BBC World Histories Magazine Issue 1

As the bestselling historian Peter Frankopan writes in his column for this launch issue of BBC World Histories: “The world is changing; understanding how and why is the greatest challenge for those who believe that knowing about the past is the key to making sense of the present.” That’s one of the inspirations behind this new magazine, from the team that produces BBC History Magazine: to understand how we got to where we are by exploring the stories of the past. Each issue, we will draw on the expertise of leading writers and historians from around the world to help tackle some of the defining issues of the 21st century. So, in the following pages, you’ll find University of Oxford professor Yasmin Khan leading a special package of India features…

William Dalrymple Author of books including Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan and The Last Mughal: The Fall of Delhi, 1857, Dalrymple tells the remarkable story of the Koh-i-Noor diamond in our feature starting on page 74. As he points out, it’s a tale that raises important questions about the legacy of imperialism in today’s world. Yasmin Khan Leading this issue’s package of features on India’s dynamic past, Yasmin Khan explores the hardships and legacy of the nation’s Second World War home front in our cover feature on page 22. “My focus in on total mobilisation and the way in which society is deeply affected by war at every level,” she explains. Rana Mi?er Professor of the history and politics of modern China at the University of Oxford,…

The history behind today’s news “Trump, the businessman and erstwhile reality TV star, used his celebrity and ‘straight-talking’ populist style to woo voters” Whether you laud or lament the political rise of Donald Trump, he has certainly grabbed public attention. The businessman and erstwhile reality TV star used his celebrity and ‘straight-talking’ populist style to woo voters in a way very different from his opponents and peers. Whether that approach is positive is another question. Meanwhile, when Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, warned in September of the fundamental threats facing the European Union, he notably drew attention to one factor. Splits within the EU, he said, were leaving scope for “galloping populism”. That image – of a movement heading at destructive speed towards mainstream politics – captures the…

One striking feature of populists is their use of new means of direct communication. In some respects, says Matthew Feldman, this echoes trends seen centuries ago. In the 17th century, new printed material and woodcut images were delivered by a network of propagandists: this kind of communication “allowed for a real expansion of conspiracy theories, ‘Us versus Them’ ideas”. By the 20th century, populists could exploit other new technologies. Nazi propaganda supremo Joseph Goebbels was quick to recognise and use the potential of radio, with its capacity to convey the drama and intimacy of the rallies at which Hitler and others addressed audiences around Germany. “It would not have been possible” claimed Goebbels, “for us to take power… without the radio and the airplane.” In recent times, populists have used…

SEP 2016 NOV 2016 FES MOROCCO A new look at the books The world’s oldest library, the al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco, is set to reopen to the public following extensive renovations. The complex, which first opened in AD 859, houses 4,000 rare books and manuscripts, and now features innovations including a canal system to remove moisture. The reopening is viewed as particularly important in a time of instability in the Arab world during which libraries and ancient sites in the region have been damaged. SKAFTÁRHREPPUR ICELAND The sharp end of archaeology Hunters stalking geese in southern Iceland failed to catch any fowl – but instead bagged a rather more valuable haul: a Viking sword believed to be more than 1,000 years old. “It was obvious and just lying there on the…

Gordon Corera is the BBC’s security correspondent and author of Intercept: The Secret History of Computers and Spies (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2015) DISCOVER MORE From Our Own Correspondent is broadcast every Saturday at 11.30am on BBC Radio 4 High-tech tension in China Shenzhen is a city that has come from nowhere to be everywhere. Just a few decades ago it was merely a fishing village; today it is a city of 10 million, a high-tech hub whose products are part of everyday life around the globe. Its designation as a ‘Special Economic Zone’ and its position abutting Hong Kong have led to spectacular growth: sleek skyscrapers and huge tower blocks are everywhere. Its bustling streets have the feel of a boomtown – a place people come because there is money…