* tmc * in patientia vestra habetis animam vestram * tmc *

Dear Reader,

The ASIAN STUDIES WWW MONITOR
(including all its subsidiary (and/or sister) pages on "coombs.anu.edu.au" server) has permanently ceased its publishing operations on Friday 21st January 2011.

All of the online resources reported here have been thoroughly checked at the time of their listing. However, it is possible that, with the with the passage of time, many of the originally reported materials might have been removed from the Internet, or changed their online address, or varied the scope and quality of their contents.

Fortunately, in several cases it is possible to access many of the older versions of the resources listed in the MONITOR. This can be easily done via the free services of the "The Internet Archive" http://web.archive.org/, a remarkable brainchild of Brewster Kahle, San Francisco, CA.

- with warm regards -

Editor, Dr T. Matthew Ciolek.

Canberra, 21 January 2011.


22 September 2006

Architectural Drawings of Mughal Monuments of India

http://archnet.org/courses/MughalIndia/HistoricIndia.html

4star
21 Sep 2006

The Heritage, Agra, India

Supplied note:
"We, THE HERITAGE, have been working on the Mughal Monuments of Agra, Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Delhi, Lahore, Ajmer and other historical sites, and we have, in our collection, Architectural Drawings of plans, sections and elevations, town-planning, landscape-architecture, gardening, water-supply and water-structures, designs and motifs and constructional techniques, which constitute basic data for the study of Mughal architecture.
These drawings have been prepared in CorelDraw 11, with full captions which give architectural and historical details and dates.

We offer two collections for sale : One of 665 drawings (Agra - 247. Taj Mahal - 80, Fatehpur Sikri - 103, Delhi - 131 and Miscellaneous - 104 ) and the other of 225 select architectural drawings of these sites, with laser printouts of drawings and with the respective DVD. These drawings are priced uniformly [...]. We can forward few samples of these drawings on your response. However you can view some of them on [the URL below] These drawings are supplied to the universities and institutes for academic use only.- an."

URL
http://archnet.org/courses/MughalIndia/HistoricIndia.html

Internet Archive (www.archive.org)
[the site was not archived at the time of this abstract]

Link reported by: Ajay Nath (mughalarchitecture--at--gmail.com)

* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]:
Documents
* Publisher [academic - business - government - library - NGO - other]:
Business
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]:
V.Useful
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000
- under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 30

Please note that the above details were correct on the day of their publication. To suggest an update, please email the site's editor at tmciolek@ciolek.com

21 September 2006

Worldmapper [equal area cartograms for approx. 200 global variables]

http://www.sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/worldmapper/

5star
20 Sep 2006

The Social and Spatial Inequalities Research Group (SASI), Geography Department, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

Supplied note:
"What if there were maps that showed information about countries in terms other than land mass? 'Worldmapper' [at the URL below] does just that. It has cartograms, or specialized maps, that re-size countries according to variables like population, GDP, number of passenger cars, etc. Thus, China is larger than the United States on a map that shows exports of toys, but smaller on one that shows toy imports. There are 194 of these maps, with more being added all the time, and they give a fascinating visual representation of country rankings in everything from alcohol & cigarette imports, to meat exports, to container ports, to mopeds & motorcycles, to tourist destinations. - fita."

Self-description:
"Worldmapper is a collection of world maps, where territories are re-sized on each map according to the subject of interest. [...]

Cartograms - The maps presented on this website are equal area cartograms, otherwise known as density-equalising maps. The cartogram re-sizes each territory according to the variable being mapped. [...]

Colours and regions - The colours used on the maps group the territories into 12 geographical regions, and allow for an easier visual comparison between the maps than would otherwise be possible. The shading of each territory within a region is consistent throughout all of the maps. You can view a labelled territory map with the territories labelled, and also a labelled regions map . [...]

Data files - When you choose a map to view, there are links at the bottom to download a data file giving the values used for all 200 territories, a graph (usually a cumulative frequency one) of the data, and a top 10 or 20 table (and the original data used, and its source). There is also a data sources page giving details of the websites [A. United Nations Environment Programme; B. World Bank; C. United Nations Development Programme; D. Central Intelligence Agency; E. World Health Organisation; F. Angus Maddison's data; G. United Nations Population Division; H. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; I. United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF) Innocenti Research Centre; J. Other sources - ed.] where much of the data has been obtained from."

Site contents:
[in Sep 2006 there were 194 maps covering the following range of caterories and themes:] * Basic (Land Area ,Total Population, Total Births, Births Attended, Total Children, Total Elderly, Population Year 1, Population Year 1500, Population Year 1900, Population Year 1960, Population Year 2050, Population Year 2300); * Movement; * Transport; * Food; * Goods; * Manufacturers; * Services; * Resources; * Fuel; * Production; * Work; * Income; * Wealth; * Poverty; * Housing; * Education; * Health; * Disease; * Disaster; * Death; * Destruction; * Violence; * Pollution; * Depletion; * Communication; * Exploitation; * Action.

URL http://www.sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/worldmapper/

Internet Archive (web.archive.org)
[the site was not archived at the time of this abstract - ed.]

Link reported by:
FITA's (Federation of International Trade Associations) Really Useful Sites Newsletter (newsletter--at--fita.org)

* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]:
Study
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]:
Academic
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]:
Essential
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000
- under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: over 3000 [in fact over 5000]

Please note that the above details were correct on the day of their publication. To suggest an update, please email the site's editor at tmciolek@ciolek.com

NBCentralAsia - Central Asian News Agency

http://www.nbcentralasia.net/

4star
13 Sep 2006

Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), London, UK

Supplied note:
"A project of the London-based international media-assistance group the Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), NBCentralAsia offers a new concept in regional reporting, which comprises analysis and 'news behind the news', covering Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Drawing on an extensive network of more than 100 experts and commentators throughout the region, NBCentralAsia reports on regional politics, economics and social trends, offering original perspectives and the context and meaning often hidden by the headlines. [...] The service launches [in Sep 2006] with an initial pilot phase, featuring a daily output of around four stories, in Russian and English. The agency - based in Bishkek, with a regional office in Dushanbe and international assistance from IWPR - is staffed by an experienced network of journalists and editors drawing on a broad range of regional specialists. NBCentralAsia reports are available for syndication to local and international media outlets free of charge. The initiative, supported by the US Department of State's Department for Human Rights and Labor, seeks to provide independent regional perspectives to strengthen local print and electronic media throughout Central Asia. The agency will be seeking to expand the daily output, and to incorporate Uzbekistan into its coverage, in the near future. To access the articles, see www.iwpr.net or www.NBCentralAsia.net. Reports are also available via email subscription and RSS feeds. IWPR continues to produce its long-standing regional flagship, Reporting Central Asia, providing in-depth reporting and human rights coverage, and its Turkmen radio program, Inside View. [...] - ek."

URL
http://www.nbcentralasia.net/

Internet Archive (web.archive.org)
[the site was not archived at the time of this abstract - ed.]

Link reported by:
Elina Karakulova (elina.karakulova--at--gmail.com), forwarded by central-eurasia-L--at--lists.fas.harvard.edu

* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]:
News
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]:
NGO
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]:
V.Useful
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000
- under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 30

Please note that the above details were correct on the day of their publication. To suggest an update, please email the site's editor at tmciolek@ciolek.com

07 September 2006

Digitales Turfan-Archiv (DTA)

http://www.bbaw.de/bbaw/Forschung/Forschungsprojekte/turfanforschung/de/DigitalesTurfanArchiv

5star
05 Sep 2006

Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (BBAW), Berlin, Germany

Self-description:
"Die Turfansammlung der Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (BBAW) ist das Ergebnis von vier archaeologischen Expeditionen nach Zentralasien zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts. Sie umfasst ca. 40.000 Fragmente orientalischer Handschriften und Drucke, deren kuratorische Verwaltung die Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preussischer Kulturbesitz in einem Depositarvertrag mit der BBAW 1992 uebernommen hat. Zum Zwecke des Schutzes der Originale und eines erleichterten Zugangs zu diesem wissenschaftlich ausserordentlich bedeutenden Quellenmaterial werden unter der Obhut der Akademievorhaben Turfanforschung (BBAW) und Katalogisierung der Orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland (AdW Goettingen) zwischen Oktober 1997 und Juni 2005 die alttuerkischen, iranischen und mongolischen Teilsammlungen in einem von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) gefoerderten dreistufigen Projekt digitalisiert und archiviert. (Zu den Turfan-Tocharica). Die dabei notwendigen Verfilmungs- und Restaurierungsarbeiten werden von der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preussischer Kulturbesitz durchgefuehrt. Nachdem im Juli 2005 die Digitalisierung der 14 480 tuerkischen, mitteliranischen und mongolischen Fragmente der Berliner Turfansammlung abgeschlossen wurde und dieser Teil der Sammlung nunmehr vollstaendig im Internet recherchierbar ist, hat die DFG ihre Zusage zur Unterstuetzung fuer ein Fortsetzungsprojekt gegeben. In bewaehrter Zusammenarbeit mit der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin werden die ca. 6200 chinesischen und tibetischen Fragmente digitalisiert werden. Aufgrund eines im Juni 2005 unterzeichneten Kooperationsvertrages mit dem International Dunhuang Projekt der British Library (London) werden die Digitalisate nunmehr verknuepft mit vorhandenen Metadaten in einem Datenbank-Format im Internet praesentiert werden. Dazu wird eine deutsche Version der IDP-database erstellt werden und ueber das Internetportal der BBAW zugaenglich sein."

Site contents:
* Startseite; * Ueberblick; * Mitglieder/Mitarbeiter; * Publikationen; * Aktuelles; * Turfanforschung; * Forschungsvorhaben; * Collegium Turfanicum; * Digitales Turfan-Archiv I (DTA); * DTA II (IDP Berlin); * MIRTEXT; * Iranische Texte in der Turfansammlung; * Bibliographie alttuerkischer Studien; * Sommerschule 2006 ; * Ehrencolloquium Literarische Stoffe; * Links; * Englische Seite [under construction]

[A site in German. English version under construction - ed.]

URL
http://www.bbaw.de/bbaw/Forschung/Forschungsprojekte/turfanforschung/de/DigitalesTurfanArchiv

Internet Archive (web.archive.org)
[the site was not archived at the time of this abstract - ed.]

Link reported by:
The International Dunhuang Project (idp--at--bl.uk)

* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]:
Corporate Info./Documents/Study
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]:
Academic
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]:
Essential
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000
- under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 30

Please note that the above details were correct on the day of their publication. To suggest an update, please email the site's editor at tmciolek@ciolek.com

01 September 2006

Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books [about Silk Roads]

http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/index.html.en

5star
01 Sep 2006

Digital Silk Roads Project (DSR), National Institute of Informatics (NII), The Toyo Bunko, Tokyo, Japan

Self-description:
"The purpose of the project [which is a cornerstone of the Digital Silk Roads Project (DSR) (dsr.nii.ac.jp) - ed.] is to make 'invisible' books visible from everyone. Today surprisingly many books are invisible from the general public because accessibility to precious books is restricted due to their fragility and safety. To let them come out of the dark rooms of libraries, we establish the digital archive of precious books and improve accessibility to them on the Portal site. [...] [In Sep 2006] The digital archive [presented online] the collection of 53 rare books (19 authors : 13,973 pages) with narratives about Silk Roads."

Site contents:
* Results of a scientific mission to India and high Asia--Atlas Part I, Part II; * Results of a scientific mission to India and high Asia--Atlas Part III, Part IV; * Cathay and the way thither--Vol. 1; * Cathay and the way thither--Vol. 2; * Explorations in Turkestan 1903; * Explorations in Turkestan 1904--Vol. 1; * Explorations in Turkestan 1904--Vol. 2; * The Thousand Buddhas; * Ancient Khotan--Vol. 1; * Ancient Khotan--Vol. 2; * Serindia--Vol. 1; * Serindia --Vol. 2; * Serindia--Vol. 3; * Serindia--Vol. 4; * Serindia--Vol. 5; * Innermost Asia : detailed report of explorations in Central Asia, Kan-su and Eastern ?r?n--Vol. 1; * Innermost Asia : detailed report of explorations in Central Asia, Kan-su and Eastern ?r?n--Vol. 2; * Innermost Asia : detailed report of explorations in Central Asia, Kan-su and Eastern ?r?n--Vol. 3; * Innermost Asia : detailed report of explorations in Central Asia, Kan-su and Eastern ?r?n--Vol. 4; * Archaeological reconnaissances in north-western India and south-eastern Iran; * Bericht ueber archaeologische Arbeiten in Idikutschari und Umgebung im Winter 1902-1903; * Altbuddhistische Kultstaetten in Chinesisch-Turkistan; * Chotscho; * Alt-Kutscha; * Die Teufel des Avesta und ihre Beziehungen zur Ikonographie des Buddhismus Zentral-Asiens; * Postancient Buddhist culture in Central Asia--Sculptures; * Postancient Buddhist culture in Central Asia--Manichaean Arts; * Postancient Buddhist culture in Central Asia--Murals; * Postancient Buddhist culture in Central Asia--Mural designs; * Postancient Buddhist culture in Central Asia--New pictures; * From Kyakhta to the source of the Yellow River; * Mongolia and Kham : achievements of the geographical association expeditions in Imperial Russia v 1899-1901.gg--Vol. 1; * Mongolia and Kham : achievements of the geographical association expeditions in Imperial Russia v 1899-1901.gg--Vol. 2; * Mongolia and Kham : achievements of the geographical association expeditions in Imperial Russia v 1899-1901.gg--Vol. 3; * Mongolia and Kham : achievements of the geographical association expeditions in Imperial Russia v 1899-1901.gg--Vol. 4; * Mongolia and Kham : achievements of the geographical association expeditions in Imperial Russia v 1899-1901.gg--Vol. 5; * Russkaia Turkestanskaia ekspeditsiia, 1909-1910 goda; * The wandering lake; * Archaeological researches in Sinkiang; * Les grottes de Touen-Houang--tome1; * Les grottes de Touen-Houang--tome2; * Les grottes de Touen-Houang--tome3; * Les grottes de Touen-Houang--tome4; * Les grottes de Touen-Houang--tome5; * Les grottes de Touen-Houang--tome6; * History of an Italian science expedition to Himalayas, Kharakhorum and Chinese Turkistan (1913-1914); * Views of China; * Photographic journal; * Records of the grand historian of China Vol. 123--Accounts of the Ferghana No. 63; * Historical records of the Former Han Dynasty Vol. 94--Accounts of the Xiongnu No. 64; * Historical records of the Former Han Dynasty Vol. 95--Biography of Yunnan, Nanyue, Dongyue and Korea No. 65; * Historical records of the Former Han Dynasty Vol. 96--Geographical accounts of the western area No. 66;
Browse by: * Volumes; * Series; * Books; * Authors; * Languages.
Search by: * Image; * Text.

[A site with navigation in JP and EN - ed.]

URL http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/index.html.en

Internet Archive
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/index.html.en

Link reported by:
T. Matthew Ciolek (tmciolek--at--coombs.anu.edu.au)

* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]:
Study
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]:
Academic
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]:
Essential
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000
- under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: over 3,000 [in fact, 7760]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Src: The Asian Studies WWW Monitor ISSN 1329-9778
URL http://coombs.anu.edu.au/asia-www-monitor.html

Please note that the above details were correct on the day of their publication. To suggest an update, please email the site's editor at tmciolek@ciolek.com

Digital Silk Roads Project (DSR)

http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/

5star
01 Sep 2006

National Institute of Informatics (NII), The Toyo Bunko, Tokyo, Japan

Self-description:
"Digital Silk Roads Project is a research project for creating digital archives based on collaboration between informatics and humanities."

Site contents:
* Digital Silk Roads: Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books (dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/index.html.en); Citadel of Bam, Iran: Keeping Memories and Gathering Information for Post-earthquake Reconstruction; Silkroad Narratives (Discovery of Civilizations of Central Asia, Silk Roads in Rare Books); Digital Silkroad Kids; Silkroad Maps (Historical Map Collection: Serindia -- Vol.5 (1. Thumbnail 2. List of Maps 3. View on Google Earth) Innermost Asia -- Vol.4 (1. Thumbnail) Results of a scientific mission to India and high Asia -- Atlas Part I, Part II (1. Thumbnail); Geographical Search: (Map Search - Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books Silkroad GIS [in preparation]); Gazetteer (Digital Silk Roads Gazetteer [Google Earth])); Silkroad Terms; Silk Roads in Photographs; NII Imaginary Museum DSR;
* Overview: About the Project; Portal Sites at NII; Sub Projects; Publications and Others; Project Members; Support;
* Symposium: Nara Symposium [December 10 - 12, 2003]; Tokyo Symposium [December 11 -13, 2001].

[A site in JP and EN. Some sectiones are exclusively in JP - ed.]

URL
http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/

Internet Archive
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/

Link reported by:
T. Matthew Ciolek (tmciolek--at--coombs.anu.edu.au)

* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]:
Corporate Info.
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]:
Academic
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]:
Essential
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000
- under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: over 3,000 [in fact, 50900]

Please note that the above details were correct on the day of their publication. To suggest an update, please email the site's editor at tmciolek@ciolek.com