/u/Banyava's posts in /r/askhistorians

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In several instances I've heard of European travelers such as Marco Polo describing China as this place of vast wealth and opulence, but by what measure would this observation have been made?

256 upvotes

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Is history just chock full of wars, or is it the fact that so much of historiography is focused on and dedicated to warfare, that the perception of history itself has been distorted?

218 upvotes

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Ancient Roman coins have just been discovered in Japan, why have no Japanese or Chinese coins ever been discovered in Europe?

178 upvotes

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As a Chinese emperor ruling over a vast land the size of continental Europe, how exactly am I getting information on what's happening throughout the empire, and how "hands on" would my role be in actually governing the empire?

133 upvotes

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In Apartheid South Africa, did laws only apply to black people, or were Asians like the Chinese and Indians also grouped with the black?

32 upvotes

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How did the Viking settlers become Slavic Russians?

21 upvotes

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How was the state of Israel created and who lived there before it became the country now called Israel?

18 upvotes

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Were the Romans really as promiscuous as depicted in recent tv series like Rome and Spartacus?

16 upvotes

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How much of the modern image of Vikings is made up?

14 upvotes

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In 12th century China the Song artist Zhang Zeduan produced the famous scroll "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" which showcased pedestrian life in the city, so given its fame, why haven't there been more copious examples of artwork along the same lines afterwards?

14 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
In several instances I've heard of European travelers such as Marco Polo describing China as this place of vast wealth and opulence, but by what measure would this observation have been made?	256
Is history just chock full of wars, or is it the fact that so much of historiography is focused on and dedicated to warfare, that the perception of history itself has been distorted?	218
Ancient Roman coins have just been discovered in Japan, why have no Japanese or Chinese coins ever been discovered in Europe?	178
As a Chinese emperor ruling over a vast land the size of continental Europe, how exactly am I getting information on what's happening throughout the empire, and how "hands on" would my role be in actually governing the empire?	133
In Apartheid South Africa, did laws only apply to black people, or were Asians like the Chinese and Indians also grouped with the black?	32
How did the Viking settlers become Slavic Russians?	21
How was the state of Israel created and who lived there before it became the country now called Israel?	18
Were the Romans really as promiscuous as depicted in recent tv series like Rome and Spartacus?	16
How much of the modern image of Vikings is made up?	14
In 12th century China the Song artist Zhang Zeduan produced the famous scroll "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" which showcased pedestrian life in the city, so given its fame, why haven't there been more copious examples of artwork along the same lines afterwards?	14