In 1260, the Mongols were near the height of their power and reach, particularly in the Middle East. In less than 10 years, Mongol armies had stormed through Iran and Iraq, crushing the notorious “Assassins” sect and ending the Abbasid Caliphate in the process. They’d even invaded northern India several times but for multiple reasons—including that … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern History: the Battle of Ayn Jalut (1260)
Tag: middle eastern history
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Treaty of Jaffa ends the Third Crusade (1192)
So, the Third Crusade. While the First Crusade was undoubtedly the most successful of the numbered Crusades, this is the one I assume most of us envision when we hear the word “Crusades.” After all, it produced probably the two most enduringly famous Crusader figures in history—Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, whose rivalry became legendary … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Treaty of Jaffa ends the Third Crusade (1192)
Today in North African history: the 1969 Libyan coup
The Arab world experienced quite a number of coups in the 1950s and 1960s. Syria went through three coups in 1949 alone—yes, OK, that isn’t the 1950s, but it’s close enough—and another in 1951. Egypt had a major one in 1952—perhaps you’ve heard about that one. Then Syria had another in 1954, Iraq had one … Continue reading Today in North African history: the 1969 Libyan coup
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Manzikert (1071)
For some reason the end of August/beginning of September is a busy season for major battles in Middle Eastern history, like Yarmouk, Chaldiran, and Marj Dabiq. There’s another one coming in a couple of days and another a few days after that, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. You could argue that of all of these major battles, … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Manzikert (1071)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Marj Dabiq (1516)
Once the Ottomans decisively eliminated any possible threat from the Safavids at the Battle of Chaldiran in 1514, they turned their attention to the Mamluks, who controlled Syria and Egypt. Not coincidentally, the Mamluks were at the same time preparing for a war with the Ottomans. The two empires were direct competitors when it came … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Marj Dabiq (1516)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Yarmouk (636)
If one were inclined to rank the most important battles in world history, the Battle of Yarmouk probably should be pretty high on the list. It eliminated, over the course of one 6-day battle, almost the entirety of the Byzantine military south of the Taurus Mountains, leaving Syria and the rest of the Levant (with … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Yarmouk (636)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Marj Rahit (684)
The early caliphate was not an especially stable place. In the two centuries after Muhammad’s death in 632, the empire went through four civil wars (the four fitnas, as they’re known). It’s fair to say that the second of these, which lasted from 680 to 692, was basically a do over of the first, with the same factions (the … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Marj Rahit (684)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Ascalon (1099)
Most modern historians of the Crusades agree that the way we separate and number the multiple Crusade expeditions is ahistorical at best and misleading at worst. For one thing, the flow of European warriors to the Holy Land was not nearly as organized and episodic as the numbering system suggests. For another thing, treating the … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Ascalon (1099)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Otlukbeli (1473)
I assume most or even all of you have heard of the Ottomans, but I’m not sure how many have heard of the Aqquyunlu (“white sheep” in Turkish) tribal confederation, as it is considerably more obscure. The Aqquyunlu didn’t have a very long run as a major world power, hence the obscurity. But for a … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Otlukbeli (1473)
Today in Middle Eastern history: Iraq invades Kuwait (1990)
It took just under 2 years from the end of the Iran-Iraq War for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to irrevocably destroy his relationships with his two biggest allies, Kuwait and the United States. Yes, that’s right, today is the anniversary of Saddam’s decision to invade Kuwait and officially kick off the Gulf War, aka “The … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: Iraq invades Kuwait (1990)
The Foreign Exchanges Companion 