First published in 2007, James A. Millward's Eurasian Crossroads is the definitive general history of Xinjiang. The first three chapters survey the earliest times to the nineteenth century; the next two chapters discuss modern transitions, from the late nineteenth century to the 1940s. The next two chapters cover the Mao and the post-Mao eras up to the early twenty-first century. The 2021 edition has a new chapter, “Colonialism, Assimilationism and Ethnocide,” bringing readers to current developments.
Much of the recent writing on Xinjiang history has been shaped by contemporary nationalistic agendas, as Millward notes. The stated goal of his book is not to weigh in on political issues besetting Xinjiang today, but it certainly provides the essential historical context to understand them. Most importantly, the continental, racial, and national categories that we take for granted today do not readily apply to historical times. A dispassionate and balanced account, Millward's history...
