Episodes
Soviet Uzbekistan's Sovietization: The Red Terror in Bukhara
In this episode of The Story of Uzbekistan, we turn the lens away from the ancient Silk Road and into the violent birth pangs of modern Central Asia. We explore the collapse of the Emirate of Bukhara in 1920 and the subsequent rise of the Basmachi movement, a complex anti-Soviet insurgency that defied simple categorization as merely religious or feudal. Lucas walks us through the role of Faizullah Khojaev and the Jadid intellectuals who initially welcomed the Bolsheviks, only to find themselves…
The Red Terror in Central Asia
In the wake of the Soviet conquest of the Khanates, a fierce ideological war erupted within Central Asia’s intellectual class. This episode explores the Jadid movement, a reformist wave seeking to modernize education and preserve culture through new methods like usul-i jadid. We follow the tragic arc of Abdurauf Fitrat and Mahmudkhoja Behbudiy, brilliant writers who initially welcomed the Bolsheviks as liberators from feudal rule, only to become primary targets of Stalin’s purges. As the OGPU…
The Soviet Border Wars That Divided Central Asia
In 1924, the Bolsheviks redrew the map of Central Asia, carving out the Uzbek and Turkmen SSRs from the crumbling Bukhara and Khiva Khanates. But this administrative division was not merely bureaucratic; it was a calculated strategy to fracture ancient nomadic identities and prevent a unified Islamic resistance against Moscow. We explore how the creation of artificial borders split ethnic groups like the Turkmens and Kazakhs between republics, igniting decades of tension. The episode focuses on…
Tashkent's Fire and the Soviet Rebirth
While previous episodes explored the ancient Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, this episode focuses on Tashkent, a city that had to be rebuilt from ashes. We trace its transformation from a modest caravan stop into a major urban center, culminating in the devastating 1966 earthquake that leveled much of the historic district. The narrative then shifts to the ambitious post-disaster reconstruction led by Soviet planners, who transformed the rubble into a model socialist metropolis…
The Silk Road's Forgotten Women: Spies and Sovereigns
While we’ve explored the empires, battles, and architectural marvels of Central Asia in previous episodes, this episode shines a light on the women who operated in the shadows of power. We trace the legacy of Turdakun Isanova, the first female party secretary in the Soviet Union, and her complex relationship with Stalin’s purges. We also journey back to the Mongol era to examine how figures like Khatun Tolui navigated political crises when men were absent, and how Sogdian merchant wives managed…
The Soviet Border Wars That Divided Central Asia
While earlier episodes explored the cotton disasters and purges of Soviet Uzbekistan, this episode uncovers the administrative violence that redrew the map of Central Asia. We trace how Stalin’s division of the region into distinct republics in the 1920s fractured centuries-old trade networks and sowed ethnic tensions that persist today. The narrative follows the creation of the Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast, the shifting borders of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and the deliberate separation of…
The Khan's Last Stand: The Fall of Khiva and Soviet Power
In this episode, we trace the violent collapse of the Khivan Khanate in 1920 and the immediate establishment of the Khorezm People's Soviet Republic. Lucas and Luna explore how Mikhail Frunze’s Red Army swept through the Kyzylkum Desert to end the rule of Muhammad Rahim Khan II, a ruler who had already lost control to internal Jadid reformers and external Russian pressure. We examine the specific events at Ichan Kala, the final surrender, and the complex political maneuvering that followed, as…
The Khan’s Last Stand: The Fall of Khiva and Soviet Power
We trace the violent end of the Khanate of Khiva in February 1920, when Red Army troops under Mikhail Frunze breached the ancient walls of Ichan Kala. This episode explores how the collapse of Muhammad Rahim Khan II’s rule created a power vacuum that Stalin’s regime exploited to redraw Central Asia’s borders. We examine the role of the Jadid reformers who initially hoped for independence but were swiftly absorbed into the Soviet apparatus, and how the creation of the Karakalpak Autonomous…
The Silk Road’s Lost Library: Samarkand’s Paper Revolution
Before the printing press reached Europe, a Chinese prisoner in Samarkand changed the world’s information landscape forever. In this episode of The Story of Uzbekistan, we trace the journey of papermaking from the Battle of Talas in 751 CE to the bustling workshops of the Samanid Empire. We meet Ziyad ibn Salih, the Abbasid governor who recognized the value of this new technology, and explore how Samarkand became the primary supplier of high-quality kağıt for the Islamic Golden Age. This shift…
The Soviet Border Wars That Divided Central Asia
Before the fall of the USSR, the borders of Uzbekistan were drawn not by ancient tradition but by Moscow’s political calculus. In this episode, we explore the 1924 National Delimitation, a massive administrative reshuffle that carved modern Uzbekistan from the emirates of Bukhara and Khiva, while assigning key territories like Samarkand and Tashkent to the new republic. We examine how Stalin’s advisors used ethnic identity as a tool for control, dividing Tajik speakers across multiple republics…
Soviet Uzbekistan's Cotton Disaster and the Aral Sea
In 1960s Soviet Central Asia, a plan to turn deserts into white gold seemed like triumph. But the relentless demand for cotton by Moscow came at an ecological price no one anticipated. As engineers diverted the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers into massive irrigation canals, the land grew salt-crusted and barren. The water that fed these fields was stolen from the inland sea they called Aral, causing its levels to plummet. We trace the path of the Karakum Canal and the rise of Sharof Rashidov…
Soviet Uzbekistan's Red Desert: Cotton and Ecological Collapse
While previous episodes traced the ancient Silk Road trade routes and the violent Russian conquests of the 19th century, this episode turns to a different kind of empire: the Soviet plan to turn Central Asia into a single-crop monoculture. We follow the story of 'White Gold'—cotton—and how the directive to make the USSR self-sufficient in cotton led to the catastrophic drying of the Aral Sea. Lucas and Luna explore the lives of collective farmers, the role of figures like Sharof Rashidov in…
The Red Terror in Bukhara: Soviet Purges of Jadid Intellectuals
In 1923, the Soviet Union turned its sights on the very intellectuals it had helped rise to power. This episode explores the tragic arc of the Uzbek Jadids—reformers like Abdurauf Fitrat and Mahmudkhoja Behbudiy who sought to modernize Central Asia through education and literature, only to become primary targets of Stalin’s Great Purge. We trace their journey from reformist leaders in Bukhara to prisoners in Moscow’s Lubyanka prison, detailing the fabricated charges of nationalist conspiracy…
The Basmachi Revolt: Central Asia's Anti-Soviet War
While Russia’s military conquest of Central Asia is well-documented, the decades-long resistance that followed is often overlooked. This episode explores the Basmachi movement, a complex and brutal insurgency that raged from 1916 to the late 1920s. We look at how local leaders like Enver Pasha and Faizullah Khojaev navigated the collapse of empires, and why this rebellion was so much more than just a simple anti-colonial uprising. From the mountains of Tajikistan to the steppes of Kazakhstan…
The Soviet Erasure of Central Asian History
This episode explores how the Soviet Union systematically rewrote the history of Uzbekistan and its neighbors, turning vibrant Silk Road empires into mere preludes to communism. We examine the purges of Jadid intellectuals like Abdurauf Fitrat and Mahmudkhoja Behbudiy, who were executed for 'nationalist deviations' after briefly modernizing their culture. The narrative covers the destruction of historical sites in Bukhara and Samarkand under Stalin’s Great Terror, the replacement of the Arabic…
The Khan's Library: Books That Survived the Mongols
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Central Asia's libraries and book culture survived the Mongol invasions and shaped the region's intellectual life. They follow the story of the Samanid library in Bukhara, where Avicenna read Aristotle, and the Khwarezmian capital of Gurganj, where the scholar al-Biruni worked before the Mongols destroyed it in 1221. They discuss the fate of the great library of Nishapur, the role of Persian and Arabic manuscripts in preserving Greek science, and the…
The Khan's Messenger: How Postal Riders Held Central Asia Together
Before the telegraph, before the railroad, Central Asia's vast distances were crossed on horseback by riders who carried more than just letters—they carried the very authority of empires. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the evolution of the postal system from the Sogdian trading networks of the ancient Silk Road to the lightning-fast yam system of the Mongol Empire, and finally to the Russian imperial post that replaced it in the nineteenth century. We meet the Sogdian merchants who used…
The Khan's Goldsmith: Jewelry and Power in Central Asia
In this episode of The Story of Uzbekistan, Lucas and Luna explore the overlooked art of goldsmithing in Central Asia. From the Sogdian craftsmen of Panjakent to the Timurid workshops of Samarkand and the Bukharan Jewish jewelers of the 19th century, they trace how gold objects were more than decoration — they were currency, status, and diplomatic tools. The conversation covers the discovery of the Amu Darya Treasure, the intricate techniques of granulation and filigree, and how the Russian…
The Silk Road's Lost Rivers: How Central Asia's Water Shaped Empires
In this episode of The Story of Uzbekistan, Lucas and Luna trace the hidden water systems that made the Silk Road possible. From the ancient Sogdian cities of Panjakent and Varakhsha to the canals of Bukhara and the qanat networks of Samarkand, they explore how Central Asia's rivers—the Zarafshan, the Amu Darya, the Syr Darya—sustained empires and shaped cultures. The conversation moves from the engineering marvels of the Sogdians to the devastating water policies of the Soviet era, including…
The Silk Road's Secret Bazaars: Fergana's Trade Networks
In this episode of The Story of Uzbekistan, Lucas and Luna explore the Fergana Valley's hidden role as the Silk Road's economic engine. From the ancient Sogdian merchants who dominated transcontinental trade to the bustling bazaars of Kokand and Andijan, we trace how this fertile valley became a crossroads of commodities, ideas, and cultures. Discover the legendary 'horses of Fergana' that inspired Chinese emperors to send expeditions, the intricate karavansarai system that supported camel…
The Silk Road's Hidden Currency: Cotton and Central Asia
Before cotton became synonymous with Soviet-era ecological disaster, Central Asia's cotton was a luxury fiber traded along the Silk Road, prized in China and Persia. This episode traces the plant's journey from ancient fields to the factories of the Russian Empire, revealing how cotton shaped regional power, labor, and identity. We follow the crop through the Arab agricultural revolution, the Timurid courts, and into the tsarist era, where it fueled a violent expansion and laid the groundwork…
The Khan's Gardener: Timur's Melons and Silk Road Agriculture
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the unexpected story of Central Asia's agricultural golden age under Amir Timur. While the Registan's tiles and Timur's conquests dominate the history books, his empire also fed itself on legendary melons, apricots, and grapes — and the irrigation systems that made it possible. From the ancient qanat networks to the scientific treatises of al-Biruni and Ibn Sina, we explore how Samarkand's orchards became a byword for abundance, and how that agricultural…
The Blue Mosque of Samarkand: A Tile's Hidden History
In this episode, Lucas and Luna uncover the story behind Samarkand's magnificent blue-tiled domes, focusing on the Registan's hidden architectural details and the craftsmen who built them. They explore how the Timurid dynasty used tilework as a political statement, the technical mastery of the glazed bricks, and the symbolic meanings of the colors. Along the way, they discuss the role of Persian artisans, the influence of Sufi mysticism, and the modern restoration efforts that have preserved…
The Silk Road's Paper Revolution: How Samarkand Became a Hub
In this episode of The Story of Uzbekistan, we trace the journey of papermaking from China to the Islamic world, focusing on the pivotal Battle of Talas in 751 CE and the subsequent establishment of a paper mill in Samarkand. We explore how Sogdian merchants, Abbasid patronage, and the expertise of Chinese prisoners transformed Samarkand into a papermaking powerhouse, influencing the spread of knowledge across the caliphate. We discuss the raw materials, the craft, and the cultural impact of…
Tamerlane's Legacy: The Timurid Renaissance in Samarkand
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Timurid Renaissance, the extraordinary cultural flowering that followed Amir Timur's conquests and reached its peak under his grandson, Ulugh Beg. They discuss the founding of Samarkand as a capital of art and science, the construction of the Registan and the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum, the astronomical work at Ulugh Beg's observatory, and the scholarly achievements of figures like Ali Qushji. The episode also touches on the legacy of Timurid rule in…
The Silk Road's Forgotten Queens: Women of Power in Central Asia
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna uncover the overlooked stories of Central Asia's formidable women rulers—from the Sogdian queen Nana to the Timurid princess Gawhar Shad, whose architectural legacy still graces Herat. They explore the steppe tradition of female regents, the rise of the Qarakhanid queen Terken Khatun (who briefly ruled a vast empire), and the surprising political influence of women in the harem politics of Bukhara and Khiva. Along the way, they debunk myths…
The Uzbek Jadids: Reform, Resistance, and Soviet Erasure
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Uzbek Jadids, the reformist intellectuals of early 20th-century Central Asia who sought to modernize Muslim society through education, printing, and political activism. They trace the movement's roots in the Crimean Tatar Ismail Gasprinski's usul-i jadid method, its spread to Tashkent and Samarkand, and the rise of figures like Mahmudkhoja Behbudiy, Munavvar Qori, and Abdurauf Fitrat. They discuss the Jadids' schools, their newspapers like Tarjuman…
The Siege of Khiva: Russia's Bloody Entry to the City of Minarets
In 1873, the Russian Empire turned its sights on the last great independent khanate of Central Asia: Khiva. The campaign, led by General Konstantin von Kaufman, would bring the formidable city of minarets and madrasas under tsarist control after a series of brutal battles and a fever-ridden march across the Kyzylkum Desert. This episode follows the siege itself, from the Russians' dramatic storming of the city walls to the humiliating peace terms imposed on Khan Muhammad Rahim Khan II. We also…
The Last Emir of Bukhara: Exile and Soviet Erasure
In this episode of The Story of Uzbekistan, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic final years of the Bukharan Emirate through the life of its last ruler, Said Mir Muhammad Alim Khan. From his reforms as crown prince to his opulent reign, his alliance with the Jadids, and his ultimate flight to Afghanistan after the Red Army's invasion in 1920, Alim Khan's story is a lens on Central Asia's transformation. The episode digs into his contested legacy — the emir who modernized but also crushed…
The Siege of Samarkand 1868: Russia's Central Asian Turning Point
In 1868, Russian forces under General Konstantin von Kaufman seized Samarkand, only to face a desperate counter-siege by local rebels led by Jurabek. This episode of The Story of Uzbekistan explores the brutal fall of the city, the pivotal battle at Chupan Ata, and the aftermath that reshaped Central Asia. We examine the Russian conquest, the roles of Emir Muzaffar and the Bukharan army, and the strategic importance of the Zeravshan Valley. Discover how a small garrison held out against…
The Siege of Samarkand: 1868's Turning Point in Central Asia
In 1868, the Russian Empire's advance into Central Asia reached its most dramatic moment: the siege of Samarkand. This episode follows the fall of the ancient city to General Konstantin von Kaufman and the desperate, week-long defense by a small Russian garrison against a popular uprising, led by the enigmatic Jurabek. We explore the broader context of the Bukharan Emirate's collapse, the role of the Great Game, and how the siege shaped the future of the region — a story of imperial ambition…
The Siege of Jizzakh: Russia's Brutal Conquest of Central Asia
In 1866, General Dmitry Romanovsky's Russian army marched on the fortress of Jizzakh, a key stronghold on the road from Samarkand to Tashkent. The siege lasted just three days, but its aftermath — the massacre of thousands of defenders and civilians — sent shockwaves through the khanates of Central Asia. This episode recounts the brutal campaign that broke the back of Bukharan resistance, the desperate defense led by the emir's governor, and the strategic genius of Romanovsky, who used…
The Silk Road's Golden Age and Its Lasting Echo
In this special 200th episode, Lucas and Luna explore the golden age of the Silk Road in Central Asia, from the Sogdians and their trading networks to the Islamic renaissance under the Samanids and the scientific flourishing under Ulugh Beg. They discuss the fall of the Samanids to the Karakhanids, the Mongol conquest of Bukhara, the Timurid Renaissance in Samarkand, and the city's transformation under the Shaybanid and later dynasties. The episode also touches on the fate of Samarkand's…
Bukhara's Jewish Quarter: Silk Road Tolerance and Soviet Exodus
Long before the Soviet tanks rolled in, Bukhara was home to one of Central Asia's oldest and most distinctive Jewish communities. This episode traces the Bukharan Jews from their ancient roots along the Silk Road to their near-total emigration in the late 20th century. We explore how they flourished under Muslim rulers who protected them as 'People of the Book,' how they became indispensable as traders, dyers, and musicians, and how the Russian conquest and Soviet rule reshaped their lives. We…
The Timur's Elephant: War Machines of Samarkand's Conqueror
In this episode of The Story of Uzbekistan, Lucas and Luna explore the forgotten role of war elephants in the campaigns of Amir Timur. From the Battle of Delhi in 1398, where Timur faced a massive elephant corps, to his own adoption of these armored giants in subsequent campaigns, this episode uncovers how the Central Asian conqueror adapted to and deployed these formidable machines. We trace the origins of Timur's elephants—captured from the Delhi Sultanate and later acquired through trade…
The Aral Sea's Ghost Ships: A Century of Cotton and Catastrophe
In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the Aral Sea's transformation from a thriving inland sea to a desert graveyard. They explore the ancient waterways that fed it, the Soviet cotton boom that drained it, and the engineering projects that tried — and failed — to save it. Along the way, they meet the fishermen of Muynak, the scientists who watched the waterline recede, and the architects of the Aralkum desert. This is a story of ambition, ecology, and the long shadow of a single crop. #AralSea…
The Registan: Samarkand's Blue Dome of Power
In this episode of The Story of Uzbekistan, Lucas and Luna explore the Registan, the majestic public square in Samarkand that has been the heart of Central Asian power for centuries. From its origins as a Timurid thoroughfare to its reconstruction under the Shaybanids and the later Jandarid rulers, the Registan's three madrasas — Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor, and Tilya-Kori — tell a story of scholarship, rivalry, and architectural ambition. Lucas weaves in the legends of the golden inscriptions, the…
The Katta Langar Quran: Bukhara's Blood-Stained Holy Relic
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the legend and history of the Katta Langar Quran, the giant manuscript kept in Bukhara's Kokand Museum. They discuss its possible origins under the third caliph Uthman, its journey to Samarkand after the Russian conquest, and Soviet-era repatriation to Tashkent. The episode separates historical evidence from hagiography, considers the manuscript's role in Islam's political schisms, and reflects on how sacred objects embody collective memory. Along the…
The Great Game's Grand Finale: Russia Takes Tashkent
In 1865, a Russian general named Mikhail Chernyaev did the unthinkable: he stormed Tashkent, the wealthiest city in Central Asia, with a force of just 1,500 men against 30,000 defenders. This episode tells the story of that astonishing victory and how it set off a chain reaction that would swallow the entire region into the Russian Empire. We explore the diplomatic maneuvering between Russia and Britain — the so-called Great Game — and the internal politics of the Kokand Khanate that left…
The Silk Road's Paper Revolution: How Samarkand Became a Papermaking Hub
Long before Gutenberg, Central Asia was at the center of a papermaking revolution. In this episode, we trace how the technology of paper — invented in China, refined by the Arabs, and mass-produced in Samarkand — transformed the region into a literary powerhouse. We explore the legend of the Battle of Talas (751 CE), where captured Chinese artisans supposedly brought papermaking to the Islamic world, and examine the archaeological and textual evidence that complicates that story. We meet the…
The Khan's Library: Bukhara's Lost Books and the Fate of Knowledge
In this episode of The Story of Uzbekistan, Lucas and Luna explore the fate of Bukhara's legendary libraries, from the Samanid-era collection that drew scholars across the Islamic world to the catastrophic destruction under the Mongols and the later dispersals under the Russian Empire and Soviet rule. They trace the role of libraries as centers of learning, the scholars who guarded them, and the books that survived against all odds. Along the way, they discuss the rise of papermaking in…
The Khan's Engineer: Mirza Abdul Azim's Canals of Bukhara
Before the Soviets drained the Aral Sea, another water story shaped Uzbekistan. This episode follows Mirza Abdul Azim, the 16th-century engineer who built Bukhara's great irrigation canals under Abdullah Khan II. We trace how his qanats and channels turned the Zeravshan River into a lifeline, feeding the city's cotton fields and making the Shaybanid Khanate a regional power. Along the way, we uncover the legacy of these waterworks in the 20th century, when Soviet planners expanded them to feed…
The Aral Sea Disaster: How the Soviet Cotton Boom Drained a Sea
In episode 190 of The Story of Uzbekistan, Lucas and Luna trace the rise and catastrophic fall of the Aral Sea. Once the world's fourth-largest lake, it became a symbol of ecological ruin after Soviet irrigation projects diverted its feeding rivers to grow cotton. The episode follows the sea's history from ancient Khwarezmian settlements to the 1960s decision to expand the 'White Gold' monoculture, the slow death of the port of Muynak, and the devastating consequences for fishing villages…
Khiva's Ichan Kala: A Living Museum of the Silk Road
In this episode, Lucas and Luna step inside the mud-brick walls of Khiva's Ichan Kala, one of Central Asia's best-preserved walled cities and a UNESCO World Heritage site. They explore its origins as a caravan stop on the Silk Road, its transformation under the Khwarezmshahs and later the Khanate of Khiva, and the architectural wonders that survive today — from the towering Islam Khodja Minaret to the intricate tilework of the Tosh Hovli palace. Along the way, they uncover how Khiva became a…
Bukhara's Ark: Fortress of Power Through the Ages
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Ark of Bukhara, the ancient fortress that served as the seat of power for the Emirate of Bukhara and witnessed the rise and fall of empires. From its legendary founding by the Siyavush to its role as a Soviet-era prison, the Ark embodies Central Asia's turbulent history. They discuss the Ark's architectural evolution, its significance during the Samanid and Shaybanid periods, and the dramatic events surrounding the Russian conquest in 1868. The…
Yusuf Khas Hajib and the Wisdom of the Qutadghu Bilig
In this episode of The Story of Uzbekistan, Lucas and Luna step away from the battlefield to explore the quiet power of a single book: the Qutadghu Bilig, written by Yusuf Khas Hajib in 1069 in Kashgar. As the Karakhanid Empire consolidated its rule over Transoxiana, this poem of wisdom for princes became a cornerstone of Islamic Central Asian culture. Lucas explains how Yusuf Khas Hajib—poet, adviser, and courtier—drew on Chinese, Persian, and Turkic traditions to create a guide to justice…
The Khanate of Kokand: Rise and Fall of Central Asia's Last Great Khanate
This episode explores the Khanate of Kokand, one of Central Asia's most powerful and culturally vibrant states before its absorption into the Russian Empire. Starting from its founding in 1709 by the Ming dynasty of Uzbeks, we trace Kokand's rise under Alim Khan, its golden age under Umar Khan and the poetess Nodira, and its tragic fall during the reign of Khudayar Khan. We cover the architectural legacy—the Jami Mosque, the Khudayar Khan Palace—and the political intrigue that led to Russian…
Abdalrauf Fitrat: The Jadid Intellectual Who Shaped Modern Uzbekistan
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and legacy of Abdalrauf Fitrat, the brilliant Jadid reformer, writer, and politician who fought for a modern Uzbekistan. From his early education in Bukhara and Istanbul to his visionary play 'The Indian Traveler' and his role in the Young Bukharan movement, Fitrat embodied the struggle between tradition and reform. After the Bolshevik revolution, he helped establish the Bukharan People's Soviet Republic, only to fall victim to Stalin's purges in…
The Three Alphabets of Uzbekistan: Arabic, Cyrillic, Latin
The Uzbek language has been written in three different scripts over the past century: Arabic, Latin, and Cyrillic. Each shift reflected a political upheaval — the Jadid reform movement's modernizing impulse, Stalin's drive to Russify Central Asia, and post-Soviet nation-building. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the alphabet reforms from the 1920s Latinization campaign, spearheaded by figures like Yuldash Akhunbabayev, to Stalin's 1940 decree imposing Cyrillic, and the slow, contested…
Termez: Uzbekistan's Ancient Buddhist Monasteries on the Silk Road
Long before Islam arrived in Central Asia, the city of Termez on the Amu Darya was a thriving center of Buddhism under the Kushan Empire. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the ruins of Kara Tepe and Fayaz Tepe—monasteries carved into the desert hills, adorned with stupas and murals. They uncover the story of how Kushan rulers like Kanishka spread the Dharma along the Silk Road, how the Arab conquest ended Buddhist practice, and how Soviet archaeologists in the 20th century rediscovered…
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