zungsheft No. 131 (Gotha, 1900); Dutreuil de Rhins, L'Asie centrale (Paris, 1889).
Consult, also, on the political situation: Papowski, The Rival Powers in Central Asia (Westminster, 1893); Curzon, Problems of the Far East (London, 1894); Norman, The Peoples and Politics of the Far East (ib. 1895); Krausse, Russia in Asia, 1558-1899 (ib. 1899): Colquhoun, Russia Against India (New York, 1900); Mahan, The Problem of Asia (Boston, 1900).
ASIA, Central. A designation applied in a broad sense to a territory comprising about one-third of the Asiatic continent and embracing most of the thinly inhabited or uninhabited portions of the Chinese Empire, together with Russian Turkestan (with Bokhara and Khiva) and the highland of Iran (Northern Persia and Afghanistan). The eastern half, or Central Asia within the Chinese Empire, lies between the Altai Mountains on the north and the Tibetan Plateau on the south, and includes the vast Han-hai Steppe, with the desert of Gobi. The main divisions of this part of Central Asia are Mongolia and East Turkestan. In Russian official language. Central Asia is an administrative division of the Empire lying to the southwest of Siberia, and comprising, with part of what was formerly called Siberia, the recent Russian annexations in Turkestan. Russian Central Asia is divided into the provinces of Akmolinsk, Semipalatinsk, Turgai, Uralsk, Semirietchensk, Syr-Daria, Samarkand, Ferghana, and the Trans-Caspian territory. The total area is about 1,350,000 square miles, and the population, according to the census of 1897, was 7,721,684. Consult: Bonvalot, Through the Heart of Asia (London, 1889); Moser, L'Irrigation en Asie Centrale (Paris, 1894); Hedin, Through Asia (New York, 1899); Phibbs, Central Asia (London, 1899).
ASIA in the Bible. The name Asia is not met with in the Old Testament, but occurs several times in the Apocrypha, where it is used as a general term to indicate the territory ruled over by the Seleucidæ; i.e. the Tigris-Euphrates Valley, eastern Asia Minor, Syria, Phœnicia, and Palestine. This was in harmony with Greek usage, according to which the term meant much the same as it does to-day. The Romans, however, used the word in a more restricted sense to indicate the Province of Asia, which was constituted about B.C. 133, and in New Testament times included all Asia Minor west of Bithynia, Galatia, Lycaonia, and Lycia. In the New Testament the word is used in its Roman sense. The chief city of the province was Ephesus, where Paul labored for upward of three years, with the result that the whole province became permeated with the truth of the Gospel. Here were located the seven churches to which John addressed the message of the Apocalypse. See Churches of Asia, The Seven.
ASIA MI'NOR (Lat.). The ancient name of what is now called Anatolia (q.v.). It was divided into Pontus, Paphlagonia. Bithynia, Mysia, Lydia, Caria, Lycia, Pisidia, Pamphylia, Isauria, Cilicia, Cappadocia, Galatia, Phrygia, and Lycaonia. Along the western coast were Troas, Æolis, Ionia, and Doris (in Caria), the last three a series of Greek colonies. Greek colonies were also numerous along the north coast, on the shores of the Hellespont, Propontis, Bosporus, and Euxine. In the Seventh Century B.C. the Lydian Kingdom was the ruling power; but in the Sixth Century Asia passed under Persian rule. After the death of Alexander the Great, Asia was portioned out among his generals, finally falling partly to the Seleucidæ and partly to the Kingdom of Pergamum, which developed on the west coast. Under the Roman Emperors Asia Minor was generally prosperous, but suffered severely during the wars of the Byzantine Empire, and has not recovered under Turkish rule. Consult Ramsay, Historical Geography of Asia Minor (London, 1890).
ASIARCH, tl'shl-ark {Gk.'Aainpxw, Asiarches,
from 'Aaia, Asia + ap,xen', archein, to govern).
The title of an officer of high rank in the Roman
Province of Asia, similar to officers in other
provinces called after their respective provincial
names, Galatarch, Lykiarch, Pamphyliarch. The
appointment, functions, and tenure' of office be-
longing to this position cannot be accurately as-
certained. It is clear, however, that his duties
were provincial and not municipal; that the
proconsul of the province took some part in his
appointment; that the title was retained after
the term of service was ended; that he presided
over the assembly (Commune Asiæ) which con-
vened annually for the worship of Rome and the
Emperor and the celebration of festivals in
honor of the Imperial reign; and that, in so far
as this worship involved the service of the tem-
ples dedicated to the Imperial house, the presi-
dency over the assembly most probably merged into itself the high-priesthood over these temples, making the Asiarch thus a politico-religious officer, and confining the office itself necessarily to the wealthy and highly influential among the citizens. As these high priests were, in all likelihood, presided over by a chief priest, it is quite possible that the Asiarchate became a multiple office presided over by a chief Asiarch, forming thus an executive council connected with the annual assembly. From all this we may assume that it was on the occasion of one of these annual gatherings, held at Ephesus, that the uproar occurred in the theatre which impelled Paul's friends among these influential officers to caution him for his safety. (Acts xix. 31: "Certain of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent unto him and besought him not to adventure himself into the theatre.") Consult: Mommsen, Provinces of the Roman Empire (English translation, London. 1895); Ramsay, Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia, 2 vols. (London, 1895-97).
ASIATIC (.a'slii-:-it'ik) BROTH'ERS. A se-
cret society, with aims similar to those of the
Rosicrucians, which was formed in 1780 in Aus-
tria, and thence extended over all Germany.
ASIATIC SOCI'ETIES. Associations for the study of the languages, antiquities, and history of the Eastern continent. The first was founded by the Dutch in 1780. In 1784 the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal was formed. A French society was organized at Paris in 1822, and the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland in 1823. An American society (see Oriental Society, American) was formed in 1842, a German society in 1845, and an Italian society in 1887.
ASIMINA, 4-sim'i-na or Ss'i-mina. See Papaw.
