Category History

Who were the Phoenicians?

            The Phoenicians were mighty seafarers of the ancient world. The coastal plains of present day Lebanon were home to the Phoenicians in the first millennium BC. They traded predominantly along the Mediterranean Sea. In the centuries that followed, the Phoenicians formed the major naval power of the region. They were the first people to venture into the western Mediterranean and beyond the Straits of Gibraltar, to the Atlantic coasts of Africa and Europe.

            Gradually, the Phoenicians established colonies throughout the Mediterranean. The most strategically important Phoenician trading outpost was Carthage, in North Africa.

            The Phoenicians grew rich exporting products such as wine, olive oil, embroideries, linen, fabric coloured in the famous Tyrian purple dye, and most notably, timber from the famous cedars of Lebanon.

Why were the pyramids of Egypt built?

               It was believed by the ancient Egyptians that their regulated and ordered life on the earth could continue even after their death. They also believed that their King had descended from Gods and after death; he went to join Gods in heavenly world.

               As a result many other customs to this effect came into practice. In his lifetime only the King would make a magnificent tomb in which he could be buried after death. These tombs were known as pyramids. They were triangular in shape. Their constructions required an enormous quantity of stones. Although similar monuments were found in South America, the only true pyramids are found in Egypt.

               Presently, about 80 pyramids still stand in Egypt; the most famous of which are the three at Giza near Cairo. The largest of the three is the pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops. These pyramids were built between 2690 to 2500 B.C. as estimated by archaeologists. It took a long time for the ancient Egyptians to develop the art of building pyramids. Stones were transported across the Nile from quarries on the east side. The base of pyramids was nearly a perfect square. An immense amount of slave labour was employed to construct the vast structures. Stone cutters and masons used saws upto ten feet long. The place of burial chamber was so designed that thieves were unable to trace out the vast treasure that was buried with the dead king’s mummified body.

               The three famous pyramids of Egypt are the pyramids of Mycerinus, Cheops and Chephren. They are 215 ft. 481 ft. and 471 ft. high respectively. Sides of the base of the highest pyramid, Cheops are 756 ft and the base covers an area of 13 acres. The numbers of stone blocks used in its construction are 2,300,000. A permanent work force of 4000 was required for 30 years to complete this wonderful pyramid.

Which British Sovereign had the longest reign?

               Queen Victoria had the longest reign among all the British monarchs. She was born in London on 24 May, 1819. She was the only child of Edward Augustus of Kent. She succeeded to the British throne on the death of her uncle, King William IV on 20 June, 1837, when she was only 18 years old. She ruled for sixty three years and seven months and died on 22 January, 1901. She was very popular with her people. All over the British Empire, celebrations were held to mark the Golden and Diamond Jubilee of her reign in 1887 and 1897 respectively.

               Victoria was the queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India. Her reign was long as well as eventful. During her reign Britain became more powerful and prosperous and built up a large empire overseas. Her reign saw a rapid industrial expansion, growing humanitarianism and literary output, and prolonged peace. 

Continue reading “Which British Sovereign had the longest reign?”

Why is Shakespeare regarded as the world’s greatest poet and playwright?

            William Shakespeare, an English poet and dramatist, is widely regarded as the greatest writer of all time. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote 34 plays between 1591 and 1641. His first play is believed to have been Henry VI, and his last two were probably The Tempest and Henry VIII. Even today, his plays are performed more often and in more countries than ever before. Ben Jonson’s (one of his great contemporaries) prophecy that ‘he was not of an age but for all time’ has been marvellously fulfilled.

            Born in 1564, Shakespeare’s early life was spent in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he attended the local grammar school. At the age of 18, he married a local girl, Anne Hathaway, who bore him a daughter Susanna and the twins, Hamnet and Judith. By 1584 he had emerged as a rising playwright in London. He continued to live there, enjoying fame and prosperity as a member of London’s leading theatre company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Company (afterwards known as the King’s Men). They played at the Globe Theatre, Bankside, which was burnt down in June 1613, during a performance of Henry VIII.

            In about 1610 Shakespeare retired to his birthplace and lived as a country gentleman. His will was made in March 1616, a few months before his death. He was buried in the parish Church at Stratford.

            Though we know a lot about Shakespeare’s works yet little is known about his early life. It seems that his versatility flowed from a deep and wide knowledge of history, geography, mythology, religion, biology, human psychology and Latin. Apart from being a famous playwright, he was also a renowned poet and actor.

            Among the most famous works of Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear and Twelfth Night occupy a lasting place in the history of literature and theatre. He also wrote some loveliest sonnets in English and almost all of his works have been translated into different languages of the world. 

 

Which is the oldest city in the world?

           From the available historical sources, Jericho is considered to be the oldest city in the world. It is located on the west side of Jordan near Israel. It is situated 825 ft below the sea level, some six miles north of the Dead Sea. The Archaeologists have uncovered 17 layers of settlements dating back to 5000 B.C. or earlier, signifying its continuity over the years. 

          In the biblical history, it is known as the first town captured by Israel and that its wall fell to blast of their trumpet.

          Jericho is mentioned in the Old and new Testaments. Herod the Great established a winter residence there and died there in 4th B.C. There is evidence to prove the visit of Mesolithic hunters around 9000 BC, and of a long period of settlement by their descendants. To begin with their habitations included flimsy huts. From these huts solid houses were developed and the settlement spread to cover an area of about 10 acres. By 8000 BC the inhabitants had developed into an organized community capable of building a massive stone wall around the settlement. The construction of such a huge wall suggests that a population of around 2000-3000 persons inhabited the town. Thus, within a period of 1000 years, there had been a development from a wandering-hunting way of life to an agricultural settlement. For the next 2000 years, Jericho passed through the Neolithic stage. During 5000 BC people of this place started using pottery. Over the next 2000 years, occupation was sparse and possibly intermittent.

          At the end of the 4th millennium BC, an urban culture once more appeared in Jericho as in the rest of Palestine. Jericho became a walled town again with its walls rebuilt many times. About 2300 BC there was once more a break in the urban life. Jericho of the Crusader period was on yet a third site, a mile east of the Old Testament site and here the modern town grew up. Its major expansion, however, came after its incorporation into Jordan in 1949.

 

What was the French Revolution?

          The French Revolution (1789-93) is one of the greatest landmarks in the history of mankind. It ushered in a new era of liberty, equality and fraternity. The revolution started on 14 July, 1789 in France with the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris. It was a peoples’ revolution that started during the reign of King Louis XVI. It had its roots in the deep resentment of the masses over the rising prices as well as the brutal oppression and exploitation by the aristocrats and the ruling classes.

          King Louis XVI in 1789 tried to solve his financial problems by calling a meeting of the Estates General, the French parliament. When this almost forgotten body met on 5 May 1789 for the first time in 175 years, the third estate (representatives of people) defied the nobles and clergy and declared them as the National Assembly. On 20 June 1789 they took an oath not to disperse until they had given France a constitution which would defend the middle class and peasants against the feudal aristocracy.

 

Continue reading “What was the French Revolution?”