India and Kazakhstan : Civilizational Explorations/P. Stobdan. New Delhi, Heritage, 2003, xii, 150 p., ISBN 81-7026-201-1.

Contents: Preface. 1. Early contacts. 2. Traces of Buddhism in Semirech’e. 3. India and Kazakhstan : medieval contacts. 4. Reviewing the 19 and 20 centuries. 5. Renewal of relations in the post-Soviet period. 6. Conclusion. 7. Annexure.

"This book is an attempt to explore the historical and cultural linkages between India the Semirech’e region in Kazakhstan. The book does not in any sense purport to be a scientific endeavor on Central Asian culture but merely a narrative account and a result of his own self-education in the region, during the period of his assignment as Director of Indian Culture Centre in Almaty. The book contains aspects of culture and history that have relevance for India-Kazakhstan linkages. The points identified as well as analyzed are a result of author’s personal visits to places covered in the region of Zhety-su (Semirech’e) and South Kazakhstan. The book seeks to highlight the issues and identify aspects of cultural points that may have policy implications for establishing new relationship with the region, hitherto unknown, yet factored prominently in India’s past and may continue to be so on the history, polity and culture of the country." (jacket)

Return to Books on Central Asia