Podcasts about Aral Sea

Dive deep into the critical issue of water scarcity and access to clean water in this episode of English Plus Podcast. Host Danny explores the difference between physical and economic water scarcity, revealing how billions are affected not just by drought, but by lack of infrastructure and investment. Discover the devastating ripple effects on health (waterborne diseases), food security, economic development, global conflict, and the environment. We then shift to solutions, examining infrastructure projects like desalination, the crucial role of conservation in agriculture and homes, and the importance of policy, governance, and education. Featuring real-world case studies like Cape Town's "Day Zero" and the Aral Sea disaster, this episode provides practical steps you can take individually and collectively. Plus, enhance your English! Learn key vocabulary (potable, aquifer, sanitation, conservation), master expressing cause and effect for clearer speaking, and tackle a persuasive writing challenge with targeted grammar tips (modal verbs, conditionals). Finally, engage with thought-provoking discussion questions about responsibility, the price of water, technology vs. behavioral change, and global equity. Join the conversation on englishpluspodcast.com! #WaterScarcity #AccessToCleanWater #SustainableDevelopment #EnglishLearning #Podcast #SocialIssues #ClimateChange #Conservation To unlock full access to all our episodes, consider becoming a premium subscriber on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. And don't forget to visit englishpluspodcast.com for even more content, including articles, in-depth studies, and our brand-new audio series now available in our English Plus Podcast's shop!

Ever heard of the Aral Sea? I thought not.What if we told you that the third-largest lake in the world was turned into a poisonous desert in less than a generation, all by the malicious misuse of biochemical weaponry?Yeah, it's crazy. But the raging nations are capable of much when power and profit are in their grasp.Buckle up for this episode. It is about to get weird.Did you know that supporters of the show at our Sasquatch Photographer Tier and above (yes, that is its actual name) can listen to entire episodes early and ad free? That's right! And that's not all: Patrons at every level gain access to our patron-exclusive show, The Dusty Tome, with bonus stories, Q+A, and more.https://hauntedcosmos.supercast.com/Want to keep nefarious fairy Bigfoots away and also avoid icky seed oils, preservatives, artificial colorants, and other nasties in your daily shower routine? Then check out the vast array of homemade soaps from our friends at Indigo Sundries Soap Co.! Go to http://indigosundriessoap.com to learn more—and as our gift to you, use code HAUNTEDCOSMOS for 10% off your whole order!This episode is sponsored by New Dominion Design Co. Visit their website here and learn more!http://newdominiondesignco.com/This episode is also sponsored by Stonecrop Wealth Advisors! Go to this link to check out their special offers to Haunted Cosmos listeners today.https://stonecropadvisors.com/hauntedcosmosThis episode is also sponsored by the King's Ridge Elderberries! Check them out here and use code HAUNTED for 10% off your first order!https://tkrfarm.com/This episode is sponsored by Squirrelly Joe's Coffee! Visit their website here to get your first bag free!  Share Coffee. Serve Humbly. Live faithfully.https://www.squirrellyjoes.com/hauntedcosmosDesignButter offers mobile, web, and product design for a fixed monthly fee. Check out their services here: https://www.designbutter.com/Finally, this episode is sponsored by Gray Toad Tallow. Visit their website here and use COSMOS15 at checkout for 15% off your order.https://graytoadtallow.com/Support the showSupport the show!

The fashion industry is huge. Fuelled by social media, influencer culture, and powerful marketing, we're constantly tempted to buy new clothes at low prices. But behind these bargains lie devastating consequences for the environment and poor conditions for garment workers. In this episode, James and Daisy dive into our obsession with fast fashion and its hidden costs. What are the environmental impacts of the fashion industry? Do different generations approach fashion differently? What can we do to change our consumption habits? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS:Less – A book by Patrick Grant considering the crisis of consumption and quality in fashion, and how we might make ourselves happier by rediscovering the joy of living with fewer, better-quality things.Let My People Go Surfing – A memoir by Yvon Chouinard, the founder of outdoor clothing company Patagonia.  OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:The Fashion Pact – A non-profit organization forging a nature-positive, net-zero future for fashion, through CEO-led collaboration.WRAP – A global environmental action NGO focused on creating a circular economy for textiles and other industries. Fashion for Good – A global platform for collaborative innovation in the fashion industry. The Australian Wool Industry Insetting Program has recently been launched by Woolmark, Pollination, and Landcare Australia and will connect apparel brands with Australian woolgrowers looking to reduce emissions through nature-based solutions. Mina Guli – CEO of the Thirst Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to increasing awareness, driving stakeholder urgency and delivering meaningful action on fresh water.The Aral Sea was once the world's fourth largest body of inland water but it has shrunk to a tenth of its size over the past fifty years due to human interference, causing severe environmental and social consequences. SAGES is a textile industry start-up that offers a sustainable alternative to the synthetic fabric dyes currently on the market, by turning food waste into natural dyes. They are supported by Undaunted, a hub for the UK's climate innovation community. Grist (2024) – “Shein is officially the biggest polluter in fast fashion. AI is making things worse.” – An article about fast fashion giant, Shein, with some shocking statistics. Ellen MacArthur Foundation – “Every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truck load of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill.” “…in the last 15 years, clothing production has approximately doubled.”thredUP (2022) – “1 in 3 Gen Z say they feel addicted to fast fashion.”UNEP – “About 60 per cent of material made into clothing is plastic, which includes polyester, acrylic and nylon textiles.”Earth.Org (2025) – “The the industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.”McKinsey (2025) – “The fashion industry is worth around $1.7 trillion and over 300 million people work across its global supply chains.” McKinsey research also indicates that most fashion brands could reduce their emissions by more than 60 percent for less thatn 1 to 2 percent of their revenues. Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokMusic: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3Producer: Podshop StudiosHuge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

Efforts to restore the Aral Sea region are offering new hope. Once the world's fourth-largest lake, the Aral Sea, located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, has shrunk dramatically over the past 50 years due to river diversion for irrigation, primarily for cotton farming. This environmental disaster transformed the area into the Aralkum Desert, marked by saline soil, toxic dust storms, and harsher climates. Restoration projects are now taking root—literally. Environmental experts are planting black saxaul trees in the dried seabed as part of the Oasis project. These trees help stabilize the soil, reduce harmful dust, and combat desertification. Additionally, sustainable agriculture initiatives are introducing salt-tolerant crops and researching water-efficient irrigation to support local farming. The efforts aim to create resilient landscapes and raise global awareness about climate restoration. Villages once near the sea are now barren, but with these projects, there's hope for revitalization. If successful, these methods could inspire solutions in other regions grappling with desertification and climate challenges. The Aral Sea's story serves as a stark reminder of human impact on nature—and the power of collective action to heal it.

We go to the borders between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan to see the dried up shores of what was once one of the largest lakes in the world, the Aral Sea. Mismanagement of the rivers that fed the sea because of demand for irrigation in the dry region, caused the Aral Sea to slowly disappear. And now an irrigation project being undertaken by the Taliban government in Afghanistan threatens to disrupt the ecological and economic balance of one of the main sources of water in the region.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Aral Sea was once the fourth-largest lake in the world, but today all that remains of it is a vast desert wasteland. In the 1950s, the Soviet Union began diverting the rivers that fed the Aral Sea for cotton production, and over time, it dried out. Sixty years later, it has lost 90 percent of its volume, which is having a devastating impact on local communities. Yet some are trying their best to bounce back from this man-made ecological disaster. Our France 2 colleagues travelled to the vast reaches of the Aral Sea to meet some of these tenacious individuals. They bring us this report, with FRANCE 24's Lauren Bain.

The first elections in a decade are underway in Kashmir. In Nigeria severe flooding has destroyed homes and livelihoods in Borno state. In the UK plans to remove cars from Oxford Street have caused a political rift, and in Kazakhstan efforts are underway to revive the Aral Sea which has been partially destroyed by aggressive agricultural practice

In Central Asia, the world's youngest desert occupies a basin that once held a vast saline lake. The Aral Sea. Up until the 1960s, the sea spanned more than 26 thousand square miles across two countries. It supported thriving fishing communities along its shores. But then, in the name of progress and development, much of the river water that fed the sea was diverted for agriculture. Now the Aral Sea has all but disappeared, shrunk to about tenth of its original size. The UN Environment Programme has called the Aral Sea's destruction quote "one of the most staggering disasters of the 20th century." On this episode of The Sunday Story, Above The Fray Fellow Valerie Kipnis takes us to the Aral Sea to try to understand what went wrong and whether anything can be done to save the little water that's left.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Our lives are filled with dust: on our desks, under our couches, and in the air we breathe. If we're very unlucky—like the residents of Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico—it includes uranium blowing off heaps of mining waste. Or the carbon particles carried along by the wood smoke of forest fires. Or microplastics rubbing off car brakes and tires as we screech across the 120 million miles of road in the world. Or a sandy cloud from the Sahara Desert, blowing across the ocean. You get the picture: dust coats the planet, and for the past few centuries, we've been the progenitors of increasing amounts of it. In her book Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion Particles, the London-based writer and researcher Jay Owens argues that we ignore these tiniest byproducts at our own peril, and she demonstrates their consequences in a variety of places: a California lake drained to service LA in the 1930s, the cracked bed of the Aral Sea, icy Greenland, and smog-choked Tudor England.Go beyond the episode:Jay Owens's Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion ParticlesSand is a kind of dust—and we're running out of itJorge Otero-Pailos's series The Ethics of Dust uses the latex sheets that conservationists use to clean grimy stoneworkJohn Evelyn's extraordinary 1661 treatise on air pollution, Fumifugium: or, The inconveniencie of the aer and smoak of London dissipated together with some remedies humbly proposed by J.E. esq. to His Sacred Majestie, and to the Parliament now assembledOwens Lake returnsTune in every (other) week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek and sponsored by the Phi Beta Kappa Society.Subscribe: iTunes/Apple • Amazon • Google • Acast • Pandora • RSS FeedHave suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team investigates a newly uncovered island in the Aral Sea which contains a stone staircase leading into the earth. [Note: Nikolai disappears in the middle of the sesssion for a while but he does return by the end. We apologize for the inconvenience.] For comments or questions, email utopologist@protonmail.com. Listen to Lina's labor news podcast Work Stoppage and find Johnny's show Subversive History on his Linktree. Talk with other listeners in the Work Stoppage discord. Music used in this episode can be found at redgametable.com. The pdf of version 1.5 of Matryoshka: Cosmic Horror Investigation in the Cold War USSR can be downloaded at utopologist.itch.io/matryoshka. It's pay-what-you-want, so if you want the book but can't pay anything, you are just as welcome to the book as anyone.

Spain, Ireland and Norway say they will recognize a Palestinian state on May 28. They will join 139 countries who have already taken the step. Also, a court has ruled that greenhouse gasses are a form of marine pollution, laying out legal obligations for governments. And, the Aral Sea, which spans the borders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, used to be the fourth largest lake on the planet but changed under Soviet policies. An engineering project turned things around, but the progress is once again on shaky ground. Plus,  Jenny Erpenback's novel “Kairos” becomes the first translated German work to win the International Booker Prize.

Filmmaker Saodat Ismailova traces stories of spirituality, dissent, and environmental extraction around the Aral Sea from post-Soviet Uzbekistan and Central Asia, via Melted into the Sun (2024). Uzbekistan is at the crossroads of diverse material histories and migratory legacies. Part of ‘Central Asia' - first defined by the Prussian geographer Alexander von Humboldt in 1843 - the region was governed by the Uzbek branch of the Soviet Russian Communist Party in the 20th century, until the Union's collapse in 1990. As one of the first gener­ations of post-Soviet Central Asian contemporary artists, Saodat Ismailova often draws on shared traditions and transnational connections with groups including Uyghurs in China, to Arabic communities further west, distinguishing between migration and displacement in her practice. From her documentary, Aral: Fishing in an Invisible Sea (2004), to her more recent works on Chillpiq, we discuss the cultural importance of water in this double landlocked country; the Aral Sea, now the Aral Desert, was one of the world's largest lakes until the Soviet government steadily diverted its water sources, reducing it to 10% of its original size. Her most recent film focusses on Al-Muqanna (The Veiled One), an 8th century textile dyer and alchemist who became a ‘protosocialist' political revolutionary in now-Iran. We consider the syncretism of religions and faiths including Islam, Zoroastrianism and Mazdakism, Buddhism, and Christianity, as evidence of cosmopolitan coexistence within empires, and how this figure was appropriated in 20th century communist propaganda. Saodat shares her interests in oriental classical music, and improvision within maqam and raga, as living archives ‘deadened' by notation, alongside archaeology, and the number 40. We discuss her collaborative practice with Davra Collective at documenta in Kassel. From her first residency with Fabrica, to her participation in the Venice Biennale in 2013 as part of the Central Asian Pavilion, Saodat explains her long connection with Italy, ‘the start of her life in Europe'. Saodat Ismailova's film, Melted into the Sun (2024), is on view as part of Nebula, produced by Fondazione In Between Art Film, which runs at Complesso dell'Ospedaletto in Venice until 24 November 2024. Part of EMPIRE LINES at Venice, a series of episodes leading to Foreigners Everywhere (Stranieri Ovunque), the 60th Venice Biennale or International Art Exhibition in Italy, in April 2024. For more about Zoroastrianism, listen to Dr. Talinn Grigor on Persian Revival architecture, and Parsi patronage in India, via the Vatcha Adaran Zoroastrian Fire Temple in Bombay (Mumbai) (1881). On music, memory, and history, hear Barbican curator Eleanor Nairne on Julianknxx's Chorus in Rememory of Flight (2023), and Professor Paul Gilroy, on The Black Atlantic (1993-Now). Find out more about textiles and embroidery across Central and South West Asia and North Africa with Rachel Dedman, curator of Material Power: Palestinian Embroidery at Kettle's Yard in Cambridge and the Whitworth in Manchester: On an ⁠UNRWA Dress from Ramallah, Palestine (1930s)⁠, on EMPIRE LINES. On the exhibition more widely, in this gowithYamo article. Hear Nil Yalter, awardee of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale in 2024, and fellow Paris-practicing artist, at Ab Anbar during London Gallery Weekend 2023, with ⁠Exile is a Hard Job (1974-Now)⁠. WITH: Saodat Ismailova, filmmaker and artist who lives and works between Tashkent, Uzbekistan and Paris, France. She is the initiator of the educational program CCA Lab, Tashkent Film Encounters, and the DAVRA research group, which is dedicated to studying, documenting, and disseminating Central Asian culture and knowledge. PRODUCER: Jelena Sofronijevic. Follow EMPIRE LINES on Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/empirelinespodcast⁠ And Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/jelsofron/status/1306563558063271936⁠ Support EMPIRE LINES on Patreon: ⁠patreon.com/empirelines

Journey into the bizarre with The Box of Oddities podcast as we unravel four intriguing tales from around the globe. Join hosts Kat and Jethro as they explore the enigmatic life of Karolina Olsson, delve into the courageous actions of Miriam Rodriguez, uncover the mysteries of Barsa-Kelmes, and reveal the remarkable financial autonomy of the Order of Poor Claires. Karolina Olsson's story begins with whispers of an unusual affliction that plagued her, leading to a series of perplexing events that continue to baffle historians to this day. Then, learn about Miriam Rodriguez, a fearless woman who took justice into her own hands after facing tragedy, sparking a debate on the blurred lines between vengeance and righteousness. Next, brace yourself for the chilling tale of Barsa-Kelmes, the mysterious island of no return lurking amidst the desolate expanse of Kazakhstan's Aral Sea. Hear tales of vanished civilizations, eerie landscapes, and inexplicable phenomena that have shrouded this island in an aura of intrigue for centuries. And finally, discover the intriguing financial practices of the Order of Poor Claires, an ancient sisterhood that defied societal norms to gain control over their economic destinies, showcasing the power of determination and faith in the face of adversity. Join us for a spellbinding journey through the extraordinary and the unexplained, only on The Box of Oddities podcast. Tune in now to satisfy your curiosity and uncover the secrets of the world's most peculiar phenomena. This Box contains the following ingredients: Karolina Olsson, Miriam Rodriguez, Barsa-Kelmes, Order of Poor Claires, mysteries, enigmatic, bizarre, vigilante justice, financial autonomy, unusual affliction, vanished civilizations, Kazakhstan, Aral Sea, sisterhood, determination, faith, unexplained. If you would like to advertise on The Box of Oddities, contact sales@advertisecast.com http://www.airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tribal officials and environmental justice groups have opposed three hydroelectric pumps in the Black Mesa region, saying the project would deplete already small groundwater reserves. Federal officials denied the project last week. Plus: Utahns shut down traffic in Salt Lake City in support of Palestine, conservation groups critique a new plan to help native fish in the Grand Canyon, and the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan offers a potential solution for how to save a shrinking Great Salt Lake.  // Show Notes: https://www.kzmu.org/feds-deny-hydroelectric-project-in-black-mesa/

The Great Salt Lake in Utah is often compared to a lake in Central Asia: the Aral sea. Back in the 80s, the Aral Sea dried up so much it caused toxic dust storms - a problem Utah also faces. But the Aral Sea offers a potential solution for how to save a shrinking lake.

“Not everyone who's lucky is talented and not everyone who's talented is lucky.”  –Tom Bissell In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Tom talk about Tom's lack of travel experience when he joined the Peace Corps, and how he dealt with his early failures (2:30); the role that luck (as well as craft and obsessive reading) has played in his writing career (8:00); how, as a writer, to turn real-life people, including yourself, into convincingly human and honest nonfiction "characters" (16:00); Tom "failures" as a writer, the challenges of screenwriting, and the difficulty of writing books that sell (38:30); the book that Tom is most proud of, and how to get out of the success/failure dichotomy as a creative person (47:00); plus a post-interview segment about drinking in Paris (56:00). Tom Bissell is an American author, journalist, critic, and screenwriter. He is the author of such books as Chasing the Sea, Apostle, God Lives in St. Petersburg, Extra Lives, and The Disaster Artist. Notable Links: Rolf's Paris travel memoir workshops (annual classes) Salt and Fire (2016 Werner Herzog movie) Star Wars: Andor (TV series) Harper's Magazine (literary publication) Aral Sea (endorheic lake in central Asia) Steven Soderbergh (American film director) Ryszard Kapuściński (Polish journalist and author) A Sense of Direction, by Gideon Lewis-Kraus (travel memoir) "War Zones for Idiots", by Tom Bissell (essay) Lucasfilm (American film and TV company) Tony Gilroy (American screenwriter) Michael Clayton (2007 legal thriller movie) Greg Sestero (American actor and model) Tommy Wiseau (Polish-American filmmaker) The Room (film regarded as the worst movie ever made) Creative Types, by Tom Bissell (short story collection) The Father of All Things:, by Tom Bissell (memoir) Heraclitus (ancient Greek philosopher) Stoicism (school of Hellenistic philosophy) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (Russian writer and dissident) The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel's 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don't host a “comments” section, but we're happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

携手建设守望相助、共同发展、普遍安全、世代友好的中国－中亚命运共同体Working Together for a China-Central Asia Community with a Shared Future Featuring Mutual Assistance, Common Development, Universal Security, and Everlasting Friendship ——在中国－中亚峰会上的主旨讲话（2023年5月19日） 中华人民共和国主席 习近平 Keynote Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping President of the People's Republic of China At the China-Central Asia Summit 19 May 2023尊敬的各位同事，女士们，先生们，朋友们：Distinguished Colleagues,Ladies and Gentlemen,Friends,欢迎大家来到西安，出席中国－中亚峰会，共商中国同中亚五国合作大计。I'd like to welcome you all to Xi'an for the China-Central Asia Summit to explore together ways for closer cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries. 西安古称长安，是中华文明和中华民族的重要发祥地之一，也是古丝绸之路的东方起点。2100多年前，中国汉代使者张骞自长安出发，出使西域，打开了中国同中亚友好交往的大门。千百年来，中国同中亚各族人民一道推动了丝绸之路的兴起和繁荣，为世界文明交流交融、丰富发展作出了历史性贡献。中国唐代诗人李白曾有过“长安复携手，再顾重千金”的诗句。今天我们在西安相聚，续写千年友谊，开辟崭新未来，具有十分重要的意义。Xi'an, known as Chang'an in ancient times, is an important cradle of the Chinese civilization and nation. It is also the starting point of the ancient Silk Road on the east end. Over 2,100 years ago, Zhang Qian, a Han Dynasty envoy, made his journey to the West from Chang'an, opening the door to the friendship and exchanges between China and Central Asia. With their joint endeavor of hundreds of years, Chinese and Central Asian peoples made the Silk Road expand and prosper, a historic contribution to the interaction, integration, enrichment and development of world civilizations. The Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai (701-761) once wrote, “In Chang'an we meet again, worthy of more than a thousand pieces of gold.” Our gathering in Xi'an today to renew our millennia-old friendship and open up new vistas for the future is of very important significance.2013年，我担任中国国家主席后首次出访中亚，提出共建“丝绸之路经济带”倡议。10年来，中国同中亚国家携手推动丝绸之路全面复兴，倾力打造面向未来的深度合作，将双方关系带入一个崭新时代。Back in 2013, I put forward the initiative of jointly building a Silk Road Economic Belt during my first visit to Central Asia as Chinese president. Over the past decade, China and Central Asian countries have worked closely together to fully revive the Silk Road and actively deepen future-oriented cooperation, steering our relations into a new era.横跨天山的中吉乌公路，征服帕米尔高原的中塔公路，穿越茫茫大漠的中哈原油管道、中国－中亚天然气管道，就是当代的“丝路”；日夜兼程的中欧班列，不绝于途的货运汽车，往来不歇的空中航班，就是当代的“驼队”；寻觅商机的企业家，抗击新冠疫情的医护人员，传递友谊之声的文化工作者，上下求索的留学生，就是当代的友好使者。The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway that runs across the Tianshan Mountain, the China-Tajikistan expressway that defies the Pamir Plateau, and the China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline and the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline that traverse the vast desert — they are the present-day Silk Road. The China-Europe Railway Express operating around the clock, the endless streams of freight trucks, and crisscrossing flights — they are the present-day camel caravans. Entrepreneurs seeking business opportunities, health workers fighting the COVID-19, cultural workers delivering message of friendship, and international students pursuing further education — they are the present-day goodwill ambassadors.中国同中亚国家关系有着深厚的历史渊源、广泛的现实需求、坚实的民意基础，在新时代焕发出勃勃生机和旺盛活力。The China-Central Asia relationship is steeped in history, driven by broad actual needs, and built on solid popular support. Our relations are brimming with vigor and vitality in the new era.各位同事！Colleagues,当前，百年变局加速演进，世界之变、时代之变、历史之变正以前所未有的方式展开。中亚是亚欧大陆的中心，处在联通东西、贯穿南北的十字路口。Transformations of the world unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace. Changes of the world, of our times, and of the historical trajectory are taking place in ways like never before. Central Asia, the center of the Eurasian continent, is at a crossroads connecting the East and West, the South and North. 世界需要一个稳定的中亚。中亚国家主权、安全、独立、领土完整必须得到维护，中亚人民自主选择的发展道路必须得到尊重，中亚地区致力于和平、和睦、安宁的努力必须得到支持。The world needs a stable Central Asia. The sovereignty, security, independence and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries must be upheld; their people's choice of development paths must be respected; and their efforts for peace, harmony and tranquility must be supported.世界需要一个繁荣的中亚。一个充满活力、蒸蒸日上的中亚，将实现地区各国人民对美好生活的向往，也将为世界经济复苏发展注入强劲动力。The world needs a prosperous Central Asia. A dynamic and prospering Central Asia will help people in the region achieve their aspiration for a better life. It will also lend strong impetus to global economic recovery.世界需要一个和谐的中亚。“兄弟情谊胜过一切财富”。民族冲突、宗教纷争、文化隔阂不是中亚的主调，团结、包容、和睦才是中亚人民的追求。任何人都无权在中亚制造不和、对立，更不应该从中谋取政治私利。The world needs a harmonious Central Asia. As a Central Asian saying goes, “Brotherhood is more precious than any treasure.” Ethnic conflicts, religious strife, and cultural estrangement are not the defining feature of the region. Instead, solidarity, inclusiveness, and harmony are the pursuits of the Central Asian people. No one has the right to sow discord or stoke confrontation in the region, let alone seek selfish political interests.世界需要一个联通的中亚。中亚拥有得天独厚的地理优势，有基础、有条件、有能力成为亚欧大陆重要的互联互通枢纽，为世界商品交换、文明交流、科技发展作出中亚贡献。The world needs an interconnected Central Asia. Blessed with unique geographical advantages, Central Asia has the right foundation, condition and capability to become an important connectivity hub of Eurasia and make unique contribution to the trading of goods, the interplay of civilizations and the development of science and technology in the world.各位同事！Colleagues,去年，我们举行庆祝中国同中亚五国建交30周年视频峰会时，共同宣布建设中国－中亚命运共同体。这是我们在新的时代背景下，着眼各国人民根本利益和光明未来，作出的历史性选择。建设中国－中亚命运共同体，要做到四个坚持。At the virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Central Asian countries held last year, we jointly announced our vision of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future. It was a historic choice made for the fundamental interests and bright future of our peoples in the new era. In building this community, we need to stay committed to four principles.一是坚持守望相助。我们要深化战略互信，在涉及主权、独立、民族尊严、长远发展等核心利益问题上，始终给予彼此明确、有力支持，携手建设一个守望相助、团结互信的共同体。First, mutual assistance. It is important that we deepen strategic mutual trust, and always give each other unequivocal and strong support on issues concerning our core interests such as sovereignty, independence, national dignity, and long-term development. We should work together to ensure that our community features mutual assistance, solidarity, and mutual trust.二是坚持共同发展。我们要继续在共建“一带一路”合作方面走在前列，推动落实全球发展倡议，充分释放经贸、产能、能源、交通等传统合作潜力，打造金融、农业、减贫、绿色低碳、医疗卫生、数字创新等新增长点，携手建设一个合作共赢、相互成就的共同体。Second, common development. It is important that we continue to set the pace for Belt and Road cooperation and deliver on the Global Development Initiative. We should fully unlock our potentials in traditional areas of cooperation such as economy, trade, industrial capacity, energy and transportation. And we should forge new drivers of growth in finance, agriculture, poverty reduction, green and low-carbon development, medical service, health, and digital innovation. We should work together to ensure that our community features win-win cooperation and common progress.三是坚持普遍安全。我们要共同践行全球安全倡议，坚决反对外部势力干涉地区国家内政、策动“颜色革命”，保持对“三股势力”零容忍，着力破解地区安全困境，携手建设一个远离冲突、永沐和平的共同体。Third, universal security. It is important that we act on the Global Security Initiative, and stand firm against external attempts to interfere in domestic affairs of regional countries or instigate color revolutions. We should remain zero-tolerant to the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and strive to resolve security conundrums in the region. We should work together to ensure that our community features no-conflict and enduring peace.四是坚持世代友好。我们要践行全球文明倡议，赓续传统友谊，密切人员往来，加强治国理政经验交流，深化文明互鉴，增进相互理解，筑牢中国同中亚国家人民世代友好的基石，携手建设一个相知相亲、同心同德的共同体。Fourth, everlasting friendship. It is important that we implement the Global Civilization Initiative, carry forward our traditional friendship, and enhance people-to-people exchanges. We should do more to share our experience in governance, deepen cultural mutual learning, increase mutual understanding, and cement the foundation of the everlasting friendship between the Chinese and Central Asian peoples. We should work together to ensure that our community features close affinity and shared conviction.各位同事！Colleagues,这次峰会为中国同中亚合作搭建了新平台，开辟了新前景。中方愿以举办这次峰会为契机，同各方密切配合，将中国－中亚合作规划好、建设好、发展好。Our Summit has created a new platform and opened up new prospects for China-Central Asia cooperation. China will take this as an opportunity to step up coordination with all parties for good planning, development and progress of China-Central Asia cooperation.一是加强机制建设。我们已经成立外交、经贸、海关等会晤机制和实业家委员会。中方还倡议成立产业与投资、农业、交通、应急管理、教育、政党等领域会晤和对话机制，为各国开展全方位互利合作搭建广泛平台。First, we need to strengthen institutional building. We have set up meeting mechanisms on foreign affairs, economy, trade and customs, as well as a business council. China has also proposed establishment of meeting and dialogue mechanisms on industry and investment, agriculture, transportation, emergency response, education, and political parties, which will be platforms for all-round mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries.二是拓展经贸关系。中方将出台更多贸易便利化举措，升级双边投资协定，实现双方边境口岸农副产品快速通关“绿色通道”全覆盖，举办“聚合中亚云品”主题活动，打造大宗商品交易中心，推动贸易规模迈上新台阶。Second, we need to expand economic and trade ties. China will take more trade facilitation measures, upgrade bilateral investment treaties, and open “green lanes” for streamlined customs clearance of agricultural and sideline products at all border ports between China and Central Asian countries. China will also hold a live-streaming sales event to further promote Central Asian products, and build a commodities trading center. All this is part of an effort to push two-way trade to new heights.三是深化互联互通。中方将全面提升跨境运输过货量，支持跨里海国际运输走廊建设，提升中吉乌、中塔乌公路通行能力，推进中吉乌铁路项目对接磋商。加快现有口岸现代化改造，增开别迭里口岸，大力推进航空运输市场开放，发展地区物流网络。加强中欧班列集结中心建设，鼓励优势企业在中亚国家建设海外仓，构建综合数字服务平台。Third, we need to deepen connectivity. China will strive to increase the volume of cross-border cargo transportation, support the development of the trans-Caspian international transport corridor, enhance the traffic capacity of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway and the China-Tajikistan-Uzbekistan highway, and move forward consultations on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. China will seek to modernize the existing border ports at a faster pace, open a new border port at Biedieli, promote the opening of the air transportation market, and build a regional logistics network. China will also step up the development of China-Europe Railway Express assembly centers, encourage capable enterprises to build overseas warehouses in Central Asian countries, and build a comprehensive digital service platform.四是扩大能源合作。中方倡议建立中国－中亚能源发展伙伴关系，加快推进中国－中亚天然气管道D线建设，扩大双方油气贸易规模，发展能源全产业链合作，加强新能源与和平利用核能合作。Fourth, we need to expand energy cooperation. China would like to propose that we establish a China-Central Asia energy development partnership. We should expedite the construction of Line D of the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline, expand trade in oil and gas, pursue cooperation throughout the energy industrial chains, and strengthen cooperation on new energy and peaceful use of nuclear energy.五是推进绿色创新。中方愿同中亚国家在盐碱地治理开发、节水灌溉等领域开展合作，共同建设旱区农业联合实验室，推动解决咸海生态危机，支持在中亚建立高技术企业、信息技术产业园。中方欢迎中亚国家参与可持续发展技术、创新创业、空间信息科技等“一带一路”专项合作计划。Fifth, we need to promote green innovation. China will work with Central Asian countries to conduct cooperation in such areas as improvement and utilization of saline-alkali land and water-saving irrigation, build together a joint laboratory on agriculture in arid lands, and tackle the ecological crisis of the Aral Sea. China supports establishing high-tech firms and IT industrial parks in Central Asia. China also welcomes Central Asian countries to participate in special cooperation programs under the Belt and Road Initiative, including programs on sustainable development technologies, innovation and start-up, and spatial information science and technology.六是提升发展能力。中方将制定中国同中亚国家科技减贫专项合作计划，实施“中国－中亚技术技能提升计划”，在中亚国家设立更多鲁班工坊，鼓励在中亚的中资企业为当地提供更多就业机会。为助力中国同中亚国家合作和中亚国家自身发展，中方将向中亚国家提供总额260亿元人民币的融资支持和无偿援助。Sixth, we need to enhance capabilities for development. China will formulate a China-Central Asia special cooperation program for poverty reduction through science and technology, implement the “China-Central Asia technology and skills improvement scheme”, set up more Luban Workshops in Central Asian countries, and encourage Chinese companies in Central Asia to create more local jobs. To bolster our cooperation and Central Asian development, China will provide Central Asian countries with a total of 26 billion RMB yuan of financing support and grant.七是加强文明对话。中方邀请中亚国家参与“文化丝路”计划，将在中亚设立更多传统医学中心，加快互设文化中心，继续向中亚国家提供政府奖学金名额，支持中亚国家高校加入“丝绸之路大学联盟”，办好中国同中亚国家人民文化艺术年和中国－中亚媒体高端对话交流活动，推动开展“中国－中亚文化和旅游之都”评选活动、开行面向中亚的人文旅游专列。Seventh, we need to strengthen dialogue between civilizations. China invites Central Asian countries to take part in the “Cultural Silk Road” program, and will set up more traditional medicine centers in Central Asia. We will speed up establishment of cultural centers in each other's countries. China will continue to provide government scholarships for Central Asian countries, and support their universities in joining the University Alliance of the Silk Road. We will ensure the success of the Year of Culture and Arts for the Peoples of China and Central Asian Countries as well as the China-Central Asia high-level media dialogue. We will launch the “China-Central Asia Cultural and Tourism Capital” program, and open special train services for cultural tourism in Central Asia.八是维护地区和平。中方愿帮助中亚国家加强执法安全和防务能力建设，支持各国自主维护地区安全和反恐努力，开展网络安全合作。继续发挥阿富汗邻国协调机制作用，共同推动阿富汗和平重建。Eighth, we need to safeguard peace in the region. China is ready to help Central Asian countries strengthen capacity building on law enforcement, security and defense, support their independent efforts to safeguard regional security and fight terrorism, and work with them to promote cyber-security. We will continue to leverage the role of the coordination mechanism among Afghanistan's neighbors, and jointly promote peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan.各位同事！Colleagues,去年十月，中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会成功召开，明确了全面建成社会主义现代化强国、实现第二个百年奋斗目标、以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴的中心任务，绘就了中国未来发展的宏伟蓝图。我们愿同中亚国家加强现代化理念和实践交流，推进发展战略对接，为合作创造更多机遇，协力推动六国现代化进程。Last October, the Communist Party of China successfully held its 20th National Congress, which laid out the central task of realizing the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. It is a grand blueprint for China's future development. We will strengthen theoretical and practical exchanges with Central Asian countries on modernization, synergize our development strategies, create more opportunities for cooperation, and jointly advance the modernization process of our six countries.各位同事！Colleagues,中国陕西有句农谚，“只要功夫深，土里出黄金”。中亚谚语也说，“付出就有回报，播种就能收获”。让我们携手并肩，团结奋斗，积极推进共同发展、共同富裕、共同繁荣，共同迎接六国更加美好的明天！There is a proverb popular among farmers in Shaanxi province, “If you work hard enough, gold will grow out of the land.” In the same vein, a Central Asian saying goes, “You get rewarded if you give, and you harvest if you sow.” Let us work closely together to pursue common development, common affluence, and common prosperity, and embrace a brighter future for our six countries!谢谢大家。Thank you.来源：新华社

At the start of the 20th century, the world's third-largest lake was located in Central Asia. It had been known to the people of the Asian steppes for thousands of years.  However, by the end of the 20th century, the lake had all but disappeared.  Somehow, over the course of a century, one of the world's largest bodies of fresh water had all but vanished, stranding the many ships which once sailed the lake. Learn more about the Aral Sea and how it disappeared on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsor BetterHelp is an online platform that provides therapy and counseling services to individuals in need of mental health support. The platform offers a range of communication methods, including chat, phone, and video sessions with licensed and accredited therapists who specialize in different areas, such as depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/Everywhere If you're looking for a simpler and cost-effective supplement routine, Athletic Greens is giving you a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com/EVERYWHERE.  Subscribe to the podcast!  https://link.chtbl.com/EverythingEverywhere?sid=ShowNotes -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Peter Bennett & Thor Thomsen   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Update your podcast app at newpodcastapps.com Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few years ago, writer and journalist Kurt Johnson set off on a mission to explore the legacy of the Soviet union. He travelled through a dozen countries, following 'a wake of a Soviet ship' — from the now dead Aral Sea in Uzbekistan to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. His book The Red Wake was later published by Penguin Random house . - Несколько лет назад австралиец Курт Джонсон задался вопросом изучить наследние «советского проекта». Он проехал по десятку стран, вдоль по кильватерному следу советского корабля: от погибшего Аральского моря до Чернобыльской АЭС. После в издательстве Random House вышла его книга The Red Wake.

Joy is...Staying Alive.At any moment, life could change in an instant. When that happens, what do you do? Anson Mackay is someone who inspires me on a pretty much daily basis. Up until their retirement in April 2022, they were a Professor at University College London, specialising in paleoecology, and have worked for over 30 years on assessing human and climatic impacts on some of the world's most important freshwater ecosystems, including Lake Baikal and the Aral Sea in central Asia, and the Okavango Delta in Southern Africa. Having come out in the 1980s, when the AIDS crisis was in full flow and marches and protests were rallying against Section 28, a piece of homophobic legislation in the UK, they are a passionate advocate for the queer community and pushing for a more equitable and compassionate society. They like running a lot. So much so that they have completed several 100-miler races, most recently the gruelling Arc of Attrition: a perilous winter traverse of the Southwest Coat Path. For many, that would be challenge enough for one life; however, Anson's vibrant light shines all the brighter against the shade of the reality of existing with Stage 4-HPV related cancer. Anson carries themself with grace, humility and dignity, and it is with great generosity that they share their potent story. In essence, it's a very real conversation about death. More than that, however, it's an affirmative celebration of the gorgeous, fragile fluidity of the human spirit. Anson is the kind of person who makes you realise what it is to love and that gratitude, positivity and compassion are what life is about. Each day is a miracle and that is an incredibly exciting thing.About: about.me/ansonmackayBlog: www.ansonmackay.com/blogInsta: @ansonmackay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As space enthusiasts and entrepreneurs look to expand human civilization to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, few stop to examine the geopolitical risks of space colonization or the opportunity costs of not fixing problems on Earth. While most Faster, Please! guests advocate further expansion into space, Daniel Deudney offers a different perspective. Deudney is a professor of political science, international relations, and political theory at Johns Hopkins University. He's the author of several books, including Dark Skies: Space Expansionism, Planetary Geopolitics, and the Ends of Humanity, released in March of 2020.This interview was first released in June 2021 for my AEI podcast, Political Economy, and now I'm sharing it with subscribers to Faster, Please! (Unfortunately, our chat preceded my viewing and reading of The Expanse, which does a great job suggesting Deudney's concerns.)In This Episode* Space expansionism and its dangers (1:24)* Space infrastructure (13:57)* Hedging existential risk (18:13)* Principles for space policy (30:40)Below is an edited transcript of our conversation.Space expansionism and its dangersJames Pethokoukis: My listeners love when I read during these podcasts. I'm going to start by reading two quotes. The first quote is from Elon Musk:“You want to wake up in the morning and think the future is going to be great – and that's what being a spacefaring civilization is all about. It's about believing in the future and thinking that the future will be better than the past. And I can't think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars.”Quote two is from the Blue Origin website:“Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos with the vision of enabling a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes that humanity will need to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space.”Now, I think you would probably call both those visions “space expansionist”. But that is not your vision, right? So what don't you like about those visions?Daniel Deudney: Well, Musk and Bezos articulate a vision of space expansionism that was first articulated early in the 20th century and has been subsequently developed. Bezos was actually a student of Gerard O'Neill, who was one of the main visionaries of space colonization in the United States during the 1970s. So they're articulating a central set of ideas that is held by a large number of people, both in the United States and globally. And my book, Dark Skies, is really a systematic evaluation of the actual impact of space activities to date and a critical assessment of the likely impacts of many of these yet unrealized projects.So to start with the historical record, this is not a simple task because space is just a place. And so there's a heterogeneity of activities that have gone on there. So it's like summing up apples, light bulbs, and grenades. But the standard narrative of space activities to date, I argue, is woefully inaccurate. It leaves out one of our major space programs — and, depending on how you count, perhaps our major space program and arguably our most consequential space program — which is the use of ballistic missiles to deliver thermonuclear weapons at global distances in very short periods of time.The standard definition of space weapons is that they are weapons used against objects in orbit or placed in orbit. That's completely insufficient because it leaves out the use of the frictionless environment of space as a corridor for rapid bombardment at distance. And so I say that we have this major space program that we don't acknowledge as a space program. It's what would be called an “unknown known.” Everyone knows that these exist, but they get misplaced or miscategorized. And if we put ballistic missiles back into the ledger sheet for an assessment of space activities to date, I have to conclude that the impact has been to increase the probability of nuclear war, which would obviously be a civilizational, perhaps existential, catastrophe for humanity. Take the Cuban Missile Crisis. The fact that these weapons move so rapidly — are so difficult to intercept — has created this unprecedented situation of vulnerability.And this really points to a more general fallacy of this very optimistic thinking about space, which is to simply neglect the violence potential and the tendencies for this violence potential to be harnessed. It's like they think that space is good, and if something is not good, then it can't be involved in space. The reality is that this major space program (that we don't acknowledge as such) has been a major negative in terms of the survival of our civilization. And so the first step for the space expansionist, I think, is really to be a bit more realistic and accurate about what they've actually done and the inherently enormous violence potential involved in this domain.Is that your primary critique then? I mean, those are two very attractive visions. And is your main critique that they are just utterly ignoring how it could all go wrong? That they're only viewing this as creating a space economy, creating space hotels, creating lunar or Mars colonies, or deflecting asteroids — but they're ignoring how all these technologies could be used for ill?Yeah, that's a general summation. The first key point is the ballistic missiles and space weapons. And then, looking at the larger future set of agendas that they advocate, colonization sits really at the center of it — millions, billions, or trillions of people living in space to make humanity a multi-planetary species. And their seemingly ace-in-the-hole argument is that the Earth is fragile — it's vulnerable, it's subject to all sorts of disasters. And therefore, we need to get all of our eggs out of this one frail basket.Seems like a good argument.At its surface, it does. And as they say, the reason the dinosaurs went extinct is because they didn't have a space program.So let's look at what would be entailed in humanity becoming a multi-planetary species: colonization of Mars, colonization of asteroids, and so forth. This would almost certainly produce an interstate anarchy. The assumption that the advocates make, and I think it's well-founded, is that any colony which is big enough to provide existential risk insurance will be big enough to become politically independent. And once it becomes politically independent, we have to expect the same types of dynamics that have been characteristic of Earth history and interstate anarchy.Then we read the terrain, and we see immediately that it's got this inherently enormous violence potential. And that's because these objects — asteroids, even space debris — are moving so rapidly. The reason these asteroids are so destructive when they strike the Earth is not because of their mass, but because of their mass combined with their velocity. And so this is an environment that is inherently far more violent than any environment that we have dealt with on the Earth.So I asked the question: What is going to be the likelihood that we'll have — as we have on Earth — wars and violent rivalries in what I call the Solar Archipelago? One factor, of course, would be the issues of mutual vulnerability, which I argue would be extremely high. The ratio of destructive capacity, like on Earth with nuclear weapons, is going to greatly exceed the territorial, habited locations. So saturation of violence capacity will mark solar-orbital space. Even though, of course, there will be a recovery of distance — it won't all be quick because Mars is tens of millions of miles away, at least.Then you asked the question about rivalries over frontier resources. The historical record on Earth is that frontiers are very violent places. Rivalries for making claims will be very likely. So we have a war-prone argument there.Another factor: To what degree are the units like one another? On Earth, we think that units that are like one another — particularly if they are democracies — are less war-prone towards one another, and I think that colonies in space are likely to become very different than places on Earth. The advocates all say this. It seems intuitively obvious. And the most important difference that will invariably emerge will be a very fundamental one: biological species radiation. This is to say that the human species will start branching. This will occur inevitably, slowly, through processes of Darwinian evolution. But many of the advocates insist that we will do this more quickly with genetic engineering.And so it's not only that we're going to have multiple bodies in the solar system inhabited, they will be inhabited over time, almost inevitably, by intelligent species — at least as intelligent as us, with at least our levels of technology. But they will be radically different in their biological character than humans on the Earth.Look at all of the violence which has been sparked and justified by minor cosmetic skin-color differences on Earth, and think about what would happen if we have really different species. Let your imagination go here. The biological potentials for variation are enormous. It might well be that insectoid body forms will prove more appealing in space environments.And so we will have eventually a solar system that will be inhabited by aliens, but they will be descendants of Earthlings. And that to me is a very unappealing future. And I think that it's almost an inevitable one once we cross over that crucial threshold to have a colony that is politically independent.Would that be your worst-case scenario? Look, I'd like a space economy. I would like there to be some space hotels. Maybe we do some manufacturing, see what happens.Space infrastructureSo I'm assuming that was your worst-case scenario. Do you have a positive space story? One that concerns you far less, at least?Tourism, within the larger scheme of things, is really kind of a trivial pursuit.In terms of space resources, we're talking here primarily about the extraction of valuable metals from asteroids. That's a civil technology that would require the ability to alter the orbits of masses of asteroidal material and asteroids in the solar system. Presumably, you're going to insert these bodies into Earth orbit. So you'll have to have highly precise capabilities to alter their orbits. And of course, we would also want to develop technologies to alter their orbits so that we can avoid them colliding with the Earth (although that's not really a short-term problem).And so I look at this as a civil technology and I say, “How distinctive is this from the military technology?” And the answer is, it's almost none. It's a question of the trajectory. Once you have the technologies to alter the trajectories of asteroid-size bodies in the solar system, you're going to have to tap into a violence capacity that will be millions of times greater than all nuclear weapons combined. So I say that allowing private enterprise to develop asteroidal mining, as seems to be the preferred American scenario, is kind of like allowing private enterprise to develop and have hydrogen bombs. It's just not a good idea because of the enormous destructive potential.Many of the scenarios for near-Earth envision giant infrastructures in orbit. A favorite is collecting solar energy from orbit — we have this problem of immense importance with regard to the carbon loading of the atmosphere, and there's lots of energy that can be collected in space and beamed down to the Earth.But thinking about that as an economic proposition, or even an ecological proposition, is insufficient. We have to also think about it as a political and military proposition. My view is that it's not going to be possible to develop infrastructures in near-Earth space until we have overcome interstate rivalry. Think about the Chunnel between France and Britain. It's unthinkable in a situation of interstate rivalry.So it could be that the creation of this apparatus — I call this Orbita — would require the pacification of interstate relations. That's potentially good news. But the potentially bad news is that whoever controls Orbita would be able to control the Earth because these enormous quantities of energy could be readily weaponized to shoot down anything coming up from the Earth. So it's like we have a village and we're going to build a big castle next to it. We're going to have to expect that the village will get dominated by the castle.Hedging existential riskRegarding inter-solar system conflicts, why would you be more worried about war with evolved insectoid humans than about an asteroid hitting the Earth? How do you begin to figure out which is riskier?I'm worried about the asteroid-hitting-the-Earth scenario. I'm not sure how to figure out which of those scenarios is more likely. But I know the one has happened before, and they keep telling us that it's only a matter of time before it'll happen again.That's right, it is just a matter of time. It might be a long time before a significantly large one strikes. But you make a very good point, and you've asked me if I have a positive vision of space. I lay out what I call an Earth-oriented space program, which does include the development of techniques to deflect asteroids. But it should only be done by a consortium of states and should not be coupled with the development of economic exploitation.And look, if we do have asteroidal mining, then I think it's very unlikely that actors of magnitude on the Earth would support colonization. If this is the great bonanza of mineral resources, the last thing we would want to do is to create a rival — Mars, in particular — that would be in a much more proximate location to exploit these. So I think that as the prospect of Martian colonization starts to become a real possibility, these types of concerns are going to be increasingly evident to people. This is what I refer to as the second great debate about solar-orbital space: What should we do? And I think that as it becomes real, these objections will become increasingly compelling to large numbers of actors on the Earth.What you're ideally recommending is, I suppose, you would have us wait to go into space almost completely until we have a much different geopolitical situation here on Earth. And it seems like we're going in just the opposite direction — it seems like we're actually having intensive competition. So I would assume you would find that worrying.Yeah. I think that the directions that we're headed in are largely disaster-prone. And of course, one of the directions that we're going in that never gets talked about is continuing to modernize, replace, and improve the nuclear weapon delivery system. That is, as I said earlier, this major space program that we don't acknowledge as such. And the United States has, during the Trump era, declared the objective of dominating space. And this is something that has long been talked about by various military visionaries. But this was an important threshold that we have crossed.The SpaceX Corporation, as I'm sure everyone listening to this podcast knows, has lowered significantly the cost of accessing near-Earth orbit — by a kind of order of magnitude, perhaps. And they have these plans to build even larger rockets that they make claims about even further reducing the cost of accessing near-Earth orbit. And this is widely hailed as a great advance.I look at this, and I say, “Well, it's going to lower the cost of doing stuff in space.” And the question then is: Which of this stuff is going to get done? And of course, immediately the military is interested. The idea that we can dominate space is going to depend upon having the capacity to put significant mass into orbital space.So I think that we have been misperceiving the overall character of this environment. We've been misrepresenting the actual effects to date. And when we get rid of this “Oh it's going to all be so wonderful” mentality and critically examine what has happened, what is happening, and what is likely to happen, we have a very different picture.And I want to emphasize that I am not a Luddite. I am not opposed to technology generally, but humanity over the course of the 20th century has started to develop technologies that are extremely potent, double-edged swords. And the question that we have to confront is whether we have the ability to steer the use of these technologies so that we get the benefits without getting the downsides. And our record so far is not very promising.But we haven't used nuclear weapons. In fact, the United States reached agreements with the Soviet Union to reduce nuclear weapons. And you could say we've even over-corrected because our fear of radiation has led us to abandon nuclear power. So hasn't the record shown that we have been able to handle these weapons and that, if anything, we've been overly cautious when it comes to dealing with new technologies that could have a great benefit?Well, that would be a long conversation. And with regard to nuclear weapons, we have a fundamental epistemological problem here: What is the probability of nuclear war?During the Cuban Missile Crisis, John Kennedy said he thought it was between one-in-three and one-in-two. And knowing what we now know about the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was clearly more likely than that. So do we look at the Cuban Missile Crisis and say, “Hey, no problem here”? Or do we look at it and say, “We were really lucky”? There's a fundamental disagreement about nuclear weapons that we really can't resolve by appealing to the empirical evidence. And that fact alone should be very sobering to us.But I think that if you looked at this without any sort of theoretical presumptions and said, “Is it really a good idea to have thousands of high-yield thermonuclear weapons prepared for nearly instant use?” That strikes me as a bad idea. And, you know, some people say, “Well, that's what saves us.” But look at this as a case study: The only way we can deal with nuclear weapons is by building large numbers of them and have them posed for immediate use? That strikes me as a very limited adjustment.So do you think that ultimately we're going to have to get lucky again? There seems to be a lot more interest in space. And that interest is obviously among countries who have major disagreements and who view space as both an economic opportunity and as a military necessity. So it seems like the scenario going forward is a multipolar space race with an uncertain conclusion.That's right. That's clearly where we're headed now.One of the important things to remember about space is the basic geography. We think that we've left the planet when we have gone beyond the atmosphere, but I argue that this is a geographic error — the area around the terrestrial Earth that is dominated by the Earth's gravitational and magnetic fields is really part of the planet. I call that the “astrosphere.” We have the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and also the astrosphere.We tend to think of the astrosphere as being incredibly large. And of course space generally, even solar space, is mind-bogglingly large. But the astrosphere, and particularly the lower parts of it where almost all activities have occurred, is in practical terms actually smaller than the atmosphere. And that's because, while the volume has gone up, the velocities that are necessary to operate there have gone up by even greater amounts. And so effective distance within the astrosphere is much lower than it is within the atmosphere. So people have fundamentally misperceived this environment — it actually is small.And then you go back into the earlier predictions about space: No one thought about space debris. No one said, “Oh yeah, this is going to become quickly polluted in ways that will be very problematic.” It's part of this tendency to use bad analogies. People say, “Oh well, the ocean. The Europeans went out onto the ocean, centuries of expansion occurred and great wealth and prosperity and so forth resulted.” But this is a very misleading analogy.To start with, the ships that have existed since oceanic transportation developed are not shuttling around the ocean at high velocities. Half the satellites that have been put into orbit are still there — dead, hurtling around at very high velocities, over time breaking up and colliding with things. So if you want an ocean analogy, it's more like the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, or maybe even the Aral Sea. For a frontier that has barely been opened, we already have this level of degradation that greatly exceeds what we have with the ocean. So there's been this basic misperception of this domain.Principles for space policyTo wrap up, what would you advise? You view this as the beginning stage of something that could prove very dangerous. Better to figure out now what we need to do and talk with other countries so we can figure this out sooner rather than later. So then what would you advise the United States to do as far as space policy?Well, I lay out an Earth-oriented space program. And the first step would be to continue undoing the ballistic-missile-ization of the nuclear delivery system. One of the implications of that argument is that we have another space program that we don't recognize as a space program: what we call nuclear arms control. It has never been primarily about nuclear weapons, per se. It's been about delivery vehicles, most of which have been ballistic missiles. And as you say, at the drawdown at the end of the Cold War, we made important steps in this direction. What we call nuclear arms control is to a first approximation space weapons arms control. It's our most successful space program in the sense of its benefit to avoid catastrophic and existential disasters. So the first step would be to continue that, to complete that revolution.Then we should use space for Earth habitability studies. We should do space science on a larger scale in virtually every dimension. If we want to have humans in space, that's built on our other important historical accomplishment, the International Space Station. Instead of a free-for-all for lunar resources, let's build an international science cooperative base on the moon with the Russians and the Chinese involved as well.And insofar as asteroids striking the Earth are a potential problem, we need to do better surveys. And if we want to have demonstrations, this should only be done on a cooperative basis. We do not want this technology to get weaponized. That's something very important.As for the colonization scenario, we should relinquish that. We should draw a red line. No colonies. We do not want to pursue them. And the reason is that we have got the story backward. The dinosaurs, they tell us, were wiped out because they didn't have a space program. I say the dinosaurs lasted 200 million years because they didn't have a space program. And you say, “Ah, the Earth — all of our eggs are in one fragile basket.” I say, if we have multiple space colonies, we'll have dispersed eggs, which will be subject to rock smashing, which will be easy and likely.So we've got to get the narrative right. We have to stop thinking about this in this sort of a wonder-struck manner. There's this famous quote that the advocates are always using from Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the great Russian visionary: “Humanity is in its cradle, and humanity cannot stay in its cradle forever.” The implication being, we have to leave the cradle of the Earth and expand into the cosmos. I look at that little quote and I say, “Well, we also recognized that the ideas that infants have in their cradle, that children have, are not good guides for adult behavior.” It's essentially an infantile vision, and we need a much more sober vision. This is a public episode. 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In this episode we talk to Dr. Joseph Bull, Associate Professor in Climate Change Biology at the University of Oxford and find out what is meant by the term Nature Positive. We look at reasons for pragmatic optimism in the face of biodiversity decline and find out more about his work in the Aral Sea and why deserts are not as deserted as you might think.You can see a full version of Jo speaking at the Leverhulme Centre at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLSWXIb2ycM

A settlement first known as Almatu developed on the Silk Road from the 10th century onwards. In the 1920s, the new Soviet authorities renamed the place Alma-Ata ('Grandfather of the apple') and made it the capital of the Kazakh SSR (formerly in Kyzylorda). We start our journey from one of Almaty's Soviet-era train stations, Almaty-2, built in the 1930s, with its paintings by Kazakh and Russian artists and the multi-lingual Tower of Babel representing the journey's start, in conversations and tannoy announcements. We hear the old Soviet engines arriving into the station, disgorging their passengers before awaiting a new intake; we hear the slow steady rhythm of the train, as passengers in varied states of boredom chat to each other and eat meals; we hear the sound of scalding water being decanted from the samovar, to make the harsh tea beloved in these parts for so many years; in the dining car we hear passengers sharing food, drink and stories, as they eat 'Plov' and other traditional food. We step out of the train at various points along the route, such as Turkistan (an ancient trade centre along the Silk Road) and Shymkent, where hawkers with their wares wait to sell food and drink. After 33 hours on board a train, we arrive at Aralsk, a thriving fishing port until environmental degradation and diversion of rivers for agriculture saw the sea massively shrink. We journey by car across the former seabed, see camels at oases and hear the howling winds that sweep across the vast plains and desert, before finally arriving at the gently lapping Aral Sea, a shadow of its former self. Producer: Michael Rossi

Many of us have likely seen photos of the Aral Sea, and the rusted Soviet-era ships, sitting in the desert with no water in sight. The Aral Sea is now just 10% of its former volume, shrinking down from what was once the fourth-largest body of inland water in the world, after what writer Jeff Fernside calls “one of the worst human-caused environmental catastrophes.” Jeff traveled to the region as a Peace Corps volunteer. Afterward, he turned his experiences into an essay collection, Ships in the Desert (Santa Fe Writers Project: 2022), where Jeff writes about the families he met, his thoughts on missionaries, and his visit to the Aral Sea, where he saw “a fleet of rusting Soviet fishing ships, hammer and sickle still clearly discernible on many, sitting bolt upright in desert sands as if plowing through ocean waves.” Jeff Fearnside is the author of the short-story collection Making Love While Levitating Three Feet in the Air (Stephen F. Austin State University Press: 2006), which won the 2005 SFWP Awards Program. He is also the author of the chapbook A Husband and Wife Are One Satan (Orison Books: 2021), winner of the Orison Chapbook Prize. His work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies such as The Paris Review, Los Angeles Review, Story, and many others. In this interview, Jeff and I talk about what inspired his essays, including what he saw in the barren Aral Sea. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Ships in the Desert. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Many of us have likely seen photos of the Aral Sea, and the rusted Soviet-era ships, sitting in the desert with no water in sight. The Aral Sea is now just 10% of its former volume, shrinking down from what was once the fourth-largest body of inland water in the world, after what writer Jeff Fernside calls “one of the worst human-caused environmental catastrophes.” Jeff traveled to the region as a Peace Corps volunteer. Afterward, he turned his experiences into an essay collection, Ships in the Desert (Santa Fe Writers Project: 2022), where Jeff writes about the families he met, his thoughts on missionaries, and his visit to the Aral Sea, where he saw “a fleet of rusting Soviet fishing ships, hammer and sickle still clearly discernible on many, sitting bolt upright in desert sands as if plowing through ocean waves.” Jeff Fearnside is the author of the short-story collection Making Love While Levitating Three Feet in the Air (Stephen F. Austin State University Press: 2006), which won the 2005 SFWP Awards Program. He is also the author of the chapbook A Husband and Wife Are One Satan (Orison Books: 2021), winner of the Orison Chapbook Prize. His work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies such as The Paris Review, Los Angeles Review, Story, and many others. In this interview, Jeff and I talk about what inspired his essays, including what he saw in the barren Aral Sea. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Ships in the Desert. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/central-asian-studies

Many of us have likely seen photos of the Aral Sea, and the rusted Soviet-era ships, sitting in the desert with no water in sight. The Aral Sea is now just 10% of its former volume, shrinking down from what was once the fourth-largest body of inland water in the world, after what writer Jeff Fernside calls “one of the worst human-caused environmental catastrophes.” Jeff traveled to the region as a Peace Corps volunteer. Afterward, he turned his experiences into an essay collection, Ships in the Desert (Santa Fe Writers Project: 2022), where Jeff writes about the families he met, his thoughts on missionaries, and his visit to the Aral Sea, where he saw “a fleet of rusting Soviet fishing ships, hammer and sickle still clearly discernible on many, sitting bolt upright in desert sands as if plowing through ocean waves.” Jeff Fearnside is the author of the short-story collection Making Love While Levitating Three Feet in the Air (Stephen F. Austin State University Press: 2006), which won the 2005 SFWP Awards Program. He is also the author of the chapbook A Husband and Wife Are One Satan (Orison Books: 2021), winner of the Orison Chapbook Prize. His work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies such as The Paris Review, Los Angeles Review, Story, and many others. In this interview, Jeff and I talk about what inspired his essays, including what he saw in the barren Aral Sea. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Ships in the Desert. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

Many of us have likely seen photos of the Aral Sea, and the rusted Soviet-era ships, sitting in the desert with no water in sight. The Aral Sea is now just 10% of its former volume, shrinking down from what was once the fourth-largest body of inland water in the world, after what writer Jeff Fernside calls “one of the worst human-caused environmental catastrophes.” Jeff traveled to the region as a Peace Corps volunteer. Afterward, he turned his experiences into an essay collection, Ships in the Desert (Santa Fe Writers Project: 2022), where Jeff writes about the families he met, his thoughts on missionaries, and his visit to the Aral Sea, where he saw “a fleet of rusting Soviet fishing ships, hammer and sickle still clearly discernible on many, sitting bolt upright in desert sands as if plowing through ocean waves.” Jeff Fearnside is the author of the short-story collection Making Love While Levitating Three Feet in the Air (Stephen F. Austin State University Press: 2006), which won the 2005 SFWP Awards Program. He is also the author of the chapbook A Husband and Wife Are One Satan (Orison Books: 2021), winner of the Orison Chapbook Prize. His work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies such as The Paris Review, Los Angeles Review, Story, and many others. In this interview, Jeff and I talk about what inspired his essays, including what he saw in the barren Aral Sea. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Ships in the Desert. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

Many of us have likely seen photos of the Aral Sea, and the rusted Soviet-era ships, sitting in the desert with no water in sight. The Aral Sea is now just 10% of its former volume, shrinking down from what was once the fourth-largest body of inland water in the world, after what writer Jeff Fernside calls “one of the worst human-caused environmental catastrophes.” Jeff traveled to the region as a Peace Corps volunteer. Afterward, he turned his experiences into an essay collection, Ships in the Desert (Santa Fe Writers Project: 2022), where Jeff writes about the families he met, his thoughts on missionaries, and his visit to the Aral Sea, where he saw “a fleet of rusting Soviet fishing ships, hammer and sickle still clearly discernible on many, sitting bolt upright in desert sands as if plowing through ocean waves.” Jeff Fearnside is the author of the short-story collection Making Love While Levitating Three Feet in the Air (Stephen F. Austin State University Press: 2006), which won the 2005 SFWP Awards Program. He is also the author of the chapbook A Husband and Wife Are One Satan (Orison Books: 2021), winner of the Orison Chapbook Prize. His work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies such as The Paris Review, Los Angeles Review, Story, and many others. In this interview, Jeff and I talk about what inspired his essays, including what he saw in the barren Aral Sea. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Ships in the Desert. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us have likely seen photos of the Aral Sea, and the rusted Soviet-era ships, sitting in the desert with no water in sight. The Aral Sea is now just 10% of its former volume, shrinking down from what was once the fourth-largest body of inland water in the world, after what writer Jeff Fernside calls “one of the worst human-caused environmental catastrophes.” Jeff traveled to the region as a Peace Corps volunteer. Afterward, he turned his experiences into an essay collection, Ships in the Desert (Santa Fe Writers Project: 2022), where Jeff writes about the families he met, his thoughts on missionaries, and his visit to the Aral Sea, where he saw “a fleet of rusting Soviet fishing ships, hammer and sickle still clearly discernible on many, sitting bolt upright in desert sands as if plowing through ocean waves.” Jeff Fearnside is the author of the short-story collection Making Love While Levitating Three Feet in the Air (Stephen F. Austin State University Press: 2006), which won the 2005 SFWP Awards Program. He is also the author of the chapbook A Husband and Wife Are One Satan (Orison Books: 2021), winner of the Orison Chapbook Prize. His work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies such as The Paris Review, Los Angeles Review, Story, and many others. In this interview, Jeff and I talk about what inspired his essays, including what he saw in the barren Aral Sea. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Ships in the Desert. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-review

The Deep Lore Boys kick off the new year by talking about Diogenes the Cynic, the legendary philosopher described as "Socrates gone mad." Next we take a trip downstream (a few thousand years later) to visit Naked Ned, the man who stripped down and went into the wilderness to fight for the Aral Sea. Finally to top it all off, we learn a valuable lesson from the Cleveland Balloonfest of 1986: just don't.

The Silk Road, or roads more appropriately, has been in use for thousands of years. Horses, jade, gold, and of course silk flowed across the trade routes. As did spices - and knowledge. The term Silk Road was coined by a German geographer named Ferdinand van Richthofen in 1870 to describe a network of routes that was somewhat formalized in the second century that some theorize date back 3000 years, given that silk has been found on Egyptian mummies from that time - or further. The use of silk itself in China in fact dates back perhaps 8,500 years. Chinese silk has been found in Scythian graves, ancient Germanic graves, and along mountain ranges and waterways around modern India gold and silk flowed between east and west. These gave way to empires along the Carpathian Mountains or Kansu Corridor. There were Assyrian outposts in modern Iran and the Sogdia built cities around modern Samarkand in Uzbekistan, an area that has been inhabited since the 4th millennium BCE. The Sogdians developed trading networks that spanned over 1,500 miles - into ancient China. The road expanded with he Persian Royal Road from the 5th century BCE across Turkey and with the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 300s BCE, the Macedonian Empire pushed into Central Asia into modern Uzbekistan. The satrap Diodotus I claimed independence of one of those areas between the Hindu Kush, Pamirs, and Tengri Tagh mountains, which became known as the Hellenized name Bactria and called the Greco-Bactrian and then Into-Greek Kingdoms by history. Their culture also dates back thousands of years further.  The Bactrians became powerful enough to push into the Indus Valley, west along the Caspian Sea, and north to the Syr Darya river, known as the Jaxartes at the time and to the Aral Sea. They also pushed south into modern Pakistan and Afghanistan, and east to modern Kyrgyzstan. To cross the Silk Road was to cross through Bactria, and they were considered a Greek empire in the east. The Han Chinese called them Daxia in the third century BCE. They grew so wealthy from the trade that they became the target of conquest by neighboring peoples once the thirst for silk could not be unquenched in the Roman Empire. The Romans consumed so much silk that silver reserves were worn thin and they regulated how silk could be used - something some of the Muslim's would do over the next generations.  Meanwhile, the Chinese hadn't known where their silk was destined, but had been astute enough to limit who knew how silk was produced. The Chinese general Pan Chao in the first century AD and attempted to make contact with the Roman's only to be thwarted by Parthians, who acted as the middlemen on many a trade route. It wasn't until the Romans pushed East enough to control the Persian Gulf that an envoy was sent by Marcus Aurelius that made direct contact with China in 166 AD and from there, spread throughout the kingdom. Justinian even sent monks to bring home silkworm eggs but they were never able to reproduce silk, in part because they didn't have mulberry trees. Yet, the west had perpetrated industrial espionage on the east, a practice that would be repeated in 1712 when a Jesuit priest found how the Chinese created porcelain.  The Silk Road was a place where great fortunes could be found or lost. The Dread Pirate Roberts was a character from a movie called the Princess Bride, who had left home to make his fortune, so he could spend his life with his love, Buttercup. The Silk Road had made many a fortune, so Ross Ulbricht used that name on a site he created called the Silk Road, along with Frosty and Attoid. He'd gotten his Bachelors at the University of Texas and Masters at Penn State University before he got the idea to start a website he called the Silk Road in 2011. Most people connected to the site via ToR and paid for items in bitcoins. After he graduated from Penn State, he'd started a couple of companies that didn't do that well. Given the success of Amazon, he and a friend started a site to sell used books, but Ulbricht realized it was more profitable to be the middle man, as the Parthians had thousands of years earlier. The new site would be Underground Brokers and later changed to The Silk Road. Cryptocurrencies allowed for anonymous transactions. He got some help from others, including two that went by the pseudonyms Smedley (later suspected to be Mike Wattier) and Variety Jones (later suspected to be Thomas Clark). They started to facilitate transactions in 2011. Business was good almost from the beginning. Then Gawker published an article about the site and more and more attention was paid to what was sold through this new darknet portal. The United States Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies got involved. When bitcoins traded at less than $80 each, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) seized 11 bitcoins, but couldn't take the site down for good. It was actually an IRS investigator named Gary Alford who broke the case when he found the link between the Dread Pirate Roberts and Attoid and then a post that included Ulbricht's name and phone number. Ulbricht was picked up in San Francisco and 26,000 bitcoins were seized, along with another 144,000 from Ulbricht's personal wallets. Two federal agents were arrested when it was found they traded information about the investigation to Ulbricht. Ulbricht was also accused of murder for hire, but those charges never led to much. Ulbricht now servers a life sentence. The Silk Road of the darknet didn't sell silk. 70% of the 10,000 things sold were drugs. There were also fake identities, child pornography, and through a second site, firearms. There were scammers. Tens of millions of dollars flowed over this new Silk Road. But the secrets weren't guarded well enough and a Silk Road 2 was created in 2013, which only lasted a year. Others come and go. It's kinda' like playing whack-a-mole. The world is a big place and the reach of law enforcement agencies limited, thus the harsh sentence for Ulbricht.

minhas palestras sobre impacto, propósito e colaboração: http://usina.com/u/palestras O Brasil do olhar estrangeiro: parte 1, O paradoxo do paraíso https://youtu.be/B55pQTBeWwM In his final speech, Boris Johnson compared himself to Cincinnatus. Who? https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/06/cincinnatus-boris-johnson-roman-statesman/ What's Really Behind Those AI Art Images? https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/galaxy-brain/6317de90bcbd490021b246bf/ai-art-dalle-midjourney-stable-diffusion/ Aral Sea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aral_Sea O primeiro país a reconhecer a Independência do Brasil foi também o ... Read more

Join us on a journey through the heart of Central Asia and the birthplace of 1001 Arabian Nights - the Republic of Uzbekistan. Visit Tashkent and Navoi, Khiva and Samarkand, Kyzylkum and Aralkum deserts - all through the eyes of the Canadian Honorary Consul of Canada in Uzbekistan and Managing Partner at Dentons Uzbekistan - Mr. Eldor Mannopov.In this episode, we discuss the progressive reforms and improvements introduced by the government of Shavkat Mirziyoyev in support of the foreign business, Uzbek's extraordinary hospitality and personal experiences living and working in the country. Related links to this episode:Dentons UzbekistanCanadian Consulate in UzbekistanTimeline:00:40 Intro00:50 Considering an “honorable profession”04:26 Merging with Dentons05:10 Landmark M&A: privatization of Coca-Cola in Uzbekistan 06:21 Gosplan years08:23 President Merziyoyev era9:51 Monetary policy reform14:33 Tax reform: stable and transparent regime17:31 Public procurement laws and e-government innovations20:23 1001 Arabian Night stories' birthplace21:51 Mining industry reform in Uzbekistan 27:27 Foreign investors in Uzbekistan mining 30:13 Desert fishing with Ambassador John Kur32:22 6 million tons of cotton and the death of the Aral Sea: ESG solutions 34:46 Extraordinary hospitality of Uzbek people36:26 Goals-based living36:52 What does the future hold for Eldor?37:23 OutroIcebreakers is produced by CECC, an independent non-profit organization that promotes bilateral trade and investment between Canada and Eurasia. www.canadaeurasia.com

The Aral Sea was victim to the worst man-made ecological disaster in history. Now part of it is coming back to life, and the restoration has implications for the whole world. Order your free copy of The Wonderful World Tomorrow—What It Will Be Like.

President Shavkat Mirziyoev initiated several constitutional amendments in Uzbekistan at the end of June which have reminded the world about the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan, bordering the dying Aral Sea. Efforts to diminish the Republic's autonomy resulted in mass protests that unfortunately turned deadly. Join us to explore the reasons that prompted Mirziyoev's constitutional amendments, Tashkent's difficulties in encouraging further reforms, and the future of Karakalpak people's autonomy. Speakers Navbahor Imamova, Anchor, Editor and Producer, Uzbek Service, South and Central Asia Division, Voice of America, President, VOA Women's Caucus; Temur Umarov is a Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the OSCE Academy (Bishkek); Dr. Akram Umarov is Director of the Afghanistan Research Group and Associate Professor at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy; Yuriy Sarukhanian, International Relations specialist. Author of analytical Telegram channel Seriya Penalti; Moderator: Marlene Laruelle, Ph.D., Director of the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies; Director of the Central Asia Program; Director of the Illiberalism Studies Program; Co-Director of PONARS Eurasia; and Research Professor of International Affairs at The George Washington University.

Welcome to the travel/literary podcast The Wandering Book Collector with host Michelle Jana Chan. This is a series of conversations with writers exploring what's informed their books and their lives around themes of movement, memory, sense of place, borders, identity, belonging and home.In this edition, I speak with the writer Jennifer Steil to discuss her book, Exile Music, a historical novel written from the perspective of a young Jewish girl, who flees Austria in the 1930s for La Paz, Bolivia — a country that offers her family refuge, as the Nazis rise up in Europe.Jennifer's two previous books include a memoir, The Woman Who Fell from the Sky: An American's Adventure in the Oldest City on Earth, on her experience as a journalist in Yemen, and The Ambassador's Wife, a novel about a hostage crisis..Please consider supporting your local bookshop.The Wandering Book Collector would like to thank the supporter of this podcast:Abercrombie & Kent — Creating unique, meticulously planned journeys into hard-to-reach wildernesses and cultures.If you're enjoying the podcast, I'd love you to leave a rating or a review. To learn about future editions, please subscribe or hit “follow” on your podcast app of choice. Thank you for listening! For more on the podcast, book recs, what books to pack for where's next, and who's up next, I'm across socials @michellejchan. I'd love to hear from you.And if you've missed any, do catch up. From Janine di Giovanni to Bernardine Evaristo to Afua Hirsch to Carla Power to Maaza Mengiste to Kapka Kassabova to Sara Wheeler to Brigid Delaney to Horatio Clare to Rebecca Mead to Preti Taneja to Kathryn D. Sullivan to Emmanuel Jal.All credit for sound effects goes to the artists and founders of Freesound.org and Zapsplat.com. All credit for music goes to the artists and founders of Soundstripe.com

When we choose to obey the Holy Spirit, we become a fountain of the Life of the Lord Jesus into the earth. This fountain can turn into a great river if we submit to Him! Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being [our Spirit man] will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). When we choose to believe in Jesus, we are choosing to be in agreement with Jesus, who is the Word . Therefore, agreement with Jesus is agreement with what the Bible says--and vice versa. Most of us focus on the agreement but fail to realize what happens with disagreement. Whenever we permit sin in an area of our life, we have allowed the devil to place an impediment in our river of the Life of God flowing out of us. The more we engage with darkness, the muckier our water gets, and soon we are down to a trickle of the life of God coming out of our walk because we are effectively constipated by the rocks. There should only be one Rock in our river and that's the Lord Jesus, and the water flows from Him and through Him. But when we permit unforgiveness, lying, fornication, and even when we reject areas of the Bible or try to twist it to the world's thinking--which is basically perverting the Truth. Then we come into dangerous waters, as the saying goes. Just look at the Aral Sea in central Asia. It used to be the world's 4th largest inland sea but due to water being rerouted from it, it has nearly dried up completely. Dams work the same way. I saw the effect of this very thing overseas in Nepal. A great river was utterly dried up with only a modest trickle in places, all because of people greedily taking its flow for themselves instead of managing it better for all to enjoy. That's what can happen to us when permit ourselves to make choices without submission to God's Word or the guidance of the Holy Spirit. All sin is based in selfishness and when we demand our own way, we are not heading onward in His Way but in the broad way that leads us into more destruction and hell. We are to go on to life and life more abundantly, as Jesus says in John 10:10, and that comes with choosing His Way of doing things on a day to day basis. Then and only then, with our Helper the Holy Spirit, can we address the rocks in our river---or even better, let a gusher Holy Ghost river bust through all the impediments in our way as we spend time praying in the Spirit. God bless you friend!Support the show

Episode: 2239 Last places on Earth -- a new way to look at things.  Today, we look for last occurrences.

Once upon a time there was the Aral Sea. To access transcripts for this and other episodes, visit https://store.lrcpodcast.ca Find out how to rapidly make progress in spoken Russian How to listen Give it a try with our free Sample transcripts Learn Russian Conversation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ7pE0ufROXRDlQSlVWiLqQ Ready to leave the classroom and try modern Russian? Learn Russian Conversation is the best place to practice your Russian! If you want to start speaking Russian fluently, you can do it here. Listen to Russian conversations regularly, improve your understanding of spoken Russian, and start speaking Russian today at our Russian Conversation Club.

After two decades of anarchy, one man appeared from the darkness to restore the Golden Horde to its might: this was Toqtamish. Just as the candle may spark up just before it goes out,  Toqtamish seemed poised to right the wrongs of the previous decades, and reaffirm the power of the Golden Horde over its subjects, and thus bring about further centuries of greatness. But then came Temür, Toqtamish's former patron, turned greatest enemy. I'm your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Age of Conquest.   While our series on the Golden Horde has so far focused on the descendants of Batu Khan, the khans of the Golden Horde until the start of 1360s, the other descendants of Jochi's many other sons had their own appanages within the khanate. Of the fourteen named sons of Jochi,  by the late fourteenth century  there were two of these lineages left who held any might. These were the lines of Shiban, Jochi's fifth son, and Toqa-Temür, Jochi's youngest son. As the house of Batu and Orda went extinct in the middle of the fourteenth century, the torch of rulership was passed between these lineages. It seems both lineages were largely based in the eastern part of the khanate, in the Blue Horde or the ulus of Orda. The Shibanids held lands in what was to become the Khanate of Sibir, named for the fortress of the same name. The heart of this territory was the upper Irtysh River, and if the name of Sibir sounds familiar, that's because in time it gave its name to Siberia. The Toqa-Temürids meanwhile seem to have generally ranged east of the Ural river, across the Kazakh steppes.   In the chaos that followed Berdi Beğ Khan's death in 1359, it was representatives of the Shibanids who first moved west to claim the throne in Sarai. When Orda's line died out in the 1360s, the Toqa-Temürids were the ones on the scene to usurp the ulus in the Blue Horde lands, though it was not a secure power base. The order of khans is a matter of great contention: reigns were brief, and various sources often offer contradictory information, which is often further contradicted with the dates given on coinage in the period. What is clear is that the Blue Horde contenders quickly, if not immediately, saw their conflict and their state as independent of the wars for Sarai ongoing at the same time. The Blue Horde was now separate, once more, from the Golden.   One of the earliest figures to seize the vacant throne of the Ordaids was Qara-Nogai, a Toqa-Temürid. In the early 1360s he was elected khan in Sighnaq, the Blue Horde administrative capital, located on the lower reaches of Syr Darya River near the Aral Sea. His reign was brief, but after some years of conflict members of his family continued to claim the throne; the most notable of these was Urus Khan, whose reign is usually dated to beginning in 1368.    Urus Khan was a real strong man— and not a descendant of Orda, as newer research has demonstrated. In the decade of his reign Urus established a firm hold on power and firm military backing. Rivals for the throne were violently killed or exiled, and around 1372 he even led an army to take Sarai and declare himself Khan of the Golden Horde, though he soon abandoned the city. Nonetheless he exercised a monopoly on power in the Blue Horde which made it considerably more stable than the ongoing troubles in the Golden Horde, which was too much even for Urus to exert control over. But such was his influence that his sons and descendants continued to be prominent players for decades. Two sons, Quyurchuq and Ulugh Muhammad, later became khans of the Golden Horde, while the latter established the Khanate of Kazan; a grandson of Urus, Baraq, also became Khan of the Golden Horde, while Urus' great-grandchildren established the Kazakh Khanate. It should not be a surprise then that some historians suggest that Urus should be identified with Alash Khan, the legendary founder of the Kazakhs from whom all khans were descended.  Descent from Urus, in effect, became a new form of legitimacy after the fourteenth century.   As mentioned, Urus took to killing and exiling his rivals to power. These were often fellow Toqa-Temürids. One such fellow who he had killed was his cousin, Toy-Khwaja. In the aftermath, Toy-Khwaja's son was forced to flee; this is our first introduction to Toqtamish. Toy-Khwaja must have been quite the rival and had some following, for Toqtamish never had much trouble finding supporters for himself. One source indicates Toqtamish's mother was a high ranking lady of the Sufi-Qonggirads, a dynasty which had recently established its quasi-independence from the Blue Horde at Urgench and now ruled Khwarezm. A young and courageous warrior, if not the most tactically skilled, Prince Toqtamish deeply desired both revenge and power. Urus Khan's horsemen pursued him, and Toqtamish fled for his life right out of the steppe, crossing the Syr Darya River to seek shelter with a new rising power: Aksak Temür as the Turks of the time knew him; he'd prefer to be known as Emir Temür Güregen, son-in-law to the house of Chinggis and sahib-i qiran, “lord of the Auspicious Conjunction.” Persians knew him as Temür-i Lang, and today we know him best as Tamerlane. Since half the people in this period are named some variation of Temür, to help make it easier to tell everyone apart we'll stick with his popular moniker of Tamerlane.   Since the beginning of the 1360s, Tamerlane had fought for power in the ruins of the western half of the Chagatai Khanate. By spring 1370 he had succeeded in becoming master of Transoxania. As a non-Chinggisid, Tamerlane could not bear the title of khan or rule in his own right over nomads. Thus his official title was Emir, presenting himself as the protector of his new puppet khan, a descendant of Ögedai. From this basis the Timürid empire began to expand.    When Toqtamish fled to the domains of Tamerlane around 1375, the Emir's attention was still mostly local. His campaigns into Iran had not yet begun, and instead he alternated between attacking the Sufi-Qonggirads in Khwarezm, and Qamar al-Din, the ruler of the eastern Chagatai lands, or Moghulistan as it was commonly known at the time.  Undoubtedly, Tamerlane held a wary eye to his northern border; Urus Khan and his horsemen posed a real threat to Tamerlane, in a way none of his other neighbours did. Thus when a young, pliable claimant to the throne of Urus arrived in his court, Tamerlane was more than willing to oblige. Should Toqtamish control the Blue Horde, then Tamerlane needn't worry over that border and could turn his attention elsewhere. Toqtamish was received in Tamerlane's court with high honours and respect, and granted Otrar and other lands along the Syr Darya as patrimony, in addition to troops, horses and supplies. Not coincidentally, Otrar was within spitting distance of Sighnaq. Tamerlane had given Toqtamish a platform to seize the Blue Horde.   Toqtamish quickly began raiding the lands of Urus, building his reputation as a warrior and charismatic leader. But Urus was no fool and quickly had an army sent after Toqtamish, under the command of a son, Qutlugh Buqa. Despite fierce effort on Toqtamish's part, and the death of Qutlugh Buqa in the fighting, Toqtamish was defeated and sent back to Tamerlane. The Emir provided Toqtamish another army, only for Toqtamish to again be defeated when another of Urus' armies came seeking to avenge Qutlugh Buqa. This time, according to the Timurid historian Yazdi, Toqtamish was so thoroughly beaten down that he ditched his armour and swam across the Syr Darya River to save his life, and returned to Tamerlane naked and humbled. Not long after came a representative of Urus, named Edigü, a powerful bey within the Blue Horde and head of the Manghit people. Edigü bore Urus' message demanding Tamerlane handover Toqtamish; was it not right for the father to avenge the son? What right did Tamerlane have to hold such a fugitive?   Tamerlane refused to handover Toqtamish— whatever Tamerlaner's faults, and there were many, he had given his word as overlord to protect the young prince. Some authors go as far as to present an almost father/son dynamic between them. It's not impossible; Tamerlane had gone through his own period of qazaqliq,  the Turkic term for when a prince was reduced to a state of near brigandage, a freebooter fighting for every scrap. It's the etymological basis, by the way, for both the Turkic Kazakh and the Cossacks of the Pontic steppes.  Tamerlane may have sympathized with the fierce, proud Toqtamish, in contrast with his own sons who tended to range from lazy to unreliable. Tamerlane's own favoured son and heir, his second son Jahangir Mirza, died about this time in 1376 or 7, leaving his father stricken with grief. Toqtamish may have filled in the gap, and as Toqtamish himself had lost his father, it's not difficult to imagine Toqtamish valuing Tamerlane's presence greatly.  Of course, it may simply have been convenience on the part of both parties.    With Tamerlane's refusal to hand over Toqtamish, Urus Khan led an army against them. Tamerlane raised one in response, with Toqtamish in the vanguard. Skirmishing ensued, and nearly did the full forces clash, had not, according to Yazdi, a vicious rainstorm kept the armies apart. They returned to their respective realms. The dramatic confrontation between the two great warlords of Central Asia was averted when, likely in 1378, Urus Khan suddenly died, followed in quick succession by the chief of his sons, Toqta Caya.       In a mad dash, Tamerlane sent Toqtamish with an army to Sighnaq, and had him finally declared khan. Tamerlane returned comfortably to his capital of Samarkand, only to learn that Toqtamish had again been ousted, when another of Urus Khan's sons, Temür Malik, had declared himself khan and raised an army. Once more Tamerlane reinforced Toqtamish, though now Toqtamish was able to gather more support of his own. Finally Temür Malik Khan was overcome, and Toqtamish firmly emplaced as Khan of the Blue Horde. Not coincidentally, from this point onwards Tamerlane was able to secure his frontiers and begin his southern conquests into Iran, which would hold his attention for the rest of the 1380s.       The new Khan, Toqtamish,  set about confirming the support of the pillars of his new realm. The Shibanids of Sibir, and the Sufi-Qonggirads of Khwarezm, despite their capital of Urgench being sacked by Tamerlane in 1379, were important suppliers of troops for Toqtamish. Numerous beys and princes came over to pledge allegiance to him. Toqtamish either convinced them of his divine support, or richly rewarded them, and succeeded in breaking even some factions. The Manghit leader Edigü, for instance, found that his brother ‘Isa Beğ became a staunch ally of Toqtamish Khan. Edigü's sister had been married to Urus Khan's son, the late Temür Malik Khan, and despite the latter's defeat Edigü remained a powerful and prominent figure within the Horde, controlling a great swath of pasture east of the Ural and Emba Rivers. To bring him over, or at least stop his active resistance, Toqtamish provided Edigü tarkhan, or tax-exempt, status and granted him more lands.       With his rear secured, Toqtamish had not a moment to lose. His intentions were clear. Toqtamish was not aiming to just succeed his father, or Urus Khan, or be merely Khan of the Blue Horde. He had much bigger dreams. He idolized Öz Beg Khan and the glory days of the united ulus. Beyond that though, outside of Mongolia proper, Toqtamish was effectively the only Chinggisid monarch who held power in his own name. The Yuan Khans had been pushed from China, and their power restricted to the Mongol homeland, and their attention focused on battling Ming Dynasty incursions into the steppe. In the west, all other Chinggisids were puppets or minor princelings. Toqtamish therefore presented himself not just as heir to Özbeg and Jani Beg, or of Batu and Jochi, but as the heir to Chinggis Khan. For the rest of his life Toqtamish remained the most powerful single member of the house of Chinggis, and styled himself not as khan, but as khagan, Great Khan. And for that, he needed Sarai.         Quickly, but carefully, he made his way onto the Jochid capital, winning over allies or defeating foes as he went, before taking the city in 1380. Only one great enemy remained, and that was the western beylerbeyi, Mamai. There was not a moment to waste once Mamai suffered defeat at Kulikovo against the Prince of Moscow in September 1380. As Mamai retreated to his base in the steppes north of Crima, Toqtamish granted yarliqs to the Italians in the Crimea to confirm and expand their privileges, trapping Mamai between them. Toqtamish unleashed a full assault on Mamai and crushed his power in a decisive engagement along the Kalka River. In the aftermath Toqtamish took Mamai's camp, his treasury, his wives and beys, and the rest of his troops. Mamai fled for his life, making his way to Caffa, where the Genoese took him captive and executed him in the name of Toqtamish Khaan.        By 1381 Toqtamish was master of the Golden Horde, and set about reminding everyone of the order of things. The Rus' princes reaffirmed their submission, with even Dmitri Donskoi, the victor of Kulikovo, promptly sending gifts for Toqtamish, his wives and his princes. But their tardiness in submitting in person brought Toqtamish to shorten the leash. The Rus' had grown too haughty over the last two decades, and Toqtamish surprised them with a sudden and horrific onslaught.  The Prince of Ryazan' saved his city with a last moment surrender. Other cities were not so lucky. Dmitri Donskoi had hoped to raise an army, but losses after Kulikovo were too great, the princes unwilling to follow Dmitri to such certain doom. In the end Dmitri was forced to flee Moscow before Toqtamish encircled the city. After three days, on the 26th of August 1382,  the city was stormed, sacked and burned. Numerous others followed suit.        Dmitri Donskoi was forced to send his son Vasili as hostage to the Horde, and paid heavy tribute. Once more Moscow minted coins in the name of the Khan, and once more Dmitri collected taxes for him too. Though Dmitri had his revenge on the Prince of Ryazan' with a vicious attack, the victor of Kulikovo died in 1389, only thirty years old.        Now master of the lands of Jochi, Toqtamish set about re-strengthening the Horde. The internal stability, as the Horde enjoyed 10 years of relative peace after Toqtamish took Sarai, did wonders for internal trade and movement, coupled with the lessening of the plague impact. He enacted monetary reforms, expanding the centres which minted coins and a lighter standard for silver dirhams, which in the opinion of researchers like Nedashkovsky, was a recognition and response to inflation.  When the bey Bekbulat tried to declare himself khan in Crimea, Toqtamish was able to come to agreement with him and reach a peaceable solution.  Khwarezm and its Sufi-Qonggirad Dynasty, which Tamerlane had considered his subjects, now recognized Toqtamish as overlord and minted coins in his name from 1381 onwards. On the western frontier, the loss of lands to Lithuania was halted when Toqtamish won a victory over the Lithuanians at Poltava in 1382, and forced them to continue paying tribute for the lands they had already taken from the Horde. From Toqtamish's point-of-view, this was essentially making them his vassals, though the Lithuanians did not quite see it like this. Nonetheless, the Khan retained generally stable relations with the states along his border.   Toqtamish also looked abroad. In distant Moghulistan Toqtamish established relations with Qamar al-Din, the effective ruler of the eastern Chagatai lands. In 1385 he opened contact with the Mamluks of Egypt, the first time in ten years diplomatic contact was made. He did not make the mistake of invading Azerbaijan, but instead formed a treaty of friendship with its ruler, Sultan Ahmad Jalayir. And this became quite the issue, for shortly after this treatment was made, Tamerlane invaded Azerbaijan and forced Ahmad Jalayir to flee Tabriz.    Perhaps Tamerlane had been unaware of the treaty between Toqtamish and Sultan Ahmad, but it seems to have been the evolution of the ever-more fraught relationship between the two. Toqtamish Khan and Emir Tamerlane were already on roads to argument with both claiming the lands of Khwarezm. Tamerlane, now with a puppet Il-Khan, made a show of restoring the former lands of the Ilkhanate; just as Toqtamish was making a claim to restoring former Jochid lands in the Caucasus. But there was another ideological aspect at play. As we've emphasized already, Toqtamish was very proud of his Chinggisid ancestry, and appears to have a particular disgust for pretensions of non-Chinggisids to rule. Tamerlane's presentation of himself as a supreme lord, while also walking around with a bundle of Chinggisid puppets, was an insult Toqtamish could not idly abide. The Golden Horde and Timurid empire lay beside each other like two sharks, in a tank too tight for the both of them. Both rulers simply may have seen confrontation as inevitable, the presentations of both stretching past what the other anticipated, and both expected antagonism.    It was Toqtamish who launched the first blow. After Timurid forces withdrew from Azerbaijan, Toqtamish attacked in late 1386, taking Baku, Tabriz, and Nakhchivan. Then in 1387, Toqtamish spun around the Caspian and Aral Seas, and in conjunction with Qamar al-Din of Moghulistan, Toqtamish took Tashkent and Qarshi before besieging Bukhara and Tamerlane's capital of Samarkand.     Once Toqtamish withdrew, Tamerlane quickly retook Khwarezm, sacking Urgench in 1388 with a massacre to invoke those of Chinggis Khan. Immediate reprisals against Toqtamish were halted by rebellions in Khurasan and a retaliatory campaign in Moghulistan against Qamar al-Din. Once dealt with, Tamerlane could begin extensive preparations for an invasion of the Golden Horde, spending months assembling a large army and supplies collected from across his empire. After a series of feints, Tamerlane set out unexpectedly early in January 1391. Eyeing Tamerlane after several months of marching, Toqtamish felt he knew Tamerlane's plan. Anticipating that the Emir would cross the Ural River at Kurk-qul, Toqtamish ordered his army to gather there. In one of the surprise maneuvers he so loved, Tamerlane darted in a different direction; before Toqtamish's full force had even gathered, he learned Tamerlane had crossed further upriver. Toqtamish retreated lest he be outflanked, and his forces who arrived late were set upon by the Timurids.   But despite this, Tamerlane was playing in Toqtamish's lands, and was no man of the steppe. Toqtamish drew Tamerlane deeper into the steppe, and in the process began to starve his large army. Parties sent out to forage were ambushed by Toqtamish's warriors, and the Khan tried to burn the grasslands before the Timurids, though the wet spring hampered this. Knowing his starving men would soon be at their limit, Tamerlane rallied with men with  a large hunting expedition and glamourous review of the troops, while sending his son, Omar-Sheikh Mirza with 20,000 swift riders to overtake Toqtamish and force him to battle, allowing the main force to catch up to the Khan. The ploy worked, and Toqtamish was forced to draw up at the Kondurcha River on June 18th, 1391.    The two massive armies arrayed themselves in large, crescent formations. Both forces were largely horse archers, light and heavy cavalry, with Tamerlane bringing infantry from his Central Asian cities and as far as Badakhshan, and Toqtamish infantry from the Horde's urban centers. Tamerlane strengthened his wings with units staggered behind them to protect against encirclement, and commanded the rearguard behind the centre. The Golden Horde struck first, attacking across the entire front, Toqtamish himself leading repeated charges. However, some of Toqtamish's flank commanders retreated, either due to treachery or miscommunication. With the Horde now stretched thin,  Tamerlane ordered a counter charge against Toqtamish's left and centre, which broke and the rest retreated. Though the field was won, Toqtamish and much of his army had escaped. Deprived of a total victory, Tamerlane withdrew, but not before appointing another Toqa-Temürid Temür Qutlugh, as khan, with the wily Edigü empowered too.   With Tamerlane spending the next few years darting hither and yon across Iran, Toqtamish recoupled his strength, and planned the next bout. When the Prince of Moscow, Dmitri Donskoi's son Vasili, wished to annex the city of Nizhnii Novgorod, he delivered a large bribe to Toqtamish which the khan was happy to put to use. Gifts and messengers went across the world as Toqtamish built an anti-Timurid alliance. Old allies like the Mamluks and Jalayirids, but also other Turkic states with whom the Horde had had no ties with before, such as the Ottomans and Qaraqoyunlu, the so-called Black Sheep Turkomans.  Tamerlane was hardly blind to it, and engaged in his own diplomacy to dissuade such a coalition from forming. But Tamerlane's political capital was spent. Watching Tamerlane's movement, Toqtamish placed his own army north of the Caucasus. The two sent envoys to one another in a final diplomatic effort, to no avail, and Tamerlane marched into the steppe in the first months of 1395.   This time he caught Toqtamish along the Terek River in April 1395, near Grozny in Chechnya. The Golden Horde controlled the north bank of the closest ford and unwilling to storm it, Tamerlane marched upstream, with Toqtamish mirroring him for three days. According to a Spanish envoy to Tamerlane's court, Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, on the third night, the women and servants in Temur's camp donned armour and continued on, while the main force swiftly doubled back in the darkness and crossed the now unguarded ford. It didn't take Toqtamish long to discover the ruse, but it was too late: Tamerlane's army deployed on their side late on April 14th. Anticipating a night attack, Tamerlane ordered a moat dug around his camp. Toqtamish's forces skirmished along the edges of the moat, playing instruments and shouting, keeping Temur's army up with expectations of an assault. But Toqtamish held the main army back, resting them.   On the morning of the 15th, they formed up. Again they brought massive armies, and Tamerlane increased the size of his rearguard in expectation of encirclement. Toqtamish opened the battle, his right falling upon Temur's left rearguard. Tamerlane ordered the left wing to assist, and the Golden Horde's right retreated. Eager to press the assault, Tamerlane's left  pursued, leaving the security of the main army and were drawn into a feigned retreat. Surrounded, the Timurid left was decimated, the survivors colliding with Tamerlane's lines as a Jochid charge followed up. Battle order was lost. Tamerlane retreated to the fortified camp, Toqtamish's troops in hot pursuit and nearly captured the emir. With Tamerlane himself now under threat, his commanders acted promptly, forcing wagons together in an impromptu stockade. They held off the Horde long enough for the remainder of the army to form back up, and by evening counterattacked and forced back the Jochids, until nightfall separated them. So ended the first day of battle.   Discipline and composure were reestablished that night and the armies drew up early on the 16th. Toqtamish's army again began the battle, his left flank forcing back Tamerlane's vanguard, and soon Temur's right was nearly overcome as well. One commander ordered large shields forced into the ground, and from behind this barricade Tamerlane's archers dismounted and shot at the approaching Tatars, halting their advance. Temur reinforced them with several units from his bodyguard, repulsing the Jochids under this volley of arrows.   The second day ended better than the first for Tamerlane, but the old emir knew Toqtamish had him matched. That evening he made overtures to a discontented emir in Toqtamish's camp, Aktau, promising him rewards for promoting intrigue. By morning Aktau had abandoned the battlefield, making his way in time to Anatolia. Toqtamish was disheartened but determined, and formed up again, his left wing weaker with Aktau's absence. Toqtamish's centre and flanks all attacked Tamerlane, but Tamerlane had built up his forces on the right, and broke through the weakened Jochid left. Hard fighting continued until evening, Toqtamish valiantly trying to save the left and prevent encirclement, but Temur had the better of the day. Defeated, Toqtamish had an orderly retreat planned, sending one commander to the Caucasus in an effort to harass Tamerlane's rear. This gave Toqtamish enough time to escape while Temur crushed this army. However, Toqtamish could not rally another army, leaving his cities isolated before the might of Tamerlane.   Tamerlane pursued Toqtamish, but upon losing him decided to prevent Toqtamish from ever having strength to raise another army again. He then set about systematically dismantling the economy of the Golden Horde, thoroughly sacking every single one of the major cities of the steppe; from the Crimea trade cities, where only Caffa, due to a timely bribe escaped judgment. Tana, Ukek, Sarai to Hajji Tarkhan and more all were brought to ruin on Tamerlane's order, left smoldering husks as his army moved past. Despite some popular claims, Moscow was not attacked; the Rus' chronicles indicate only the town of ‘Elets suffered the wrath of the Emir. He declared another of Urus Khan's sons, Quyurchuq as Khan, and was convinced by Edigü to grant him yarliq to collect and summon his peoples; but realized too late that Edigü had tricked him, and used Tamerlane's patent and the vacuum of power to carve out his own lands.   By the summer of 1396, the steppe environment and some sort of epidemic was wreaking havoc on Tamerlane's troops, and he ordered the withdrawal to Samarkand, carrying with it the loot and treasures of the Golden Horde. The Horde's cities and trade had struggled through the upheavals of the fourteenth century, but Tamerlane had just delivered a death blow from which they would not recover.   Toqtamish was not done yet. For the next ten years he continued to seek to reclaim his throne, but now faced a stiff opponent in the form of Edigü. Ridding himself of Tamerlane's puppet, Edigü reenthroned Temür Qutlugh, in time followed by a host of other puppets, and directed the effort to crush Toqtamish once and for all. But as a man well accustomed to defeat and bouncing back from it, Toqtamish proved remarkably hard to kill, and simply would not take “no” for an answer. The most notable effort came in 1399. After allying with Vytautas the Great, Grand Duke of Lithuania, the two launched a joint-invasion of the Golden Horde. At the Vorskla River in 1399, Edigü and Temür Qutlugh inflicted a crushing defeat on the army of Vytautas and Toqtamish. Many Lithuanian princes were killed, and the fleeing Duke was chased as far as Kyiv, where only after hefty ransom was the city and its refugees spared. The Toqtamish-Lithuanian alliance continued though, and Toqtamish's son Jalal al-Din fought alongside Vytautas at the famous battle of Grünwald, or Tannenburg, against the Teutonic Order in 1410. Today, the Lipka Tatars in Lithuania and Poland are their distant descendants.   By 1405, the humbled Toqtamish was in Siberia, and reached out to his former mentor, Tamerlane. Tamerlane was then in the midst of a march on China, wintering in Otrar, and it seems his old heart was warmed by Toqtamish's offer of cooperation against Edigü. But nothing was to come of it; the old emir died that winter, and the next year Toqtamish fell in a skirmish against the forces of Edigü.   So ended the life of Toqtamish Khan, the final powerful khan over the whole of the Golden Horde. Though not a truly transformative or administrative monarch, the fact he instilled any sort of stability over the Horde, and led a remarkable effort at unifying it before its final disintegration, left him a powerful legacy.  In later Turkic histories Toqtamish is one of the most popular Jochid khans, and over the next century he was benchmark for others who wished to unify the Horde. In 1509, the Crimean Khan Mengli Giray, when sending a large army against Astrakhan during his own bid to reunify the Horde, is reported to have said “I shall be a Toqtamish.” And perhaps Toqtamish would have been successful, had he not faced Tamerlane in battle, perhaps the only man at the time with the strength to overcome the might of the Golden Horde. And for that, the Golden Horde paid dearly. Our next, and final episode on the Golden Horde, deals with its final disintegration, so be sure to subscribe to the Kings and Generals Podcast to follow. If you enjoyed this and would like to help us continue bringing you great content, consider supporting us on patreon at www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. This episode was researched and written by our series historian, Jack Wilson. I'm your host David, and we'll catch you on the next one.

Kazakhstan: "Kazakhstan had become a gigantic farmland, a desert that had bloomed into vast arable tracts." It had become 40 percent Russian, 2/3 of water provided from the Aral Sea, heavy salization, high rates of birth defects and infant mortality, and thirty mile coast line. "The Russians had thought they could use the water to turn the area into a cotton plantation. But they had treated the land the way they treated the oil fields we had passed: They stripped it and moved on." In communism you can ruin a resource without anyone saying halt. On the other hand, China in the seventies admitted its ways were not working and deregulated agriculture to teh peasants, allowing farmers to lease land for a very long time, and in some place buy it; the government allows the farmers to sell crops that they could sell for a profit on the world market; the farmers went wild; every field was planted and cultivated with items being reused and no waste; the farmers didn't strip the land; and China became an agricultural exporting country. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/david-nishimoto/message

With the death of Nogai by 1300, one man was now master of the Golden Horde; Toqta, son of Möngke-Temür Khan, great-grandson of Batu, great-great-grandson of Jochi, and great-great-great-grandson of Chinggis Khan. After the troubles of the 1290s, Toqta ushered in a new age of stability as rivals to power were snuffed out over his twenty year reign. Today we take you through the reign of Toqta Khan. I'm your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquest.   Toqta, known also as Toqtogha, was one of Möngke-Temür Khan's ten sons. While most of Möngke-Temür's children had joined Tele-Buqa Khan's alliance from 1287 to 1291, Toqta and three other brothers— Tudan, Sarai-Buqa and Bürlük—seem to have been excluded for unclear reasons. We have only reference to Toqta being seen as a strong figure of certain manly qualities, supposedly embodying Mongol ideals of rulership. Perhaps a skilled archer and rider, a fearsome wrestler and warrior, Toqta appeared an ideal rival to the always militarily-doomed Tele-Buqa.   Regardless of why, Toqta first appears in the sources being singled out as a rival by Tele-Buqa and his allies. The story, as you heard in our previous episodes, resulted in Toqta allying with Nogai and killing most of his brothers. In 1291 Toqta was enthroned as khan, perhaps also in another four way power division with his surviving brothers, according to the Mamluk chroniclers. Nogai then returned to his territory along the Danube. Popularly it is claimed that Toqta spent his first years as Khan under Nogai's thumb, but there is relatively little information to support that. Both Toqta and Nogai demanded the other kill surviving supporters of Tele-Buqa Khan, but Nogai is given no involvement in the sources in the  major actions Toqta undertook. In 1293, on the request of the Rus' prince Andrei, son of the famed Alexander Nevskii, Toqta sent his brother Tudan on a devastating attack on the Rus', aimed on ousting Andrei's rival brother, Dmitri. 14 Rus' cities, including Moscow, were sacked, and Novgorod only narrowly avoided destruction due to a timely, and very expensive, pile of gifts. Dmitri died the next year, leaving Andrei as Grand Prince of the Rus' undisputed. In 1294 Toqta also organized  a peace treaty with the Il-Khan Geikhatu, ending hostilities with the Ilkhanate.    As we covered in the last episode, most of Toqta's reign in the second half of the 1290s was caught up dealing with Nogai, as growing tensions were fanned into open war between them. After initial defeats, Toqta succeeded in overcoming Nogai, and the old dog was dead by 1300.  So ended the first decade of Toqta's reign, and he could begin to restore the Jochid Khanate's wider influence. On Nogai's defeat the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II sent a daughter to marry Toqta, while the Rus' princes reaffirmed their vassalage. At a gathering of the princes in 1304 Toqta's influence over them was confirmed with a reallotment of certain cities.     Like his father Möngke-Temür Khan, Toqta sought to extend the Jochids' influence over their borders, though faced difficulties in doing so. He placed his brothers Bürlük, Sarai-Buqa and his own sons Ilbasar and Tükel-Buqa into prominent governorships. Sarai-Buqa was made the master of the late Nogai's former territory. On Toqta's permission, the new Bulgarian tsar Theodore Svetoslav killed Nogai's son Chaka in 1301, and on Chaka's death Sarai-Buqa moved into the Nogayid lands, and Toqta's son Tükel-Buqa took Nogai's former administrative centre at Saqchi, thus reasserting the Horde's mastery over the region. Bulgaria, counter to some suggestions, remained a part of the Golden Horde as a vassal. Toqta might have thought the matter finished, had Nogai's sole surviving son, Turai, not come out of hiding.  Turai, through some silver tongue-work, was welcomed into the local court of Toqta's brother Sarai-Buqa. In short order, Turai convinced Sarai-Buqa that he should be khan, and thereby had Sarai-Buqa march against Toqta. Sarai-Buqa sought to get another brother, Bürlük, in on the plot. Bürlük made a show of agreeing, while contacting Toqta in secret. With his brother's permission, Bürlük turned on Turai and Sarai-Buqa, capturing and killing them. Toqta's son Ilbasar was then made overseer of Nogai's former lands.    Meanwhile, on his far eastern border, Toqta had another opportunity arise. There lay the Blue Horde, the khanate under the rule of the line of Orda, the older brother of Batu. Whether the Blue Horde was ever really under the authority of Batu's line, or was in fact its own independent khanate from its inception, is a matter of hot debate in the scholarship. Regardless of the original intention, during the reign of Orda's grandson Qonichi from the 1270s until 1300, the Blue Horde was, for all intents and purposes, its own power outside of the influence of the Batuid lineage. Independent contemporaries like Marco Polo and Rashīd al-Dīn attest to the fact. Qonichi, according to Rashīd al-Dīn, was so monstrously overweight that no horse could bear him, and he needed to be carried around in a cart. His guards had to watch over him at night just to make sure his neck fat did not crush his throat, and allegedly, a failure to do so one night resulted in Qonichi's death. Whether we can give any credence to this story, or it was simply a yarn which made its way across the Mongol Empire we cannot know, but one thing that is apparent is that Qonichi had a keen political mind. While Qaidu Khan fought for mastery over the Chagatais and warred with the Yuan Khans, Qonichi's realm appeared a beacon of stability. With every other Mongol khanate, Qonichi succeeded in maintaining a friendly or neutral diplomatic status, which secured his realm from the conflicts that marked the second half of the thirteenth century.    On Qonich's death in the late 1290s, his son Bayan succeeded him. However, here he was challenged by a younger brother, Mumkqiya, while the Chagatayid Khan Du'a and his Ögedeid ally Qaidu backed one of Bayan's cousins, Küilük, evidently seen as a man more complimentary to the needs of the Central Asian Mongols. Bayan went to Toqta Khan for aid, but Toqta was at that point in the midst of war with Nogai, and could lend no support beyond sending envoys to Du'a and Qaidu asking them to kindly leave Bayan alone. Somehow, that did not convince Du'a and Qaidu, and we are told that they did not even bother to respond to Toqta's messages. Qaidu's death in 1301 didn't halt the conflict, and by 1303 Bayan was sending out envoys to the Great Khan, Khubilai's grandson Temür Öljeitü, and the Il-Khan Ghazan, seeking alliance against Du'a Khan. Du'a, undesiring getting caught between a rock and a hard place —that is, the Il-Khan and the Great Khan— proved amenable to the idea of a general Mongol peace. So came about over 1304 and 1305 the Great Mongol peace as Du'a Khan of the Chagatai Khanate, Qaidu's sons in the Ögedeid khanate, Bayan Khan in the Blue Horde and Ghazan's successor, Öljeitü Il-Khan, all recognized the supremacy of the Great Khan. When Toqta was alerted of it, he too jumped on board. For the first time since Berke became khan in the 1250s, the Jochid ruler now recognized the overlordship of the Great Khan. For the remainder of Yuan rule in China, the Golden Horde officially regarded Khubilai's heirs as the rightful ruler of the world— albeit, nominally, and the Great Khan held no real authority within any of the western khanates. From this point onwards Toqta and his successors were provided revenues from prefectures in China.   In terms of actual peace between the khanates, 1304's success was rather more ephemeral. Bayan of the Blue Horde continued to face struggles from rivals to power. When his cousin Küilük died, his son continued to challenge Bayan. Only around 1310, when Toqta was able to intervene militarily, was the situation calmed in the Blue Horde. On Bayan's death by 1312 he was succeeded, apparently without issue, by his son Sasi-Buqa. However, the Blue Horde's independence was now on a leash, and would be restricted further by Toqta's successor Özbeg.   On his border with the Ilkhanate, Toqta was never too subtle. In the 1290s Toqta made peace with Il-Khan Geikhatu and then with Ghazan, but following Nogai's death Toqta's policy pivoted. In the first years of the fourteenth century Toqta sent messages to Ghazan demanding he relinquish control over the Caucasus. Like a good Jochid khan, Toqta knew not only the economic value, but the political acumen he would enjoy, if he brought these lands back under control of the Jochid lineage. Evidently he had taken note of the failures of previous efforts, and had convinced himself that diplomacy would instead convince the Ilkhanids to abandon these valuable lands. Ghazan would have none of that though, and responded succinctly with “I conquered these lands by the sword and I will defend them by the word!” If Toqta wanted them, then he'd have to come and take them by force.    So well known were Toqta's demands, that they even appeared in the work of the contemporary Byzantine author Pachymeres, where Toqta is portrayed as a deceitful figure trying to steal the kingdom from Ghazan while the latter was on his deathbed. And it's not altogether inaccurate. When Ghazan died in 1304 he was succeeded by his brother Öljeitü, with whom Toqta at first made peace with, and likewise recognized the Great Mongol Peace. But almost immediately afterwards Toqta sent his first envoys to the Mamluks, where he urged them to join him in an attack on the Ilkhanate. He sent several rounds of these messages to the Mamluks, but found an unwilling ear there. The sultan, the young al-Nasir Muhammad, had signed a truce with Öljeitü, but only a few years before had suffered a crushing defeat at Wadi al-Khaznadar at the hands of the late Ghazan. There was no mood in Cairo for any large expedition against the Ilkhan. Toqta's hopes for any great conquest of the Caucasus would be dashed. It shows also the almost immediate failure of the Great Mongol Peace; Toqta saw it as an opportunity to settle the disputed claim with the Ilkhanate, and perhaps appealed to the Great Khan to mediate it as would have been done in times past. But no sense of Mongol unity was imposed, or past grievances really settled, by the effort.   The Mamluk Sultanate's failure to reply positively to Toqta's demands brought perhaps the lowest point in Mamluk-Jochid relations. The fact that Toqta was a shamanist or Buddhist meant there was not even a religious common ground for them to work with. It's perhaps not coincidental that Toqta began to put great pressure on the Italian merchants in the Golden Horde who supplied the Mamluks with captive Qipchaps for their armies.  Over the second half of the thirteenth century, a growing colony of Genoese traders had formed along the Golden Horde's Black Sea coastline. The most important of these sites was at Caffa in the Crimean Peninsula. The Italians made considerable income by selling the most important of the Horde's overseas exports; grains, which were particularly important for feeding Constantinople, and slaves. With the defeat of Nogai, many of his defeated men and their entire families were sold abroad, but slaves were also procured in raids and even from desperate parents unable to feed their children, and thereby forced to sell them into servitude. The Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt purchased a great many of these slaves, particularly children, who would then be raised in the skills of war to form the actual Mamluk core of the Sultanate's armies. In theory the Genoese paid tax for this privilege, but in recent years had failed to pay the primary tax on this transaction. Their arrogance did them no favours in Toqta's eyes.   It seems probable that Toqta aimed to put pressure onto this trade, and by extension hurt the Mamluks. The official reason given was that Toqta wanted to put an end to the sale of Mongol children abroad. While Toqta perhaps did have a personal dislike to the selling of Mongol and Qipchap children, Toqta may also have wanted to put a stop to the sale of valuable future warriors. After the destructive war against Nogai and arid years of the 1280s and 90s, it may have been necessary to recoup some of these demographic losses. That it could also force the Mamluks to play nice was a handy consequence, as far as Toqta was concerned.   In October 1307 Toqta gave the order for the expulsion of the Genoese in the Golden Horde. First in the capital of Sarai, the local Genoese were arrested, their goods confiscated. Then he sent his son Ilbasar with an army into Crimea, who laid siege to Caffa at the close of 1307. Here Caffa's stout stone walls stood defiant. Raids at sea from Venetian rivals, and Nogai's own vicious attack on Crimea in 1299, had led to the denizens of Caffa strengthening their fortifications. The siege wore on for 8 months, but by May 1308 the defenders knew the situation was hopeless. Thus they abandoned their posts, taking to their ships and setting flame to the city. Ilbasar sacked whatever was left. In the end, the campaign was a success, as the Genoese had been expelled,but if it was indeed intended to make the Mamluks play nice, it did not have this effect. The Mamluks remained stubbornly opposed to any attack on the Ilkhanate. By 1311 Toqta sent an embassy with considerable gifts of slaves and luxurious furs to soften matters. But Mamluk-Jochid relations remained poor until the reign of Toqta's successor Özbeg, who would also allow the return of the Genoese.       Toqta also played his hand at monetary reform, perhaps inspired by increased contact with the Yuan Dynasty, and Ghazan's reforms in the Ilkhanate. His efforts seem more focused on coin weights, and which sites were allowed to mint, while retaining regional variety. Thus in islamic parts of the khanate, the shamanist-buddhist Toqta is given the very Islamic title of sultan.       Much of the remainder of Toqta's actions within the Golden Horde are unknown. He was struck by personal tragedies, as it seems between 1308 and 1312 his sons predeceased him. The general image we have is of relative, much needed stability, within the Golden Horde, a period of respite after the war against Nogai and its other neighbours. In the spring of 1312, Toqta apparently decided on a visit to the Rus' lands himself, making him the first reigning Jochid monarch to do so. Or at least, he would have been the first. Toqta made the unusual decision to travel by ship up the Volga river; the details remain vague, but in an ensuing shipwreck, or from illness aboard the vessel, Toqta died in August 1312. Suspicion, even by contemporaries, was that his nephew, Özbeg, had a role in it. Özbeg was a son of Toqta's brother, To'rilcha, who had been one of the top allies of Tele-Buqa Khan. Toqta had killed To'rilcha in the coup of 1291, then married To'rilcha's chief wife, Bayalun Khatun, Özbeg's stepmother.  The young Özbeg was exiled from court, and is commonly assumed to have spent his time in the Jochid lands in Khwarezm near the Aral Sea. Determined and ambitious, Özbeg stood to gain greatly from the death of the childless Toqta.       What followed next is foggy, to say the least, as the sources offer various, competing narratives. Here we feel the loss of Rashīd al-Dīn, who around the time of Toqta's death was in the midst of copying the Jami' al-Tawarikh, and no longer adding information to it. His clear eyed sourcing and reporting of information goes much amiss, as Qashani, Rashīd al-Dīn's successor when it came to recording events after 1305, provides an account of Toqta's succession sourced apparently directly from Jochid envoys in 1313. However, Qashani's account confuses names and chronologies and is totally contradictory with the Mamluk accounts; Toqta's sons, for instance, are alive in Qashani's writing, whereas the Mamluks have them all die before their father. Qashani also makes the emir, Qutlugh-Temür, a rival of Özbeg, while the Mamluks and other accounts had Qutlugh-Temür as Özbeg's chief ally from the start.   To save your ears, our dear listeners, we'll simplify this as best we can, based on recent research.  First we can mention an interesting hypothesis from  historian Thomas Tanase.  A long running problem was that contemporary Fransican accounts of the 1320s spoke of a certain Coktoganus being a khan of the Golden Horde who converted to Catholicism, and died before Özbeg. The identity of Coktoganus has been a troublesome thing, with suggestions ranging from this referring toToqta himself, to simple wishful thinking on the part of the Fransciscans in the Golden Horde. However, neither explanation is sufficient. The sources are fairly consistent of Toqta's position as a shamanist or Buddhist. Further, Fransciscans were generally careful with their gathering of information, and learnt local languages; the idea being that an individual had to be rather knowledgeable of local affairs and language to better convert them. These Franciscans were also stationed within the Golden Horde, from Crimea to Sarai, and likely learned these facts first hand.   Tanase offers a likely explanation; that Coktoganus was not Toqta, but one of his brothers, Kutukan. If we drop the latin ending -us, Coktogan is a fairly decent rendering of Kutukan, and indeed the Fransicans also noted Coktoganus was a brother of the “Tartar emperor.” The most convincing evidence is that one of these Franciscan accounts lists three of Coktoganus' sons, whose names match exactly with the sons of Kutukan listed by Rashīd al-Dīn. Mamluk accounts had Kutukan among the brothers killed by Toqta in the 1291 coup, but we might wonder if this was not an accidental or anachronistic addition by the Mamluks, who saw a son of Möngke-Temür missing and added him to the list of dead princes. Based on Tanase's suggestion, we can propose the following timeline. Toqta died on the Volga in the summer of 1312, with no surviving children. Per Tanase's idea, the Christian convert Kutukan declared himself khan to succeed his brother, but died within a few weeks or months. A very brief reign would explain how the Mamluks did not record him, particularly if he was never officially enthroned as khan, while also aligning with the Franciscan reports of a natural death for Coktoganus, while also aligning with Qashani's and al-Aharai's reports of a member of Toqta's family being a contender against Özbeg. In these accounts, as well as later Turkic ones, Toqta's son Tükel-Buqa is alive and battles Özbeg for the throne. Perhaps they confused Kutukan with Tükel-Buqa, or perhaps the Mamluks falsely reported Tükel-Buqa's death.       Regardless of whether Tükel-Buqa or Kutukan tried to take the throne in 1312, neither claimant could overcome Özbeg. Even if he was uninvolved in Toqta's death, Özbeg moved quickly to take the throne himself, backed by the powerful Qutlugh-Temür, the governor of Jochid Khwarezm, and perhaps the most powerful Islamic figure within the Golden Horde.  Either on Qutlugh-Temür's urging, or to gain Qutlugh-Temür's backing, Özbeg made a simple promise. “Back me as khan, and I will convert to islam.” What Özbeg's campaign showed was the growing body of Muslims within the Golden Horde, particularly among the beys, or the noyad. A sizeable body of the Jochid elite were, by 1312, converts to Islam. Particularly if a Christian Kutukan had briefly tried to claim the throne, Özbeg may have had great success in rallying support. Among those who backed him included Bayalun Khatun, the widow of both his father To'rilcha, and of Toqta. This influential lady, skilled in Jochid politics, brought important support for Özbeg's claim.    A rallying of Islamic beys, and a conversion upon taking the throne, appears to varying degrees in later Turkic accounts like Ötemish Hajji, and Özbeg's own letter to the Mamluks upon his enthronement, where Özbeg announced proudly his recent conversion to Islam. Qashani is again the odd man out, where Özbeg appears as a Muslim for several years before he takes the throne. In general, the sources agree that Özbeg led an Islamic faction against the entrenched shamanist-Buddhist faction, represented by some member of Toqta's family. A recurring scene, appearing first in Qashani, and two hundred years later in Ötemish's Hajji's version, is that at a feast, rivals for the throne from the opposing faction sought to ambush Özbeg at a feast. Özbeg learns of their treachery, and with his allies storms out of the tent to kill his opponents.   As you should have gotten a sense after all that, the transition between Toqta and Özbeg is a murky period. Regardless of the specifics, Özbeg was enthroned as Khan of the Golden Horde in January 1313. And the experience left a sour taste in his mouth. Officially, Özbeg set out a mandate; whichever prince failed to convert to islam would be killed. Very conveniently, many of those killed also happened to be descendants of his grandfather, Möngke-Temür Khan; that is, potential rivals to the throne.  And what a great many were killed. Some of it was obviously religiously motivated; shamans and Buddhist lamas were killed en masse, and Christian privileges were reduced though they did not suffer any great executions, likely due to their limited presence among the nomadic population. The main element of the slain though, were Jochid princes. Any surviving family members and supporters of Kutukan or Tükel-Buqa, had they indeed challenged Özbeg, were hunted down and killed. Özbeg's aim was very simple, and based on the lessons of the previous decades, perhaps as passed down by the experienced Qutlugh-Temür. At the start of the 1280s, Möngke-Temür's successor Töde-Möngke had exiled the sons of Möngke-Temür, but not killed them. Thus they came back to seek revenge. In 1287 Tele-Buqa seized the throne with a group of allies, but had left so many rivals in place that those displeased with his reign had found a figurehead to rally around in the form of Toqta. And while Toqta had killed  a great many of the supporters of Tele-Buqa, he had not ripped them up root and bud, leaving Özbeg to nurse his vengeance for twenty years. Özbeg made no such mistake. Of all the purges carried out by the various Chinggisids, perhaps none were as total as that carried out by Özbeg. By the time he was done, the only members of the line of Batu still left, was that of Özbeg and his own sons. The results in  a way speak for themselves, for Özbeg would enjoy the longest reign of any descendant of Jochi.    Our next episode picks up with the reign of Özbeg Khan, from 1313 to 1341, so be sure to subscribe to the Kings and Generals podcast to follow. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help us continue bringing you great content, then consider supporting us on patreon at www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. This episode was written and researched by our series historian, Jack Wilson. I'm your host David, and we'll catch you on the next one.    

Green Impact Awards, plus LA's Tumbleweed Project. Bringing the Aral Sea Back to Life, and Newark Science and Sustainability.

Having taken you, our dear listeners, through the Yuan, Chagatayid and Ilkhanates, we now turn our attention to the northwestern corner of the Mongol Empire: the Jochid ulus, the Golden Horde. Ruled by the line of Chinggis' eldest son Jochi, this single division of the Mongol Empire was larger than the maximum extent of most empires, dominating from the borders of Hungary and the Balkans, briefly taking the submission of Serbia, stretching ever eastwards over what is now Ukraine, Russia, through Kazakhstan before terminating at the Irtysh River. Under its hegemony were many distinct populations; the cities of the Rus' principalities, the fur trading centres of the Volga Bulghars along the Samara Bend, the mercantile outposts of the Crimean peninsula which gave the Jochid Khans access to the Mediterranean Sea, to the Khwarezm delta, giving them a position in the heart of the Central Asian trade. These distant frontiers, hundreds upon hundreds of kilometres apart, were connected by the western half of the great Eurasian steppe, the Qipchaq Desert as it was known to Islamic writers. Thus was the Golden Horde, and over the next few episodes we'll take you through its history, from its establishment under Batu, to the height of its glory under Özbeg, to its lengthy disintegration from the end of the fourteenth century onwards. This first episode will serve as an introduction to the history of the Golden Horde, beginning first with its very name and important historiographical matters, then taking you through its origins, up to the death of Berke and ascension of Möngke-Temür, the first ruler of the Golden Horde as an independent state.  I'm your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquest.       As good a place to start as any is terminology, and the Golden Horde is known by a host of names. Firstly and most famously, we can note that the Golden Horde is a later appellation, given to the state centuries later in Rus' chronicles. In Russian this is Zolotaya Orda (Золотой Орды),  which in Mongolian and Turkish would be Altan Orda. The English word “horde” comes directly from Mongolian ordu, though also used in Turkic languages, and signifies, depending on the case, a command headquarters, the army, tent or palace- quite different from the image of uncontrolled rabble that usually comes to mind with the term. While commonly said that the Rus' chronicles took the term from the golden colour of the Khan's tents, we actually do see the term Golden Horde used among the Mongols before the emergence of the Golden Horde state. For the Mongols and Turks, all the cardinal directions have colour associated with them. Gold is the colour associated with the center; while the divisions of the army would be known by their direction and colour, the overall command or imperial government could be known as the center, the qol, or by its colour, altan. This is further augmented by the association of the colour gold with the Chinggisids themselves, as descent from Chinggis Khan was the altan urugh, the Golden Lineage; and the name of a well-known Mongolian folk band. For example, in 1246 when the Franciscan Friar John de Plano Carpini travelled to Mongolia as an envoy from the Pope, he visited a number of camps of the new Khan, Güyük. Each camp was named, and one of these was, as Carpini notes, called the Golden Horde. In this case, Carpini also describes Güyük's tent as being literally covered in gold, with even the nails holding the wooden beams being gold.       So Altan orda, or Golden Horde, may well have been in use within the Golden Horde khanate. However, the term is never used to refer to it in the thirteenth or fourteenth centuries. What we see instead is a collection of other terms. In the Ilkhanate, it was common to refer to the rulers as the Khans of Qipchap, and the state as the Desht-i-Qipchaq, the Qipchaq steppe or desert. Hence in modern writing you will sometimes see it as the Qipchap Khanate. But this seems unlikely to have been a term in use by the Jochid Khans, given that the Qipchaps were the Khan's subjects and seen as Mongol slaves; a rather strange thing for the Mongols to name themselves after them. Given that it was the pre-Mongol term for the region, and the Ilkhanid writers liked to denigrate the Jochid Khans whenever possible, it makes rather good sense that they would continue using it.       Many modern historians, and our series researcher, like to refer to it as the Jochid ulus, the patrimony of the house of Jochi, particularly before the actual independence of the Golden Horde following 1260. This term appears closer to what we see in Yuan and Mamluk sources, where the Golden Horde was usually called the ulus of Batu or Berke, or ulus of whoever was currently the reigning Khan. Either designating themselves by the current ruler, or by the more general ulug ulus, meaning “great state or patrimony,” with perhaps just the encampment of the Khan known as the altan ordu, the Golden Horde, among the Jochids themselves. Over the following episodes the term Jochid ulus will be used to refer to the state in general, and Golden Horde will be used specifically for the independent khanate which emerged after the Berke-Hülegü war in the 1260s.       There is another matter with terminology worth pointing out before we go further. The Jochid domains were split into two halves; west of the Ural river, ruled by the line of Batu, Jochi's second son. And east of the Ural River, ruled by the line of Orda, Jochi's first son. Now, Batu may have been the general head of the Jochids, or a first amongst equals, or Orda and Batu may have been given totally distinct domains. Perhaps the ulus of Orda simply became more autonomous over the thirteenth century. Opinions differ greatly, and unfortunately little information survives on the exact relationship, but the ulus of Orda was, by 1300, effectively independent and the Batuid Khans Toqta and Özbeg would, through military intervention, bring it under their influence. So essentially, there were two wings of the Jochids with a murky relationship, which is further obfuscated by inconsistent naming of them in the historical sources. Rus' and Timurid sources also refer to the White Horde and the Blue Horde. The Rus' sources follow Turko-Mongolian colour directions and have the White Horde, the lands ruled by the line of Batu, the more westerly, and Orda's ulus being the Blue Horde to the east.  Except in Timurid sources, this is reversed, with Batu's line ruling the Blue Horde, and Orda the White.        There has been no shortage of scholarly debate over this, and you will see the terms used differently among modern writers. This is not even getting into the matter if the Golden Horde was then itself another division within this, referring to territory belonging directly to the Khan within the Batuid Horde. For the sake of clarity, this podcast will work on the following assumptions, with recognition that other scholars interpretations may differ greatly: that following Jochi's death around 1227, the Jochid lines and lands were divided among Batu and Orda, with Batu acting as the head of the lineage. The western half of this division, under Batu, we will call the White Horde, and Orda's eastern division will be the Blue Horde. Together, these were the Jochid ulus, with the rest of their brothers given allotments within the larger domains. While Batu was the senior in the hierarchy, Orda was largely autonomous, which following the Berke-Hülegü war turned into the Blue Horde becoming effectively independent until the start of the fourteenth century, as apparently suggested by Rashid al-Din and Marco Polo,        One final note is that we have effectively no internal sources surviving from the Golden Horde. In the opinion of scholars like Charles Halperin, the Golden Horde simply had no chronicle tradition. Any records they maintained were likely lost in the upheavals of the late fourteenth century that culminated in the great invasion under Tamerlane in the 1390s, where effectively every major city in the steppe region of the Horde was destroyed.  The closest we come to Golden Horde point-of-view chronicles appear in the sixteenth century onwards, long after the dissolution of the Horde. The first and most notable was the mid-sixteenth century Qara Tawarikh of Ötemish Hajji, based in Khiva in the service of descendants of Jochi's son, Shiban. Sent to the lower Volga by his masters, there he collected oral folk tales which he compiled into his history. While often bearing intriguing and amusing tales, they reveal little in the way of the internal machinations of the Golden Horde. Luckily we are serviced from more contemporary sources, most notably Ilkhanid and Mamluk sources- once again our friend the Ilkhanid vizier Rashid al-Din is of utmost importance, who provides us an important outline of the Golden Horde's politics up to 1300. The Mamluks and Ilkhanid sources largely collected information from Jochid diplomats or refugees. Most of our understanding of Golden Horde political events, and the details of the following episodes, comes from these sources.   Post-Ilkhanid Timurid and Jalayirid authors help somewhat for the later fourteenth century, while the Rus' sources provide information on the Golden Horde almost exclusively in the context of its interactions with the principalities, similar to other European and Byzantine sources. A few details can be gleaned too from travellers like Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta, and even distant Yuan sources from China. Archaeology has provided some interesting details, particularly relating to trade and the extensive coinage circulation of the Jochids. Despite this, the Golden Horde remains, regardless of its fame, arguably one of the poorer understood of the Mongol Khanates.       So, with that bit of paperwork out of the way, let's get on with it! The kernel of the immense Golden Horde can be found in the first decades of the thirteenth century. In the first ten years of the Mongol Empire Jochi, Chinggis Khan's first son, was tasked with leading campaigns around Lake Baikal, as well as the first expeditions that brought their armies far to the west of Mongolia. While around Baikal he had been sent to subdue the local peoples, in 1216 Jochi and Sübe'edei pursued fleeing Merkits across Kazakhstan, to the region between the Aral Sea and the Caspian. Here, the Merkits had allied with Qangli-Qipchaps, beginning the long running Mongol animosity to the various Qipchap peoples. While Jochi was the victor here, he was forced into battle with the Khwarezm-Shah Muhammad on his return, as we have previously detailed. But the result seems to have been an association of these western steppes as Jochi's lands, in the eyes of the Mongol leadership.       Such an association was strengthened following the campaign against the Khwarezmian Empire. The Mongols saw conquering a region as making it part of the patrimony of a given prince, and such a belief fueled into the interactions between Jochi and his brothers, especially Chagatai. This was most apparent at the siege of the Khwarezmian capital of Gurganj, where Jochi sought to minimize destruction to the city- not out of humanity, but as it would be a jewel in his domains as one of the preeminent trade cities in Central Asia. Chagatai, in a long running competition with his brother, was not nearly so compassionate. The end result was Gurganj being almost totally annihilated, and Jochi and Chagatai's antagonism reaching the frustrated ears of their father. As you may recall, Jochi's mother Börte had been captured by Merkits before he was born, leaving an air of doubt around the true identity of his father. Chinggis, to his credit, always treated Jochi as fully legitimate, and indeed up until 1221, in the opinion of some scholars, appears to have been grooming him as his primary heir. However, the falling out between Jochi and Chagatai over the siege of Gurganj, and Chagatai's apparent refusal to accept Jochi as anything but a “Merkit bastard,” as attributed to him in the Secret History of the Mongols, left Chinggis with  the realization that should Jochi become Khan, it would only lead to war between the brothers. And hence, the decision to make Ögedai the designated heir.       It has often been speculated that Jochi's massive patrimony was essentially a means to keep him and Chagatai as far apart as possible,and appeasing Jochi once he was excluded from the throne.  Following the conquest of Khwarezm, Jochi seems to have taken well to the western steppe being his territory, the grasslands between the Ural and Irtysh Rivers. Juzjani, writing around 1260, writes of Jochi falling in love with these lands, believing them to be the finest in the world. Some later, pro-Toluid sources portray Jochi then spending the last years of his life doing nothing but hunting and drinking in these lands, but this seems to have been aimed at discrediting his fitness. Rather he likely spent this time consolidating and gradually pushing west his new realm, past the Aral Sea towards the Ural River, while his primary camp was along the Irtysh. Though effectively nothing is known of Jochi's administration, we can regard this period as the true founding of what became the Jochid ulus, and eventually the Golden Horde. Though he died between 1225 and 1227, either of illness, a hunting accident or poisoned by his father, Chinggis immediately confirmed upon Jochi's many offspring -at least 14 sons- their rights to their father's lands. And Chinggis, or perhaps Ögedai, made Jochi's second son Batu the head of the lineage. It was then that the division of the Jochid lands into two wings under Orda and Batu may have been first implemented.        By the start of Ögedai's reign, the western border of the Mongol Empire  extended past the Ural River, and Mongol armies were attacking the Volga Bulghars.  While we do not have much information on it, we may presume a level of involvement on the part of Batu and his brothers. Of course, in the second half of the 1230s Ögedai ordered the great invasion that overran the western steppe. Starting from the Ural River, within 5 years the Mongol Empire was extended some 3,000 kilometres westwards to the borders of Hungary. Whereas previously the urban area of the Jochid lands was restricted to the Khwarezm Delta and the scattered steppe settlements, now it included the cities of the Rus' principalities, Volga Bulghars, other Volga communities, and the Crimean peninsula. All in addition to the western half of the great Eurasian steppe, and the now subdued Cuman-Qipchaq peoples. By 1242, Batu was arguably the single most powerful individual in the Mongol Empire. Enjoying the rich grasslands along the Volga between the Black and Caspian Seas, Batu created a permanent capital, Sarai. Much like the imperial capital of Qaraqorum, Sarai served as a base to collect tribute, receive embassies, and house the administration and records, while Batu and the other Jochid princes continued to nomadize. The newly conquered territories were quickly incorporated in the Mongol tax system, and the Rus' principalities began to see Mongol basqaqs and darughachi come to collect the Khan's due.       But Batu was an ambitious man. There was clearly an understanding that the Jochids were granted the west of Asia as theirs, and he took this quite literally. As the Mongol Empire incorporated Iran, the Caucasus and Anatolia over the 1230s through 40s, Batu ensured that Jochid land rights were not just respected, but expanded. The administration in these regions was picked either from Batu's men, or from his consultation, such as Baiju Noyan, the commander of the Caucasian tamma forces and who brought the Rumi Seljuqs under Mongol rule.    In the turmoil following Ögedai's death, Batu extended his hold over western Asia. Naturally, this put him on a collision course with the Central Government. When Ögedai's widow, Törögene tried to hunt down her political rivals, such as the head of the Central Asia Secretariat Mas'ud Beg, Batu gave shelter to him. When her son Güyük took the throne, Batu did not attend his quriltai in person, putting off any meeting due to, Batu claimed, the severe gout he suffered from preventing his travel. Batu and Güyük had been rivals ever since the great western campaign, where Güyük had insulted Batu's leadership. Güyük hoped to put a cap on the decentralization of power which had occurred during the last years of his father's reign and during his mother's regency, and showed a willingness to execute imperial princes, such as the last of Chinggis Khan's surviving brothers, Temüge. When rumour came to Batu that Güyük was planning a massive new campaign to subdue the west, Batu must have suspected that Güyük planned on bringing him to heel too; either limiting his political freedom, or outright replacing him with Batu's older brother, Orda, with whom Güyük was on good terms with.    The news of Güyük's advance came from Sorqaqtani Beki, the widow of Tolui and sister of one of Jochi's most important wives. Sources like William of Rubruck have Batu preemptively poison Güyük in spring 1248, thus avoiding civil war. Batu and Sorqaqtani then promptly had many of Güyük's favourites executed and, in a quriltai in Batu's territory, had her son Möngke declared Khan of Khans in 1250, before an official ceremony in Mongolia the next year. The relationship was an effective one. In being key supporters for Möngke's otherwise illegal election, Jochid land rights were confirmed across the empire. Transoxania was cleared of Chagatayids and handed over the Jochids, Georgia confirmed for Batu's younger brother Berke, and travellers who passed through the empire in these years like William of Rubruck basically have the empire divided between Batu and Möngke. Most of western Asia, both north and south of the Caucasus, was overseen by Batu and his men. When Batu died around 1255, the Jochids enjoyed a preeminence second only to the Great Khan himself. The special place of the Jochid leader was recognized by numerous contemporary sources, and it is notable that while the rest of the empire was divided into the great branch secretariats, that the Jochid lands were not placed into one until late in Möngke's reign, and there is little indication it was ever properly established before Jochid independence.    However, despite even Möngke recognizing Batu's power, as a part of his wider centralizing efforts he reminded Batu of the leash on him. Batu's interactions with William of Rubruck indicate that Batu saw his power to conduct foreign diplomacy was limited; the Jochid lands were not exempted from Möngke's empire-wide censuses, and when Möngke demanded Batu provide troops for Hülegü's campaigns against the Nizari Ismailis and Baghdad, Batu duly complied. During Batu's lifetime it was the name of the Great Khan who continued to be minted on coinage in the Jochid lands, and Rus' princes still had to receive yarliqs, or confirmation, not from Batu but from Qaraqorum. And in 1257, Möngke ordered the Jochid lands to be incorporated into a new Secretariat, and thus bring them better under the control of the Central Government. There is no indication from the sources that Batu or his successors resisted Möngke in any capacity in these efforts   Following Batu's death, Möngke promptly ratified Batu's son Sartaq as his successor, but as Sartaq returned from Qaraqorum, he died under mysterious circumstances; in a few sources, the blame falls onto his uncles, Berke and Berkechir. Sartaq's son or brother Ilagchi was made Khan under the regency of Batu's widow Boraqchin Khatun, but soon both were dead. Though Ilagchi's cause of death is unmentioned, for Boraqchin the Mamluk sources note that Berke had her tried and executed for treason. Still, for Sartaq and Ilagchi the tendency for Mongol princes to die at inopportune times can't be forgotten, and Berke may have simply reacted to a favourable circumstance.  The fact that he stood with the most to gain from their deaths made him the likely scapegoat even to contemporary writers, even if he happened to actually be innocent of the matter. Much like how Batu may or may not have poisoned Güyük, the deaths are a little too convenient for the relevant Jochid princes to be easily dismissed.   Between 1257 and 1259, possibly waiting for Möngke to begin his Song campaign and be unable to interfere, Berke became the head of the Jochid ulus. As the aqa of the Jochids, that is, the senior member of the line of Jochi, he did this with the approval of his fellow Jochid princes and military leaders. But there is no indication that Berke ever received support from Qaraqorum for his enthronement. Given that Chinggis Khan had confirmed upon Batu the right to rule, the shift from brother-to-brother, though common in steppe successions, was still an extreme matter.   Part of the success of Berke's ascension may have been achieved through an agreement with Batu's family. According to the fourteenth century Mamluk author al-Mufaddal, the childless Berke designated Batu's grandson Möngke-Temür as his heir. Some historians like Roman Pochekaev have suggested that Berke's enthronement may have been leveraged as part of an agreement; that Berke, as the most senior member of the Jochids, could take the throne following the death of Ilagchi Khan. But, the prestige of Batu made his line the designated leaders of the White Horde. Without his own children, on Berke's death the throne would fall back to the line of Batu, under his grandson Möngke-Temür.  And so it would remain among Batu's descendants until the 1360s, almost 100 years after Berke's death.    As you likely know, Berke was the first Mongol prince known to convert to Islam. The exact time of his conversion varies in the sources, but a convincing argument has been put forward by professor István Vásáry. Essentially, that Berke, likely through a Muslim mid-wife that raised him (and not a Khwarezmian Princess, as sometimes suggested) was either in his youth a convert to Islam, or at least extremely influenced by it. By the time of the 1251 quriltai in Mongolia which confirmed Möngke as Great Khan, Berke is attested in independent sources writing at the same time to have sought to Islamize the event; getting the meat to be slaughtered for the feast to be halal, according to Juvaini, and trying to get Möngke to swear on the Quran, according to Juzjani. On his return from Mongolia, he was contacted by a Sufi shaykh in Bukhara, Sayf ad-Din Bakharzi, who is mentioned in a number of sources in connection with Berke's conversion. Having heard of a prominent Mongol prince's interest in Islam, the Shaykh invited Berke to Bukhara, and there gave him a formal education in the religion, leading to Berke to make a more official declaration of his faith likely around 1252. Berke's conversion was accompanied by the conversion of his wives, a number of other princes, members of his family and his generals, though all evidence suggests there was only limited spread of the faith among the rank and file Mongols at the time.    As Khan, Berke sought to ensure Jochid hegemony on frontier regions. His troops crushed a newly independent Ruthenian Kingdom in Galicia, and in 1259 his armies under Burundai Noyan led a devastating raid into Poland. Possibly in this time Bulgaria began paying tribute to the Jochids as well. Berke demanded the submission of the Hungarian King, Béla IV, and offered a marriage alliance between their families. As Hungary was spared any damage in Burundai's 1259 campaign, it has been suggested that Béla undertook a nominal submission to Berke, sending tribute and gifts in order to spare Hungary from another assault.    In Khwarezm and the Caucasus Berke continued to exercise influence. But tensions were fraying with his cousin Hülegü, who in 1258 sacked Baghdad and killed the ‘Abbasid Caliph. Obviously, as a Muslim Berke was not keen to learn of the Caliph's death. According to the contemporary author Juzjani, writing from distant Delhi, Berke had been in contact with the Caliph in the years preceding the siege. Much of Berke's anger though, as gleaned from his letters to the Mamluks and the writing of Rashid al-Din, was at Hülegü's failure to consult with Berke as the senior member of the family, and as the master of western Asia. Though Jochid troops partook in the siege, and we have no indication from the sources that Berke tried to prevent them taking part, it seems Hülegü did not reach out to Berke regarding the fate of Baghdad, or in the dispensation of loot.   Berke was greatly angered at this, and relations only worsened over the following years, once Hülegü killed the Jochid princes in his retinue on charges of sorcery; it just so happened that these same prince had previously annoyed Hülegü through attempting to enforce Jochid land rights over Iran and Iraq. The final straw came in early 1260 once Hülegü learned of Möngke's death. Hülegü by then had already set up in the pastures of Azerbaijan, land Berke considered his. As he learned of the fighting between his brothers Khubilai and Ariq Böke which broke out later that year, Hülegü decided to use the interregnum to seize the pastures of the Caucasus, as well as all of the land between the Amu Darya and Syria, for himself. Berke's officials in these lands were driven out or killed. With no Great Khan to intercede, Berke felt forced to resort to violence to avenge his fallen kinsmen and retake his lands; in 1262 he went to war with Hülegü, and so did the Mongol Empire in the west split asunder.   We've covered the Berke-Hülegü war in detail in a previous episode, so we don't need to repeat ourselves here. The end result was both Berke and Hülegü dead by 1266, and the frontier between them set along the Kura River, where Hülegü's son and successor Abaqa built a wall to keep out the Jochids- though the jury is out on whether he made them pay for it. The conflict set the border between the newly emerged Ilkhanate and the Jochid state for the next century, and the Jochids would not forget the sting of losing this territory to the Ilkhanids for that time either.    On Berke's death his coffin was carried back to Sarai.  Berke's reign, though much shorter than Batu's, had been a decisive one. For not only did it determine many aspects of the Golden Horde's diplomacy and character, notably antagonism to the Ilkhans, a predatory view to the Chagatayids who in the 1260s retook control of Transoxiana and killed Berke's officials, and a cool, distant view to Khubilai Khaan's legitimacy. He helped begin the alliance with the Mamluk Sultans, which never materialized into any actual military cooperation but uneased the Ilkhans and allowed the Mamluks to continue to purchase Qipchaq slaves from the steppe. This alliance too would survive essentially until the dissolution of the Golden Horde at the start of the fifteenth century.    But it also seeded the kernel for eventual islamization of the Khanate, a slow process which would only be fulfilled some sixty years later under Özbeg Khan. While their father was the true founder of the Jochid ulus in the 1200s, both Batu and Berke could argue for this title. Batu posthumously became the Sain Khan, the Good Khan, while to the Mamluks the Golden Horde rulers ascended to the throne of Berke. With his death, it seems at Sarai a quriltai was held to confirm the enthronement of his grand-nephew, Möngke-Temür, the first true independent ruler of what we can call the Golden Horde, and subject of our new episode, so be sure to subscribe to the Kings and Generals Podcast to follow. If you enjoyed this and would like to help us continue bringing you great content, consider supporting us on patreon a www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals, or giving us a like, comment and review on the podcast catcher of your choice, and share with your friends, it helps immensely. This episode was researched and written by our series historian, Jack Wilson. I'm your host David, and we'll catch you on the next one.   

Today on Honey & Co: The Food Sessions we have Caroline Eden joining us! A journalist, food writer and cookbook author, Caroline's latest cookbook Red Sands, Reportage and Recipes through Central Asia, from Hinterland to Heartland, the follow-up to  Black Sea, is a reimagining of traditional travel writing using food as the jumping-off point to explore Central Asia. Red Sands came out in 2020, and won all of the awards - The Financial Times, The Sunday Times and The New Yorker all selected it as their book of the year for 2020. We talked to Caroline about how her obsession with Central Asia began, the  practicalities of travelling in the region, and the incredible people she met on the way, as well as demystifying plov, the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea, and the soviet-era sanatoriums of Tajikistan. It was an absolute joy to talk to Caroline!  Follow Caroline on instagram: @edentravels Get a copy of Red Sands With thanks to: Producer: Miranda Hinkley Audio Engineers: Paul Brogden & John Scott Theme tune: Daniel Winshall  Head of Comms: Louisa Cornford 

In this episode we talk with Pauline Blanchet and Thea Sun of Aral Sea Productions. Both are accomplished journalists, artists, and advocates who take an inspiring approach to telling stories about people, nature, and many of the really serious challenges we face as a society - all while injecting a fair amount of disruption into the film industry. Pauline Blanchet is a photographer, videographer and producer. After graduating from SOAS, University of London Pauline founded Aral Sea Productions which seeks to widen participation in the creation of documentaries, photography, and audio. Aral Sea projects deal with issues of social and political importance. Her work has been shortlisted for the London Development Photography Competition and has been awarded numerous grants. Thea Sun is a producer and filmmaker. She is most drawn to the combination of film and narrative, seeking subjects within her interest of history and humanities. Her multicultural background spurs a desire to explore stories from different cultures, ethnicities, and ideologies.

One of the greatest ecological tragedies of our times is happening in the very heart of Asia where a lake that was so big used to be called a see, should be called a desert now. The Aral Sea has nearly disappeared because of the catastrophic economy of communistic USSR. Not an easy topic and not an easy podcast. In the transcript on Patreon, you will find a small dictionary that will help you with some technical terms. Enjoy listening! :)You can find a full transcript of this episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/52463096My blog: https://ioannesoculus.com/Telegram: https://t.me/polishwitjohnUczymy się polskiego (FB group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/731509530781610/FB Ioannes Oculus: https://www.facebook.com/IoannesOculus/FB Polish With John: https://www.facebook.com/polishwithjohnInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ioannesoculus/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ioculusMinds: https://www.minds.com/ioculusVK: https://vk.com/id91229452GAB: https://gab.com/ioculusIn the podcast, I used "Sing Swing Bada Bing" Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions; source: https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music (attribution not required)

The story behind the story of the many paranormal events associated with this former island in the Aral Sea

A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori is our topic for this podcast! This is a review/opinion piece where we discuss a lot of topics related to the manga and there are spoilers! A Bride's Story is a story about a bride. SIKE! It's actually a story about multiple brides! Well, to be fair, it is exactly that. It is a slice of life story that focuses on different places in Central Asia. We go to many places like the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea, Ankara, Tabriz and so on. The story follows a few main brides that are married into families (and even a few that are unmarried) and it also follows the journey of an Englishman named Henry Smith, who is trying to preserve the culture of these places with the help of his notebook. He acts as a historian in this setting, making sure there are historical records of the people of this time and how they lived. The story itself is basic. It talks about the everyday lives of these people with drama happening of course. It has a lot of fighting, war, love, bread baking, and even embroidery weaving! Let's talk about those for a second. These places are known for their insane and intricate details on rugs, carpets, pillowcases, cloth, and even wooden doors. These patterns make them unique and are passed down from generation to generation. The grandmother teaches the mother who teaches her child and so on. What is really interesting is that while they do continue the old traditions of embroidery, the newer generation always makes their own additions to it, making it a part of the rich culture. A final note is that the cultures of these countries and India overlap a lot. We have given our input where we can and we have made sure to explain that we're talking about how things are happening in our experiences and it might or might not directly translate to what they faced/face in their lives. Please keep that in mind and let us know your thoughts in the comments down below! Enjoy! Like, Subscribe and Share. Let us know what you think in the comments. Check out our other channels - Last Take - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC42Kr3FAvaDVA45Z0ekMBtg Podcast Highlights - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw9e-K-w91FgFSYHo9poLJw Listen to the audio version - Anchor - https://anchor.fm/weeb101 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/weeb-101/id1533775571 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5IowiKxUz7F0iuk7OJ7GDn Google Podcasts - https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zMTk4ZjljOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw== Join our Discord Community - Discord - https://discord.gg/cPVCNeScgW Watch us live - Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/weeb101pod Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to keep up with both Weeb 101 news and some cool anime releases. Let us know what you think too! We love conversations! Twitter - https://twitter.com/weeb101pod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/weeb101podcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/weeb101pod/ We are also on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@weeb101podcast Support us on Patreon - Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/weeb101pod Intro and Outro Music - Dancing On My Own - Outgoing Hikikomori https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axD-6qdmLus Crew - Hosts - Bru and Sid Producer - Audi https://twitter.com/marim0ss1 Camera Operator - Mickey https://twitter.com/Miggydota #bridestory #otoyomegatari #manga #podcast #review #anime

This episode begins with a brief look at Egypt and the Aral Sea. Then we follow Timur as he begins his war with Chorasmia (Kwarazm). Check out the Warlords of History Podcast at warlordsofhistory.com. Intro and outro music: "Fidayda" by Turku. Check them out at turkumusic.com. Cover art created by Quintus Cassius. See more at deviantart.com/quintuscassius. For more information about the Timur Podcast, head over to timurpodcast.com.

Lessons from the Aral Sea and developments at the continental rift in East Africa.

Kazakh-British violinist and composer Galya Bisengalieva plays music from her debut album Aralkum (released on Björk’s One Little Independent record label.) Aralkum is named after the desert that exists where the Aral Sea between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to be, which used to be the world’s  fourth largest lake, but has been catastrophically shrinking due to irrigation and drought. Bisengalieva has worked on albums by Radiohead and Frank Ocean, as well as Thom Yorke’s soundtrack to the remake of Suspiria. On Aralkum, her violin and vocals, combined with electronics swirl and rumble ominously, suggesting impending doom. She joins us from her home in London for the Soundcheck Podcast. "Aralkum": "Kantubek":

This episode brought to you by K-Mart fine jewelry.We throw all structure to the wind and empty out our research folders. Enjoy lots of stories that didn't deserve an entire episode! Learn about how dolphins have sex, why some jellyfish are immortal, people who died at the Indiana State Fair, the vanishing Aral Sea, whatever happened to the McDonalds on a ship, why we went to war with Canada over a pig, what the Hawaiian night marchers are up to, how Princess Marie-Auguste Anhalt got into the royalty-selling business, the time Israel was almost in Mexico because of Sigmund Freud, how Elmer McCurdy's embalmed body became a piece of funhouse decoration, who dognapped Masterpiece the poodle, and how someone solved human rights abuses by buying Halloween stuff. Plus a bonus story about Whitney's mom finding money in a consignment store purchase.

What happens when an action from 100 years ago has a profound, unimaginable impact today? How does a sea the size of Himachal Pradesh or the entirety of Croatia simply disappear? If this sounds like science fiction, this week, Utsav takes you to Karakalpakastan, an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan, which is a glimpse of the world ravaged by climate change. This kicks off a new series: Our Changing World: Stories of Climate Change, where we travel to the remote and not so remote parts of the world, understanding how climate change is impacting us in ways we have not imagined.Find more travel stories on #PostcardsFromNowhere with Utsav Mamoria.Check out the entire series of Uzbekistan episodes:Ep. 13: Beauty Of Uzbekistan & The Geometry Box (https://bit.ly/36DthdS)Ep. 14: Melons of Samarkand (https://bit.ly/34C0t2C)Ep. 15: Vincent van Gogh and Uzbekistan (https://bit.ly/3nnI3v7)Ep. 16: Secrets of Doors (https://bit.ly/2SDazus)Ep. 17: Train Journeys and Humanity - Part 1 (https://bit.ly/34Ek0zM)Ep. 18: Train Journeys and Humanity - Part 2 (https://bit.ly/3lngfoQ)Ep. 19: World's Most Popular Snack (https://bit.ly/30H8pyJ)You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42(https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42)You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

Today, in the Beyond The Chameleon Podcast, Ella talks to Mim Lucy and Pauline Blanchet from Aral Productions. They're currently crowdfunding their documentary, ‘Beyond The Red Light', that will shine a light on the sex workers demanding for sex work to be recognised as work in order to access labour rights, whilst also challenging the discrimination and violence that exists within the industry. The sex workers rights movement advocates for the decriminalisation of sex work, and the abolishment of all laws that exist to further exploit them.  Follow Pauline, Mim and Aral Sea Productions on Instagram: @beyondtheredlightfilm @aralsea.productions @paulyblanchet @cheekymim   And Twitter: @BTRL_film @Aralseaprod @blanchetpauline And check out their project: greenlit.fund/project/beyond-red-light Don't miss the next episode, remember to subscribe, rate, review and follow Ella on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter - you can expect to see some of the behind the scenes of the podcast, and narratives about working in the media industry. For more information about working with Ella, visit her website. To support the podcast, donate via buymeacoffee.com/ellajarmanpinto

Support us on Patreon!   News discussed: Fast Grants funds a new COVID test Trump's b******t executive orders Eneasz's thoughts on Kamala Harris Vox on Harris' record Trump is sabotaging the Postal Service seemingly to stop mail in voting The Satanic Temple declares abortion to be a holy ritual Zvi's latest COVID update Daily Beast podcast about COVID testing and NRA Greece expelling people in life rafts Alex Morse smeared for being sexually active  Block and Reported Podcast featuring Dan Savage   Happy news!  Iowa governor restores felon voting rights The Aral Sea is recovering Got something to say? Come chat with us on the Bayesian Conspiracy Discord or email us at themindkillerpodcast@gmail.com. Say something smart and we'll mention you on the next show!   Follow us! RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/themindkiller Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mind-killer/id1507508029 Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iqs7r7t6cdxw465zdulvwikhekm Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/vvcmifu6  Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-mind-killer    Intro/outro music: On Sale by Golden Duck Orchestra This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindkiller.substack.com/subscribe

OYUB is a Russian documentary play about the life of Oyub Titiev, a human rights activist in the Republic of Chechnya, Russia. ‘How much longer are we going to kill and imprison human rights defenders?’ ‘With every passing year, there are more and more restrictions, and less and less rights.’ Oyub Titiev, Shali Town Court, Chechnya, Russia, 18 March 2019. Oyub Titiev's arrest and subsequent show trial in Chechnya in 2018-19 caught worldwide media attention and drew broad international criticism. Titiev was sentenced to four years imprisonment, but was released on parole three months later, having served out two years in detention since his initial arrest. In 2018, Oyub Titiev was awarded the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. He now lives in Moscow, where he continues his human rights work. This radio play is read by current human rights activists, not actors (although one of the participants is both). It was recorded by the participants from their homes in the U.K. and Europe during the COVID-19 lockdown. The play was not rehearsed or directed, and is performed as a reading, rather than acted out. Emphasis is placed on the professional connection between participants and Titiev himself, and for this reason their biographies are included below. The play features an introduction by Julie Curtis, who is a Professor of Russian Literature at the University of Oxford. Her work on contemporary Russian drama has been pursued in association with two AHRC (OWRI) research projects hosted by the Universities of Oxford (Creative Multilingualism) and Manchester (Cross-Language Dynamics: Reshaping Community). She is the editor of a volume of essays and interviews on this subject called New Drama in Russian: Performance, Politics and Protest in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2020), to which the translator of the play, Alex Trustrum Thomas, is a contributor. The play text of OYUB is published by Bookmate Originals and is available as a free e-book in English and in Russian. This is part of a forthcoming anthology of Russian documentary plays being published later this year by Common Place (Moscow). This project was supported by Creative Multilingualism, as part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Open World Research Initiative (OWRI). N.B. Headphones are highly recommended for playback to hear the full range of sounds. Participant biographies, in order of appearance: Peter Wieltschnig is a human rights lawyer, focusing on human security in crisis and conflict as well as the right to water. He has worked on projects including: the protection and empowerment of refugees and displaced persons in Lebanon and Syria, the development of due diligence legislation to regulate the arms industry and States’ arms export regimes, the criminalisation of humanitarian assistance in Europe, and the human rights impacts of counter-terrorism legislation in Ireland and the UK. Jacob Burns is a writer, researcher and journalist who has worked across the Middle East. Currently the Communications Advisor for Yemen, Iraq and Jordan at Médecins sans Frontières, he has previously worked for Amnesty International and Forensic Architecture. Mistale Taylor conducts research into various areas of international criminal law and human rights law to provide pro bono legal advice for states, governments and NGOs in conflict/post-conflict situations in her role as Counsel at Public International Law and Policy Group. She has advised on, amongst other things, maritime piracy; the invocation of state secrets privilege to bar third party access to information in torture cases; and life sentencing practices in Europe. In her work at Trilateral Research, Mistale contributes to ongoing projects related to law, technology, privacy, data protection, human rights and ethics. Sorcha Thomson is a PhD Fellow at the University of Roskilde, Denmark, researching anticolonial struggle, internationalist solidarity and revolutionary movements in Cuba and Palestine. She is a member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Youth and Student Committee, working to build and organise the next generation of support for Palestinian human rights and justice in the UK. She has worked with Amnesty International in Israel, Palestine and Scotland across a number of campaigns. Rea Eldem lives in Berlin where she works as a gender equality strategist with a focus on working culture under the name in-visible. To her, addressing gender equality in the workplace means making visible normalised cultural practices, institutionalised dynamics and organisational structures that hinder women and other marginalised groups to strive forward. Although equal treatment and access to opportunities are basic human rights the discrimination of individuals based on aspects of their identity continues to persist in the workplace today. Matthew Romain trained as an actor at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School after studying philosophy at the University of Glasgow. He has worked extensively in theatre throughout the UK including Shakespeare’s Globe and the Donmar Warehouse; screen credits include BBC’s ‘Sherlock’ and ‘World on Fire’. Matthew performed in the Calais ‘jungle’ and other refugee camps as part of a two-year tour of ‘Hamlet’ to every country in the world. He has taught theatre in the community and run workshops on theatre and censorship for ‘Index’ magazine. Matthew is a founding member of Earth Ensemble - a theatre group for climate activism born out of Extinction Rebellion. John Farndon is an author, playwright, poet, songwriter, literary translator and activist. As a translator, he champions the literature of Russia and Central Asia and is chairman of the Eurasian Creative Guild. He was joint winner of the EBRD literary prize 2019 for his translation of Uzbek poetry in Hamid Ismailov’s The Devil’s Dance and finalist in the 2020 US PEN Translation award for the Kazakh epic Dead Wander in the Desert by Rollan Seysenbaev, about the ecological disaster of the Aral Sea. He is also a founding member of Earth Ensemble, the theatre and music company associated with Extinction Rebellion, which has brought climate activist performances to the streets of London and the Edinburgh Festival. Credits: OYUB was created by Elena Gremina Anna Dobrovolskaia and Zarema Zaudinova Translated by Alex Trustrum Thomas Sound and original music by Josh Field With thanks to Zarema Zaudinova Anna Dobrovolskaia Alina Anufrienko Scarlett Woolfe and Oliver Tobin In memory of Elena Gremina Mikhail Ugarov and Sasha Rastorguev Additional audio sources Chistyi chetverg, dir. by Sasha Rastorguev and Susanna Baranzhieva (Rossiia, 2003) ‘Nur-Zhovkhar. The ancient Chechen folklore’ by Petites Planetes/Vincent Moon, licenced under CC BY 3.0 (Image reproduced with permission, courtesy of Kazbek Chanturiya/OC Media)

The drying up of the Aral Sea - a major environmental catastrophe of the late twentieth century - is deeply rooted in the dreams of the irrigation age of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a time when engineers, scientists, politicians, and entrepreneurs around the world united in the belief that universal scientific knowledge, together with modern technologies, could be used to transform large areas of the planet from 'wasteland' into productive agricultural land. Though ostensibly about bringing modernity, progress, and prosperity to the deserts, the transformation of Central Asia's landscapes through tsarist- and Soviet-era hydraulic projects bore the hallmarks of a colonial experiment. In her book Pipe Dreams: Water and Empire in Central Asia's Aral Sea Basin (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Maya K. Peterson brings a fresh perspective to the history of Russia's conquest and rule of Central Asia. Steven Seegel is professor of history at University of Northern Colorado.

The drying up of the Aral Sea - a major environmental catastrophe of the late twentieth century - is deeply rooted in the dreams of the irrigation age of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a time when engineers, scientists, politicians, and entrepreneurs around the world united in the belief that universal scientific knowledge, together with modern technologies, could be used to transform large areas of the planet from 'wasteland' into productive agricultural land. Though ostensibly about bringing modernity, progress, and prosperity to the deserts, the transformation of Central Asia's landscapes through tsarist- and Soviet-era hydraulic projects bore the hallmarks of a colonial experiment. In her book Pipe Dreams: Water and Empire in Central Asia’s Aral Sea Basin (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Maya K. Peterson brings a fresh perspective to the history of Russia's conquest and rule of Central Asia. Steven Seegel is professor of history at University of Northern Colorado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The drying up of the Aral Sea - a major environmental catastrophe of the late twentieth century - is deeply rooted in the dreams of the irrigation age of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a time when engineers, scientists, politicians, and entrepreneurs around the world united in the belief that universal scientific knowledge, together with modern technologies, could be used to transform large areas of the planet from 'wasteland' into productive agricultural land. Though ostensibly about bringing modernity, progress, and prosperity to the deserts, the transformation of Central Asia's landscapes through tsarist- and Soviet-era hydraulic projects bore the hallmarks of a colonial experiment. In her book Pipe Dreams: Water and Empire in Central Asia’s Aral Sea Basin (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Maya K. Peterson brings a fresh perspective to the history of Russia's conquest and rule of Central Asia. Steven Seegel is professor of history at University of Northern Colorado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The drying up of the Aral Sea - a major environmental catastrophe of the late twentieth century - is deeply rooted in the dreams of the irrigation age of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a time when engineers, scientists, politicians, and entrepreneurs around the world united in the belief that universal scientific knowledge, together with modern technologies, could be used to transform large areas of the planet from 'wasteland' into productive agricultural land. Though ostensibly about bringing modernity, progress, and prosperity to the deserts, the transformation of Central Asia's landscapes through tsarist- and Soviet-era hydraulic projects bore the hallmarks of a colonial experiment. In her book Pipe Dreams: Water and Empire in Central Asia's Aral Sea Basin (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Maya K. Peterson brings a fresh perspective to the history of Russia's conquest and rule of Central Asia. Steven Seegel is professor of history at University of Northern Colorado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

The drying up of the Aral Sea - a major environmental catastrophe of the late twentieth century - is deeply rooted in the dreams of the irrigation age of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a time when engineers, scientists, politicians, and entrepreneurs around the world united in the belief that universal scientific knowledge, together with modern technologies, could be used to transform large areas of the planet from 'wasteland' into productive agricultural land. Though ostensibly about bringing modernity, progress, and prosperity to the deserts, the transformation of Central Asia's landscapes through tsarist- and Soviet-era hydraulic projects bore the hallmarks of a colonial experiment. In her book Pipe Dreams: Water and Empire in Central Asia’s Aral Sea Basin (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Maya K. Peterson brings a fresh perspective to the history of Russia's conquest and rule of Central Asia. Steven Seegel is professor of history at University of Northern Colorado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we discuss restoration disparities between rich and poor communities and we discuss the Princess Vlei Conservation Area with Alex Lansdowne in South Africa. We talk about an email we received about a project focused on the Aral Sea, plant phenology, and the plant of the week!

Dreaming of travel - because we can’t actually travel - has become a lot more meaningful during lockdown and this week I really loved being on the When in Spain podcast. Paul Burge from Madrid and me in London, talking about the country we love. This week The Big Travel Podcast also hit number 1 again in the Apple Podcasts UK travel charts, number in the UAE, 5 in Spain, 3 in Belgium and charting high everywhere including number 28 in the US which is a great as its such a big country! Hello to all our new listeners, I’m so happy to have you with us. We’ve also been featured a lot in the press including articles from Wanderlust Magazine and even The Guardian.  This episode's guest is utterly fascinating and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I do. Searching for the quirk in the world, the places created for odd reasons and perverse town-planning, cultural commentator Travis Elborough has explored topics as diverse as the history of the Routemaster bus, vinyl records, donkeys at the British seaside and pirates in the Caribbean. He most recently collaborated with cartographer Martin Brown for The Atlas of Vanishing Places, winner of the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards 2020 illustrated book. And for this episode we’re actually in the wonderful Stanford’s Travel Book Shop, in London’s Covent Garden just before we went into Lockdown.   On this episode we cover: Being inspired by the disappearance of The Aral Sea in Uzbekistan Captain Cook and the ‘labyrinth’ of the Great Barrier Reef Visiting the archaeological wonder of Xanadu in Mongolia The lost colony of Roanoke in what’s now North Carolina Was Helike, an ancient Greek city submerged by a tsunami, the basis for Atlantis Ancient cities such as Alexandria and its great library and lighthouse The replica Stonehenge in Maryhill, Washington State Lack Havasu being created in Arizona by a champion chill chef and Disney Land planner The Americans buying London Bridge and sticking it up in Arizona The urban myth that they thought they were getting Tower Bridge Driving Route 66 with a poet friend, how very Beatnik Spring break party towns Touring Lake Havasu with a Harley Davison gang Having a fake Trafalgar Square to go with the original London Bridge Towns disappearing under hydroelectric damns The town in Australia poking up above the water The ghost-town of Bodie North East of Yosemite in California Chan Chan, the ancient capital city on the northern coast of Peru  The Yorkshire homes disappearing into the sea at Skipsea The fastest-eroding coastline in northern Europe The tensions of what to keep and what to sacrifice The positive affects of Coronavirus stopping travel Venice being in in peril The word ‘quarantine’ coming from Venice The word ‘ghetto’ also probably coming from Venice The extraordinary basilica buildings being built on world trade The art project of bridges outside Rotterdam replicating the bridges on the back of a Euro note The forts in the Solent that were meant to protect against invasion of the French One of these being turned into a party venue Slab City squatter camp in California with a golf course Always looking for the quirk in his travels Montana’s Glacier National Park that might disappear The perverse attraction of a disused mine shaft Being intrigued by places that are created for odd reasons The crazy story of Fordlandia, henry Ford’s failed utopian village in Brazil Titusville in Pennsylvania being the birthplace of Vaseline The sunken pirate city of Port Royal in Jamaica ‘Town-Planning Perversion’ Walt Disney’s Celebration utopian village in Orlando How Kraftwerk’s Trans-Europe Express really takes on new meaning when you’re staring down long German boulevards Thanks again to Stanford’s Travel Book Shop in Covent Garden for having us! They are still open online and would love to have you visit when the physical shop reopens too www.stanfords.co.uk  

In this episode, Kevin and Stacey discuss the real cost of fast fashion and how as the consumer it is possible to shop for clothing that is sustainable and ethically produced that we love and want to own. They explore the environmental impact of high street fashion and the wider implications for regional communities across the globe when pollution fundamentally changes the environment. Stacey also discusses her latest project a documentary for BBC3 about Coronavirus. For this program they are looking for the unsung heroes, if you know someone then get in touch and contact stacey@truevision.tv.com Everyone has the power to make a choice and the points raised by Stacey and Kevin are thought-provoking listen in and hear more.   KEY TAKEAWAYS I genuinely find it interesting and because I'm such as shopper I just want to do my bit ethically. Fashion is the second biggest polluter globally. I was aware of the human cost but not so aware of the environmental cost. Cotton is a thirsty crop so it requires a huge amount of water and in Kazakhstan, the Aral Sea has all but disappeared resulting in fisherman not being able to support their families. We are all complicit because we are all consumers. It's important to own clothes not consume them, we have become consumers of clothing in the way we consume food. We see garments as a one-time thing but we need to own and love our clothing altering and repairing them as needed. If an item is very low in price there will have been an unfair cost to an individual or the planet, or both, in its manufacture. You need to choose a garment because you love it and it needs to be a bonus that it's ethically produced. There is no need to ever throw clothes away if you have had your time with them you can give them to charity or sell them on eBay. It's not about the price of an item it's about the cost per wear and respecting clothing.   BEST MOMENTS ‘Oxfam, Save the Children and Wolf & Gypsy are all second-hand stores with beautiful pieces' ‘It's not about me not loving shopping or not buying anything anymore it's about understanding more about the process'   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Kevin Clifton Show podcast Stacey Dooley Investigates Documentaries Wolf and Gypsy Vintage Oxfam Online shop Save the Children online shop stacey@truevision.tv.com   ABOUT THE HOST Kevin Clifton is a professional dancer who has been performing & competing at the highest level for over a decade. Kevin has worked on shows like 'Burn the floor' & 'Rock of Ages' to 'Strictly Come Dancing' one of the biggest TV shows in the UK which Kevin won in 2018.    CONTACT METHOD Kevin Clifton Instagram Kevin Clifton Facebook Kevin Clifton YouTube See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our previous episode, we covered the whirlwind campaign of Chinggis Khan and his generals against the Jin Dynasty of North China from 1211-1215. Chinggis Khan’s empire had been baptised in the blood of the Jurchen state, and before the fall of the Jin capital to Mongol armies in 1215, Chinggis Khan returned to his homeland. A lesser conqueror would have sat proudly on his accomplishments then, having unified the Mongols and secured a lifetime’s worth of plunder from the Jin. But Chinggis Khan was no lesser conqueror. Never one to sit idle, even while his armies continued to fight in China he sent others to wipe away old enemies and uprisings and expand the economic reach of the Mongghol ulus. Unintentionally, these efforts set him on a collision course with the Khwarezmian Empire, which controlled a huge swath of territory from Transoxania in modern Central Asia to western Iran. Today, we will be looking at the uprising of the Siberian forest peoples, the fall of the Qara-Khitai, and the Otrar Massacre; the prelude to the Mongol Invasion of the Khwarezmian Empire. I’m your host David and this is the Ages of Conquest: A Kings and Generals Podcast. This is..the Mongol Conquests.       Before we delve into today’s episode, we must mention upfront that  the timeline of all of these events can be a bit messy. They all took place in a short period between 1215 and 1219 and in an area most westerners have very poor geographic knowledge of.  It is testament to Chinggis Khan’s army though, that he could have so many forces operating in different theaters over vast distances all at the same time, all of whom could succeed in their tasks and return to him triumphant. So let us begin!       Chinggis Khan crossed the Gobi desert to return to his homeland in July 1215, his first time north of the Gobi since 1211. The Jin Dynasty’s capital of Zhongdu, modern day Beijing, had fallen the month before, and he must have felt confident his presence would not be needed in that theatre for some time. In his absence, continued operations against the Jin Dynasty were led by his general Samuqa, who undertook a phenomenal circuit across the Jin realm, crossing the Yellow River and approaching their new capital at Kaifeng, darting around Jin armies and crushing those he could outmaneuver. The continued pressure kept the Jin from occupying their fallen settlements, and Chinggis could now deal with issues back at home. The danger from his length of absence was that more recently conquered peoples would find it a chance to reassert their independence- which is exactly what happened.       By 1216, unrest had spread among the forest tribes around Lake Baikal, north of Mongolia proper and only recently subjugated. It had been simmering for sometime with the Khan’s absence in China, but was set off by one of Chinggis’ lieutenants, Qorchi. Qorchi had joined Chinggis decades prior, and had ingratiated himself with the Khan with a vision of Chinggis’ future victory, and had been in turn promised at some point along the way, thirty wives. In 1216, Qorchi was finally allowed to ride north to claim them from the Tumed tribe near the southern reaches of Lake Baikal. Qorchi rode into the main camp of the Tumed and, quite gracefully [sarcasm], told them to deliver unto him thirty of their finest women. The Tumed were at that point ruled by their chief’s widow, a proud woman named Bodoqui Tarkhan. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Tumed were pretty pissed at this, and promptly captured Qorchi.        Chinggis Khan was not happy to learn of this, but hoping to avoid having to send an army deep into the Siberian forests, sent the loyal chief of another forest tribe, Quduqa Beki of the Oirat, to use diplomacy to garner Qorchi’s release. The soft touch proved no more successful, as Quduqa was captured. This was a real issue, as Quduqa was not just a chief, but also an imperial son-in-law, married to Chinggis and Borte’s second daughter, Chechiyegen (chech-i-yeg-en). It was time for armed retaliation. Chinggis summoned first the Noyan, Naya’a, who fell ill, and the duty then fell to Boroqul. One of the Khan’s ‘four steeds of war,’ an adopted son raised by Chinggis’  mother Hoelun, a high steward, cup-bearer, commander of a part of the Imperial Bodyguard, and a long time friend of the Khan, Boroqul was held in high esteem, and sending him showed how serious Chinggis took this matter. Boroqul marched north with a small army, intending to carry out the duty of his Khan. Entering Tumed territory in early 1217, Boroqul was perhaps a little too proud after the successful war against the Jin. If the mighty descendants of Wanyan Aguda had been humbled by Mongol archers, how could peoples of the Siberian forest hope to stand before them? Boroqul rode before the main army with two scouts, where he was ambushed and killed by the Tumed. With their commander lost, the Mongol army retreated.       Chinggis Khan was furious. A personal friend had been killed, a Mongol army was forced back- this was an affront he did not take lightly. Further, the rebellion spread. Other people of the forest were now in open revolt. The Kirghiz of the Yenisei River refused to provide troops, and the whole northern frontier of the empire threatened to break away. Chinggis Khan wished to lead an army himself to crush this insurrection, but was talked out of it by his close friend Bo’orchu, and a strategy was devised. In a great pincer movement, the commander Dorbei (dor-bei) Doqshin (dok-shin) was to be sent against the Tumed, while Chinggis’ eldest son Jochi was sent in a western army against the Kirghiz, preventing cooperation between the various peoples. The plan was a success. Dorbei Doqshin avoided the main routes that Boroqul had taken, cutting his own roads through the Siberian forests to surprise the Tumed at their main camp while they were in the middle of a feast. The victory was total, and the Tumed were subjugated. Quduqa Beki and Qorchi were freed, Quduqa taking the Tumed chieftainess Bodoqui Tarkhan as a wife while Qorchi got his 30 maidens. 100 Tumed were sacrificed for Boroqul’s spirit and many others were taken as slaves. Finally, Chinggis Khan took his dear friend Boroqul’s children to raise as part of the imperial household.        In the west, Jochi was also met with success. Assisted by Quduqa Beki and his Oirat, early 1218 saw Jochi subdue the remaining Oirat, Buryat, Tuvan and finally the Kirghiz. Controlling one of the northernmost grain producing regions along the Yenisei River, the Kirghiz were a formidable force and valuable to have as subjects. This region was to be Jochi’s patrimony, the seed from which the vast Golden Horde would later grow. This was just the opening move of a larger operation, however. While 1218 was the defeat of the hoi-yin irgen revolt, it was also the opening of the first western operation of the Mongols, and for this we must backtrack a small bit.       If you recall, with Chinggis Khan’s unification of the Mongols in 1206, there was a group of Naiman, under Kuchlug (whooch-loog), son of the late Tayang Khan, and Merkit, under their chief Toqto’a Beki, who fled west, making a stand on the Irtysh River in 1208 before being defeated and dispersed. Toqto’a, the long hated enemy of Chinggis who had captured his wife Borte in the 1180s, was killed there, and his sons took the remaining Merkit to the far west, while Kuchlug would make his way to the empire of the Qara-Khitai, in what is now eastern Kazakhstan and Northwestern China.        The remaining Merkit, under Toqto’a’s son Qodu, fled to the Qangli, the eastern branch of the vast Qipchaq-Cuman confederation. The Qipchaq-Cumans were a loosely connected grouping of Turkic tribes inhabiting the steppe from the borders of Hungary, to the open lands east of the former Aral Sea. Chances are, you know the Qipchaq-Cumans best for their battlemasks with the moustaches, or as enemies from the game Kingdom Come: Deliverance, set almost two centuries after the events we discuss here. With Jochi’s forces already acting in the west and subduing the Kirghiz, it was seen as a good time to not just strike back at the Merkit, but give Jochi a chance to prove his own strategic acumen.       We’ll briefly note that there is some confusion on the exact timing of this campaign against the Merkits, as some sources date it about a decade earlier, adding it onto that Irtysh River battle, or a bit later, adding it onto the great campaign against Khwarezm. But it has been convincingly argued by scholars today, such as Christopher Atwood, for a dating of 1218-1219, just after the hoi-yin irgen revolt and  before that Khwarezmian campaign. We’ll use this dating for this episode.        To the Mongols, other steppe nomads posed the greatest threat. Enemies in China would be tied down by their cities, but nomads could always withdraw and continue to pose a threat. The chance of them being unified under a charismatic leader,  like Chinggis himself had done with the Mongols, was a real danger, and their very existence as an independent steppe people challenged the growing sense of Mongol legitimacy as the masters of the peoples of the steppe. That they were harbouring Mongol enemies, from the much hated Merkit tribe, was tantamount to a declaration of war itself. With the return of much of the Mongol army from China, this was a fine time to crush the remaining Merkit, as well as Kuchlug in Qara-Khitai, which we will get to shortly.       This operation in 1217/1218 is also the first time  the famous Subutai held a major command, though it is unclear if Jochi or Subutai was the overall commander. Meeting up with the western vanguard, Toquchar, they marched across the steppe into what is now western Kazakhstan. On the Chem River, near the northeastern shore of the Caspian Sea, Jochi and Subutai caught and defeated the Merkit-Qangli force. According to a biography from the Ming era Yuan shih, the history of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, Jochi and Subutai then pursued the fleeing Merkit-Qangli between the Ural and Volga Rivers, deep into Qipchaq territory, and destroyed the remainder. Qodu was killed, and his son or brother Qulqutan Mergen was captured.   Qulqutan Mergen deserves mention for the following anecdote, which highlights the relationship between Jochi and Chinggis Khan. As we’ve discussed, all Mongols were trained archers from childhood, but Qulqutan Mergen was considered highly skilled even among the skilled; indeed, ‘Mergen,’ means archer or shooter. In Robin Hood fashion, the captive Qulqutan sent arrows into a target, and then split those arrows in twain with his next shots, to Jochi’s delight. Jochi sent a messenger to Chinggis, asking them to spare Qulqutan’s life. Chinggis however, despised the Merkit, his long time foes, and had to deal with rumours that Jochi himself was a Merkit bastard. Chinggis’ response was, as recorded by Rashid al-Din was rather typical for the Khan:       “There is no tribe worse than the Merkit. We have fought so many battles with them and  suffered untold trouble and difficulties on account of them. Why should he be left alive to cause trouble again? I have stored up all these realms, armies and peoples for you: what need is there of him? For an enemy of the state there is no place better than the grave.”       Jochi duly did his duty and executed Qulqutan and his family, but this highlights the tension between Jochi and Chinggis which would emerge in the following years. It has been used to suggest Jochi was less sanguinary than his father, whereas this highlights a mantra Chinggis had become well acquainted with in his own youth: an enemy who is allowed to survive will only continue to be a danger in future. Had Chinggis’ own enemies taken note of that, then he would likely have perished long before.       Jochi and Subutai had a long journey back to Mongolia, but their return was interrupted by an unexpected encounter in early 1219, with a large army under the Khwarezm-shah, Muhammad II of the Anushtegenids (Anush-te-genids).  Based in the Khwarezm region just south of the Aral Sea, under the Shah Tekish, and his son Muhammad II, in the previous decades the empire had expanded dramatically with the collapse of the Seljuqs, the Ghurids and the Qara-Khitai.    Ruling the empire since 1200, Muhammad had shown himself to be an ambitious, though not always patient, man. Styling himself ‘the second Alexander the Great,’ in 1217 he had made a failed march on the Caliph in Baghdad, was gobbling up the former western territory of the Qara-Khitai and had an eye on the steppe, where much of his own military forces and family came from. In early 1219 he may have been seeking retribution for Qangli raids, or to go after the Merkit himself, when his army stumbled into that of Jochi and Subutai. Aware of Chinggis’ interests in trade with Khwarezm, the Mongols asked for free passage. Shah Muhammad, a vain man infront of a very large army and not trusting them, decidied to attack. Reluctantly, Jochi and Subutai lined up for battle. Greatly outnumbered, they fought fiercely, though Jochi was nearly killed.    With nightfall, the armies pulled back. The Mongols lit fires to make it appear they were resting for the night, then withdrew under cover of darkness. Morning broke, and the Shah looked out at an empty battlefield. This enemy had fought fiercely, much fiercer than he had anticipated, and inflicted great losses on his army. It was said that the Shah developed a phobia of sorts towards facing the Mongols in open battle, something which would have major consequences for our next episode.       Jochi and Subutai returned to Mongolia sometime in late summer 1219, coinciding with major news which also reached Chinggis. But we’ll pick up with them later, and move our attention now to the southeast, where other Mongols forces had been busy.        Kuchlug (whooch-loog), the Naiman prince we’ve mentioned several times already, fled to the empire of Qara-Khitai after the defeat on the Irtysh River in 1208. The Qara-Khitai was founded in the 1130s, by Khitans fleeing the fall of the Liao Dynasty to the Jurchen Jin Empire. One Khitan commander, Yelu Dashi, took the Khitan garrisons from Mongolia and entered Central Asia, where his well armoured Khitan cavalry proved decidedly deadly. He subdued the eastern Qarakhanids (tchara-khan-ids), then defeated the western Qarakhanids and the Seljuq Sultan Sanjar in 1141 on the Qatwan (tchat-wan) steppe, near Merv. The defeat was a major blow to the already fragmented Seljuq state, though Seljuq control in Iran would last another 50 years. In the aftermath, Yelu Dashi controlled an empire stretching across Central Asia, from the Tarim basin to Khurasan. The Anushtegenids (anush-te-genids) of Khwarezm, formerly Seljuq appointees, now became vassals of the Qara-Khitai, as Dashi’s empire was called by the Mongols, meaning ‘Black Khitans,’ or ‘black Cathay.’  The Qara-Khitai have a fascinating history,  but unfortunately, not one we have time to go into here. Buddhists, with Chinese dynastic trappings, their empire was decentralized, with many vassal kings subject to the gurkhan, the Khitan emperor. Two of their five emperors were women,  ruling an ethnically and religiously diverse realm, and for decades harboured dreams of retaking north China, though they stagnated under the long reign of Dashi’s grandson, the gurkhan Yelu Zhilugu. The Qara-Khitai had been overlords of the Naiman tribes, so after the Irtysh River defeat in 1208, the Qara-Khitai was a natural place for Kuchlug to flee. Zhilugu saw Kuchlug and his retinue as a useful ally against his own vassals, especially the troublesome Muhammad Khwarezm-shah. The gurkhan bestowed titles, favours and a daughter upon Kuchlug, who repaid this generosity by raiding the Qara-Khitai treasury during Zhilugu’s war against Muhammad.  After a series of back and forth attacks, including an incident where Zhilugu sacked his own capital after it barred his door to him, Kuchlug ambushed and captured the Gurkhan 1211, and held him captive until his death in 1213. Kuchlug seized power, but proved incapable to rule the complicated state. Muhammad Khwarezm-shah took much of the Qara-Khitai’s western territory and butted heads with Kuchlug, who challenged the Khwarezmian to personal combat. The Shah declined. Kuchlug, originally a Nestorian Christian, converted to a violent strain of Buddhism, and began persecuting Muslims within his territory, alienating the empire’s urban population. The Tarim Basin proved especially volatile, where Kuchlug nailed an imam to the doors of his own madrassa in Khotan, and his forces destroyed crops every year until starvation quieted them.        In the northeast, near the Mongolian border, Qara-Khitai vassals declared for Chinggis Khan. One such was Ozar, a Qarluq horse thief who had risen to control Almaliq, and on his declaration of loyalty, had been given one of Jochi’s daughters in marriage. Kuchlug besieged Almaliq in late 1215 and killed Ozar, though his widow succeeded in defending Almaliq and getting a messenger to Chinggis Khan on his return to Mongolia. The death of a vassal, especially a son-in-law, was something to always punish, and Kuchlug’s usurpation of Qara-Khitai was a real danger. So in late 1216 Chinggis sent his top general, Jebe Noyan, [Zev, Зэв], accompanied by the Uighur Idiqut Barchuk and Qarluq Khan Arslan, to deal with Kuchlug. The speed of the collapse of Kuchlug’s state was shocking. Securing Almaliq, Jebe pursued Kuchlug to the Qara-Khitai capital of Balasaghun. There Kuchlug was beaten, but escaped, and Jebe entered Balasaghun unopposed. With princes of the realm now declaring openly for Jebe, Kuchlug fled through the mountains into the Tarim Basin, where he was still despised.        Jebe’s forces followed suite, and upon entering the Tarim Basin, sent out a declaration of religious tolerance: whoever submitted to the Great Khan would have their freedom of worship respected, a rather marked change from Kuchlug’s policies. The region then erupted: wherever Kuchlug had garrisoned troops, the citizenry fell upon them. Kuchlug was chased from city to city, many barring their gates to him. Fleeing the Tarim Basin, he travelled through the Pamir Mountains, eventually making his way through rugged Badakhshan (bad-akh-shan) to the Wakhan (wa-han) Corridor in northern Afghanistan, where he was cornered by local hunters and handed over to Jebe. With Kuchlug’s severed head on a lance, Jebe paraded it through his territory and gained the submission of whichever cities still held out. Thus ended the Qara-Khitai, years of anarchy followed by a remarkably peaceful Mongol conquest. With hardly an arrow shot, Jebe had greatly expanded the Mongol Empire westwards, returning to Chinggis Khan in 1219 with 1,000 chestnut horses with white muzzles- the same colour as the horse Jebe had shot out from under him in 1202.       An unforeseen consequence of this conquest was that this brought the Mongol Empire to the borders of the Khwarezmian realm. Shah Muhammad had had his own ambitions to conquer Qara-Khitai and had succeeded in taking some of its western territory- only to suddenly have the remainder quickly fall to this rising power in the east, while encountering them on his northern borders.       Yet, conflict between the Mongols and the Khwarezmians was not yet inevitable.  In fact, Chinggis Khan wanted to avoid, at all costs, war with Khwarezm. The first Mongol-Khwarezmian contacts were an embassy sent out by the Khwarezm-shah in 1215, passing the ruins of Zhongdu. Chinggis was happy to generously gift them, a part of a general Mongol policy of overpaying merchants for their goods. With a surplus of silver ripped from North China, overpaying merchants was a fine way to encourage and direct trade in the difficult overland journeys, especially into Mongolia, and would be a hallmark of Mongol policy for the next century. Initial contacts seemed promising between the two states, and Chinggis sent a return embassy in 1218 to reaffirm trade and friendship. By then though, most of the Qara-Khitai realm, the bufferstate between the Khwarezmian and Mongol empires, had been ground down by the efforts of Shah Muhammad and Jebe.        Muhammad was perhaps eager to find fault in the embassy, led by Mahmud Khwarezmi, likely the same individual as Mahmud Yalavach, a significant figure under Ogedai Khan. The embassy’s message from Chinggis Khan said that the Khan considered the Shah on the same level as his dearest sons. The Shah was furious: how dare any man, even a great emperor, consider the Shah of Khwarezm a son, implying the superiority of the father?        After the initial meeting, the Shah continued to grill Mahmud Khwarezmi, who, as his name describes, was a native of Khwarezm. Mahmud managed to calm him down by telling him Chinggis’ armies were pitiful compared to the mighty forces of the Shah, and that the Khan was only interested in trade. Shah Muhammad was pacified, for now.       This embassy had been sent ahead of a larger, slow moving trade caravan, about 450 merchants and their attendants, carrying precious goods.  Sometime in late summer 1218, the caravan reached the city of Otrar on the northeastern frontier of the Khwarezmian Empire. Otrar was governed by Shah Muhammad’s uncle, Inalchuq, who, possibly on the orders of the Shah or his own vile initiative, accussed the merchants of being spies, seized their goods and finally executed them, only a single camel driver escaping. This was a shockingly short sighted decision. Even if Shah Muhammad didn’t directly order it, he did nothing to discourage it or punish Inalchuq for the act. One possibility, suggested by historian Dmitri Timokhin, was that it was ordered by the Shah’s domineering mother, Terken Khatun, Inalchuq’s sister. Terken Khatun, a strong willed woman of Qangli origin, often actively combated her son’s orders, and acted as monarch in her own right in the original Khwarezmian capital of Gurganj. Perhaps seeing war as inevitable with the Mongols, with their swift conquest of Qara-Khitai, she wished to force her son to act.       Whatever the reason, it may surprise you to learn that the Massacre of Otrar was not the direct casus belli for the Mongol invasion of Khwarezm. When that lone camel driver returned to Chinggis Khan with news of what had happened, he was mad, but had no desire to lead a full invasion of Khwarezm while the Jin were still unconquered, and the Khwarezmian army seemed fearsome enough on its own.  Trade with Khwarezm was of greater benefit than conquest, so Chinggis Khan, in early 1219, sent another embassy, led by a Muslim who had served Muhammad’s father and two Mongol notables. War would be averted and trade resumed, they told the Khwarezm-shah, if he only sent Inalchuq to Mongolia for punishment. As far as the Mongols were concerned, the massacre at Otrar was just the act of a shortsighted governor.       Muhammad was in an unenviable position: if he didn’t give up Inalchuq, war would come to Khwarezm.  If he did give up Inalchuq, he would antagonize the Qipchaq-Qangli officials in his empire loyal to his mother Terken Khatun, pitting much of the administration and military leadership against him and undermining his rule. Thus, Shah Muhammad II of Khwarezm sided with his mother and made the fateful decision to execute the Muslim envoy, breaking the cardinal rule of diplomacy with the Mongols: do not kill the envoys. The envoy’s Mongol accomplices had their beards singed off by Muhammad, and were sent back to Chinggis Khan.  They returned to him after Jochi and Subutai had come with news of their own encounter with the Khwarezm-shah, and the message seemed clear. A powerful foe in the west, who now bordered his empire, had made opening strikes against the Khan. Ignore it, and he would lose face while leaving his new western territory vulnerable to Muhammad’s armies. With his general Mukhali having been committed to the Jin realm and able to keep the pressure on them, his northern borders secure and remaining rivals to steppe legitimacy destroyed by Jochi, Subutai and Jebe, Chinggis Khan raised his armies, and unleashed hell upon Khwarezm Having explained the background to war between the Mongols and Khwarezm, you won’t want to miss our next discussion on the Mongol Invasion, so be sure to hit subscribe to the Kings and Generals podcast and to continue helping us bring you more outstanding content, please visit our patreon at www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. Thank you for listening, I am your host David and we will catch you on the next one!

Winner of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year at the 2019 Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards, William Atkins talks to Julia Wheeler about his experiences in eight deserts: the Empty Quarter of Oman, the Gobi Desert and Taklamakan deserts of northwest China, the Great Victoria Desert of Australia, the man-made desert of the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan, … Continue reading William Atkins: Journeys in Desert Places: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

Winner of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year at the 2019 Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards, William Atkins talks to Julia Wheeler about his experiences in eight deserts: the Empty Quarter of Oman, the Gobi Desert and Taklamakan deserts of northwest China, the Great Victoria Desert of Australia, the man-made desert of the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan, … Continue reading William Atkins: Journeys in Desert Places: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

Sponsored by Ethique – a New Zealand zero-waste beauty company on a mission to rid the world of plastic waste. It's Fashion Week in New Zealand so Waveney and Tim dive into the world of clothing, textiles and apparel to figure how to behaviour more sustainably as consumers. We discuss globalised supply chains, the recent creation of synthetic fabrics, and remember the days of sewing and fixing your own clothes! Journalist/author Elizabeth L Klein’s investigations into the Fast Fashion industry are laid bare and we compare the impact of polyester, cotton and linen. Some heartbreaking stats from India about the disappearance of the Aral Sea and the wave of suicides from Indian farmers. Top tip: Buy less, buy second-hand and buy linen! Image credit: The Golden Book Gown by Ryan Jude Novelline See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Greetings, Comrades!I'm sort of ok. But in this dark time of mine, I want to bring you one of the most impactful episodes out there. Moreso even than Chernobyl, the stuff that's happening in the now-drying Aral sea, specifically in the ressurection/rebirth island…yeah. Wanted to do this for a while, and my illness allowed me to do it. Picture: Aral sea with the island. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jess and Livvy take a look at the issues and impacts of fashion and clothing. What do you do if you are a shopaholic? How can you dress sustainably? And, if you're taking the 'buy nothing new challenge', what on earth do you do about buying underwear?! Plus an exciting Woke & Confused announcement. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Links mentioned in this episode: The wastefulness of the fashion Industry: https://www.bristol247.com/lifestyle/environment/throwaway-fashion/ A case study on the demise of the Aral Sea through cotton production https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/envirobiology/chapter/7-5-case-study-the-aral-sea-going-going-gone/ Rana Plaza Collapse https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/apr/24/bangladeshi-police-target-garment-workers-union-rana-plaza-five-years-on The £1 bikini https://thetab.com/uk/2019/06/25/missguided-one-pound-bikini-107122 UK Workers being paid £3 an hour, plus tips from Lucy Siegle at the bottom https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jun/22/cost-cheap-fast-fashion-workers-planet Fashion Revolution's guides on understanding fashion issues and actions to take (scroll to bottom of page for resources) https://www.fashionrevolution.org/emergency-measures-resources/ Good On You – fashion brand review https://goodonyou.eco/ Hurrcollective.com and byrotation.co.uk for rental options Depop for selling and buying https://www.depop.com/ Extinction Rebellion Buy Nothing New Challenge https://www.xrfashionboycott.com/ Tips for unwanted clothes including running a clothes swap https://www.loveyourclothes.org.uk/unwanted-clothes?cat=67&article_type[]=38&article_type[]=37&article_type[]=35&article_type[]=36 Antiform clothing label made from waste materials http://www.antiformonline.co.uk/ ------------------- The Woke & Confused Workplace Sessions Would you like to engage your workplace with the big issues of our time? How about bringing the Woke & Confused team to your organisation? Find out more https://www.wokeandconfused.com/index.html#live ------------------- Contact us Tell us about your fashion tips or recent dilemmas Contact form on our website: https://www.wokeandconfused.com/contact.html Instagram: instagram.com/wokeandconfused Twitter: twitter.com/wokeandconfused --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wokeandconfused/message Episode Website LEGAL STUFF: For the avoidance of doubt, all the opinions expressed on Woke & Confused belong to Jess and Livvy and not to any organisations they may be working for, affiliated with or talking about. They're ours, all ours. These are based on our knowledge and experiences at the time of presenting and are subject to change. Please don't take it as gospel truth and do make your own decisions. We are always open to hearing and learning more as it's a confusing world we live in! Right-ho, thanks, bye :) x --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wokeandconfused/message

The Aral Sea was once the fourth largest body of water in the world. Today it has all but disappeared, leaving the area around it ecologically devastated. In this episode we explore the decisions and mistakes that led to this massive environmental disaster.

Researchers say most of the water vanishing from the Aral Sea and the Great Salt Lake is now in the oceans of this increasingly parched world. A report by Tim Radford, of ClimateNewsNetwork.net, from London on December 5, 2018. Narrated by Mitch Chester of Climate Monitor.

"The Immeasurable World: Journeys in Desert Places," features William Atkins' travels across five continents over three years, visiting deserts both iconic and little-known to discover a realm as much internal as physical. His journey takes him to the Arabian Peninsula's Empty Quarter and Australia's nuclear-test grounds; the dry Aral Sea of Kazakhstan and ‘sand seas' of China's volatile north-west; the contested borderlands of Arizona and the riotous Burning Man festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert; and the ancient monasteries of Egypt's Eastern Desert. Along the way, Atkins illuminates the people, history, topography, and symbolism of these remarkable but often troubled places.

Nancy Kacungira presents a special programme on climate change, profiling the people whose trailblazing ideas and innovations are hoping to mitigate against global warming. Deep in the Ecuadorian jungle, one isolated community of Achuar have come up with an ingenious solution to protect their territory from the ever encroaching threat of deforestation. From BBC Mundo, Laura Plitt takes to the waterways aboard the Amazon jungle's first solar powered canoe. The loss of the Aral Sea in Central Asia is an ecological disaster. Toxic chemicals in the exposed sea bed have caused widespread health problems. From BBC Uzbek, Rustam Qobilov investigates whether an ambitious project to plant millions of trees can save the Karakalpak people of Uzbekistan. With the fastest growing population on the planet, India’s energy needs are staggering. From Delhi, women's affairs correspondent Divya Arya travels to the sunny state of Rajasthan to meet one social entrepreneur who’s attempting to provide solar technology to those living without power. And finally in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam, Ly Truong meets the scientist hoping to feed the world in a more sustainable way. This BBC Production was supported by funding from the Skoll Foundation. (Picture: Dr. Pham Thi Thu Huong, from the Field Crops Research Institute in Vietnam. Credit: BBC) Presented by Nancy Kacungira Produced by Claire Press

The Gate 9 crew returns to the Aral Sea to recover an alien weapon of mass destruction. Different factions control the region now, one seemingly themed after post-apocalyptic fashion trends, while another uses inspirational business advice as its basis. All use whatever means they can to give themselves superpowers. Retrieving the alien weapon without letting it fall into a faction's control will prove difficult.

In October 1990, Professor Denys Brunsden of King's College, London, was one of the first Western scientists to confirm the shrinking of the Aral Sea. Dina Newman spoke to Prof Brunsden. (Photo: Abandoned Ship in Aralsk, Kazakhstan. Credit: AFP / Getty Images)

As part of the BBC's A Richer World season, Rustam Qobil visits a desert where people have lost their sea, health and loved ones to a man-made disaster. He meets 86 year-old Khojabay who lives in Kazakhstan in the middle of a vast toxic desert made of mud, dust and pesticides – once The Aral Sea. 40 years ago his village was a seaside fishing port surrounded by freshwater lakes and barley fields, and he could catch up to 400 kilos of fish in one go. However, 26,000 square miles of sea is now called Aralkum or ‘The Aral Sands' locally. When the Soviets started building dozens of dams and canals in the 1960s they deprived the Aral Sea of its two main tributaries and the sea started shrinking. Rustam Qobil travels to ‘The Aral Sands' and hears from the people whose lives and families have been affected.

Good news medley: Jersey Boys gets Eastwooded to the big screen, Aral Sea hopes, wild CA condors in San Mateo county, big dinosaurs (and great dinosaur bumper music to end)

Good news medley: Jersey Boys gets Eastwooded to the big screen, Aral Sea hopes, wild CA condors in San Mateo county, big dinosaurs (and great dinosaur bumper music to end)

Joanna Gaskell joins us to discuss dead zones, the deforestation of Easter Island, the Dust Bowl, the Great Sparrow Campaign, the desiccation of the Aral Sea, the draining of the Mesopotamian Marshes, and mountain top removal mining. Also: shape-changing testicles in pop culture! Charity O' the Week: Nature Conservancy Music: "Dust Pneumonia Blues" by Woody Guthrie Links The Critical Hit Show Standard Action Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnGBqBip9aM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgjbCljrlhk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQCwhjWNcH8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbSkRS8Ih7o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc-P8oDuS0Q

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Part of the 2010 Summer Teacher Institute on Water: An Interdisciplinary Examination of the World's Most Essential Resource

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Part of the 2010 Summer Teacher Institute on Water: An Interdisciplinary Examination of the World's Most Essential Resource.

Sam Jackson (Seattle, WA), Sr. Director and Manager, Foundation/Corporation Grants, World Vision, Inc., a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to addressing the causes of poverty and injustice, discusses third-world water resources focussing on the West African Water Initiative. Second guest, Art Bernstein (Gold Hill, OR), naturalist and author, discusses the disappearing Aral Sea - an ecological disaster.

with Dennis Pamlin The Think Globally Radio episode March 26 2006 … more >>