Who was King Premsyl Ottokar II?

“Rolls to the ocean: Ottokar his name:

Who in his swaddling clothes was of more worth

Than Wenceslaus his son, a bearded man,

Pampered with rank luxuriousness and ease.”

- Canto VII in Dante's Purgatorio

In 1278, a King laid dying on the battlefield with him passed away the hopes of a Bohemian Empire covering much of central Europe and all the way down to the Adriatic Sea. King Premysl Ottokar II built an empire by seizing opportunities from deaths and marriages. Nevertheless, his luck finally ran out in face of a growing ambitious house that came to dominate the region – the Habsburgs.

Who was Vaclav II (Wenceslas II) of Bohemia?

In 1278, the dreams of a Bohemian Empire crumbled, what followed came a son who sought to revive this dream amidst the rise of another prominent House – the Habsburgs. King Vaclav II (Wenceslas II) ruled Bohemia from 1278 until his passing in 1305.

The Signing of the Magna Carta

King John signing the Magna Carta

It is an influential document in world history. It constricted the powers of a monarch in an era of absolute power of kings. It set the tone for the concept of civil rights. The Magna Carta of 1215 constrained the power of England’s King John and placed law above all else, including powerful monarchs.

Almohads: Religious Berber Empire of North Africa

Almohad Caliphate

10th and 11th century, Spain fell under the control of two Muslim Empires. The Almoravids became a powerful Beber Empire in the middle of the 11th century. However, just a hundred years after their rise, the Almoravids saw another contender for their position as a powerful Berber state. In the mountains of the Atlas, from an Islamic preacher and theologian, a new Caliphate would be born - the Almohad Caliphate.

Ghana Empire: Land of Gold

Empire of Ghana

West Africa saw the rise of powerful and very wealthy kingdoms and even empire. Various terrain and environment existed within the African continent. But rivers provided fertile lands capable of supporting the rise of civilization. Already, during the time of the ancient, the Nile River permitted the rise of the Egyptian civilization in the Saharan desert of Africa. And in West Africa, the rivers of Senegal and Niger gave rise to several kingdoms as well. One of the first kingdoms that rose prominently in the region was the Ghana Empire.

Sukhothai Economy of Ramkhamhaeng

King Ramkhamhaeng (Credit: Ananda)

Thailand, an oriental country in the heart of Southeast Asia. Its lands are gifted with numerous rivers that provided fertile plains for farming. Its culture is heavily influenced by the Indians from the west. During the 13th century no Thai kingdom existed until the Kingdom of Sukhothai rose from the lands conquered by the Khmers. One of the most economically prosperous period of this kingdom was under the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng. His reign saw great flow of harvest and wealth. Trade flourish without barriers. An economy that flowered during the golden age of a Thai Kingdom.

Ramkhamhaeng: Great Sukhothai King

Ramkhamhaeng depicted in Civilization V

From the flames of rebellion against the Khmer rulers, a new Kingdom rose in the fertile lands of central Thailand. The latter half of the 13th century saw the rise of the first Thai Kingdom – the Sukhothai Kingdom. From its productive lands, an Empire would be made under a great ruler. Ramkhamhaeng would preside and lead the great Thai people to new height of glory with conquest and diplomacy.