Remembering the Shared History of (Eur)Asia: Is This a Good Idea in the Twenty-First Century?

Abstract

Abstract If we assume the premise of this forum that we are indeed moving from a Transatlantic to an Afro-Eurasian World, it still remains to be seen what role ‘Asia’ will play in shaping that world. And what one imagines ‘Asia’ can do has much to do with what one imagines ‘Asia’ to be. In this research note, I argue first that the geographical space we call Asia today does have a connected history that goes back almost a millennium (if not longer) and then also consider the reasons why that history is not invoked more in contemporary debates.