Recent comments in /f/history

TheMDNA OP t1_iw3nk3m wrote

I can't remember any documentaries at the moment, but there are several really good books. I am currently reading Leslie Peirce's 'Empress of the East' and 'Imperial Harem'. Two very good books about the harem in particular. Then there are books like Caroline Finkel's 'Osman's dream, the Story of the Ottoman Empire 1300-1923' and Colin Imber's 'The Ottoman Empire, 1300-1650'. The latter ones are more general books about the Ottoman Empire.

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PlayRevolutionary344 t1_iw3mse4 wrote

It's possibly a Chinese concubine then thank you 😊 though incredible history right there 👏 thanks for sharing! Would you know any good documentaries on the ottoman empire ? I'm from Britain so the idea of concubines is so exotic and unusual considering our most infamous king literally changed religion and history of England to be able to have extra wives and lovers

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jezreelite t1_iw3iz5t wrote

How a historical figure is viewed by posterity often really depends on who you're asking.

Genghis Khan, whom you specifically mention, has often been viewed positively by Mongols, Turks, and Western Europeans, yet the Han Chinese view of him is more mixed and he's often viewed as a utter villain by Central and Eastern Europeans, Indo-Iranians, and Arabs.

For another example, Tamerlane is a hero to Central Asian Turks, yet Arabs, Indo-Iranians, and Georgians tend to remember him as a one of the blackest of villains.

For a more recent example, the way the French and Corsicans view Napoleon are both different from how the rest of Europe tends to view him.

In regards to how this applies to how posterity will view Hitler, it's hard to say. Nazi Germany's conquests might look extensive on paper, yet they lasted no more than twelve years, which was not enough to fundamentally alter the established cultures and customs with German culture and customs. This situation is quite different w.r.t. to the conquests of Roman emperors, Genghis Khan, or Alexander the Great, which did fundamentally alter both cultures and customs.

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pewtercrocodile t1_iw3hmnr wrote

Perpetual prayers. It was a thing for European Catholic rulers/nobles/rich people to leave money to specific monastries/convents/churches on their death for "perpetual prayers" for their soul. I assume anyone who did this in my own country (UK- England specifically) no longer gets them since the reformation but in parts of Europe that remain Catholic do they still pray for someone who died centuries ago? If not when did this stop?

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TheMDNA OP t1_iw3fyo2 wrote

I do not recall this from anything I've read about the Ottomans. I know that men from the outside were not allowed to enter the harem, therefore none of them knew what the concubine consorts looked like. The only men who were allowed in the harem were the male slave servants (eunuchs), the princes, and the Sultan himself. The paintings we see of the Ottoman concubines were all made by non-Ottomans (most of them), usually from Europe, who had never entered the harem. They imagined what these women looked like based on letters and rumours which described them.

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PlayRevolutionary344 t1_iw3e02s wrote

I apologise if I'm wrong I could be mixing my Chinese or Turkish history but someone told me there is a famous concubine. The court painter wanted extra money from her or he would paint her ugly. She refused and was painted ugly. The king insisted she wore a veil in his presence because of the picture and put her low ranks? But then there was an issue with another country or nobelman or something and to keep peace he offered one of his concubine in marriage. And this concubine volunteered . Then when he handed her over to he seen her without her veil on and realised she was the most beautiful woman who walked walked earth and realised what a mistake he made. And was infuriated and has the court painter killed ? If this sounds familiar can you clarify who it was and recommend any documentaries about it? Apparently she went on to be famous

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Grant1972 t1_iw36350 wrote

In my opinion you are on the right path.

Norse/Vikings had established colonies and trade networks from Greenland back to Europe and these same Greenland colonies traded with 3 distinct indigenous groups in Greenland and modern day Canada (specifically Newfoundland and Labrador).

It’s important to consider “Vikings” weren’t exclusively raiders. If they came upon an undefended colony they would “raid”. If it was well defended they would “trade”.

The Greenland settlements lasted until the late 15th century when a famine/mini Ice Age occurred. The Thule people displaced the Norse in Greenland and would have also traded with the Beothuk in Newfoundland.

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