Bin Yang, "Discovered But Forgotten: The Maldives in Chinese History, C. 1100-1620" (Columbia UP, 2024)
Chinese travelers first made their way to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean in the 14th century, looking for goods like coconuts, cowries, and ambergris. That started centuries of travel to the islands, including one trip by famed sailor Zheng He. Then, quickly, the Maldives—and the broader Indian...
Heliopolis 640 AD: Arab Triumph in Byzantine Wars (+ 13 more historical events on this day!)
A Daily Dose of History (06 Jul 2025)
Today's historical events:
Battle of Heliopolis: The Muslim Arab army under 'Amr ibn al-'As defeat the Byzantine forces near Heliopolis (Egypt).
Mindaugas is crowned King of Lithuania.
Pope Clement VI issues a papal bull protecting the Jews accused of h...
Becoming Historians Episode 5: Ming China and Global Trade
How did the emergence of the international silver market impact trade between the Ming Dynasty and other parts of the world? Dr. Hudson discusses this and other questions with his guest of the week.
World History: Ming Dynasty: Luxury Amidst Chaos or Cultural Triumph?
What if the rebellions and luxuries of ancient Ming China told us more about ourselves today than we could imagine? Dive deep into a tale where chaos, luxury, and betrayal not only coexist but fuel a vibrant, enduring culture against the backdrop of incessant turmoil.,In the heart of Ming Dynasty...
为什么儒家国家化-道德治国就必然导致国家衰败 Why the State-Institutionalization of Confucianism—Moral Governance—Inevitably Leads to National Decline
本期节目探讨一个反复出现在中国历史中的结构性问题：为什么当儒家被国家化、道德成为权力合法性来源，“道德治国”反而会导致国家衰败？
节目首先区分儒家的不同层次：作为个人与家庭伦理，儒家可以长期存在；作为官僚的职业伦理，在特定条件下也有其功能；但一旦上升为国家意识形态，儒家国家主义就会使道德话语凌驾于结果责任之上，导致系统性逃避责任与极端厌恶风险。
通过明末东林党道德政治却不承担治理后果、以及南宋高度文明却不适合战时体制的历史案例，本期节目指出：“道德治国”并不会更有韧性，反而会在真正的危机中率先失去行动能力。
This episode examines a recurring struc...
Opium Wars: Tea, Taels & Turmoil (Part 1)
This episode examines the complex interplay of silver, tea, and global trade that set the stage for the Opium Wars. It explores Ming China’s silver-based tax system, the influx of silver from Japan and the Americas, and how these economic forces shaped international commerce.
The discussion also ...
Ancient China | Dragons, Dynasties and the Great Wall
Fall asleep while exploring the long history of ancient China — from the Yellow River, oracle bones, bronze rituals, Shang kings, Zhou rulers, the Mandate of Heaven, Confucius, Daoism, Legalism, Qin Shi Huang, the Terracotta Army, the Han dynasty, the Silk Road, paper, Buddhism, Tang poetry, Song...
Timur - Amir of Samarkand (part 4): What He Left Behind
Timur, the fourteenth century Central Asian conqueror known in the West as Tamerlane, spent nearly his entire adult life at war, building an empire that ran from the edges of China to the Mediterranean coast. In the winter of 1405, in his late sixties and still leading his army in person, he set ...
The Rise and Fall of the Ming Dynasty
At its height, Ming China was one of the most powerful states on Earth. Its cities bustled with merchants and scholars, its goods travelled across continents, and its treasure fleets sailed as far as East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. At the heart of this vast empire stood the Forbidden City-...
The Rise and Fall of the Ming Dynasty
At its height, Ming China was one of the most powerful states on Earth. Its cities bustled with merchants and scholars, its goods travelled across continents, and its treasure fleets sailed as far as East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. At the heart of this vast empire stood the Forbidden City-...
