25 most influential cities in history.

[El Sidd]

Wrong:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ عُمْرَانُ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ خَرَابُ يَثْرِبَ وَخَرَابُ يَثْرِبَ
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The flourishing state of Jerusalem will be when Yathrib is in ruins

Ok

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

Not good. I haven't heard of this city. I feel bad... ugh

Its the first and old imperial capital of India built on the ganges,the seat of the mauryan and gupta empires during India's 'golden age' when it had 25% of the world's GDP and population.It retained this status for around 600 years.It was also a major centre of Buddhism,trade and from here Asoka sent the missionaries that played a huge role in conversion of Sri lanka,S-E asia and East asia to Buddhism.Today the old city doesnt exist but the Capital of the indian state of Bihar,Patna is built on top of it.Its walls and incredible palace were famous,with the greek envoy megasthenes desribing them as incomparable even to the persian royal palaces and chinese traveller Fa-hien deeming them to be 'impossible to be built by men.'In India's political history it was succeeded as the centre of imperial power by first Kannauj and then Delhi.

 

[El Sidd]

Its the first and old imperial capital of India built on the ganges,the seat of the mauryan and gupta empires during India's 'golden age' when it had 25% of the world's GDP and population.It retained this status for around 600 years.It was also a major centre of Buddhism,trade and from here Asoka sent the missionaries that played a huge role in conversion of Sri lanka,S-E asia and East asia to Buddhism.Today the old city doesnt exist but the Capital of the indian state of Bihar,Patna is built on top of it.Its walls and incredible palace were famous,with the greek envoy megasthenes desribing them as incomparable even to the persian royal palaces and chinese traveller Fa-hien deeming them to be 'impossible to be built by men.'In India's political history it was succeeded as the centre of imperial power by first Kannauj and then Delhi.

What has this to do with my post?

Yes India has a history. Influential ? Debateable

 

[T-123456]

Tenochtitlan,capital of the aztecs and today Mexico city,capital of mexico.
Or you may be refering to Chichen Itza,the greatest mayan city.

I think it was Chichen Itza.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

What has this to do with my post?

Yes India has a history. Influential ? Debateable

Sry I misquoted you.I was answering another.Mauryans were responsible greatly for spread of buddhism and Indian mathematics and concept of zero evolved during gupta era later transmitted via arab traders.Both India and China were self contained civilizations with less global impact.But you can't really have a total human history if you leave out India and China which respectively had 25-30% of the world's population and GDP for great lengths of time.Its mainly because of lack of global impact that they are not in top 5.In terms of population,size,longevity and economy these were very great cities in their own right.

 

[El Sidd]

Sry I misquoted you.I was answering another.Mauryans were responsible greatly for spread of buddhism,and both India and China were self contained civilizations with less global impact.But you can't really have a total human history if you leave out India and China which respectively had 25-30% of the world's population and GDP for great lengths of time.

Ok.

 

[Attila the Hun]

Its the first and old imperial capital of India built on the ganges,the seat of the mauryan and gupta empires during India's 'golden age' when it had 25% of the world's GDP and population.It retained this status for around 600 years.It was also a major centre of Buddhism,trade and from here Asoka sent the missionaries that played a huge role in conversion of Sri lanka,S-E asia and East asia to Buddhism.Today the old city doesnt exist but the Capital of the indian state of Bihar,Patna is built on top of it.Its walls and incredible palace were famous,with the greek envoy megasthenes desribing them as incomparable even to the persian royal palaces and chinese traveller Fa-hien deeming them to be 'impossible to be built by men.'In India's political history it was succeeded as the centre of imperial power by first Kannauj and then Delhi.

I feel much better now. Thanks.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

“Oh Baghdad, I have seen every form of beauty, but your exquisiteness is beyond everything I have seen. What can I write about you my jewel? A thousand books are never enough to describe my infatuation with you.” -Nizar Qabbani
​

5. BAGHDAD -

The center of islamic civilization during its 'golden age' and the seat of the caliphate for 500 years,the fabled round city of baghdad is remembered in legends,lamentations and poetry as a glittering centre of learning,religious studies,wealth and power.It is also the source of the tales of the arabian nights.Founded in 762 AD by the first Abbasid Caliph Al-Mansur following his victory over the Umayyads it was concieved as a round city following Sassanid influence rather than a western style square city on the banks of the Tigris in a very strategic location on the fertile plains of Mesopotamia.It overshadowed Ctesiphon,the previous Sassanid Persian Royal capital( in decline after arab conquest) which had previously suceeded Seleucia(Seleucid capital) which in turn had succeeded Babylon.In terms of power, majesty and influence however Baghdad ,situated just 50 miles from the ruins of Babylon was to be its true successor.

The initial city was built at enormous expense with architects from all over the world in just 4 years with a central square with a grand mosque and palace surrounded by gardens and then the outlying city quarters for the general population culminating in two tier walls and a moat and 4 main gates in the 4 directions in a unique design.The city continued to expanded as its population grew Outside this core.

Baghdad came to be famous as the major intellectual centre of the islamic world in science,medicine,philosophy and education as well as an economic hub and the political capital of the islam.
In its House of wisdom,ancient greek,roman,indian and persian texts were translated into arabic for future generations.Baghdad was famous for its 36 libraries ,four of them particularly famous with the greatest collection of texts in the world.It was home to a great observatory.Baghdad was also where the Theological college or Madrasa education under state patronage was pioneered and became an integral part of islamic culture.Numerous famous historic islamic philosophers, scientists, theologians, jurists and poets called Baghdad their home.

Location and Population -
Baghdad's location was superb.It sits on a central position on the fertile crescent ,from where one could move towards syria and the Mediterranean world or the Persian gulf or Arabia and the Red sea,in a time of islamic expansion in these directions.It it had control over strategic and trading routes along the Tigris,while being connected to the Euphrates river system by canals and it had an abundance of water in a dry climate. Water exists on both the north and south ends of the city, allowing all households to have a plentiful supply, which was very uncommon during this time.

Baghdad grew very rapidly with 600,000 by 700 and was possibly the largest city in the world between 800-1200 with a peak population of 1.2 million.In the middle ages its only comparable rival was Constantinopole .An economic hub,Baghdad was a great centre of Paper,pottery and silk textile manufacture.It was cosmopolitan metropolis with substantial jewish,christian and other sects being present.

The power of the caliphate however began to decline from the 10th century with internal struggles and encroaching external enemies -the fatimids in egypt,the crusaders in syria and seljuk turks from the east.The advance of the seljuks defacto ended the power of the arab caliphates,but Baghdad remained the nominal seat of the caliph and an almost sacred city.The end came suddenly - in 1220 the newly united mongol hordes under Genghis Khan came out of the steppes ,annihilated the Khwarezm empire and destroyed the great cities of central asia and iran -Merv,Balkh,Herat,Samarkand etc.Baghdad escaped until the time of his grandson Hulagu.The last caliph unwisely attempted to resist the mongol hordes, and in the devastating sack of 1258 the inhabitants were massacred and the city burned.With its destruction perished centuries of accumulated knowledge in its libraries,and was a severe shock to islamic civilization which many believe it never recovered from.Any attempts at revival were cut short by a 2nd brutal sack and mass slaughter in 1401 by the Turko-mongol warlord Timur/Tamerlane. Baghdad never recovered its former glory.

While new settlements were built on the ashes of the old round city they were a shadow of its former grandeur with a population of around 100,000.The city and the prestige of holding it as well as its access to nearby shia holy places of najaf and Karbala prompted back and forth changing of hands between the ottomans and safavids,with the ottomans prevailing under Murad IV in the 17th century.

Baghdad's partial revival began under british rule ,as the capital of british mesopotamia after world war 1 and the demise of the ottomans,and then as the capital of the kingdom of Iraq.From 150,000 in 1900 the population grew to 600,00 by 1950 - a quarter of them jews(rapidly declininga fter formation of Israel).The discovery and exploitation of oil was a boon to its economy,but the Iran-Iraq war,Saddam hussein's brutal rule proved dampners.Saddam's regime was brought to an end in 2003 when the US army captured Baghdad,but left a local power vacuum after their departure and led to the rise of radical insurgency factions.

Today as the capital of Iraq and home to nearly 9 million inhabitants,the second largest city of the arab world it soldiers on.Beset by problems of terrorism,sectarian shia-sunni power struggle,political instability and economic downturn its current prospects are bleak and it was voted as one of the most unliveable cities in the world atm.One can only hope Baghdad will overcome these challenges and do justice to its rich heritage.

CONTD :

 

[Hamza913]

Taxila should get a mention.

 

[-blitzkrieg-]

Sry I misquoted you.I was answering another.Mauryans were responsible greatly for spread of buddhism and Indian mathematics and concept of zero evolved during gupta era later transmitted via arab traders.Both India and China were self contained civilizations with less global impact.But you can't really have a total human history if you leave out India and China which respectively had 25-30% of the world's population and GDP for great lengths of time.Its mainly because of lack of global impact that they are not in top 5.In terms of population,size,longevity and economy these were very great cities in their own right.

On origin of zero, Bakhshali manuscript from presen day Pakistan has already knocked the Gwalior temple text into second place.

 

[vostok]

@AUSTERLITZ is back with large historical enlightenment projects! Good reading, thanks!

 

[Nevsky]

This is the list I made,tell me how i could exclude any of these

I would swap Moscow for Kiev.

 

[Army research]

Good read

 

[Divergent]

Damascus was once a beautiful city, it breaks my heart

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

"A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life." -Thomas jefferson
​

PARIS :

Paris , the great capital of France , - the 'City of Light' ,Of Love,Culture and art is possibly the most beautiful city on this Earth.It is also one of the most influential cities in human history.Events here decided the fate of Europe and by extension the world several times. This was the capital of the franks,and where the the French kingdom - the oldest of the great states of Europe to form began and the bloodline of Charlemagne(through the capetians and their cadet branches) ruled for a 1000 years.Here the Francien language took shape,and feudalism evolved to its ultimate form.The mounted knights of France rode out to England under William the conqueror , to Sicily and Jerusalem under the crusaders.Absolute monarchy and the first early modern great nation state was pioneered here under Louis XIV.Paris was the centre of the enlightenment - home to philosophers like Voltaire,Rousseau and Diderot,and home to the French Revolution - one of the most significant events in human history.This was the capital of Napoleon's empire,it lead the european revolutions of 1848.The battle of the Marne in France's darkest hour in 1914 was won from Paris and 2 world wars fought.

(Conciergeri -The residence of French kings during Middle ages)​

Paris,on the banks of the Seine river began as a Roman garrison town called Lutatia ,in the area inhabited by the gallic Parisii tribe.The settlement grew large and prosperous during the roman period,and after the fall of the empire in the west and the conquest of Gaul by the Franks,Clovis the Frank made it the capital of Frankia under the merovingian dynasty,succeeded by the carolingian dynasty of Charles Martel,the victor of Tours and his grandson Charlemagne.Paris was well placed to control the riverine trade on the seine surrounded by fertile grasslands .It had access to the atlantic via the river,it was also located in a central position in Northern france,the most vulnerable region of France to invasion,southern and south eastern france being protected by the sea and pyranees and alps mountain ranges.

After the division of Charlemagne's empire into roughly germany and france,Paris remained the most prosperous and important city in Francia and was subject to 2 Viking sieges in the 9th century who sailed up the seine from the Atlantic coast.The first siege under the legendary Viking chieftain Ragnar Lodbrok managed to sack the outer town and had to be bought off but the second was repulsed.Rollo,a viking chieftain from the 2nd siege later became a vassal of the frankish king in return for land in the region of Normandy.He would be the forefather of William the conqueror and through him many of the current ruling houses of Europe.

(Notre Dame)
​

From the 10th century Paris developed steadily under the Capetian kings,and then the cadet branches of Valois and Bourbons.France was the fountainhead of european chivalry,the biggest contributor to the crusades and the the archetypical feudal monarchy.Begun in the 12th century and finished in 1345 during this era was the great cathedral of Notre Dame,built in the french gothic style.This building was subsequently used for multiple coronations and royal marriages and is today a famous destination.Paris was occupied by the English for a decade during the 100 yrs war,but when the end of France seemed near ,the French recovered against the odds led by Joan of Arc. France emerged as a strong united kingdom after its victory in the 100 yrs war in 1453.This was followed by a century of warfare first due to the contest with Spain for mastery of Italy and then its internal wars of Religion between catholics and protestants.

(Palais Royal)​

It was in the mid 17th century that France transitioned from a feudal to an absolute monarchy ,a process began by Cardinal Richeliu and completed by Louis XIV.Richeliu was determined to make Paris the most beautiful city in Europe and of his additions the Palais Royal stands out.Under the Louis XIV's centralization reforms,France the most populous and prosperous region in Europe emerged as its new superpower eclipsing Spain and the Holy Roman empire,weakened by the 30 yrs war(ended 1648).From this period until the unification of Germany in 1871 ,France was the pivot of European politics and culture -the 'Grande nation'.During this period it was said 'if France has a sneeze,Europe has a fever'. And Paris decided the mood of France.Multiple Europe wide grand coalitions would be required during Louis XIV and Napoleon's era to contain France from total hegemony in Europe.

(Versailles - The Grand Palace)​

While France failed at military hegemony of Europe ,it conquered through culture,fashion and art.The elegant French language from the time of Louis XIV until the 19th century was the spoken language in European courts.As the new symbol of his Power and majesty Louis built the greatest and most magnificient royal palace in the world -the Versailles in a nearby hunting lodge in the suburbs of Paris.Meant to epitomize his boast - ''I am the state'',it was so awe inspiring in its magnificence,scale and opulence that it became a model for all royal residences throughout Europe and the Baroque style palaces spread rapidly,most famous being the Peterhof palace in St.Petersburg and Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna.Turned into a museum after the french revolution in 1789,today it is one of the great tourist destinations and a marvel of the world,while also hosting foreign dignitaries on occasion and has been the signing place of many important historical peace treaties.

(Pantheon built by Louis XV in 18th century)​

In the 18th century Paris was the great centre of the enlightenment ,home to the philosophes Voltaire, Montesque, Rousseau,Diderot and the greatest centre of art and culture in Europe.Rulers of the age like Catherine the great and Frederick the great were known admirers.Paris was the financial capital of continental Europe, the primary European centre of book publishing, fashion and the manufacture of fine furniture and luxury goods.Population of Paris grew to 800,000 by 1800.

(Les Invalides and Arc de Triomphe)​

But unquestioned absolute rule and reckless opulence has its price -and the cost came home to be counted in 1789 when the impoverished Paris mob stormed the Bastille prison fortress and began the French revolution - one of the decisive events in human history.The chain of events that were set in motion -the execution the king ,the declaration of a republic ,the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte,spread of his legal code and the impact of his conquests on the map heralded the beginning of the end for the old european monarchical order that would culminate a century later.Napoleon greatly improved the general infrastructure of the city and his most notable addition was the Triumphal arch - the biggest in the world in emulation of the Roman emperors of old and in celebration of his great victory over the Third coalition in 1805.Napoleon's tomb rests today in the Les Invalides building,dedicated to french military heroes and dead.Napoleon also created the Bank of Paris.

(The Paris Opera House)​

With the laying of Railroads,the industrial revolution and population explosion due to migration from the provinces , population of Paris rose to nearly 3 million by the beginning of the 20th century.A great wave of construction and beautification was initiated under Napoleon III and his prefect Baron Haussman with parks, avenues, bridges, canals, boulevards crowned by the Paris Opera House.

The defeat of france in the 1871 franco-prussian war and the occupation of paris was a rude shock but france recovered swiftly and hereafter the the franco-german rivalry would be the central cause of 2 devastating world wars.The first battle of Marne in 1914 with german army at the gates of Paris ,one of the most decisive in history was won in part by the quick reinforcements to the front sent by the Paris taxi service.Complacency due to its victory in the great war,memory of the terrible losses,political paralysis and division and disastrous foreign policy led to the defeat of france and occupation of Paris by Nazi germany for 4 years until liberated in 1944 by the allied forces.

(Eiffel Tower and Alexander Bridge)
​

The Eiffel tower,the symbol of Paris and the most visited monument in the world was built during the third republic era of the late 19th century,the tallest structure of its time and an engineering marvel.It was constructed as the entrance to the 1889 world fair.
The Pont Alexandre -the most beautiful bridge in Paris and a reknowned romantic spot was built in 1890s to celebrate the new Franco-Russian alliance against Germany , named in honour of the Tsar Alexander II and inaugurated by his son Prince Nicholas,the future last tsar of Russia.

Finally,the Louvre Museum (formerly Tuileries Palace - royal residence before Versailles and again during Napoleon) is another iconic landmark of the city .The largest art museum in the world and also the most visited with a massive collection of nearly 40,000 objects from various eras and civilizations it holds famous works such as the armless Venus de milo and Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa .

(Louvre Museum)​

Throughout the early modern and modern era apart from a great political and cultural centre,Paris was also a commercial hub and a great centre of the sciences.Numerous pioneers of science,art and literature made this their home.Chemists like Lavoisier(discovery of Oxygen,Hydrogen and Periodic Table),Marie Curie ,Physicists and mathematicians like Pascal,Laplace,Becquerel(radioactivity),innovators in Medicine like Pasteur(antibiotics and vaccination), ( Denys(blood transfusion), Fauchard(dentistry) , Laennec(stethoscope),Calmette(Tuberculosis vaccine),Nollet(osmosis) and many more to mention, lived and worked here.Great engineering inventions like bicycle,Taxi,internal combustion engine,Inflatable tyre,steamboat etc as well as advances in sports,military,food industry,fashion and communications were pioneered here.Numerous great artists including Picasso,and great authors such as Alexander Dumas and Victor Hugo lived here.

Today Paris is a true global city, a cosmopolitan metropolis and heart of the Paris region which has a colossal GDP of nearly 800 billion dollars(1/3rd the whole economy of France).As the capital of france it retains a significant political weight , as well as being famous for an art capital,as well as its restaurants , theatre and cabaret, entertainment .It is a global fashion and cultural trend setter along with its economic and political dimensions.It was thus recently voted as the 3rd most influential city the world currently,after New York and London.

CONTD :