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Shapur II
Shapur II (r. 309-379 CE, also Sapur II) was the tenth monarch of the Sassanian Empire (224-651 CE) and among the most successful. Under his reign – which lasted his entire life – the Avesta (Zoroastrian scripture) was committed to writing...

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The Phoenician Alphabet & Language
Phoenician is a Canaanite language closely related to Hebrew. Very little is known about the Canaanite language, except what can be gathered from the El-Amarna letters written by Canaanite kings to Pharaohs Amenhopis III (1402 - 1364 BCE...

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Early Muslim Conquests (622-656 CE)
Islam arose as a religious and socio-political force in Arabia in the 7th century CE (610 CE onwards). The Islamic Prophet Muhammad (l. 570-632 CE), despite facing resistance and persecution, amassed a huge following and started building...

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Indian Ocean Trade before the European Conquest
Finding a maritime route to the East and gaining access to the lucrative spice trade stood at the root of the European Age of Exploration. However, when Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope and reached the Indian Ocean in 1493, he...

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Middle Eastern Power Shifts & the Trade of Pepper from East to West
Pepper has long been the king of spices and for almost 2,000 years dominated world trade. Originating in India, it was known in Greece by the 4th century BCE and was an integral part of the Roman diet by 30 BCE. It remained a force in Europe...

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Roman-Chinese Relations & Contacts
Support our channel and buy the “Han Xin” series at: http://bit.ly/2X2eMcw In our new animated historical documentary, we will talk about the Roman and Han empires and discuss the direct and indirect ties betmeen Rome and China. Previously...

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How Roman Trade with India Made the Empire Rich
This video was sponsored by Imperator: Rome. You can support our channel by buying this game via this link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/859580/Imperator_Rome/ We are continuing our new animated historical documentary series on the...

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The African Slave Trade, c. 1750
By 1750, Africa had emerged as the center of three major slave-trading systems: the transatlantic, trans-Saharan, and Indian Ocean trades. These interconnected networks linked African societies to European, Middle Eastern, and Asian markets...

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Roman Rule in the Levant, c. 200 CE
This map illustrates the Roman Levant c. 200 CE, encompassing the provinces of Syria Coele, Syria Phoenice, Judea (renamed Syria Palaestina), and Arabia Petraea. It was a culturally diverse and strategically vital region, serving as a trade...

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Zheng He
A model of the mariner and explorer Admiral Zheng He (1371-1433 CE) who made seven voyages from China to India, Arabia and East Africa under the auspices of Emperor Yongle of the Ming dynasty between 1404 and 1433 CE. (Quanzhou Maritime Museum...