Monthly Archives: November 2013

Muslim rule

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Ruth

The early Caliphs were not as interested in governance as in expansion. They wanted tribute; they were content to use force to exact it and then move on. Local rulers were mostly left in place, with local customs. However, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Muslim Empire (old series) | Leave a comment

Stress lines in the Islamic Empire

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Ruth

From early on, there were three basic tectonic lines that kept Mohammed’s legacy from ever being placid or unified. (1) Tribal tensions inside Mohammed’s Quraysh tribe, but between different clans. Then tension and aggression between the Quraysh and other Arabs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Muslim Empire (old series) | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Early conquest

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Ruth

The empires of Byzantium and Persia had been fighting over the territory between them since about 570. By 630, many of cities on the front had suffered destruction of walls and crops, and many of the men of fighting age … Continue reading →

Posted in Muslim Empire (old series) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Mohammed

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Ruth

Mohammed, assuming he really lived (which I believe but a few renegade scholars challenge), can be placed in the early 600s. He was a merchant living in Mecca, where the dominant religion was pagan. The Kaaba already existed and was … Continue reading →

Posted in Muslim Empire (old series) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Mediterranean world in 600

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Ruth

Mohammed reported his first vision in the year 610. By 640, his followers had a small, growing empire. Before we trace this explosive growth, let’s look at the world that the Muslims challenged. The map of Europe in 600 shows … Continue reading →

Posted in Muslim Empire (old series) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Three 15th century castles

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Ruth

Raglan Castle Raglan Castle was built in Wales, but long after Edward I’s pragmatic purpose-built castles like Harlech and Conwy. Raglan had no military purpose when it was built in the 15th century. It took two hundred years for its … Continue reading →

Posted in Castles | Comments Off on Three 15th century castles

15th century castles and chateaux

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Ruth

If you do an internet search of “castles for sale,” you’ll always find an array of beautiful stone houses, mostly in France. Most of them are “chateaux,” that is, the word “castle” updated into modern French. As the word changed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Castles | Tagged | Leave a comment

Two 14th Century Castles

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Ruth

Schloss Berlepsch, Germany In the 13th and 14th centuries, as the Holy Land Crusades became intermittent exercises in futility, the Crusading spirit moved to the north. Instead of taking back the Holy Land, they could take new pagan lands. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Castles | Comments Off on Two 14th Century Castles

Gunpowder and castles

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Ruth

I’ve made some references to the changing nature of warfare in the 14th and 15th centuries, which it’s worth spelling out in more detail. Gunpowder changed the nature of war by changing siege strategy; whole cities could be besieged and … Continue reading →

Posted in Castles | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

15th century castle kitchens

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Ruth

By the 1400s, castles were more and more residential and less and less military. When the government needed a real fortress, the king now built a compact stone fort with very thick walls and artillery stations. The castle residences could … Continue reading →

Posted in Castles, Food | Tagged | Leave a comment