Introduction : the concept of Inner Asia / Denis Sinor -- The geographic setting / Robert N. Taaffe -- Inner Asia at the dawn of history / A.P. Okladnikov -- The Scythians and Sarmatians / A.I. Melyukova -- The Hsiung-nu / Ying-Shih Yü -- Indo-Europeans in Inner Asia / A.K. Narain -- The Hun period / Denis Sinor -- The Avars / Samuel Szádeczky-Kardoss -- The peoples of the Russian forest belt / Peter B. Golden -- The peoples of the south Russian steppes / Peter B. Golden -- The establishment and dissolution of the Türk empire / Denis Sinor -- The Uighurs / Colin Mackerras -- The Karakhanids and early Islam / Peter B. Golden -- Early and medieval Tibet / Helmut Hoffman -- The forest peoples of Manchuria : Kitans and Jurchens / Herbert Franke