Islamic History Podcast

Akbar tries to remove all religious divisions in his empire by creating a new religion.

Akbar neutralizes the Rajputs using a combination of diplomacy and warfare.

Akbar is only a teenager when he becomes the Mughal emperor and everyone wants a piece of him.

India is in chaos and the people want Humayun to come back. Can he pull off one of the greatest comebacks in history?

After losing his empire, Humayun receives help from an unlikely source: the Safavid Empire.

As Humayun struggles to establish his authority, Portugal struggles to create a new trade network in the subcontinent.

With the Rajputs pacified for the time being, Babur turns his attention to his Afghan enemies.

Babur has two major obstacles standing in his way in India. One of them, are the Rajputs, a mighty warrior caste.

Babur begins his first raids into India setting the stage for the establishment of the Mughal Dynasty.

Babur begins his invasion of Afghanistan but has to deal with the Uzbek warlord, Shaybani Khan.

The early life of Babur and his attempts to capture Samarkand.

Discussing the rise and conquests of Timur the Lame.

Discussing the breakup of the Mongol Empire.

Hulegu Khan and the Ilkhanate initiates a siege on the Abbasid capital of Baghdad in 1258.

Genghis Khan leads his Mongol army into Central Asia. One of his first opponents, is the Muslim Khwarezm Shah Empire. This begins the long, bloody, and brutal Mongol invasion of the Muslim world.

In this episode, we discuss the rise of Genghis Khan, and how he united the Mongol tribes and began expanding into China and Central Asia.

Introducing the Mughal Empire

The Muslim soldiers of the Abbasid Caliphate prepare to face off with the Chinese soldiers of the Tang Dynasty.

The Battle of Talas was a pivotal moment in history and one of the earliest engagements between Muslim and Chinese forces.  This battle involved the forces of the new Abbasid Caliphate, going up against a resurgent Tang Dynasty. Both empires wanted to secure their hold over Central Asia and its valuable Silk Road routes. This episode discusses the origins of the two sides in this conflict.

In this episode, I interview Brother Wali Muhammad, an elder from my local Masjid.  We discuss his journey growing up a black man in North Carolina and how he went from Christianity to the Nation of Islam and finally to mainstream Islam.