In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Chaffetz about the history of the horse and impact with empires. They discuss the origins of the horse and living alongside humans, herding and horse milk, domesticating the horse and riding horses. They talk about the Steppe environment, rise of chariots, the Scythians and mounted combat, horses used within empires, and China’s relationship with horses. They talk about the Kushans, Turks, Chinggis Khan, Timur, WWI, and many more topics.

David Chaffetz is a regular Asian Review of Books contributor, member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, and author of A Journey through Afghanistan, Three Asian Divas, and Raiders, Rulers, and Traders. He has traveled extensively in Asia for more than forty years. He divides his time between Lisbon and Paris.

Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe