Inner Asia

Map of Inner Asia, locating the extent of the area studied by the Sinor Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies, located at Indiana University in the USA

Map of Inner Asia, locating the extent of the area studied by the CIAS at the University of Toronto.

Inner Asia refers to landlocked regions within East Asia and North Asia that are part of today's Western China, Mongolia, the Russian Far East and Siberia. It overlaps with some definitions of Central Asia, mostly the historical ones, but certain regions that are sometimes included as part of Inner Asia (such as Northeast China) are not considered a part of Central Asia by any of its definitions. Inner Asia may be considered as the "frontier" of China, and as bounded by East Asia, which consists of China, Japan, and Korea.^[1]

The extent of Inner Asia was seen differently in different periods. "Inner Asia" is sometimes contrasted to "China Proper", that is, the original provinces, those with majority Han Chinese populations. In 1800 it consisted of four main areas, namely Manchuria (modern Northeast China and Outer Manchuria), Mongolia (Inner and Outer), Xinjiang and Tibet. These areas had been recently conquered by the Qing dynasty but were governed through different administrative structure^[2] not as regular provinces during most of the Qing period. The Qing government agency known as the Lifan Yuan was established to supervise the empire's Inner Asian regions.

Definition and usage[]

Alternative conception of Inner Asia showing the Mongolian (or Mongolian-related) areas of Inner Asia that are represented in the Mongolian Digital Ethnography Archive

Inner Asia has a range of definitions and usages.^[3] One such is how Denis Sinor used Inner Asia in contrast to agricultural civilizations, noting its changing borders, such as when a Roman province was taken by the Huns, areas of North China was occupied by the Mongols, or when Anatolia came under Turkish influence, eradicating Hellenistic culture.^[4]

Another is how scholars or historians of the Qing dynasty such as those of the New Qing History often use the term "Inner Asia" when studying Qing interests or reigns outside China proper.^[5]

Different languages[]

In French, "Asie centrale" can mean both "Central Asia" and "Inner Asia"; Mongolia and Tibet by themselves are termed "Haute-Asie" (High Asia, or Upper Asia).^[6]

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

Related terms[]

Central Asia[]

"Central Asia" normally denotes the western, Islamic part of Inner Asia; that is, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, with Afghanistan and Iran sometimes also included as part of Central Asia. However, The Library of Congress subject classification system treats "Central Asia" and Inner Asia as synonymous.^[6]

Central Eurasia[]

According to Morris 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 Sinor has proposed the neologism "Central Eurasia", which emphasizes the role of the area in intercontinental exchange.^[7] According to Sinor:^[8]

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.
^ The Cambridge History of China: Volume 10, Part 1, by John K. Fairbank, p37
^ Book Abstaract: "Inner Asia: Making a Long-Term U.S. Commitment." Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine Authors: 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, edited by Ruth W. Dunnell, Mark C. Elliott, Philippe Foret, James A Millward
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Research 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 History 10 (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 Research 20 (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.

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

[3] Book Abstaract: "Inner Asia: Making a Long-Term U.S. Commitment." Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine Authors: 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, edited by Ruth W. Dunnell, Mark C. Elliott, Philippe Foret, James A Millward

[auto-6] Jump up to: ^a ^b Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies (RIFIAS). Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Retrieved: 22 August 2009.

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

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

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show v t Inner Asia history series
Nomadic empires	Xiongnu Xianbei Rouran Göktürks First Turkic Khaganate Eastern Turkic Khaganate Western Turkic Khaganate Second Turkic Khaganate Tibetan Zubu Uyghur Mongol Tatar Khamag Mongol Mongol Empire Chagatai Timurid Dzungar
Chinese empires	Han against Xiongnu Western Regions Tang against W.Turks / E.Turks against Tibet Mongolian Plateau Beiting Tarim Basin Liao Western Liao Northern Liao Eastern Liao Later Liao Yuan against Northwest khanates Manchuria Mongolia Tibet Northern Yuan Ming against Mongols Manchuria Tibet Qing against Dzungar Lifan Yuan Manchuria Mongolia Tibet Xinjiang
Related topics	The Cambridge History of Inner Asia Central Asia Tartary Chinese Tartary Western Regions China proper Sinosphere Greater China

show v t Regions of Asia
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 Inner Mongolia Outer Mongolia China proper Manchuria Outer Manchuria Inner Manchuria Northeast China Plain 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 Nanzhong 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 Ring of Fire Asia-Pacific Tropical Asia
North (Siberia)	Arctic Arctic Circle Inner Asia Northeast Ural Ural Mountains Far East 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 (Nanyang)	Orient Sundaland Mainland Indochina Northern Triangle temperate forests Maritime Peninsular Malaysia Sunda Islands Greater Sunda Islands Lesser Sunda Islands Indonesian Archipelago Wallacea Timor Philippine Archipelago Luzon Visayas Mindanao Leyte Gulf Gulf of Thailand East Indies Nanyang Alpide belt Far East Ring of Fire Asia-Pacific Tropical Asia
South (Indian subcontinent)	Orient Greater India Indian subcontinent Himalayas 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 MENASA 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 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 (Middle East)	Greater Middle East MENASA MENA Middle 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 Azerbaijan Hauran Iranian Plateau Dasht-e Kavir Armenian Highlands Caucasus Caucasus Mountains Greater Caucasus Lesser Caucasus North 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