181. The Dragon Empress: China’s Game of Thrones| Listen on Anghami

Jun 14

368. Ancient Egypt: The Origin of Abrahamic Religions? (Ep 7)

Was monotheism passed down from Pharaoh Akhenaten of Ancient Egypt? Who was the ancient goddess Asherah? How did exposure to other empires shape the Hebrew Bible? William is joined by Francesca Stavrakopoulou, author of God: An Anatomy, to explore the evolution of the deity Yahwe ... Show More

44m 56s

Jun 10

367. Ancient Egypt: “Tut-mania” And Tutankhamun’s Tomb (Ep 6)

**Unlock the entire Ancient Egypt series early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at ⁠empirepoduk.com⁠** Why did the world go crazy for all things Ancient Egypt after the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922? How were his treasures used in Cold War Diplomacy? And why did t ... Show More

44 m

Jun 7

366. Ancient Egypt: Tutankhamun The Boy King (Ep 5)

**Unlock the entire Ancient Egypt series early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com** His death mask is one of the most famous faces in Ancient Egyptian history, but who was the real Tutunkhamun? What do the items found in his tomb tell us about his life? And ... Show More

53m 35s

Jan 2025

Empress Wu Zetian of China

Empress Wu Zetian rose from royal concubine to become the only female ruler in China’s 2,000 years of imperial history. Today she is seen as ruthless, tyrannical and willing to murder her own family to hold onto the throne. However this female leader has suffered from a millenniu ... Show More

21m 20s

Aug 2025

#304 - Qing 39: Twilight of the Dragon

As both the Qianlong Emperor's extensive reign and the Eighteenth Century itself comes to a close, the Qing Empire faces - in spite of its outward posturing of timeless grandeur and invulnerability - an ever more uncertain future. By this time his successor, the Jiaqing Emperor, ... Show More

41m 15s

Apr 2025

A Concubine Rises to Rule China

April 27, 1856. In Beijing’s Forbidden City, one of the emperor’s consorts, a woman named Cixi, has given birth to a son – the emperor’s first heir. This landmark event is met with mass celebration. But in just five years time, the emperor will be dead and Cixi will be planning a ... Show More

35m 10s

Jun 2025

The First Emperor of China

In the third century BC, China was a land fractured by war - a patchwork of rival kingdoms struggling for dominance. Out of this chaos rose a single, extraordinary figure who would reshape the course of history: Chin Shrr Hwong, the First Emperor of China. His achievements were m ... Show More

58m 24s

Dec 2013

#8 - Shang 3: The Shang Vanquished

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

29m 4s

Nov 2013

#3 - Xia 1: The Xia, China's First Dynasty

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

27m 55s

Sep 2025

The Mughal empire: everything you wanted to know

The Mughal empire was one of the most powerful and influential dynasties in South Asian history, blending together a mix of cultural traditions to create a legacy of dazzling architecture, innovative governance, and turbulent politics. Speaking to Emily Briffett, historian Nandin ... Show More

49m 50s

Aug 2025

The Khan Legacy

Before the Mongol Empire dominated the Asian Continent, there was no empire to speak of, only nomadic tribes in perpetual battle. That is, until a precocious teenager with a knack for strategy forged a dynasty that reshaped the entire world in his own image. Hosted by Simplecast, ... Show More

45m 21s

Apr 2025

Suleyman the Magnificent's bid for world domination

Henry VIII lorded it over England. Francis I dominated France. Charles V was the main man in central Europe. Yet arguably none was as powerful as Ottoman sultan Suleyman the Magnificent – a true heavyweight of the 16th century. Speaking to Spencer Mizen, author Christopher de Bel ... Show More

35m 35s

Jun 2025

[BEST OF] The Chinese Revolution: Chairman Mao, Cultural Revolution, & Communist China

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Jun 4, 2018 In this episode, Breht is joined by Yueran Zhang, a PhD candidate in Sociology at Harvard University, to discuss the Chinese Revolution and the legacy of Mao Zedong. Together, they explore the historical context of China's revolutionary transformat ... Show More

1h 2m

181. The Dragon Empress: China’s Game of...