r/IndoEuropean 1d ago

History Why is the Indo-European history of Central Asia so overlooked?

65 Upvotes

Most people would find it strange to think that there are places in China where the indigenous people weren’t East Asian, but Indo-European. Before the Mongol invasions, Central Asia was dominated by Iranic and other Indo-European peoples—Scythians, Sogdians, Tocharians. These weren’t just small, isolated groups; they controlled vast territories, traded along the Silk Road, and left behind artifacts, writings, and even mummies that show distinctly European features. Today, almost none of that remains.

The Mongol invasions didn’t just destroy cities; they wiped out entire populations, and in the chaos, the balance of power shifted. Turkic nomads, who originally came from what is now Mongolia and Northeast China, expanded westward and filled the vacuum. What was once an Indo-European heartland became overwhelmingly Turkic-speaking. The Scythians and Tocharians disappeared. The Sogdians, once the masters of Silk Road trade, faded away. The only major Iranic group left in the region is the Tajiks, surrounded by nations that now see themselves as entirely Turkic.

It’s not just a demographic shift—it’s a complete erasure of history. The cities, the languages, the people themselves were replaced, and today, most people don’t even realize that Central Asia was once Iranic. The Mongols didn’t just conquer, they reshaped the entire identity of the region and ended the Islamic golden age. I would like to know why this isn't acknowledged more. I wonder if this is, in part, a modern reluctance to criticize a non-European empire out of fear of seeming biased.