Sunday, 27 September 2020

The History of South Africa

 This week we will look at the history of South Africa from two perspectives.  The first video is a view of South African history from the point of view of the white South African point of view and the second shorter video is from the point of view of black South African point of view.

South African History 1652 -1902

The TRUE history of South Africa    

Further Reading

History of South Africa

Sunday, 20 September 2020

The Great Molghuls Part 3

 The stability of the previous reign continues, and Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) — more the aesthete and less the man of action than his father—is the right person to enjoy it. Meanwhile drama is provided by the rivalries which surround the emperor, especially between his wife and son.

Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658) was something of an enigma. After murdering several relatives to secure the throne for himself, he built the world's most famous monument to love, the Taj Mahal.

Yhe Great Moghuls Part 3

Sunday, 13 September 2020

The Great Moghuls Part 2

 When the second Emperor Humayun died suddenly, his thirteen-year-old son was crowned Emperor. He was called Akbar, meaning "Great". He would grow up to amply deserve the name, for he was the greatest of the Great Moghuls.

Aurangzeb murdered two brothers to inherit the throne and imprisoned his father. He greatly extended the Moghul Empire, but Sikh resistance to his attempts to impose Islam hastened his decline.

The Mughal Empire Part 2

Saturday, 5 September 2020

The Great Moghuls Part1

The Mughal Empire  or Mogul Empire, self-designated as Gurkani, was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries.  For some two centuries, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of present-day Assam and Bangladesh in the east, and the uplands of the Deccan plateau in south India.

Episode 1

Through the Khyber Pass in 1526 came the founder of the great Moghul Empire, Babur. He rode around with a small band of followers seizing villages and cattle. By the time he came into India, he had built up a sizeable army and had firearms which helped him to win battles that enabled him to crown himself Emperor of India.

In Akbar's great palace city at Fatehpur Sikri near Agra we discover how a Great Moghul lived. Also examined are Akbar's first contacts with Europeans and his obsession with religion.


The Mughal Empire Episode 1     

Further Reading:

Mughal Empire - Wikipedia

Sunday, 30 August 2020

History of India

 This week we are going to look at a documentary which looks at the history of India from the Indus Valley civilisations to the end of the Moghul Empire in the mid 19th century.  Next week we will start on a documentary about the Great Moghuls.

History Of India ~ Ancient India     

Some further Reading:

The History of Ancient India (Ancient History Encyclopedia)    

History of India - Wikipedia

Ancient History - Know India    

Indian History Chronology: Ancient India to Modern India

Friday, 21 August 2020

1066 A Year to Conquer England 3/3

Part 3/3

When the winds finally change, Duke William leads his vast invasion fleet across the Channel after months of being trapped in a port in northern France. But King Harold is 300 miles away in the north, having defeated the Vikings. He has to rush back south, gather a new army and head to Hastings to take on this new invasion. The two armies meet at battle in Sussex on 14 October 1066, and the outcome changes the shape of England and Europe forever.


Sunday, 16 August 2020

1066 A Year to Conquer England 2/3

King Harold has to take on two invasion forces. First, his brother Tostig attacks the south coast. He is repelled, but there is more to come. Later in the year, a vast Viking invasion force led by King Harald Hardrada of Norway lands in the north of England.  Harold rushes to Stamford Bridge to fight for his kingdom and for his life.