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

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Iran, 1963: Wikipedia says that after Khomeini called the Shah a "wretched, miserable man" there followed 3 days of riots that left 15 thousand people dead--but others put the number dead at 32. What is the evidence either way?

94 upvotes

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Medieval Scandinavians didn't use the term "Viking" to refer to their cultural group. What term did they use? Or did they not perceive enough cultural coherence to merit a unifying term?

94 upvotes

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How popular was Cixi during her lifetime?

91 upvotes

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Why was Singapore so poorly defended in 1942?

83 upvotes

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Was Apartheid "a victory of the white working class over both the black working class and white capitalists"? (second attempt)

82 upvotes

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The first ruler in China's Xia dynasty was the semi-mythical Yu, who is known for building irrigation channels to control the Yellow River. Is there a scholarly consensus on the historicity of Yu? Who is the first Chinese ruler whose historicity is unquestioned?

77 upvotes

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Did the Oracle at Delphi have "networks of informants in all the Greek lands"?

72 upvotes

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Henry George's 1879 book "Progress and Poverty" was extremely popular and influenced thinkers and activists from Albert Einstein & Milton Friedman to Helen Keller & John Haynes Holmes. When and why did its influence fade?

71 upvotes

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New evidence says there were venture capital firms, joint-stock companies, and secondary debt markets in the ancient Near East. How revelatory is this? What does it change?

69 upvotes

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From Cicero: "It is reported also that Homer was blind, but we observe his painting as well as his poetry." Homer painted?!

68 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Iran, 1963: Wikipedia says that after Khomeini called the Shah a "wretched, miserable man" there followed 3 days of riots that left 15 thousand people dead--but others put the number dead at 32. What is the evidence either way?	94
Medieval Scandinavians didn't use the term "Viking" to refer to their cultural group. What term did they use? Or did they not perceive enough cultural coherence to merit a unifying term?	94
How popular was Cixi during her lifetime?	91
Why was Singapore so poorly defended in 1942?	83
Was Apartheid "a victory of the white working class over both the black working class and white capitalists"? (second attempt)	82
The first ruler in China's Xia dynasty was the semi-mythical Yu, who is known for building irrigation channels to control the Yellow River. Is there a scholarly consensus on the historicity of Yu? Who is the first Chinese ruler whose historicity is unquestioned?	77
Did the Oracle at Delphi have "networks of informants in all the Greek lands"?	72
Henry George's 1879 book "Progress and Poverty" was extremely popular and influenced thinkers and activists from Albert Einstein & Milton Friedman to Helen Keller & John Haynes Holmes. When and why did its influence fade?	71
New evidence says there were venture capital firms, joint-stock companies, and secondary debt markets in the ancient Near East. How revelatory is this? What does it change?	69
From Cicero: "It is reported also that Homer was blind, but we observe his painting as well as his poetry." Homer painted?!	68