Siege of Antioch, 1098 AD, between Crusaders and Turks, led by Yagi Siyan.
After months of siege, the crusaders bribed a gatekeeper named Firoz.
They then entered the city, at night and massacred every Muslim, Jew they could find.
However, the Crusaders were themselves besieged by Karbogha, a warlord, who came to help the Muslims.
The crusaders tried diplomacy with Karbogha, but it was unsuccessful.
Their supplies were running out and they had only 200 horses left.
At this moment, a pilgrim named Peter Bartholomew came forward claiming to have had visions of St. Andrew, who told him that the Holy Lance was inside the city.
He along with some of his disciplines, went inside the church, dug up the earth and came out with rusty piece of metal
Peter proclaimed that this relic was the holy spear --- the spear that was used to stab Christ's body, as he lay on the cross.
Christians got their mojjo back and with increased religious fervor they decided to attack the Muslims camped outside the city gates.
With the Holy Spear, the Christians opened the city gates, and marched out to confront Karbhoga's arny.
Karbhoga did not attack them at this point, but allowed the Christians to assemble in full battle arrey.
The Christian sources speak of another miracle, which they saw.
The Christians had visions of three saints riding along with them: St. George, St. Mercurius, and St. Demetrius, on white horses & dressed in white.
Karbogha's army didn't attack them piece-meal, but in isolation, & superior Christian discipline routed the disorganized Muslims.
Karbogha's army fled back in terror, and the Crusaders created a Crusader State named 'Principality of Antioch'.
Bohemond of Tarento was given Antioch, which his successors ruled for decades.
End
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The expansion of Mauryan empire towards south has been credited to two kings of the dynasty; Chandragupta or Bindusara.
Ashoka is ruled out because he only conquered Kalinga as per his own admission in RE-XIII, RE Kalsi, etc.
Let's look at Bindusara first.++
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Tārnātha, states that:
"Chanakya accomplished the destruction of the nobles & kings of 16 towns and made Bindusara master of all territory between the eastern and western sea”.
Apart from this, his title 'Amitraghata' = slayer of foes, indicates some forms of conquests. ++
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However, there is rather discouraging evidence against Bindusara's capacity as a conqueror due to following reasons:
a) He was a man of easy going nature & interests mainly in philosophy, wines & figs;
b) There were frequent rebellions in his empire, like Taxila (twice) ++
The thread details the daily routine of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, whose empire stretched from Peshawar to Satluj in the 19th century.
Parts of the thread have taken from accounts of soldiers & diplomats, who spent time with the Maharaja.
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W.G. Osborne- British Military Secretary, spent a month with the Maharaja in 1838 at Dinanagar in Gurdaspur district & noted the routine of the Maharaja.
The Maharaja woke up at 4.30 am during summers & 6 am in winters.
He would start the day with a "brisk gallop at 5 am". ++
On inquiring whether they had breakfast or not, and the reply being in negative, he ordered breakfast to be served at the spot.
The breakfast consisted of rice, curry, sweetmeats, fat cakes stuffed with spices, mango jam and milk.
Moksha: A Charity Event in the Times of Harshavardhan.
The following thread would look at an event named 'Moksha', held every 5 years at Prayaga, under Harsha of Kannauj.
The details of the event have been taken from the writings of Xuanzang, who saw this event in c.639 AD.
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Harsha fixed the place of this event at Prayaga (Prayagraj), at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna, where according to the traditions "it is more advantageous to give one mite in charity, than a thousand in other places."
This 'Arena of Charity’ was the great sandy plain, about 8 kms on the west of confluence, where even to this day is held the most important & numerously attended Hindu religious congregation of India, called the 'Mahakumbh.'