In Raiders, Rulers, and Traders, scholar David Chaffetz delves into how horses were not just a means of transportation, but a transformative force that enabled empires to rise, trade routes to form, and cultures to connect from Iran and Afghanistan to China, India, and Russia. By drawing on primary sources in Persian, Turkish, Russian, and Chinese, he presents a comprehensive narrative of how horse-based societies shaped human history from the Bronze Age through the twentieth century.

About the speakers:

David Chaffetz is an independent scholar with a lifelong passion for Middle Eastern and Asian history. His first book, A Journey through Afghanistan, earned critical praise from Owen Latimore, the doyen of Inner Asian studies.  Chaffetz has contributed to the Asian Review of Books, the South China Morning Post, the Nikkei Asian Review, and Fortune.  He belongs to the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, the Royal Asiatic Society (Hong Kong), the Gremio Literario (Lisbon), and the Explorers’ Club (New York). He serves on the Advisory Committee to the American Library.

Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.

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