From the Silk Road to the Great Game: China, Russia, and Central Eurasia
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this history subject on Eurasian interaction over the last millennium and a half, tracing contact between Russians, Chinese, Mongolian nomads, and Turkic oasis dwellers. The course follows empires rising and falling across the steppe and desert corridors linking these civilizations, tracking how trade routes, religions, and military conflict moved back and forth across the continent. It brings the story forward to the present, examining how the Soviet Union's collapse and China's economic reforms reopened cultural and commercial exchange in Central Eurasia. Materials include the syllabus, readings list, and assignments as published by MIT OpenCourseWare, structured around weekly topics rather than a single lecture. No certificate is offered, consistent with MIT OCW's open publication model, but full course materials are freely available for self-study or classroom use.