One of the Five Pillars of Islam is the hajj, the annual pilgrimage for Muslims to the Holy City of Mecca, and is a major logistical challenge for states since the founding of Islam. The arrival of railways in the late-1800s made hajj so much easier for millions of pilgrims throughout history, made even easierContinue reading “The Making of Today: The 1757 Hajj Raid, October-December 1757”
Tag Archives: Ottoman Empire
World History: The First World War
The First World War, the Great War, has earned itself as one of the darkest parts of modern history. It is estimated that 40 million people were killed by the First World War, both military and civilian, through a mixture of conflict, genocide, disease, and starvation. The First World War was not the first globalContinue reading “World History: The First World War”
World History: The Middle East and Imperialism
Egyptian Revolution of 1919 As we have seen in previous World History posts, the nineteenth and early-twentieth century saw European states becoming powerful and proceeding to colonise the rest of the world. The Middle East is often overlooked in this narrative, largely as formal European colonies, outside of North Africa that is, were not formedContinue reading “World History: The Middle East and Imperialism”
History in Focus: The End of the First World War
Londoners celebrating the end of the war November 11 2018 will mark 100 years since the end of the First World War. Within four years 9,911,000 soldiers had been killed on top of millions more civilians through war, famine, disease, and genocide. The First World War drastically changed the world we live in and isContinue reading “History in Focus: The End of the First World War”
World History: The Ottoman Empire
The famous sultan Suleiman For the next three World History posts we’ll be looking at what Marshall Hodgson and William McNeill described as the ‘Gunpowder Empires’: the Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal Empires. These three empires utilized gunpowder, dominated their respective regions and were Islamic. They were the some of the most powerful states during theirContinue reading “World History: The Ottoman Empire”
World History: Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Trades
Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean One thing in history which is often overlooked is the importance of trade. Trade brought cultures together, spread ideas, and even shaped governments. Today we shall be looking at two key centers of trade: the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. These two bodies of water are very similar but simultaneouslyContinue reading “World History: Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Trades”
Lewis Twiby's Past and Present 