logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2022
2h 4m

Dig: Before the West w/ Ayşe Zarakol

JACOBIN
About this episode

Ayşe Zarakol on her book Before the West: The Rise and Fall of Eastern World Orders. How centuries of Asian empires from Genghis Khan to Timur and the early Ming Dynasty through the Ottomans and Mughals built dominant world orders and, ultimately, shaped the rise of Europe—and how that all might shape how we think about the crisis in the world order today.


Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig


Check out phenomenalworld.org

Up next
Yesterday
Jacobin Radio: Sewer Socialism w/ Eric Blanc
<p>Suzi talks with historian Eric Blanc about a timely chapter in American socialist history: the rise — and limits — of Milwaukee’s “sewer socialists.” His <a href="https://www.laborpolitics.com/p/sewer-socialism-in-wisconsin-and" rel="nofollow">article</a>, “Socialists in City ... Show More
57m 31s
Nov 23
Behind the News: War and Neocolonialism in Sudan w/ Mosaab Baba
<p>Mosaab Baba, who wrote an <a href="https://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php/sudan-africas-regional-neo-colonial-war" rel="nofollow">article</a> about Sudan for <em>Black Agenda Report</em>, looks at what’s behind the horrendous civil war. <a href="https://tokyopaladin.subst ... Show More
53m 1s
Nov 20
Dig: 500th Episode Party w/ Brace Belden and Liz Franczak
<p>Featuring Brace Belden, Liz Franczak, Gabriel Winant, Aziz Rana, Sumaya Awad, Thea Riofrancos, and Alex Lewis. Toasts and roasts celebrating 500 episodes of <em>The Dig</em>. Plus a short speech from Dan. Live at Brooklyn’s Littlefield.</p> <p>Support <em>The Dig</em> at <a hr ... Show More
41m 2s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2021
The Ottoman empire: everything you wanted to know
Eugene Rogan answers listener questions on one of history’s most powerful – and long-lasting – empires   How did the Ottomans dominate swathes of Europe, Asia and Africa for up to seven centuries? How did their sack of Constantinople in 1453 change the course of history? And why ... Show More
47m 36s
Jan 2023
The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East
The most disruptive and transformative event in the Middle Ages wasn’t the Crusades, the Battle of Agincourt, or even the Black Death. It was the Mongol Conquests. Even after his death, Genghis Khan’s Mongol Empire grew to become the largest in history—four times the size of Alex ... Show More
42m 7s
Aug 2023
Attila the Hun: Scourge of God
<p>One of the most powerful, and feared, leaders of history - Attila the Hun's legacy has persevered over centuries. His consolidation of the Hunnic tribes helped play a significant role in shaping the ancient geopolitical landscape of 5th century Europe and Asia - ultimately hel ... Show More
44m 11s
Jun 2019
TGC The Ottoman Empire Part 1 of 2
By understanding the dramatic story of the Ottoman Empire - from its early years as a collection of raiders and conquerors to its undeniable power in the 15th and 16th centuries to its catastrophic collapse in the wreckage of the First World War - one can better grasp the current ... Show More
9h 20m
May 2024
Episode 296 - The Mongol Storm with Nicholas Morton
We talk to Dr Nicholas Morton about the arrival of the Mongols into the Byzantine world. Their confrontation with the Seljuks of Anatolia will have serious consequences. Dr Morton is Associate Professor in Middle Eastern and Global history at Nottingham Trent University in the UK ... Show More
44m 39s
Jan 2023
The Mongol Empire
<p>The Crusades are well-known but only part of the complex history of the medieval Near East. During the same era, the region was completely remade by the Mongol invasions.&nbsp;&nbsp;In a single generation, the Mongols upended the region’s geopolitics.&nbsp;</p><br><p>In this e ... Show More
34m 40s
May 2023
Why Empires Fall
<p>For centuries, the Roman Empire commanded unparalleled control over the world around it. It expanded its borders through trade and conquest, sucking resources from the periphery into its thriving centre - Rome. And then, suddenly, everything changed. The Empire entered a state ... Show More
41m 22s
Jan 2024
The West's enduring fascination with Asia
Asia has long enthralled people in the west, with voyages of discovery and military expeditions setting out in search of wealth, wisdom and the chance to explore a "strange new world". Historian and author Christopher Harding speaks to Matt Elton about westeners' enduring fascina ... Show More
50m 2s
Jan 2024
114. The Persian Renaissance
After conquering much of Eurasia, Timur showed no interest in building institutions and so after his death, like the Mongol Empire before it, the Timurid Empire soon fragmented and collapsed. However, some of Timur’s grandchildren took over parts of the Empire and ushered in eras ... Show More
44m 27s