In the 13th century William of Rubruck recorded his participation in a religious debate held at the court of Möngke Khan, are there any other accounts or mentions of this debate?

1 Answers 2014-08-25

The Yazidi 'peacock angel' Tawûsê Melek is also referred to as Shytan/Shaitan. Is this accidental or the result of religious propaganda?

Hebrew & Christian texts reference several gods of neighboring cultures alternatively as false gods and as demons. I'm curious if the use of the word shaitan in Judaism/Christianity/Islam is in any way a response to the name being the chief angel of a rival belief system, or if the names share similar sounds merely on accident.

3 Answers 2014-08-25

I bought a communist era hat in Sofia Bulgaria. Is it authentic?

Hello, I bought a Communist Soviet hat in Sofia, Bulgaria and I would like to check its authenticity. It was claimed to be authentic and it looked authentic. How can I be sure?

Thanks. I can post pictures if that would help someone identify it.

http://i.imgur.com/4Ym23OQl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HlKTPmil.jpg

1 Answers 2014-08-25

During its brief existence, how did the rest of the world react to Manchukuo? Did anyone acknowledge or treat it as a "real" country?

2 Answers 2014-08-25

Who was (if any) the highest ranking Nazi official to visit the US prior to World War 2?

3 Answers 2014-08-25

"a greater alien threat could unite humanity" has this ever been true with invasion of alien (to them) races and cultures?

2 Answers 2014-08-25

In 18th century England, if a nobleman married a 'common' woman, how well would their child be accepted into the gentry?

Would they be seen as worthy or would they be considered 'lesser' nobles?

What would happen if the father died and the 'common' mother was left to raise the child. Would they still be accepted within the noble circles?

EDIT: What the hell Mods? Why did you delete a bunch of relevant and interesting comments filled with information that people have posted. What's the deal?

9 Answers 2014-08-25

Did Canada ever historically pay any sort of tax to the UK for use of the English language?

I was fairly certain that I had heard this at one point. Perhaps it has to do with one of the duties of the Queen of Canada. Regardless, I can't seem to find any documentation on this.

1 Answers 2014-08-25

Why has the metric system never successfully been adapted in the United States?

1 Answers 2014-08-25

Why were native Filipinos subjected to less cruelty by the Spanish colonizers, as compared to natives in the Americas?

So I've been reading Horacio Dela Costa's Readings in Philippine History, and it seems that the early Spanish colonizers subjected native Filipinos to much less cruelty and atrocities compared to what they did to the natives in the Americas. Any particular reasons for this disparity?

3 Answers 2014-08-25

How accepted/accurate is the book 1491?

I'm currently reading 1491 and am fascinated by it so far. I know other "popular" history books have many faults, and I was wondering how well accepted the view of the pre-Columbus Americas presented in 1491 are. In addition, are there other quality books that go into more depth about the different cultures of the pre-Columbus Americas?

4 Answers 2014-08-25

Dear r/askhistorians, last night my grandmother gave me this. It's a brass tin that her father found in a field during World War I, when he was a 14 year old boy soldier. What is it and how old might it be?

EDIT: More photos! http://imgur.com/a/d8K92

The tin: http://i.imgur.com/pIzTwPG.jpg

Approx 3" wide, 1.5" high, 1.7" tall.

So last night my mind was blown. My grandparents were clearing out some of their stuff and, among others, they gave me this beautiful, haunting tin.

And for the first time, they mentioned that her father was the orphaned son of a prostitute who was a ward of the state and was palmed off on a regiment as a musician and boy soldier.

He gave it to her when she was eight years old and now she's passed it on to me. It's beautifully made but has absolutely no marks or lettering on it, so I have no idea what it is, where or when it was made or anything bar how it came into our family. She believes it may be a tack pin, but she also doesn't trust iron ships ability to float, so who knows!

Thanks!

(For bonus points, here's the Kodak Brownie 127 mk2 camera and WWII stopwatch they also gave me!: http://i.imgur.com/kCG0nPy.jpg )

4 Answers 2014-08-25

Can someone please explain the Prussia/Germany relationship?

So, I'm not a European historian by any stretch.

But I just watched a documentary on Fredrick the Great. And at the end, it said that after WWII, the Allied Powers decided to "dissolve Prussia."

First, I thought Prussia had been long gone at that point. Secondly, I don't think I've ever heard Hitler reference Prussia.

So, what is Prussia to Germany and Germany to Prussia? I thought Prussia was just the old name for Germany.

5 Answers 2014-08-25

What were the problems in the Roman Republic after Caesar's death, other then the power vacuum that was left behind?

I was wondering what other problems were around after his death.

1 Answers 2014-08-25

Were the PoW camps during the Civil War really comparable to the concentration camps of WWII?

1 Answers 2014-08-25

I Have Often Encountered the Claim That the Ancient Hebrews Were the First People to Embrace monotheism, But Didn't the Pharaoh Akhenaten attempt to impose monotheism on the Egyptians Hundreds of Years Before the Earliest Evidence of Hebrew Monotheism?

1 Answers 2014-08-25

Looking back at it, how accurate/precise were your High/middle-school textbooks in relation to your field of study?

4 Answers 2014-08-25

Was Jizya tax an equivalent of Zakkat for non-Muslims?

I stumbled upon this random comment which kind of perspective changing. Historically, was purpose of Jizya tax aimed as non-Muslim replacement of Zakkat (alms giving) so that Christian and other religion believers could still be forced to donate poor without following Islam?

2 Answers 2014-08-25

Did the Germans have a plan past capturing Moscow?

My understanding is that the German's main goal during Operation Barbarossa was the capture of Moscow. This never happened, but if it had did they have further plans after this? Surely they were aware of Napoleon's "welcoming" in Moscow.

2 Answers 2014-08-25

Did the theory of evolution receive controversy in Eastern cultures and religions?

In the United States, one of the largest tensions between scientific research and religious beliefs has been around acceptance of evolution as an explanation for the diversity of modern life forms. Did this controversy exist in Hindu, Buddhist, or Shinto cultures, and if so, how did it (if ever) become accepted?

2 Answers 2014-08-25

When did women having large quantities of shoes become acceptable? Early 20th century people seemed to have one or two pairs. Now they are a collector's item. When and what changed this?

2 Answers 2014-08-25

Why are analog clocks only 12 hours?

It seems like they would make more sense as 24.

1 Answers 2014-08-25

Why are Muslims not allowed to drink alcohol?

1 Answers 2014-08-25

Did any Red Army soldiers on the Eastern Front survive in active service all the way from June 22 1941 to May 8 1945?

Is this entirely unheard of? Were soldiers sent home from the front after a certain period of fighting?

1 Answers 2014-08-25

What was the state of the German Army after the losses at Somme and Verdun?

I've read conflicting reports on this one. Some people have said the war was over after these two battles and it was just a question of when Germany would run out of men. Others have said different, and that the war only ended after American intervention.

Extra Question: Were troops who fought against Russia in the Eastern Front redeployed in the Western Front?

1 Answers 2014-08-25

⯇ 6381 / 7255 ⯈

Back to start