I've realised that I really only have knowledge of the Latin presence in Greece and the Aegean in relation to the Byzantines. What was life like on the mainland and on the islands?
I was listening to the history of Byzantium podcast which mentioned that after the battle of Kapetron I believe, the Byzantines had the mosque in the Constantinople say the khutba in the name of the Seljuk Sultan instead of the Fatimid Caliph. Do we know of who had their names stated before and after this incident?
Rome, even with so many civil wars was always able to reconstitute itself, and the power of governors were always checked by the central government. On the other hand, the Caliphate completely disintegrated as a result of a decade of civil wars in the 860s. What was the Roman secret to such unmatched "stability"?
By largest I mean which engagement saw the most men on the field on both sides. I know army numbers are a fickle thing and usually quite inaccurate, but I'm just curious what seems to be the consensus. My guesses here would be Constantinople in 717, Kapetron, and Constantinople in 1453.
Traditionally in Western media, it gets shown as a masterful Mongol feigned retreat to destroy the Rus-Cuman army. However, in recent years, doubt has been shown on the previous narrative. It is possible that Jebe had been killed in battle with the defenders, and thus it seems likely that what was popularly assumed to be a feigned retreat was actually a real one until Subudei saw the enemy positions and realised they were vulnerable. Do you subscribe to this interpretation, or do you find credence lies with the old one?
Of course I need to clarify that I know that in the Medieval period slavery was a big part of Roman society. However, the scale seems to have declined by some point, so when was that point in time?
A lot has been lost to us via the passage of time, so this is more a question in the realm of fantasy, but I personally would be excited if some middle-Byzantine Anatolian settlement had somehow survived somewhat intact. I know that realistically the odds of such a settlement are miniscule at best, but a man could dream.
Those purple lines designate the autonomous states within Iran at the time. The Blue is the Entente, the Orange is the Ottomans.
The video is https://youtu.be/grcesYldcnw?si=VMHhbYVn8EQ4eb34
This is ISFAHAN by the way, one of the greatest cities in the country.
This is NOT my work, by the way!
Forgive me for this being a low-effort post, but I've come to realise that I practically know nothing of Akbar's abilities as a general. I'm not comfortable with relying on Wikipedia since it can miss important engagements, or it might contain falsified information. With this into consideration, can anyone here who studied Akbar provide me a brief rundown on his military career?
The Arabs were quick to construct a navy, and they were vital in keeping their new acquisitions and even threatening Constantinople, so why did the Persians not attempt so in their last war?
This might get a little spicy...
Note that this assessment is coming from a foreigner, so make of that what you will.
Arab rule helped elevate Iran to a scientific and literary juggernaut, full stop, and it was a time of material prosperity. However, this came at a heavy cost. Persian was nearly given a fatal blow by Arabic in this period, and Islam became the majority religion for better or for worst...
On the other hand, the steppe warriors were more willing to integrate into the wider society and arguably made themselves true people of the land. They also funded Persian poetry and art. That said, Iran was also devastated by the initial invasions, and often didn't rebound to its prior glory...