History of Asia
History of Asia is an independent, non-commercial history podcast that starts in the present day and then works backwards through time. Each season focuses on a different region, covering Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Syria, and Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon. The host walks listeners through events in a deliberate reverse-chronological order, so episodes are best heard in sequence. Corrections are shared in the show notes, and the creator welcomes feedback, questions and suggestions by email.
Episodes
4.6. Escape to Zion
We'll see how many Jews felt they needed a state of their own, because of what happened in the long 19th century (we don't discuss the shoa at length because it's so well known already). We also look at what happened in the areas that now make up Jordan and Lebanon, and find some striking similarities that connect these cases.
4.5. Of genesis and exodus
We talk about how the genesis of Israel as a Jewish state came about as a result of a double exodus: one by Jews, another by Palestinians. This is a hotly debated topic. I've tried my best to present the most common arguments by both sides.
4.4. 1967. A lot can happen in 6 days.
We talk about the 6-day-war. A lot of information comes from Tom Segev's book "1967" and to lesser degree Doedens Anne en Liek Mulder, Zesdaagse Oorlog: juni 1967: de Israelische herschepping van het Midden-Oosten.
4.3. '67-'89. Occupation and civil war
After the six-day-war, Arab nations gradually left the conflict with Israel to the PLO. The latter became involved in the civil war in Lebanon and in a mini-civil war in Jordan (Black September). Meanwhile, Israeli politics started to shift to the right.
4.2. Nothing lasts like the temporary
We talk about Israel, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan 1990-today.Notice any mistakes? Let me know, please! A few datapoints:1987 start first intifada1988 establishment of Hamas1988 PLO recognizes Israël1989 Taif Agreement1993 Oslo Accords1996 First Palestinian elections, Hamas boycots2000 Israel withdraws from Lebanon. Start second intifada.2004 Arafat dies2005 Cedar Revolution2006 Hamas wins parlia
4.1. Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan today
Sources for this series (more will be added later):The Economist often for current affairs (cited when relevant)ABICHT L. Israël, Palestina. ABICHT LUDO. Delalniettemin: over Joodse wijsheid en humorARNES I. Historische atlas van het jodendom : de bewogen geschiedenis van het joodse geloof in kaart gebracht.Librero, Kerkdriel, 2012, 400 p. BLACK I. Enemies and neighbours. Arabs and Jews in Palisti
3.15 Back to the Stone Age
Now really the final episode of the series...
3.14 (final) The Bronze Age and its Collapse
This is the final episode of the series. And maybe of the entire podcast too. Want to stay informed if and when a new episode comes out, then best include History of Asia in your library.Thank you all for listening, I hope you enjoyed it.
3.12. Iron Age Assyria. The most cruel empire in history?
We talk about Assyria (and to a lesser extent Babylonia) during the Iron Age.
Short announcement
Just a short explanation why it takes me ever longer to get out episodes. Sorry for the wait.
3.11. The Umayyads. ‘l’union fait la force’ or ‘divide and rule’?
The Germanic peoples and the Arabs were in a similar condition when they took over their respective parts of Roman territory. A century after they did, the West lived through the Dark Ages, while the East entered a Golden Age. What explains this? In this episode, we try to find out.
Most important (extra) sources for the episode (for general list see 3.1):
LEWIS D.L. God’s Crucible: Islam and the
3.10 The Islamic Golden Age
In terms of scientific output, Muslim majority countries are currently behind the curve. Many people blame Islam itself. One of the best counterarguments to this, is that Islam was in many ways responsible for the fact that in the Middle Ages, Iraq, Syria and other Muslim regions were way ahead of the pack in many ways. Hope you enjoy the episode.Main (additional) sources for the episode:Al-Khali
3.9. The Ottomans. True survivors
We talk about the Ottoman empire. They survived for over 6 centuries. What is their secret?Correction: I overstated the access that the Ottomans had to the spice islands. This access was indirect. They had what the European discoverers were looking for, economically, but only in the sense that they profited from the spice trade because of their position.
3.8. The sick man and his strong medicine
This episode is about the later stages of the Ottoman period, with the focus on Syria and especially Iraq.
Most important sources for the episode (for more specific info you can e-mail me):
Yitzhak Nakash - The Shi'is of Iraq
TRIPP C. Irak: een geschiedenis
ANSCOMBE F.F. State, faith, and nation in Ottoman and Post-Ottoman Lands
BAYLY C.A. The Birth of the modern world 1780-1914.
DALE S.
3.7. The Mandatory Period. Original sin.
We discuss the history of Iraq and Syria in the first half of the 20th century.
3.6. How has it come to this? And why does it matter?
A long overdue explanation why this podcast narrates history backwards.
3.5. Syria and Iraq in the 50s and 60s. In a state of nature?
We discuss the 50s and 60s. What explains the turbulence of this period, as opposed to the longevity of the Assad- and Saddam-regimes?
Sorry if the audio is leaky sometimes: there is something wrong with my microphone. I'll have it fixed.
3.4. 1970-90s, Saddam and Assad. In a state of terror.
If we say the Iraq war was a mistake, we must consider the alternatives. What would Iraq be like with Saddam or his son still in power? We now discuss the rule of Hafez al-Assad and Saddam Hussayn. We compare their strategies and ask whether Machiavelli would have approved of them.
3.3. Mission Accomplished. The Iraq War, and its aftermath.
We talk about the Iraq war, its immediate consequences, and its effect on Syria.Correction: relistening to the episode, I was shocked to hear myself say that Syria used Israel's invasion of Lebanon as an excuse for its own invasion. This is of course wrong: the Syrians were there first. What I meant to say was that after Israel invaded, the Syrians used their presence as a pretext to stay in L
3.2. The Arab Winter
This is the story of the Arab Spring in Syria and Iraq, and how it turned to another Long Winter.
3.1. Iraq and Syria today
In our third series, we set out to discover Syria and Iraq. We tavel by podcast so it's perfectly safe. And free. Enjoy.
Sources for the series (others may be added to later episodes):
The Oxford history of IslamThe New Cambridge History of Islam
HARDY R. The Poisoned Well. Empire and its legacy in the Middle East
SIMONS G., BENN T. Iraq: from Sumer to Saddam.
HOURANI A. De geschiedenis van de
2.21. How Cyrus the Great reinvented the empire
In this last episode on Iran, we talk about one of the most important peoples you probably never heard of: the Elamites. We also talk about the Medes and the early Achaemenids. Special attention will go to the enigmatic figure of Cyrus the Great.
2.20 Nothing new about fake news
"Power doesn't come from a badge or a gun. Power comes from lying... lying big and getting the whole ×××× world to play along with you." (Quote from sin city) How does that work? Check out this episode and find out...We talk about how Darius the Great transformed the Persian empire.Any fake news in this episode is involuntary. If you find any, please let me know.
2.19 The Achaemenid Persians: The evil empire (?)
The Persians, and especially the Achaemenids, have for centuries been presented as the ultimate "other". Corrupt, decadent, freedom-hating...
In this episode, we look how accurate these stereotypes fit the real thing. The episode owes a large debt to professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones' excellent work (and several others), which takes many new findings and weaves them into a fascinating
2.18 4th Century BCE. Invading hell, becoming the devil.
We talk about Alexander the Great, and how he (may have) conquered the Achaemenid Persian empire.
2.17. Your own, personal, Alexander
In the next episode, we'll talk about how Alexander the Great managed to conquer the Persian empire.
In this one, we'll see why we will probably never know that.
2.16. An ancient civil world war
We discuss how Seleucus managed to win the "funeral games" after the death of Alexander the Great, and found the biggest empire of his time: the Seleucid dynasty.
2.15. Iran since the 200s BCE. The Parthians
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.
2.14. The Sasanians
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.
2.13. The land of the Magi
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
2.12. The Paradox of Shiite Rule. Every day is Ashura.
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 happ
2.11. Iran since the 10th century. The Assassin’s creed
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.
2.10. Rise of the Safavids. How Iran became Shiite (after 1500).
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.
2.9. There is something rotten in the state of Iran. Starting in the 1600s.
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
2.8. The nadir of Iranian history: the 1700s
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.
2.7. Persia since the 19th century. t is from us what befalls us?
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).
2.6. Brave Little Persia. Iran since the 20th century.
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
2.5. Mossadeq and the Shah. Iran since the 1950s
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
2.4. Khomeini's Iran
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.
2.3. Where power lies. Iran since the 1990s
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.
2.2. Dealing with the devil. Iran since the 21th century.
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
2.1 Iran today. Land with two faces.
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
1.14. "Age of Ignorance", "Arabia Felix": Arabia before Islam.
We talk about Arabia before Islam.
1.13. Womb of Islam. The time of the Prophet.
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.
1.12. Arabia since the 6th century. Setting the scene for the Great Arab Expansion.
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.
1.11. Rags to riches. The Early Muslim Conquests (part 1/2)
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
1.10. Geography's revenge. Arabia since the 9th century.
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 s
1.9. Non-fossil fuels. Slavery in Arabia since the 16th century.
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.
1.8. The rise of Wahhabism. Arabia since the 18th century.
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.
1.7. Now it's personal!
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.
1.6. The Founding Father of Saudi-Arabia. Beginning of the 20th century
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.
1.5. The Arab Cold War. Arabia since the 50s
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
1.4. Arabia since the 70s. Rise of the oil sheiks
We discuss the oil crisis, its causes and aftermath.
1.3. Annus Horribilis: 1979.
We discuss how Saudi-Arabia responded to the crises of 1979. We also talk about the unification of Yemen. In both cases, the result was a bizarre, highly unstable alliance. The Gulf War woud put them both to the test.
1.2. Arabia after 9/11
We discuss the situation in Arabia after the 9/11 attacks.
Main source for recent events = The Economist.
1.1. Arabia today
In this episode, we take a look at the current situation in Arabia (Saudi-Arabia, UAE, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait & Bahrain). In the upcoming episodes, we shall see how it came into being.
Most important sources for the series (others may later be added):
ANSCOMBE F.F. The Ottoman Gulf: The Creation of Kuwait, Saudia Arabia, and Qatar. Columbia University Press, 1997, 288 p.
ANSCOMBE F.F. St
A short introduction
What is this podcast all about?
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