Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  Zhou Dynasty - Philosophy and...

  Rolf Hedger

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  The Zhou Dynasty emerged as a dominant force in ancient China following the decline of the Shang Dynasty. Its rise was marked by strategic alliances, military conquests, and the introduction of the Mandate of Heaven, a concept that would define Chinese rulership for centuries. The Zhou people, originally a semi-nomadic tribe living in the Wei River Valley, gradually expanded their influence through diplomacy and warfare, positioning themselves as challengers to Shang authority.  
  King Wen of Zhou played a crucial role in laying the groundwork for the dynasty’s ascent. A respected leader known for his wisdom and virtue, he strengthened alliances with neighboring tribes and promoted administrative reforms that would later become the foundation of Zhou governance. However, it was his son, King Wu, who ultimately led the military campaign that overthrew the Shang. The decisive battle took place at Muye around 1046 BCE, where the Zhou army, though numerically inferior, defeated the Shang forces due to superior strategy and the defection of many Shang soldiers who had grown discontented with their rulers. 
  Following their victory, the Zhou established a new political order centered around the Mandate of Heaven. This doctrine asserted that the right to rule was granted by divine authority, but it was not absolute—rulers had to govern justly and maintain moral integrity to retain legitimacy. If they failed, they could be overthrown, as had been the case with the Shang. This belief not only justified the Zhou conquest but also set a precedent for the dynastic cycle in China.

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  Warrior Empires of India -...

  Rolf Hedger

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  The history of India is filled with tales of powerful warrior empires that shaped the destiny of the subcontinent. Among them, the Hoysala Empire, the Rashtrakuta Empire, and the Kakatiya Dynasty stood as formidable forces in the Deccan region, each leaving behind a unique legacy of conquest, governance, and cultural patronage.  
  The Rashtrakutas, known for their military might, expanded their rule across vast territories, engaging in wars with the Pratiharas and Palas while fostering art and architecture, as seen in the magnificent Kailasanatha temple at Ellora.  
  The Hoysalas, emerging later, were fierce warriors and master builders, commissioning iconic temples such as those at Belur and Halebidu while defending their kingdom against rival invasions.  
  The Kakatiya Dynasty, renowned for its defensive strategies, constructed impressive fortifications like the Warangal Fort and resisted repeated invasions, including those from the Delhi Sultanate.  
  These warrior empires not only fought to expand and defend their territories but also enriched Indian culture, trade, and architecture, leaving an enduring impact on the history of the Deccan.

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  Tutankhamen's Curse - The Legend...

  John Harpoon

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  The discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922 remains one of the most significant archaeological events in history, but it also brought with it a mysterious and terrifying legend—the Curse of the Pharaoh. For centuries, the tomb of the young Egyptian king, who ruled during the 18th dynasty, lay hidden beneath the sands of the Valley of the Kings. It wasn’t until British archaeologist Howard Carter and his financial backer, Lord Carnarvon, unearthed the tomb that the world was introduced to the wonder and mystique surrounding King Tutankhamen’s final resting place. 
  Tutankhamen, who ascended to the throne as a child, died young under uncertain circumstances, leaving behind a legacy that has fascinated historians, archaeologists, and the public alike. His tomb, filled with precious artifacts, murals, and the famous golden mask, was unlike anything ever discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs. Yet, the treasures would be overshadowed by an eerie series of deaths, leading many to believe in a curse linked to the tomb. 
  The first death tied to the curse was that of Lord Carnarvon, who financed the excavation. His sudden death just months after entering the tomb in 1923 shocked the world, and rumors of a deadly curse spread rapidly. Over the next few years, several individuals connected to the tomb’s discovery met untimely and mysterious deaths, fueling the belief that the wrath of Tutankhamen had been unleashed upon those who dared to disturb his resting place.

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  Inside Qatar - Hidden Stories...

  John McManus

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  An intimate portrait of life in the world’s richest nation ahead of the FIFA 2022 World Cup. 
   
  Just 70 years ago, the Gulf nation of Qatar was a backwater, reliant on pearl diving. Today it is a gas-laden parvenu with seemingly limitless wealth and ambition. Skyscrapers, museums and futuristic football stadiums rise out of the desert and Ferraris race through the streets. But in the shadows, migrant workers toil in the heat for risible amounts. 
   
  INSIDE QATAR reveals how real people live in this surreal place, a land of both great opportunity and great iniquity. Ahead of Qatar’s time in the limelight as host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, anthropologist John McManus lifts a lid on the hidden worlds of its gilded princes, manual labourers and domestic workers, its teachers and policemen, culture vultures and thrill seekers. 
   
  “A stunning exposé... A social anthropologist by trade, McManus's focus is not on the secretive intrigues of Qatar's ruling family, but on the lives of ordinary people... McManus is an engaging writer, who can bring even anonymous interviewees to life.” TELEGRAPH

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  Ancient Greece’s Most Famous...

  Editors Charles River

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  In ancient Greece, “no other practice was so universal than the consultation of oracles.” These holy sites were found in 260 locations around the Greek-speaking world, and they were considered the “most satisfactory means of ascertaining the future.” These sanctuaries were “set apart from the profane, ordinary world” and were in the beginning restricted to natural locations where the divine was thought to be “especially present.” They were set aside for special spiritual functions, and a state of purity was generally required of its participants. A historical tendency toward providing haven for criminals was based on the fear of shedding blood in a holy place, and the “fear that the evil magic would emanate from his curse.” 
  The Oracle of Delphi was one of the greatest religious institutions in Greece and one which played a significant role not only in the formation and collective decisions of Hellenic localities and city-states but also in the personal lives of Greeks known and unknown. The site was dedicated to the god Apollo, and the Greeks believed the god spoke his oracles through his prophetess known as the Pythia. The judgments and decisions rendered by the oracle were so important to the Greeks that they often put them above all other interests, even security threats posed by the likes of the Persians, and Delphi was popular even amongst outsiders. Many authors of antiquity mention the oracle for one reason or another, and there even survive epigraphic collections that preserve the god’s words on stone. 
  The Oracle of Dodona was the oldest of all, and it was one of the few dedicated to Zeus and his consort goddess Dione. The oracular utterances heard at the oracles are generally referred to as “smokiness” in Greek, but at Dodona, the answers came in natural sounds and other peripheral phenomena.

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  The Journal of a Tour to the...

  James Boswell

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  In 1773, Boswell enticed his famous English friend Samuel Johnson to accompany him on a tour through the highlands and western islands of Scotland. Johnson was then in his mid sixties.
  
  The two travellers set out from Edinburgh and skirted the eastern and northeastern coasts of Scotland, passing through St Andrews, Aberdeen and Inverness. They then passed into the highlands and spent several weeks on various islands in the Hebrides, including Skye, Coll, and Mull. After a visit to Boswell's estate at Auchinleck, the travellers returned to Edinburgh. Also available in audio, Johnson published his Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland on 18 January 1775.

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