AskHistorians

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How did Assyria survive the Bronze Age Collapse? What features did it have that the Hittites or Mycenaeans didn't?	5
Yazid I is scorned by Muslim historians as the worst Caliph in history for impiety. However, I was just thinking recently - so early in the Islamic conquests, the vast majority of the subject population was non-Muslim Christian and Jewish. Did Yazid's policies actually make sense?	5
Historically, how did various empires pacify conquered regions?	5
Does Spanish bull-fighting have an unbroken lineage to Roman gladiatorial matches against animals? Or did it begin in a later era?	5
I've heard that Ireland was largely uncultivated until the Norman era at least, and that prior to that most land usage was for the pasture of cattle. Is this true and if so, did the Irish practice abortion or infanticide to avoid overpopulation?	5
In Medieval Europe and the Near East, was Astrology considered a form of natural prognostication similar to Meteorology or a form of supernatural prognostication? If it was considered supernatural, how did astrologers deal with laws against witchcraft?	4
In ancient Rome and the Islamic world, different legal forms of marriage existed giving the spouses different sorts of rights regarding property and finances. Did such different types of marriage exist in medieval Europe or China as well?	4
What's the history behind angels like Gabriel and Michael being considered saints in Catholicism?	4
I was reading a book on Seljuk Turks, and the taxation system for the nomads was one animal per x (hundred etc) in a flock. Was this the same for other steppe societies? What would a typical khan do with all these animals? Were they sold to sedentary societies or kept in an enormous royal flock?	4
I've heard that the Mongols destroyed Mesopotamia's ancient irrigation networks leading to Iraq being less cultivated compared to the pre-1200s. Did this really happen, were no attempts made to repair or rebuild them and does modern Iraq have less irrigated land than ancient Mesopotamia?	4

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