition (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765613182
• ISBN-13: 978-0765613189
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A sweeping survey of Xinjiang, October 13, 2011

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China Letter "Song Sheng Tian" (Australia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Xinjiang: China's Muslim Borderland (Studies of Central Asia and the Caucasus) (Paperback)

"Xinjiang: China's Muslim borderland." brings together 15 of the world's experts on Xinjiang, and the Muslim ethnic minorities that live there, and provides for a broad survey of a region of China's north-west that has been, for centuries, at the very crossroads of civilisations.

Contributors such as Dru Gladney, James Millward and Gardner Bovington, all renowned experts, introduce us to this magical, historical and extremely important area of China. An area that for reasons of economics and strategic importance, not to mention it's sheer size, comprising 1/6th of China's landmass, provides many challenges and opportunities for China, none more important than the challenges posed by, and for, the near majority Muslim population.

This book, written by academics, is easily accessible for the non academic and is a perfect overall introduction to Xinjiang and in particular the Uyghur Muslim people. It covers history, economics the environment, military considerations and important social issues, the latter the main reason for Xinjiang coming to the world's attention in the late 1980's

This book, first published in 2004 and unfortunately yet to be revised, was borne out of the world's need to understand Xinjiang especially as it concerns the Uyghur people and China's policy towards them. A policy that has resulted in many mass clashes leading to severe oppression, imprisonments, religious persecution, executions and death in "strike hard" programmes and Han in-migration as China attempts to Sinocise the region.

The book, being seven years old, obviously is dated in terms of statistical data provided but, that aside, the issues canvassed are no less relevant today as they were then.

If you read no other book on Xinjiang you will have a more than acceptable level of appreciation of this fantastic region and it's peoples. @ChinaLetter