New Histories of Northern Eurasia, 700–1917 : A Primary Source Reader

This book provides a contextualised collection of 150 newly translated primary sources on the history of Northern Eurasia that spans the period from 700-1917. The selected documents decenter the traditional fixation on the primary Russian-language sources produced in the centers of power by government officials. At the same time, New Histories of Northern Eurasia, 700- 1917 preserves the panoramic perspective on the entangled historical processes and multiplicity of historical actors. Not bound by the constraints of the traditional scheme of Russian history or any other national bias, this sourcebook helps to diversify surveys of Russian and other national histories in the region.

Supported by an online Instructor’s Guide, this book reimagines the history of the Eurasian region over fifteen centuries for a new generation of students and scholars, crucially avoiding the usual traps of inadvertent ‘Russification’ and anachronistic modernization that have so often hampered our understanding until now.