How much power did the caliph held during the crusades?

Could he raise an army of his own or collect taxes directly, if so in what extent? I'm talking about the Abassid caliphate, first crusade.

Edit:Forgot to say which caliphate and the period

2 Answers 2015-06-07

When was the first pencil made? How was it made? Does it differ from today's pencil making process?

1 Answers 2015-06-07

Did Hitler ever personally harm or kill anyone?

We always hear the terrible things done while he was in power, but was he known to do any bad stuff with his own two hands?

8 Answers 2015-06-07

Did the income of the Papacy decrease dramatically as a result of the reformation?

Was the break from Rome in England and elsewhere in Europe during the reformation cause a noticeable decrease in the level of income the Papacy generated? And if so, what effect did this have on the Catholic Church as a whole?

2 Answers 2015-06-07

The Wikipedia article on Henry Knox says he joined a local artillery company and later cofounded another. How common were artillery companies in the British colonies and how much specialization was there in the functions of the different colonial militias?

I'd never really heard much about Henry Knox before and was curious how he gained his military training, so of course I went to the definitive source, Wikipedia! It sounds like his training came from a combination of reading about military history and tactics and participation in some local artillery companies. Here are the relevant pieces:

However, Knox was also involved in Boston's street gangs, becoming one of the toughest fighters in his neighborhood. Impressed by a militiary demonstration, he joined a local artillery company called The Train at 18.

And later:

In 1772 he cofounded the Boston Grenadier Corps as an offshoot of The Train, and served as its second in command.

I've always sort of assumed that colonial militias just trained with the stereotypical musket line formation, but it seems that wasn't the case, so this brought up a couple questions. First off, how common were artillery companies in the British colonies? Secondly, to what extent did different colonial militias specialize in different types of combat or different combat roles?

1 Answers 2015-06-07

To what extent was northern Europe impoverished and undeveloped under the Roman Empire? Did the region become noticeably poorer after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire?

2 Answers 2015-06-07

How was the Doomsday Book compiled? How long did it take? And how accurate is it?

1 Answers 2015-06-07

How did the great discoveries come to change maps and and Europe's perception of the world?

1 Answers 2015-06-07

What historical accounts and evidence are there for the Biblical model of "cities of refuge"/"avenger of blood?"

As a child growing up in a Christian environment, I was always fascinated by the concept of a "city of refuge," though I recently realized the only way i've really heard anyone discuss it is as a metaphor. It's certainly a visually striking concept - an innocent man, running for his life from a righteous but misinformed executioner, with a place of legal safety as a destination. Of course, just because it's an interesting or engaging idea doesn't mean it ever actually existed.

Did cities of refuge exist in ancient Israel? In similar cultures? If so, who were the "avengers of blood?" Is it simply a term for any family member or friend who'd want to take revenge, for a legal authority, or something else entirely?

2 Answers 2015-06-07

Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, ex-dictator of Portugal, good guy or bad guy?

so I am Portuguese-Canadian, half of my family will tell me all day about how Salazar was a saint (my Nunes side) and the other half tell me he is the devil, (my Adriano side) though none of them are really into history at all, I myself and researching the subject, but i'm wondering what you all have to say about the matter

1 Answers 2015-06-07

Where radioactive ores/materials found by pre-1500 civilizations and peoples?

It got me curious if it was explored or even found before the late 1800s.

1 Answers 2015-06-07

Did cavalry really charge like they do in the movies? (LOTR and other medieval themed movies)

It just seems really unwise to me. Horses are weak and vulnerable. If you put a sword through a horse, the horse will fall and the horseman with it, leaving the horseman in a very bad position.

1 Answers 2015-06-07

Did Spartacus become a gladiator out of free will?

1 Answers 2015-06-07

Monks and the monastery exist in both Buddhist and Christian traditions. Is this a convergence or do they share an origin?

1 Answers 2015-06-07

Why was conquering Russia and Britain so important to Hitler?

I know that you guys are probably sick of ww2 threads by now, but as a not-historian who has always been curious about this I have nowhere else to go.

Why was it not enough for Hitler to conquer France and oil-rich parts of Africa? Britain was more or less isolated (and unlikely to try anything w/o American troops), and he had a deal with Stalin. Why bother with those two countries at all? Was it even a rational decision or emotional one? The question might appear obvious to you, but it isn't at all to me.

Looking forward to your answers.

1 Answers 2015-06-07

What's the earliest evidence of "trash" entertainment?

Sometimes people of current times are made fun of for liking the Kardashians and that kind of thing. But what's the earliest "trash" entertainment that's existed (of any medium)?

2 Answers 2015-06-07

What was the process of raising and maintaining a Roman army?

Who was responsible for deciding if a new one needed to be raised or if an old one needed to be disbanded (what would happen to the soldiers in an army that was being disbanded)?

How was it decided who would lead it?

How was it paid for?

How were the soldiers themselves recruited and trained?

Anything else you can think of would be appreciated.

1 Answers 2015-06-07

What's the story with the two versions of the lower case A in the alphabet?

Why are there two versions of lower case A that are both acceptable, but no other letter gets this privilege? I must know!

1 Answers 2015-06-07

Was there ever a sort of judicial dictatorship?

1 Answers 2015-06-07

How did the Holocaust affect the religious tradition of Judaism?

1 Answers 2015-06-07

What is the greatest historical lesson that we have in no way learned from?

1 Answers 2015-06-07

School History Assignment

1 Answers 2015-06-07

Travelling Christian Monks in the Early Medieval Period

How common was it for Monks in the early Medieval period (for example, Benedictines,) to travel from place to place? Additionally, when (and if) they traveled, were they allowed to protect themselves? I know the video game fantasy stereotype is the travelling warrior-monk with a mace or club, which supposedly allowed him to fight without spilling blood. Is there any truth to this stereotype, or is entirely a fantasy construction?

2 Answers 2015-06-07

What happened to the Japanese economy after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

1 Answers 2015-06-07

As a speaker of modern English, how far back in time would I have to travel until I would not be able to carry on a conversation with a random person in England?

1 Answers 2015-06-07

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