Microsoft recently unveiled their answer to Google Books, but because of copyright issues, most of the books available are extremely old.

When searching for books on Central Asia, I came across a book titled The Mohammedan World of To-day, published in 1906. While mainly about missionaries in the larger Muslim world, it has some interesting passages about conversion in what is now Uzbekistan. By today’s standards, it of course comes across as archaic and orientalist, but it is nonetheless interesting to catch a glimpse into the mindset of the few Western travelers in the region during that time period.

The great Russian Trans-Caspian railroad through those lands facilitates travel in Central Asia, and we use it. In our work we try to get the Moslems under the influence and power of the gospel of Christ by preaching, conversion, and distribution of the Scriptures… A number of Moslems have been converted and baptized in the Caucasus and in Bokhara. For this we praise the Lord. Many have found a peace and a salvation which they sought in vain in their own religion. Once I remained in Bokhara two months. From our book store in the city, our native helpers distributed the New Testament even among the people of Afghanistan. One old professor in the high school of Bokhara received from us the Bible in Arabic… One morning he said, “I am convinced that Jesus Christ will conquer Mohammed. There is no doubt about it because Christ is king in heaven and on earth…”

The section goes on to discuss the translation of the Bible into Uighur and the establishment of a mission in Xinjiang. The book also contains this picture of “travelling dervishes from Bokhara.”

Though the rhetoric has changed dramatically (now religious groups often combine aid with conversion), Christian groups are still hard at work proselytizing in Central Asia (though at times with some difficulty).