Radio War Nerd EP #81 — Early Uighur History with Carl Zha (Patreon)

Guest: Carl Zha

We keep reading about "Chinese jihadis" — Uighurs from the west of China — fighting with Islamist militias in Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Who are the Uighurs? The War Nerd talks to fellow history nerd Carl Zha — whose encyclopedic knowledge is almost frightening — going way, way back in history to understand where the Uighurs come from, and their relationships with China, Islam, and the Central Asia region.

Afterwards, the War Nerd discusses North Korea; the Qatari royals kidnapped while bustard-hunting; the Dortmund non-ISIS bomber, and Ames discusses the hidden story behind the Chechnya anti-gay crackdown (which he wrote about).

Time: 2:18:18

Direct link  to this episode's mp3 here.

Reading: "China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Asia"  by Peter Perdue