askhistorians

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The Middle Eastern folktale Aladdin was actually set in China, albeit a very Arabian version of China with viziers and djinns. Does this story reflect what the Middle East believed China to be like? How much of Chines culture was known to them?	6335
What did medieval soldiers engaged in battle do when their generals were killed. Did they retreat? Descend into chaos? Or was there a well established chain of command?	1739
Why is the Battle of Thermopylae (where the outnumbered Greeks were defeated) more famous than the Battle of Salamis (where the outnumbered Greeks were victorious)?	1732
It's always been said that Otto Von Bismarck engineered conflicts in Europe all for the purpose of unifying the German states. Was this really his intended goal and the driving force of his policies, or was this just a fortunate turn of events that he later exploited?	1635
Prior to Conan Doyle, was “Sherlock” ever a popular name for men? If so, why did it seemingly lose popularity and was the character responsible for this in any way?	1549
Almost every source I use to look up on the Mongol invasion of Japan claim that convenient occurrences of typhoons were the reasons why the invasions were not successful. Is this just an oversimplification or was the weather really the the reason the Mongols failed?	1077
In terms of Math and Science, Medieval Europe is often portrayed as lagging behind the Islamic world where such discourses flourished. How true is this narrative and why is it so prevalent?	437
Many fantasy stories from the Conan the Barbarian series, to the Cthulhu Mythos, to Doctor Strange comics involve sorcerers and cults drawing dark forbidden powers by invoking powerful creatures from outside our dimension. Where did this concept come from and how did it become a fantasy staple?	413
I am a Master Swordsman in Medieval Europe. Given the common military tactics at the time, how useful would my swordsmanship skills actually be in a large-scale battle? Would I have an advantage or is the battlefield more complicated than that?	228
In addition to revolutionizing the world of mathematics and physics, Isaac Newton would study alchemy and the occult. How much do we know about his work on these subjects? How did his colleagues view these quirks?	194

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