In the waning years of the Umayyad dynasty, a caliphal army suffered a major defeat in an area that is now part of Afghanistan, to a Turkish people called the Türgesh. The defeat was serious enough to disrupt caliphal control of the region called Transoxiana (literally “across the Oxus River,” which is today known as … Continue reading Today in Central Asian history: the Battle of the Baggage (737)
Category: history
Today in European history: the Siege of Candia (finally) ends (1669)
The Ottoman Empire in the 17th century is a land of contrasts. I know that sounds like the opening to a bad high school essay, but it’s not wrong. The 17th century ended with the Ottomans signing the first truly disadvantageous treaty they’d ever signed, and while reports of Ottoman decline in this period can … Continue reading Today in European history: the Siege of Candia (finally) ends (1669)
Today in South Asian history: the Siege of Delhi ends (1857)
The 1857 Siege of Delhi is significant for at least two reasons, one more tangible than the other. On the practical level, Britain's victory effectively stifled the 1857-1859 Indian Rebellion, ensuring that it would ultimately fail even though the conflict continued for some time afterward. On the more intangible note, the siege marked the formal … Continue reading Today in South Asian history: the Siege of Delhi ends (1857)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Sabra and Shatila massacre (1982)
Of all the atrocities that took place during Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, and of all the atrocities that have been blamed on the Israeli Defense Forces, or on American meddling in Middle Eastern affairs, over the past several decades, what happened in the Sabra neighborhood of west Beirut and the neighboring Shatila refugee camp between September … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Sabra and Shatila massacre (1982)
Today in European history: the Siege of Constantinople begins (maybe, 717) and ends (718)
Before it fell for good to the Ottomans in 1453, the city of Constantinople successfully withstood something multiple sieges over its long history. Even the one successful siege, by the soldiers of the Fourth Crusade in 1204, wound up being rolled back when a restored Byzantine Empire supplanted the short-lived Latin Empire in 1261. At least one, and possibly … Continue reading Today in European history: the Siege of Constantinople begins (maybe, 717) and ends (718)
Today in Caucasian history: the Battle of Didgori (1121)
Georgian King David IV (d. 1125) is regarded as the restorer of the Georgian nation after its subjugation by the Seljuk Turks in the late 11th century, hence his epithet “The Builder” (or perhaps “The Rebuilder”). He’s also considered arguably the greatest ruler in Georgian history, in addition to being a saint in the Georgian … Continue reading Today in Caucasian history: the Battle of Didgori (1121)
Today in European history: the Battle of Alcácer Quibir (1578)
The 1578 Battle of Alcácer Quibir is an interesting case of unintended consequences. The product of a Portuguese attempt to exploit a succession crisis in Morocco, its outcome actually helped create a succession crisis in Portugal. The situation in Morocco was a pretty straightforward usurpation. The Bani Zaydan, also known as the Saadis, were the … Continue reading Today in European history: the Battle of Alcácer Quibir (1578)
Today in European history: the Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664)
The Battle of Vienna in 1683 is generally regarded as the Ottoman Empire’s high water mark, since it put the empire on the defensive and eventually led to the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz, the first truly disadvantageous treaty the Ottomans ever concluded with other European powers. If you look at the 1664 Battle of Saint Gotthard, … Continue reading Today in European history: the Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664)
Today in Middle Eastern/European history: the Ottomans get started (1299, or 1302)
Today in European history: the Siege of Belgrade ends (1456)
Mehmed II earned the epithet Fatih or “the Conqueror” when he captured Constantinople in 1453, and it’s lucky for him that he did, really. If he didn’t already have a slick nickname by the time of his failed effort to capture Belgrade, I can imagine he might have been saddled with a much less flattering one instead. … Continue reading Today in European history: the Siege of Belgrade ends (1456)
The Foreign Exchanges Companion 