RESEARCH OF HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF CENTRAL ASIA IN CHINA

The article focuses on a methodical examination of research on the historical geography of Central Asia in Chinese historiography. The main aim of the paper is to analyze the evolution of Chinese scholars’ perspectives on the region, including from the earliest works to the most recent studies. The article provides new scholarly approaches based on Chinese sources, shedding light on important aspects of the historical geography of the region. The methodology incorporates comparative-historical, source-critical, and historiographical methods to analyze and systematize key data. The comparative-historical method reveals the common features of the geographical connections between China and Central Asia, while source analysis methods enable a deeper understanding of the data’s content. The historiographical method organizes sources chronologically, highlighting the characteristics of each historical period. As a result, the article offers new scientific approaches to the historical geography of Central Asia, contributing to the further development of knowledge in this field.