Central Asia is still often perceived as a remote territory located "on the periphery" of modern history. But in fact, this region, in which Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, as well as the Chinese province of Xinjiang are located, stands at the crossroads of world events. Adib Khalid presents the first comprehensive history of Central Asia from the middle of the 18th century to the present day. After the 1700s, the peoples of the region came under the rule of Russia and China. A Pakistani-born American historical scholar, Khalid shows how foreign conquest engaged Central Asians in a global exchange of goods and ideas and led to closer ties with the rest of the world. Do not forget that the course of the history of Central Asia is neither predetermined nor inevitable. Everything turned out as it happened, due to historical events and accidents. His research focuses on how the conquering empires, and then the communist states of the USSR and China, coped with the ethnic heterogeneity of the region, with inherent national and cultural differences, and as historical forces and trends, from colonialism and social revolutions to nationalism and state modernization policies, formed the modern appearance of Central Asia. If socialism is the victory of the proletariat, what does this victory mean for Central Asia, where there is no industry, and therefore no proletariat?