Identifier: historyofworldsu02helm (find matches)
Title: The history of the world; a survey of a man's record
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Helmolt, Hans F. (Hans Ferdinand), 1865-1929 Bryce, James Bryce, Viscount, 1838-1922
Subjects: World history
Publisher: New York : Dodd, Mead
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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d was notaltogether irrational. As long as the beginning of human tradition was regarded asidentical with the beginning of the history of man, and the anti(piity of the humanrace was limited to a few miUeuniums, the thought was suggested that the originalhome might V)e found in the heart of the Asiatic Continent. If, indeed, we substi-tute home of the higher civilization for tlie expression home of mankind,Central A.sia deserves, even at the present day, the most serious attention ofscientific enquirers. Around this citadel of the world lay clustered in a wide semi-circle the ancient countries of civilization. Babylonia, China, and India, and eventhe beginnings of Egyptian culture point to Asia. All who l)elieve in a commonf<juntain-head of these higher civilizations must look for it in Middle Asia, or mustassume that the germs of higher forms of life were carried through that region inconsecjuenee of migrations or of trading expeditions. In later times the importance ^EXTRAL ASIA.
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SSlr,f) HISTORY OF THE WORLD 123 of Central Asia for the history of mankind seems, indeed, much changed, but notless perceptible. It no longer produces the germs of civilization, but, like an ever-glowing volcano, sends out streams of warlike nomads, and shakes the earth farand wide, so that smiling lands become desolate and prosperous towns sink intothe dust. From the earliest times to the present day mankind has been deeplyintluenced by the existence of Central Asia and its races. A. The Country as the Theatre ok Historical Events Central A.sia is the most continental region of the world. In a geographicalsense Middle or Central Asia comprises the self-contained interior of Asia; in ahistorical sense Siberia and the plains of Western Asia and Europe form anappendage of this vast expanse. Central Asia, in the more restricted sense, is thearid plateau, without any outlet, which is divided by immense chains of mountainsstretching from east to west into distinct regions, Tibet, Eastern

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