Faculty members collaborate to create book on Tajikistan

Three UM faculty members have collaborated to publish a book about a little-known country, Tajikistan, a former republic of the Soviet Union.

“Tajikistan: Pearl of Central Asia” is the third book published by The University of Montana Press in the last few years. Mehrdad Kia, associate provost for International Programs at UM; Ardi Kia, assistant professor of Central and Southwest Asian Studies; and Rick Graetz, geography adjunct professor, along with his wife, Susie, contributed to the book.

The Graetzes are well-known for their photography, and “Tajikistan” features rich and vibrant views of the country’s diverse and often stunning landscape, along with faces of its legendarily friendly people.

Written to introduce the reader to the country, the book is both a coffee table travel primer and textbook. The authors plan to use it in their classes.

Tajikistan’s civilization can be traced back 4,000 years, and it has produced many great artists and scientists, including the poet Rudaki and scientist Ibn Sina, said Mehrdad Kia.

In his chapter, Kia provides a short historical overview of the long and rich history of Tajikistan, starting with the establishment of the Persian Achaemenid Empire by Cyrus the Great more than 2,500 years ago.

Ardi Kia delves into the country’s arts and culture from ancient times to the ninth century AD, the beginning of the golden age of the Tajik/Persian civilization. He said the idea of the book was “to show the world a place few people know about – the Pamirs, the world’s second highest mountain range, wild rivers, ancient buildings and historical sites – and the incredible, hard-working, welcoming people who fit into this diverse landscape.”

Ardi Kia talked of standing where the ancient city of Panjakent once stood, in a valley that was the nerve center and financial headquarters for the Silk Road. “It wasn’t difficult to imagine the excitement of caravans burdened with fragrant spices and exotic goods from distant lands arriving into the boisterous and multilingual noise of the marketplace,” he said.

Susie and Rick Graetz provide a geographical overview of the country, introducing the reader to various regions and the mountain ranges that dominate its landscape.

“I believe geography and history should be married,” Rick Graetz said. “You don’t divorce time and space. You need to understand them together.”

The couple spent three weeks traveling the countryside on ancient trade routes. They found people still herding yaks and goats and maintaining lifestyles similar to how their countrymen lived 1,000 years ago.

The UM Press is looking to shine a light on several Central Asian countries that have existed in isolation for decades. “Tajikistan” is the first in a four-book series, which eventually will include books on Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and the famed Silk Road, all planned as a continued collaboration of the authors.