Exploring the Caucasus in the 21st Century

Essays on Culture, History and Politics in a Dynamic Context

Francoise Companjen editor László Marácz editor Lia Versteegh editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Pallas Publications

Published:6th Sep '10

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Exploring the Caucasus in the 21st Century cover

Although the name Caucasus has been around for some 2000 years, and may suggest unity and coherence, the region these days is best known for the ethnic and religious divides resulting in recurrent bloody conflicts between the various minorities and the post-Soviet independent states. Geographically, the Caucasus has traditionally been a buffer between Russia, Turkey and Iran. Part Russian Federation, part Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the area has a tradition of fast-shifting partnerships, of rich and varied cultural heritage, and fierce ethnic tensions going back centuries. This fascinating volume creates an illuminating perspective on the politics, history and culture of the Caucasus: it includes an account of how several 19th century Hungarian linguists fascinated by the region’s famously difficult languages conducted field research still used by politicians to prove or disprove ethnic links ; an analysis of the recurring forcible movements of the people; a study of the region’s Russian Imperial past; an exploration of the Muslim North/Christian South division in the context of the recent conflicts and their international ramifications; the elite-driven nature of the region’s politics; finally, the role of art as a medium of freedom in the war-torn zones of the region. Necessary reading for everyone with an interest in the history of one of the world’s tinderboxes.

"Exploring the Caucasus in the 21st Century is a unique contribution to the study of a complex region. Its authors bring together investigations of both the North and South Caucasus in an effort to explain discrete aspects of the history, linguistic complexity, current politics, and self-representations of the myriad peoples who live between Russia and the Middle East. Here you can find new material on the role of Arabic in Daghestan, conflicts in Georgia over ethnic identification, and the fallout from the Russo-Georgian War over South Ossetia. There is something here for scholars of Caucasia as well as interested general readers. This is a good place to start." Ronald Grigor Suny, Charles Tilly Collegiate Professor of Social and Political History and Director of Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies at The University of Michigan. Emeritus Professor of Political Science and History at The University of Chicago

ISBN: 9789089641830

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 437g

256 pages