Month of Greats - Great Leaders

[Gudrean]

Very interesting stuff ASGuy!! and again I come across someone who was at the start of Unitarian Universalist Church, which is where my family used to practice before we moved. I found an even older member while searching for info in the adventure game.  

[AesSedaiGuy]

That is cool Gud. :) I'm a fan of the UU, as well. Great thinkers. :)

 

And next we move to Medieval North Africa, a time of great power and trade and learning and wealth for the Muslim world. Their "empire" stretched from modern day India to modern day Spain and Portugal. The North African section was ruled in the 12th and start of the 13th century by The Almohads. At least they ruled until ...

 

Abu Zakariya

 

Abu Zakariya was born in 1203. He was the ruler of the Medieval nation called Ifriqiya (Modern Tunisia, Western and Coastal Libya and parts of eastern Algeria--it's name came from the Roman Province of Africa, from which the continent derived its name). His family, the Hafsids, had been Governors of Ifriqiya under the great Morroccon-Berber-Moorish Empire of the Almohad Empire. At the age of 26, Abu Zakariya declared the nation of Ifriqiya independent and the start of what became the Hasfids began. The Hasfids would later go on to dominate their former overlords, the Almohads.

 

Abu Zakariya split regions of the ancient province up for greater organization and built the capital city, modern day Tunis. Tunis became the economic hub and center of culture for his advanced and growing Empire, which also began to assimilate Moors who were fleeing the Iberian Peninsula, thus adding to the diversity and economy of Abu Zakariya's new Empire.

 

Abu Zakariya was also a military leader, he first set out to capture and control great trading cities and ports. He began with Béjaïa, then Contsantine in coastal Algeria. He pushed west to secure control of the wealthy Triploitania domain, and then further west to gain the city of Algiers. All the while he was winning over and bringing in Berber tribesmen from the Almohads.Further aiding the eventual full collapse of the Almohads, and greatly benefiting the Hasfids in Ifriqiya. Finally, he was able to capture for the Hasfids the Kingdom of Tlemcen, (NW Algeria) which was a lynchpin in controlling trade from the Almohad Dynasty in Morrocco. The Sultan of Tlemcan became his vassal, as did most of the leaders of the now fallen Almohad Empire, and the prosperous North African trade routes and ports were now serving Tunis, and Abu Zakariya.

 

Before his death 7 years later, in 1249, Princes from Moorish Iberia were also paying tribute. His incorporation of the local people and local government (much like the Romans before him) allowed the Hasfids Empire to be strong and prosperous and even peaceful. His successor would even bear the title of Caliph, a deeply symbolic title in the Islamic world, as it denoted a succession from the Prophet, at least in power and temporal governance.

[AesSedaiGuy]

Next we move to East Asia ...

 

Emperor Wu-ti of the Han Dynasty

 

Usually known as Han Wu-ti or Han Wudi, but No, Dar and the Blues, he is of no relation to Han Solo.

 

Wu-ti reigned from 141 BCE to 87 BCE. His reign saw one of the greatest expansions of Chinese power and territory. His governance laid the foundation for Imperial China to influence surrounding governments for millennia, and his cultural contributions and patronages became renowned in both East and West.

 

Through various military endeavors, Wu-ti's Empire reached from modern Kyrgyzstan to Korea, and from Northern Vietnam to the Steppes of Mongolia and Siberia. Wu-ti first turned his attention to securing the Eastern frontier and Southern borders. People after people were conquered and resettled in the Western interior regions of Asia.

However, controlling the Western and Northern Steppes was the Xiongnu Empire. The Xiongnu had maintained control of the Northern Silk Road and access to Central Asia for centuries. Wu-ti, despite numerous peace treaties with the Xiongnu, devised a plot to overthrow and capture the Xiongnu government. The plot failed, but hurdled the Han Dynasty into a decades long, prolonged war. The bloody battles endured until Wu-ti sent 40,000 Han Calvary against the Xiongnu. Wu-ti and his Calvary were able to conquer all of inner-Mongolia and colonized the former Xiongnu empire with 100,000 Chinese colonists. With his western frontier seure and his Southern border quiet, Wu-ti was able to conquer the Korean Peninsula, and expand China to its largest point to date.

 

Wu-ti's government was dominated by 2 women: his mother and grandmother. Their influence on Wu-ti was tremendous as it was his grandmother's dedication to Confucian Philosophy allowed Wu-ti to secure control and organization over the Chinese state, and establish governing principles that would out last him and his Dynasty. Their attempts to constrain him were also an influence on his expansion and reliance on military power after the death of his grandmother, when he felt he was free to govern and rule as he saw fit.

 

Wu-ti commissioned diplomatic and exploratory commissions that established trade and ties with India, Siam(Thailand), the people's of Central Asia, and even to Eastern regions of Eurasia. Crops, religious beliefs, ideals, art, poetry, literature, wealth and people were all the result of Wu-ti's relentless diplomacy. Due to the fact that he had secured the governmental structure, and removed military challenges, Wu-ti was able to continue his expansion through diplomacy and exploration.

 

However, Wu-ti's record was not all grand. He became despotic as he began to promote and rely on the harshest members of his bureaucracy and government. He became obsessed with finding immortality and paranoid. He led a late campaign to annihilate the Xiongnu remnants, and in his later years spent resources and lost favor by attacking and conquering vassal states, that had long been paying homage to the Hans. He built a new elaborate palace to make himself "closer to the Gods", and raised taxes to fund his campaigns and building projects. These led to several revolts throughout the Empire. His draconian reaction only encouraged more revolts and the complicity of his commanders to cover-up any news of revolts, or forfeit their own lives for it occurring. He also conducted Witch Hunts and tried people for being or consulting with witches, despite doing so himself. This led to internal strife as members of his own household were taken into custody, deposed and even killed from scurrilous accusations, brought on to curry favor and remove rivals at court. This included his first Empress, and led to his heir staging a revolt, after being accused of witchcraft, against the crown, which at one point saw close to 1,000,000 casualties.

 

After the death of his son and Crown Prince, Wu-ti realized the futility of the witchcraft obsession and his paranoia. He ceased military campaigning and ended the witch trials. He publically apologized for the entire disaster that had occurred on his people and criticized those who perpetuated it, himself included. He instituted reforms and policies, many of which his Crown Prince had been advocating for. He then focused attention on improving and increasing agricultural practices and feeding his people. He even raised agricultural experts to the heights of his governing council.

 

Under Wu-ti's reign, Han China became one of the most powerful and prosperous nations the world has known, and definitely so at the time. Wu-ti was not a perfect ruler, and his "goodness" has and can be debated (one million casualties from a single revolt being just a starting point of the price he extracted from his people), but his greatness as a leader, both in his time and in establishing and influencing Chinese culture and governance, is still apparent.

[AesSedaiGuy]

Is anyone still listening? Any thoughts or interactions?

 

Next we move to Latin America, and one of my personal favorite countries and leaders.

 

Oscar Arias Sanchez

 

Arias Sanchez was President of Costa Rica from 1986-1990, and again 20 years later, from 2006-2010.

 

It was for work during his first term that Arias Sanchez was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and helped prepare Costa Rica as a credible and viable player on the global role in promoting peace and democratic governance. Arias Sanchez was also the leading mover in transitioning the Costa Rica from traditional crops and agriculture based economy to a more modern one reliant on exports, exotic fruits (as opposed to sustenance farming) and tourism.

 

Arias Sanchez came into power in the middle of political upheaval for each of Costa Rica's Central American neighbors. Guatemala and El Salvador were in civil wars, Nicaragua was in inner turmoil as the Contras fought the Sandanista government, Honduras was being used as a military base for American support for the various sides (which was causing strife among its citizens), and Panama was under the yoke of strongman, Manuel Noriega.

 

While elected on a platform to reform the economy, which he did, Arias Sanchez also exerted great diplomatic pressure, and energy to work for solutions to the armed conflicts in his neighboring countries.Arias Sánchez didn't work to just end the fighting, or even to find a peaceful solution. Like his predecessors in Europe after WWII Arias Sánchez sought to find a solution that would decrease the possibility of war and improve the cooperation and inter-support of the Central American nations.

 

Arias Sánchez was able to work and see peace and democracy come to all 5 of the nations within a decade of his being elected. He capitalized on his work and subsequent peace to promote greater economic and political collaboration on the Central American Isthmus. He called for region-wide education reforms and for greater integration. He also proposed a Central American Parliament to achieve these ends.

 

After his tenure, Arias Sánchez became a world renowned leader in human rights advances, peace movements and pro-democracy movements. He contributed input and assistance in many different conflicts, including the Constitutional Crisis in Honduras, and helped bring about a peaceful resolution.

 

Arias Sánchez also has been outspoken on Central American leaders and their governance and past policies. He is a firm believer that the ultimate fate of the nation lies in the effectiveness and commitment of its leaders. He promotes Central American accountability as well as autonomy. He has been consistently outspoken on Latin American nations lacking economic development and on their governments for funding military growth and maneuvers over educational reform for their people.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

I'm reading and absorbing, I just don't know most of these leaders

 

but thank you for teaching :)

[AesSedaiGuy]

No worries, just glad someone's reading along. :)

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

:)

[WildTaltos]

Iv read thes and thre prety intersting, learned new thinggs.

 

The three women fetured I didnt realy have much to say or think abot, mostly becuse they did thngs taht I cant relate to, thuogh knowin socities basd on christinity haev not viewed or treted women favuorbly in the past an at many tiems in the present, must haev been quite strugle for thm and I respect that.

 

Not a fan of medieval and later forms of mperialismm just becuse often see it sett the staeg for foolsh atitudes and notions in modren world, so predisposd not to liek the Abu guy, thugh dont realy know forr sure waht impact he had.

 

I wuold say the wu-ti guy suonds liek a great or powerful man becuse he somehow mannaged t keep power evn aftre slughtering and harasing lot of his subjcts, but as leadre, sort of haev to weihg taht aginst his earlir achivementss becuse your not being a vry good leadre if evryone is turnin againnst you.

 

The last, costa rican guy I dotn like at all, as I am in no wayy a suport of the modrn, state-of-depndence econommy taht requires peple to be at the mercyy of othre nations and th economy itsel rathre tahn being self-suficient, and he suonds liek a busy body, teling everyoen else how to run thier nations. 

 

I sort of onll admier leadres that aer eithre fightin for thier peoplees survival or wel-being, liek preservin thir land and catle or vry way of lief, the very basiccs which in way is onl worthy thng to fight for, or who seem to haev very daring, rugged, oor indivdulistic atitude, becuse the latter strieks me as the "forbidden heroes" of mmyth, who mayy ignoer normal socil conventions to do soem act taht makes him great, and I hav alwys been fascinatd by them. Also liek some underdogs, leadre o a moer primtivve and/or abused peopple who get the best of a "bettr" nation.

[AesSedaiGuy]

Thanks Talt for the feedback.

 

I'm not surprised you don't like Arias Sánchez, but I did think you would like Abu Zakariya more than that. :)

 

And great points about Wu-ti, that was incredibly insightful and interesting feedback.

[AesSedaiGuy]

This is for you Talt ... I didnt know a lot about our next great leader, but this has turned into a very cool story.

 

We go to the First Century of the Common Era, to Roman colonized Britain to find the legendary, infamous ...

 

Boudicca

 

Boudicca was a Queen of a Britonic tribe, the Iceni (some places Eceni). The Britons were Celtic people occupying the island of Great Britain from Southern Scotland through England and Wales to Cornwall and Kent before the Romans came and conquered. Boudicca was tall with long red hair and what was described by the Romans as a piercing voice.

 

Her husband, Prasutagus, had been a "client king" under Roman Conquest. By allying with Rome he had been able to secure his kingship after they conquered, and a great measure of independence and autonomy (as well as neighboring territory) for his people. Upon his death, he left his kingdom in a will to his daughters and the Roman Empire. The Roman tradition, 1, did not honor female primogeniture/succession; but more so 2, allowed client kings to only reign and maintain independence during their lifetime. Upon their death, the "kingdom" was supposed to become another prefecture of Roman administration.

 

Had that simple fact been done, maybe the fates would have been different, who knows? However, and possibly to prove the ineffectiveness of the dead King, when Prasutagus died, his daughters were raped and Boudicca was flogged, and the Roman financiers called in their debts and the Iceni nobles were treated like slaves.

 

When the Roman Governor left to put down a rebellion elsewhere in the territory, Boudicca saw her chance. Under the guidance of the Britonic god Andraste (is she part of the Aés and Celtic pantheon Talt as well?), she led an army of Iceni and sacked and destroyed (demolished some historians say) modern day Colchester, south of the Iceni and east of London. It was the former capital of another conquered Briton tribe, the Trinovantes, who were brought under Iceni control and rallied to Boudicca's banner. The Romans sent a legion against her, expecting her army to falter, as many other foes did. Boudicca and her army met them head-on and ultimately annihilated the legion, leaving only the Commander and his Calvary alive, who escaped and fled into exile in Gaul. After a resounding victory Boudicca turned her eyes west and headed for the trade center of Roman Britain, London.

 

The Roman Governor chose to abandon the city, rather than stage a battle there, although fighting did occur when Boudicca's band fell upon the settlement. Boudicca and the Iceni took no prisoners and left no survivors. Any Roman who had not left the city was killed, staked or burned. Throughout the procession, Boudicca, the Iceni and their other Celtic-Britonic subjugates celebrated Andraste with festivals at each victory and slaughter. When finished, they burned London and headed towards their next victim, modern day St. Albans. They attacked and burned the city, destroying it completely as they had done in the other two. All told, Boudicca and her army are believed to have killed 70,000-80,000 people in their march. The disaster of losing three settlements so decisively, caused Emperor Nero to call for consultation on abandoning Britain altogether and retreating across the channel to Roman Gaul.

 

The Iceni then headed towards Wales along Watling Street (where the A5 currently runs west from London). The Roman Governor had amassed an army of 10,000 men in the Midlands to halt their advance and defeat Boudicca. Boudicca's numbers were greater, but fighting in an open field of battle favored the more organized Roman military. Boudicca was said to have given a speech to her people stating she was not a Queen avenging lost wealth, but a Briton avenging lost freedom and looking for justice for her daughters. Then she and her daughters led the charge in chariots against the Romans. The Celtic battle plan was to have families and supply lines in the rear as a guard of last defense, however multiple times this had proved unsuccessful as it blocked any retreat. The same was true at the Battle of Watling Street. After defending at least two surges by Boudicca, the Romans advanced and pushed the remaining Britons into their own families, followers and supply wagons. The Romans lost 400 of their men. The Iceni lost 80,000. The exact location is not known and there have been up to 5 different possibilities presented. The most recent was an archeological dig in 2010 that suggested southwest Northhamptonshire, near the village of Church Stowe.

 

Boudicca was believed to have poisoned herself, though some later Roman historians don't mention a suicide and just claim she fell ill. She was allegedly taken back and buried in a lavish ceremony, but this to may be literary invention. Legend does hold that she was buried in King's Cross beneath what is now King's Cross Station and her grave is actually located between (wait for it ....) Platforms 9 and 10 ... This legend predates the popular Harry Potter connection with Platform 9 and 3/4, which is also located between Platforms 9 and 10.

 

Boudicca's history and legend would be revived under Queen Victoria who had been personified as the fabled Celtic Warrior Queen. Boudicca took on the Roman invaders, destroyed cities, savaged the inhabitants and made the Emperor Nero quake and consider leaving Britain to her altogether.

[Gudrean]

very interesting ASGuy!! I really enjoyed this read, thx for all your hard work on this thread/discussion  =))

[WildTaltos]

anyoen who kick romann arse is good in my book. Sad taht she didnt succed in drving them uot of the cuontry. i didnt kno tahts wher she was buried, but maeks me mad ther is a dumb train statin siting on top of it, im guesing they didnt know tahts wher she was buriedd until afer they built it or?

When the Roman Governor left to put down a rebellion elsewhere in the territory, Boudicca saw her chance. Under the guidance of the Britonic god Andraste (is she part of the Aés and Celtic pantheon Talt as well?),

It wuold fall withinn celtic polythism, so we wuold call it an Áes then, but it is probaly oen of those regionall names for a goddess taht was recognised acros tribes or clans becuse that isnt a name we knoow in Gaeilge (for exmple, waht we call the Dag Dia/Dagda probaly equates to Sucellos to certin continental Celts and Lug probaly equated to Lugus to continental Celt but no wayy to kno for suer since almos nothng abuot the continentall deities survive). as a victoory godess, suonds like she wuold eithre equate to Medb or Macha, the formre being specificlly godess of victory and the lattre being godess of war, thuogh Macha in soem places likely replacd Medb as a victory goddess depnding on how venerated she was. And of cuorse still othres didnt ask victory from eithre of those whnn goin into battle - soem had certin patron gods they wuold ask, such as if we evre went into batle, we wuold ask Con Roí/Cúroí for victory, whichh is a storm god and a son of the mooon rathre than a goddess.

[AesSedaiGuy]

I believe she was specifically mentioned as the Goddess of Victory. Boudicca released a hare as part of the ritual and it's direction determined her decision on what and how to do next. Is that familiar as well?

[WildTaltos]

I believe she was specifically mentioned as the Goddess of Victory. Boudicca released a hare as part of the ritual and it's direction determined her decision on what and how to do next. Is that familiar as well?

What do yuo mean is familar? Do you mean is th hare asociated with the victory godess familar to us? that would be no. but if mean is using animal bahvour to decide or predicct things, that is common, as wel as watchin certin natural phenomenon. 

[AesSedaiGuy]

I meant both or all ..

 

1-is that specific divination familiar? (I thought that might help determine the Gaelige equivalent of Andraste .... I'm betting Medb)

 

2-is using animals in divination familiar, the way she allegedly did it is it still used like that.

 

I think you answered both. :)

[Ryrin]

I loved the one about Catherine Helen Spence and Edith Cowan.  Good job ASG.

[AesSedaiGuy]

By the way ...thanks everyone.

 

I re-read this and really enjoyed it and your participation ...but never said thanks.