Vol 3 Ep 65 - Ancient China: The Zhou Dy...

1526 - Some battles determine who controls a territory. Others reshape an entire continent. In 1526, the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire met on the plains of Mohács in a confrontation born of ambition, fear, and decades of conflict. Why did this battle take place, and w ... Show More

A bonus for the HOTWorld podcast schedule. We feature one of the episodes of our sister podcast "History of the World podcast timelines" that currently explores the lives and careers of each of the US presidents since its independence. In this episode, we explore the life and tim ... Show More

1456 - Three years after the fall of Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire seemed unstoppable. Sultan Mehmed II turned his attention towards the great fortress of Belgrade, the gateway to Central Europe. Against overwhelming odds, defenders led by John Hunyadi prepared for a despera ... Show More

This episode we chronicle the life of Master Kong A.K.A. Confucius, as well as detail his socio-political philosophies which would shape the future of China, as well as those of much of the rest of East Asia.Less fighting, more thinking, in the first of two interim episodes befor ... Show More

Broadcaster and historian Michael Wood joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the world’s oldest civilisation. What were the great moments in Chinese history and why do the Opium Wars still feature so prominently in the modern Chinese school syllabus? The birth of the ... Show More

The Three Kingdoms from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the Western Jin dynasty. Bonus episodes as well as ad-f ... Show More

This week we move into the beginnings of China’s dynastic period where rulers began favoring birthright over merit – and the consequences will be almost immediately apparent. Beginning with the triumphant reign of the heroic Yu the Great, the Xia’s semi-accidental trip into dynas ... Show More

This episode we chronicle the decline and eventual fall of the once-glorious Shang Dynasty to the same vices and evils that spelled doom for the Xia centuries ago. In the West, a powerful new clan calling itself the Zhou has risen to power, eventually with an eye to make right wh ... Show More

In this first of two parts, we look at the first half of the Shang Dynasty beginning with the victory and reign of Tang "The Perfect" and leaving off 21 emperors, five capitals, and 400 years later with the amazing reign of Wu Ding and his warrior-priestess wife Lady Fu Hao. Alon ... Show More

This Episode, we take a time-out from the historical flow to take advantage of the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities. We explore the history, legends, customs, and meaning behind this ancient and storied period of celebration. Happy Year of the Yang Wood Horse! Learn more abo ... Show More

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Prof Tineke D’Haeseleer and comedian Evelyn Mok in medieval China to explore the Tang Dynasty. Known as the Golden Age of China, it was the time of China’s Emperor Wu, the only woman to hold power in her own right, and Emperor Xuanzong who becam ... Show More

A city in ruins. A dynasty in tatters. An empire in ashes...This episode, we look at the remarkable story of the first empire of ancient China, the Han dynasty. With ancient Chinese poetry, songs and folk music, we look back at the first empire's rise, its remarkable technologica ... Show More