40 - On a Mule's Back
In 1081, Sulayman reigns in İznik as the Sultan of Rum. But his sultanate is aspirational - really, he is a mere border lord. A bey among beys. And so Sulayman begins to lay the foundations for the...
21 Feb 20241h
39 - The First Roman Sultan
Following Manzikert, the civil war in Byzantium and the failure of the Roman Empire to retake Anatolia, the first Turkish beyliks emerge in Anatolia. In the anarchy caused by the collapse of the Roma...
8 Feb 20241h
38 - Welcome to Anatolia
We resume the narrative, and begin by introducing the land that will come to be the homeland of the Turks.In the aftermath of the Battle of Manzikert, the Roman state falls into chaos. As a result of...
28 Jan 202454min
37 - The Great Seljuk Empire: Culture
This is the fifth and last episode in a short series of non-narrative episodes. In this episode we cover the court culture of the Great Seljuk Empire and the greatest cultural achievements of the Emp...
12 Jan 202459min
36 - The Assassins' Creed
This a standalone episode on the history of the Ismaili Nizaris and their Order of Assassins. The minority sect of Ismailism first arises as the Abbasid Caliphs keep the Shi'a Imams in confinement ...
19 Dec 202356min
35 - The Great Seljuk Empire: Religion
This is the fourth episode in a short series of non-narrative episodes. In this episode we cover religion in the Seljuk Empire. How reality differed from the picture of strident Sunnism presented by...
6 Dec 202348min
34 - The Great Seljuk Empire: the Economy
This is the third episode in a short series of non-narrative episodes. In this episode we cover the economy of the Great Seljuk Empire. The collision of two different economic systems - that of the ...
20 Nov 202340min
33 - The Great Seljuk Empire: the Military
This is the second in a short series of non-narrative episodes. In this episode, we cover the Seljuk Military. The composition of the armies, how the armies fought, and the armies relationship to th...
6 Nov 202343min
