History of Asia

We talk about the predecessors to the Sasanian empire. Their approach was completely different, but in a way, perfectly adopted to the lands of Iran.

Omnipresent magic. Religiously sanctioned inbreeding. Extreme decadence. Lots of war elephants. A royal family that commits genocide on itself. Welcome to the world of Sasan.

Today, we discuss the religion that dominated Iran until the Muslim Conquests: Zoroastrianism. As we shall see, this faith bears many resemblances to Twelver Shiism, the sect that would be embraced by the Buyid dynasty soon after it emerged, and not long after the Islamization of Iran really got underway. These similarities may not be entirely coincidental. Zoroastrianism also left a mark on other...

Don’t you just hate politics? As Manu Chao sang, and as anyone watching House of Cards will confirm: Politic kills. politic needs cries, politic needs ignorance, politic needs lies … Many religions have thrived by cozying up to the establishment of their day. There are few that consistently hold politics in contempt the way Shiism does. This may well be a big part of its appeal. But what would hap...

In today’s episode, we talk about the legacy of the period before the advent of the Safavids, and the transformation of Iran into a Shia state. Among other things, we discuss the rise of Sufism, the resilience of Persian culture and the “Shiite century”. We also give ample attention to the fascinating cult of the Assassins: if you are writing a fantasy novel, you may want to include these people.

Today, we shall discuss the rise of the Safavids, who turned Iran into a Shiite state, and not through kind persuasion. A listener took issue with my portrayal of Isma’il, calling it propaganda. Therefore, I ‘d like to mention some quotes from the “propaganda” where I found this information. I think you will find these professors are more blunt than me. Abbas Amanat. “Iran, a modern history”, p. 4...

During most of modern history, Iran was a rather weak player on the world stage. It was constantly taken advantage of. Before the Safavid’s sudden collapse in the early 18th century, however, Persia was not a country that you would want to mess with. Only a few other states in the world could match their power. Iran went from hero to zero in no time. In this episode, we ask ourselves how and why t...

In the 18th century, Persia was the playground of cruel warlords, who attempted to rule through fear and blood. You had the Afghan rebel turned Shah, the Persian Napoleon Nadir Shah, and even a eunuch-king! It was one of the worst periods in the country's history: the population fell from 9 to 6 million. It was the Qajars who finally ended the era of civil war.

In the Qajar era, Persia went through a period of decline and humiliation at the hands of foreign powers. The experience makes clear why Reza Khan had the priorities he had, and why Europe is still regarded with suspicion in Iran (although there are other reasons for that too).

Today we talk about the rise, the policies, the downfall and the legacy of Reza Khan, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty. Under his rule, Iran was irrevocably transformed. Many of these changes still resonate today. Perhaps his most enduring legacy, is the struggle between Mosque and State, especially over the issue of the chador, or hijab. This is a matter of worldwide controversy to this day, an...

Many features of the current Iranian system can be seen as responses to misgivings about the former one, that of the Pahlavi dynasty. Many of these “solutions” have become problems themselves. "Independence" became isolation and confrontation, "islamization" has led to alienation... Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic has also, in many respects, built on the foundations of that bygone era. Today, w...

Today we discuss the aftermath of the 1979 revolution: the ascent of Ruhollah Khomeini, the capture of the US embassy, the First Gulf War, the fatwa against Salman Rushdie and much else. All events with major repercussions today. And not just in Iran.

The 90s were a very interesting time in Iran, in which the democratic and authoritarian faces of its Janus-head clashed. The story shows where the current disillusionment and confrontation comes from. It also suggests that this was far from inevitable, and that it need not stay that way forever.

For multiple reasons, this will be a very timely episode. While everyone watches the tragedy in Ukraine unfold, the situation around Iran is also spiralling out of control. And as we'll see, there are many connections between them. The consequences of a war in Iran might be equally catastrophic as what is currently happening on the Eastern borders of Europe.  Today's "story" is about how Iran...

Introduction to our new series. When it comes to Iran, there is irony wherever you look. And it so happens that I love irony. So I'm certainly gonna love the upcoming series. I hope you do to. Most important sources for the series (others can later be added): ABRAHAMIAN E. A history of modern Iran . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2008, 260 p. AMANAT A. Iran. A modern history . Yale Univers...

We talk about Arabia before Islam.

Islam is a universalist religion, but at the same time, it is rooted in ancient Arabian culture. Understanding that historical context can bring another level of understanding. I hope.

We continue the discussion on the reasons behind the success of the Early Arab Expansion. We focus on the timing of the Muslim attack: was it a coincidence that this took place when Persia and Byzantium were at their weakest? We also focus on the momentous consequences of these years: had it gone differently, the Middle East would not be ethnically Arab, Arabic speaking and Islamic.

In this episode, we discuss why the Arabians could take over the Middle-East right after they accepted Islam. Also comes up:  - Snoop dog's appeal - practicing soccer skills - recognizing pornography  - the Stanford prison experiment  - wisdom from Tarantino...and GOT. Enjoy 

Arabia is one of only a handful of regions that were never colonized (with the exception of Aden). Not because it's impossible to unlock, but because nobody really bothered. There were only two periods in history when Arabia was of global importance: the last time was due to the discovery of oil, the first time was the result of the emergence of Islam. During the millennium in between these sh...

The show discusses to what extend the historical practice of slavery resonates in today’s Arabia. We shall focus on a part of the peninsula that usually doesn’t get the attention it deserves: Oman. The Omanis used to have a maritime empire that stretched all the way from Somalia to Mozambique. Its most important economic activity was the slave trade. Used works will, as always, appear on Facebook.

In today’s episode, we’ll explore the origins of the puritanical form of Islam, commonly known as Wahhabism. We’ll see that the bond between the Wahhabis and the Saudis goes back a very long time. We also place these topics in a broader context: the rise of the West, and the ways the rest of the world adapted to it.

Bonus episode. A short recap of the previous episodes, looking at 20th century Arabia through a different lens: the "big man" theory of history. Napoleon made history, but he was also a product of history himself. So too with the Saudi kings and the Bin Ladens.

This time we focus on the first half of the 20th century. We discuss the founding of Saudi-Arabia. We also see why Oman and North Yemen would become tempting targets in the Arab cold war. And we contemplate an alternative history in which Arab lands were undivided. 

Why are some places rich, while others are poor? Why is Abu Dhabi rich, and Aden poor? You cannot answer such questions simply by looking at geography, culture or the economy. History is a necessary part of the explanation. And today's story is a perfect illustration. For around 1950, Abu Dhabi was poor, and Aden's port was prospering. In the subsequent decades, they changed places. That i...