Riaz is an independent scholar and author, who has travelled extensively through many of the countries and routes on the Silk Road. He has written two non-fiction books: "Mapping the Great Game: Explorers, Spies & Maps in 19th-Century Asia" and "The Stone Tower: Ptolemy, the Silk Road, and a 2,000-Year-Old Riddle". Email: riaz_dean@yahoo.com Address: Wellington, New Zealand.
In his famous work "Geographia" almost two thousand years ago, Claudius Ptolemy wrote about a loc... more In his famous work "Geographia" almost two thousand years ago, Claudius Ptolemy wrote about a location called the “Stone Tower”. This was considered to be the mid-point on the overland trade route taken by caravans between Europe and Asia, now conveniently labeled “The Silk Road”. The Stone Tower was a major landmark where travelers and caravans broke their often long and arduous journeys to rest, take on provisions, and trade goods before continuing on their next stage. Given the lack of precise information in Ptolemy’s work, various theories have been advanced as to its actual location. This article offers a new perspective on the problem, by introducing a set of criteria that this location would have needed to satisfy for the landmark to have become so prominent. Judging by these criteria, the most likely location of Ptolemy’s Stone Tower was the “Takt-e-Suleiman” mountain, also known locally as “Sulaiman-Too”, which dominates the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan.
A non-fiction book about the pioneers who explored vast regions of Central Asia, India and Tibet ... more A non-fiction book about the pioneers who explored vast regions of Central Asia, India and Tibet to create maps, and spy out the country for military and geographical reasons. Maps were a crucial element in Britain’s struggle to defend the ‘jewel in the crown’, India. The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India had been founded in the 18th century with the aim of creating a detailed map of the country.
Much of the work of the Survey outside of India's northern borders was undertaken by native Indians, known as Pundits, who were trained to explore, spy out and map Central Asia and Tibet. They did this at great personal risk and with meager resources, while traveling entirely on foot. They would be the first to reveal the mysteries of the forbidden city of Lhasa, and discover the true course of Tibet’s mighty Tsangpo River. They were the greatest group of explorers the world has seen in recent history – yet they remain the classic unsung heroes of the British Raj.
And while most people today are readily able to identify the world’s highest mountain, few know of the man, George Everest, after whom it was named, or the accomplishment that earned him this singular honor. Under his leadership, the Survey of India mapped the Great Arc, which was then lauded as ‘one of the greatest works in the whole history of science,’ though it cost more in monetary terms and human lives than many contemporary Indian wars.
This book attempts to solve a 2,000-year-old riddle of ancient geography: Where was the elusive S... more This book attempts to solve a 2,000-year-old riddle of ancient geography: Where was the elusive Stone Tower located which Claudius Ptolemy wrote about as marking the mid-point on the old Silk Road, as caravans plied their trade between Europe and Asia?
Only by understanding the wider historical context during this period can this site be located with any certainty. For this reason, this book is divided into three parts: the first explains the birth of the Silk Road; the second covers key events in history that determined the Stone Tower’s establishment at the half-way mark; and the third pinpoints where the tower actually lay.
The timeline covered spans almost 300 years: It starts in 140 BC, when a Chinese palace guard named Zhang Qian volunteered to travel west for Emperor Wu Di, in the process founding this celebrated trade route; and it ends in AD 140, when Ptolemy probably completed his Geographia and revealed the site of the Stone Tower. For the most part, this period parallels the First Silk Roads Era dating from 100 BC to AD 250.
Ò Cionnaith has written a book that captures well the history of land surveying in Ireland pre-Or... more Ò Cionnaith has written a book that captures well the history of land surveying in Ireland pre-Ordnance Survey and which will, no doubt, be of great value to researchers and students alike. He describes how the complex craft of surveying evolved on this island by following the careers of three prominent surveyors – Robert Gibson, Gabriel Stokes and John Longfield – and in doing so, humanizers and brings to life what could otherwise have been rather dense reading, particularly for general readers, of a specialized topic. However, his approach does not take away from the accurate recording of this history as his book is thoroughly researched with exhaustive footnotes and an excellent bibliography listing primary and secondary sources together with relevant treatises and papers.
In his famous work "Geographia" almost two thousand years ago, Claudius Ptolemy wrote about a loc... more In his famous work "Geographia" almost two thousand years ago, Claudius Ptolemy wrote about a location called the “Stone Tower”. This was considered to be the mid-point on the overland trade route taken by caravans between Europe and Asia, now conveniently labeled “The Silk Road”. The Stone Tower was a major landmark where travelers and caravans broke their often long and arduous journeys to rest, take on provisions, and trade goods before continuing on their next stage. Given the lack of precise information in Ptolemy’s work, various theories have been advanced as to its actual location. This article offers a new perspective on the problem, by introducing a set of criteria that this location would have needed to satisfy for the landmark to have become so prominent. Judging by these criteria, the most likely location of Ptolemy’s Stone Tower was the “Takt-e-Suleiman” mountain, also known locally as “Sulaiman-Too”, which dominates the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan.
A non-fiction book about the pioneers who explored vast regions of Central Asia, India and Tibet ... more A non-fiction book about the pioneers who explored vast regions of Central Asia, India and Tibet to create maps, and spy out the country for military and geographical reasons. Maps were a crucial element in Britain’s struggle to defend the ‘jewel in the crown’, India. The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India had been founded in the 18th century with the aim of creating a detailed map of the country.
Much of the work of the Survey outside of India's northern borders was undertaken by native Indians, known as Pundits, who were trained to explore, spy out and map Central Asia and Tibet. They did this at great personal risk and with meager resources, while traveling entirely on foot. They would be the first to reveal the mysteries of the forbidden city of Lhasa, and discover the true course of Tibet’s mighty Tsangpo River. They were the greatest group of explorers the world has seen in recent history – yet they remain the classic unsung heroes of the British Raj.
And while most people today are readily able to identify the world’s highest mountain, few know of the man, George Everest, after whom it was named, or the accomplishment that earned him this singular honor. Under his leadership, the Survey of India mapped the Great Arc, which was then lauded as ‘one of the greatest works in the whole history of science,’ though it cost more in monetary terms and human lives than many contemporary Indian wars.
This book attempts to solve a 2,000-year-old riddle of ancient geography: Where was the elusive S... more This book attempts to solve a 2,000-year-old riddle of ancient geography: Where was the elusive Stone Tower located which Claudius Ptolemy wrote about as marking the mid-point on the old Silk Road, as caravans plied their trade between Europe and Asia?
Only by understanding the wider historical context during this period can this site be located with any certainty. For this reason, this book is divided into three parts: the first explains the birth of the Silk Road; the second covers key events in history that determined the Stone Tower’s establishment at the half-way mark; and the third pinpoints where the tower actually lay.
The timeline covered spans almost 300 years: It starts in 140 BC, when a Chinese palace guard named Zhang Qian volunteered to travel west for Emperor Wu Di, in the process founding this celebrated trade route; and it ends in AD 140, when Ptolemy probably completed his Geographia and revealed the site of the Stone Tower. For the most part, this period parallels the First Silk Roads Era dating from 100 BC to AD 250.
Ò Cionnaith has written a book that captures well the history of land surveying in Ireland pre-Or... more Ò Cionnaith has written a book that captures well the history of land surveying in Ireland pre-Ordnance Survey and which will, no doubt, be of great value to researchers and students alike. He describes how the complex craft of surveying evolved on this island by following the careers of three prominent surveyors – Robert Gibson, Gabriel Stokes and John Longfield – and in doing so, humanizers and brings to life what could otherwise have been rather dense reading, particularly for general readers, of a specialized topic. However, his approach does not take away from the accurate recording of this history as his book is thoroughly researched with exhaustive footnotes and an excellent bibliography listing primary and secondary sources together with relevant treatises and papers.
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Papers by Riaz Dean
Books by Riaz Dean
Much of the work of the Survey outside of India's northern borders was undertaken by native Indians, known as Pundits, who were trained to explore, spy out and map Central Asia and Tibet. They did this at great personal risk and with meager resources, while traveling entirely on foot. They would be the first to reveal the mysteries of the forbidden city of Lhasa, and discover the true course of Tibet’s mighty Tsangpo River. They were the greatest group of explorers the world has seen in recent history – yet they remain the classic unsung heroes of the British Raj.
And while most people today are readily able to identify the world’s highest mountain, few know of the man, George Everest, after whom it was named, or the accomplishment that earned him this singular honor. Under his leadership, the Survey of India mapped the Great Arc, which was then lauded as ‘one of the greatest works in the whole history of science,’ though it cost more in monetary terms and human lives than many contemporary Indian wars.
Only by understanding the wider historical context during this period can this site be located with any certainty. For this reason, this book is divided into three parts: the first explains the birth of the Silk Road; the second covers key events in history that determined the Stone Tower’s establishment at the half-way mark; and the third pinpoints where the tower actually lay.
The timeline covered spans almost 300 years: It starts in 140 BC, when a Chinese palace guard named Zhang Qian volunteered to travel west for Emperor Wu Di, in the process founding this celebrated trade route; and it ends in AD 140, when Ptolemy probably completed his Geographia and revealed the site of the Stone Tower. For the most part, this period parallels the First Silk Roads Era dating from 100 BC to AD 250.
Book Reviews by Riaz Dean
Much of the work of the Survey outside of India's northern borders was undertaken by native Indians, known as Pundits, who were trained to explore, spy out and map Central Asia and Tibet. They did this at great personal risk and with meager resources, while traveling entirely on foot. They would be the first to reveal the mysteries of the forbidden city of Lhasa, and discover the true course of Tibet’s mighty Tsangpo River. They were the greatest group of explorers the world has seen in recent history – yet they remain the classic unsung heroes of the British Raj.
And while most people today are readily able to identify the world’s highest mountain, few know of the man, George Everest, after whom it was named, or the accomplishment that earned him this singular honor. Under his leadership, the Survey of India mapped the Great Arc, which was then lauded as ‘one of the greatest works in the whole history of science,’ though it cost more in monetary terms and human lives than many contemporary Indian wars.
Only by understanding the wider historical context during this period can this site be located with any certainty. For this reason, this book is divided into three parts: the first explains the birth of the Silk Road; the second covers key events in history that determined the Stone Tower’s establishment at the half-way mark; and the third pinpoints where the tower actually lay.
The timeline covered spans almost 300 years: It starts in 140 BC, when a Chinese palace guard named Zhang Qian volunteered to travel west for Emperor Wu Di, in the process founding this celebrated trade route; and it ends in AD 140, when Ptolemy probably completed his Geographia and revealed the site of the Stone Tower. For the most part, this period parallels the First Silk Roads Era dating from 100 BC to AD 250.