Fascinating History. Interesting Medieval Incidents from Indian and Middle Eastern past.

In this time of 21st century when a direct flight from Melbourne to Islamabad or one from Lahore to Los Angeles, cruising at a 1,000 km/hr takes just about 14 hours, it is hard to imagine what travel was like before the early 19th century pre-railways era when the only means of commuting over land was a cart or a wagon driven by beasts of burden plying at a leisurely speed of 2 to 3 km/hr on uncertain and unpaved roads. This article will study the means of travel in the pre-railways era and evaluate the social conditions in the absence of a safe and reliable travel conditions. Before introduction of railway in 1830, animals -mainly horse, bullock and camel- provided the driving power for wheeled vehicles. Two-wheeled bullock/ox carts were the preferred beasts of burden in the sub-continent because of their better availability and tolerance for hot humid weather. In Europe, the four-wheeled horse driven wagons were more popular because of equine-friendly environment. Animal driven t

The land called Levant, encompassing Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine, is rife with warfare, bloodshed, migrations, bombings and untold miseries for its people. It doesn't have to be so provided that the lessons of history are taken as a guide. In the year 1274 BC, three and a quarter centuries ago, the Egyptian empire located along the River Nile and Hittite empire spread over present day Turkey went to a prolonged war over control of this very area but then negotiated and signed a peace treaty. It was a remarkable diplomatic triumph that assured peace and cooperation between the two nations till Hittite empire disintegrated a century later. We will recount the story of this remarkable treaty. In 1822, the French Egyptologist Jean Francois Champollion decoded the ancient Egyptian writing. One of the texts translated by researchers was 30 lines of writing at the Temple of Karnak on the wall extending south of the Great Hypostyle Hall in present day Luxor on the right bank of