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Imagine if during the height of the Greek golden age most of the largest cities were razed to the ground and their populations systematically exterminated. That
by Scriptor 8y ago
Imagine if during the height of the Greek golden age most of the largest cities were razed to the ground and their populations systematically exterminated. That means Athens as we knew it would have been reduced to rubble.
That's what happened during the Mongol Conquests. The fall of Baghdad alone caused at least several hundred thousand people to be killed. The main library, which had collected countless works over the centuries, was gone.
Baghdad was rebuilt, of course. Economically and politically it bounced back since it was still right on the silk road. But scientific study never really recovered there.
- thrower123 8y agoOne might, on the other hand, wonder what might have happened if the Mongols hadn't been infected by Islamic schism and dynastic troubles and completed their push through into Mamluk Egypt. As pivotal as Ayn Jalut was, the groundwork for that failure was laid in the religious conversion of [1]Berke and the Golden Horde to Islam. [1] Initially listed his brother Batu, rather than Berke, the first Muslim Khan.
- Scriptor 8y agoVery true! Egypt was able to continue mostly unscathed. Perhaps this indicates that the Arab golden age was in its twilight? Maybe the Mamluks didn't invest in the sciences as much as the Fatimids? And even further west Andalusia was still chugging along. That was definitely an important source of knowledge for the first universities in the rest of Europe.
- tehlike 8y agoI am hoping israel is giving the kick the region needs in terms of scientific progress. They are kicking ass, pushing boundaries. For them, it might have more reasons beyond scientific curiosity and capitalism, it might also be existential.
- Scriptor 8y agoDefinitely. Iran already has more in publications in total than Israel, although they're still way behind when looking at the per capita number. Hopefully this trend continues.
- drchickens 8y agoThey sure are kicking ass killing all those Palestinians alright. I like how you Westerners can just pretend that everything is hunky dory just so that you can rationalize your worldview. All the while we're getting slaughtered and you're paying for the weapons. Bunch of fucking hypocritical cretins.