Inner Asia has a range of meanings among different researchers and in different countries.^[1] Denis Sinor defined Inner Asia broadly (synonymous with Central Eurasia) as the homelands of the Altaic peoples (Mongolian, Turkic, and Manchu-Tungus) and the Uralic peoples (Finno-Ugrian and Samoyed).^[2]

German makes a distinction between "Zentralasien", meaning Mongolia, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Manchu lands, and "Mittelasien," meaning the republics of Central Asia. The less common term "Innerasien" corresponds to our sense of "Inner Asia."

In French, "Asie Centrale" can mean both "Central Asia" and "Inner Asia"; Mongolia and Tibet by themselves are termed "Haute Asie" (High Asia).^[3]

The terms meaning "Inner Asia" in the languages of Inner Asian peoples are all modern loan translations of European, mostly Russian, terms.

"Central Asia" normally denotes the western, Islamic part of Inner Asia, but it is sometimes used as a synonym for Inner Asia. The Library of Congress subject classification system is organized in this way, so that readers in academic libraries who are looking for materials on both Inner Asia and Central Asia should search under the subject heading "Asia, Central." ^[4]

See also[link]

• Central Asia
• Western Regions
• Tang Dynasty in Inner Asia

References[link]

External links[link]

• The China and Inner Asia Council (CIAC). The Association for Asian Studies (AAS).
• Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies (RIFIAS). Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
• Mongolia and Inner Asia Studies Unit (MIASU). University of Cambridge, UK.

Richard W. Bulliet
Born	(1940-10-30) October 30, 1940 (age 71) Rockford, Illinois
Occupation	author, university professor
Nationality	United States

Richard W. Bulliet is a professor of history at Columbia University who specializes in the history of Islamic society and institutions, the history of technology, and the history of the role of animals in human society.

Early life and education[link]

Bulliet grew up in Illinois. He attended Harvard, from which he received a B.A. in 1962 and a Ph.D. in 1967. He is the grandson of Clarence Joseph ("C.J.") Bulliet, the art critic and journalist.

Work[link]

Several of his books focus on Iran but deal also with the larger Muslim world, including The Patricians of Nishapur: a Study in Medieval Islamic History (1972), Conversion to Islam in the Medieval Period: An Essay in Quantitative History (1979), and Islam: the View from the Edge (1994). His books on a broader view of Islamic history and society include Under Siege: Islam and Democracy (1994) and The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization (2004). His book The Camel and the Wheel (1975) brings together his interest in the histories of technology, animal domestication, and the Middle East, dealing for example with the significant military advantage early Muslim armies gained from a slight improvement in the design of cloth camel saddles. He would return to the history of animal domestication with his Hunters, Herders, and Hamburgers: The Past and Future of Human-Animal Relationships (2005).[1]

He is the writer and editor of books of more general interest as well, including The Columbia History of the Twentieth Century (editor, 1998), The Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East (co-editor, 1996), and The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History (co-author, 1997). He has also written several novels which draw on his knowledge of international politics and the Middle East, and is a promoter of the validity of comics as an art form.

His first fiction book, Kicked to Death by a Camel (1973), was nominated for an Edgar for "Best First Mystery". His other fiction includes Tomb of the Twelfth Imam (1979), The Gulf Scenario (1974), The Sufi Fiddle (1991), and The One-Donkey Solution (2011).

Columbia University filmed a series of lectures given by Bulliet to his World History I class, and made them public on YouTube. Columbia also recorded Bulliet's "History of the Modern Middle East" course and offer it free of charge on iTunes.^[1]

In March 2012, the British Council sponsored a video of Bulliet discussing the "Historic Roots of Muslims in Europe" and made that available on YouTube.^[2]

Bulliet's commentaries and opinion pieces on the Middle East, as well as his latest writings on animal domestication and "post-domesticity," have appeared in major newspapers around the world, including the Guardian^[3], New York Times International^[4], and Süddeutsche Zeitung^[5]. His commentaries are syndicated by Agence Global.

According to an interview in Columbia magazine's Fall 2007 edition, Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger credits Bulliet with the idea for inviting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak on campus on September 24, 2007.^[6]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Bulliet's Columbia Homepage
• Bulliet's address to the Dialogue among Civilizations, United Nations, New York City, 5 September 2000
• Islam: The View from the Edge back cover matter
• Agence Global

Richard Kaplan
Personal information
Full name	Richard Dennis Kaplan
Born	(1962-03-10) 10 March 1962 (age 50) Johannesburg, South Africa
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Nationality	South Africa
Residence	Sandton, South Africa
Career
Turned professional	1990
Current tour(s)	Sunshine Tour
Former tour(s)	Asian Tour
Professional wins	9
Number of wins by tour
Asian Tour	1
Sunshine Tour	4
Other	4

Richard Dennis Kaplan (born 10 March 1962) is a South African professional golfer who currently plays on the Sunshine Tour.

Kaplan was born in Johannesburg and currently lives in Sandton, Johannesburg with his wife and two children. He had a decorated amateur career during the 1980s, which included winning the English Men's Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship (Brabazon Trophy) in 1986 and the Southern Transvaal Open Strokeplay in 1984. He also earned his Springbok colors four times.

Kaplan turned professional in 1986 and won for the first time on the Sunshine Tour in 1995. He would add three more tour wins between then an 2000. His best year end finish on the Order of Merit was 9th in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

Kaplan has also competed on the Asian Tour where, in 1996, he won the Royal Thai Classic and finished in the top 20 on the Order of Merit.

Speaking in an interview, Kaplan said that his heroes are Jack Nicklaus because "he's the greatest," and Tiger Woods because "he's becoming the greatest."

Amateur highlights[link]

• Springbok Colors 4 Times
• 1984 Southern Transvaal Open Strokeplay
• 1986 English Men's Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship

Professional wins (9)[link]

Sunshine Tour (4)[link]

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning Score	Margin of Victory	Runner(s)-up
1	7 May 1995	Amatola Sun Classic	-6 (68-70-72=210)	Playoff	Bobby Lincoln, Sean Pappas
2	30 Sep 1995	FNB Pro Series: Western Cape Open	-2 (72-70-72=214)	2 strokes	Sammy Daniels, Ashley Roestoff
3	3 Mar 1996	Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Open	-17 (66-67-70-68=271)	Playoff	Wayne Westner
4	Apr 1 2000	FNB Botswana Open	-10 (71-67-65=203)	1 stroke	Callie Swart

Asian Tour (1)[link]

• 1996 (1) Royal Thai Classic

Other wins (4)[link]

• 1989 (1) Pietersburg Classic
• 1990 (2) Pietermaritzburg, Nissan Challenge
• 1991 (1) Pietersburg Classic

External links[link]

• Richard Kaplan at the Sunshine Tour official site