African Presence in Early Asia

This volume, co-edited with Runoko Rashidi, is divided into five sections. The First discusses the peopling of Asia from Africa and identifies African people with Asia's frist hominid, as well as modern populations. The second section demonstrates the African elements underlying major early civilizations in Asia, an overview that includes India, Iraq and Iran, Phoenicia, Palestine, the Arabian peninsula, China, Japan and Cambodia. The third section discusses the African origin of the great religions of Asia--Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. The fourth section focuses on the historical and anthropological relationship between African people and Asia's Indo-European, Mongoloid and Semitic populations. The final section deals with African bondage in Asia and provides a fascinating glimpse of the Dalits, the Black Untouchables of India and more. (More than 100 illus.)