Rome annihilated Carthage to ensure it would never again rise as a major threat. The Ottomans forever ended Byzantium’s glory. The vast armies of Persia were repeatedly beaten back by the Greeks, subjugated by the might of Alexander, and destroyed by the rise of Islam. The fates of once great and proud nations fill the pages of history books—and then there are those forgotten powers even the history books seldom mention.

10 Forgotten Nations Overview

In this article we dive into 10 forgotten nations that once ruled the land, uncovering their spectacular histories and why they faded from memory.

10 Burgundy

France’s greatest historical rivals are often considered to be England or Germany. Yet, for a time, Burgundy was arguably its greatest opponent.

We’ve previously mentioned how Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, divided the Carolingian Empire among his sons. His eldest, Lothair, received a vast swath of land that included what would become Burgundy. Over time, a powerful duchy evolved, controlling Burgundy proper, Alsace, Lorraine, Flanders, and Holland. At its height during the 15th century, it was one of the richest and most powerful states in Europe. The Burgundian’s rivalry with France knew no bounds—from betraying Joan of Arc to the English, to fighting on foreign soil during the War of the Roses.

For a time, it seemed that fortune favored Burgundy. Indeed, had history turned out differently, proper French might have been a mere dialect and Bourgignon the norm. The sudden death of Duke Charles the Bold on January 5, 1477 changed things entirely, raising the question of the Burgundian Inheritance. Charles’s only heir was his daughter, who was supposed to marry into the French royal house. Instead, she married Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor and head of the House of Habsburg. In the subsequent race to claim the Burgundian lands, France merely traded one great rival for two more—Austria and Spain.

9 Novgorod

The city of Novgorod, whose residents sometimes called it “Lord Novgorod the Great,” truly lived up to its name. Under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky, the Novgorodians vigorously defended their beloved city against invasions from Sweden and the Teutonic Knights. Though they were subjugated by the Mongols, they managed to retain a degree of independent rule and even rose to prosperity.

By the 14th century, Novgorod had become one of the busiest trading ports in Europe—an estimated 400,000 people lived in the city. The Novgorod Republic stretched from the Arctic Circle to the Ural Mountains. The people of Novgorod cherished their independence, beyond the grasp of autocratic kings.

Sadly, this state of affairs wouldn’t last forever. The Principality of Muscovy had long been jealous of Novgorod’s riches. Furthermore, Novgorod’s ties with Catholic Lithuania were anathema to the stern Orthodox doctrine followed by the Muscovites.

Ivan III, also known as “Ivan the Great,” invaded the city in 1471, subsequently annexing it in 1478. Nearly 100 years later, another Ivan, known to history as “Ivan the Terrible,” would lead his armies to massacre and exile many of Novgorod’s citizens, burning much of the city, and destroying priceless historical records. The glory of Novgorod was no more. It would be Muscovy (Moscow) that would become the center of Russian politics and society.

8 Khitai

During the 12th century A.D., the Khitan people, led by Yelu Dashi, fled west to escape the onslaught of the Jurchen tribes. Their Liao Dynasty empire in Northern China was no more, and they faced a grueling journey across the arid steppes to find a new place in the world.

By A.D. 1134, Yelu Dashi and his people had arrived in Balasagun, in modern-day Kyrgyzstan. Further conquests soon established a new empire—the Western Liao. Thanks to their Chinese heritage, the Khitan practiced Buddhism mixed with Animist beliefs, while the majority of their new subjects were Muslim. Despite this, there was only harmony. In fact, some Muslims believed that their Khitan overlords were the “wall” between the Islamic world and the barbarous hordes beyond.

Decades of prosperity passed until the arrival of Kuchlug, a prince of the Naiman tribe of Mongolia, who fled after his father was killed by Genghis Khan. Kuchlug, a Nestorian Christian, sought refuge among the Khitan and was even allowed to marry a Khitan princess. In A.D. 1211, Kuchlug usurped the throne, then began campaigns against neighboring Muslim kingdoms, forcibly converting captives to the Nestorian faith.

Seeing his chance, Genghis Khan sent his best lieutenants, Jebe Noyan and Subotai, to capture Kuchlug. Angered at the usurper’s actions, the Khitans readily welcomed the invaders. Kuchlug was defeated in battle and eventually beheaded in 1218. After the relatively peaceful conquest, the Mongols found that the formerly nomadic Khitan had become experts in statecraft and administration. They were assimilated into the Mongol Empire, not as soldiers, but as some of its finest civil officials.

The short-lived empire of the Khitan may have contributed to the legend of Prester John, a mythical Christian figure whom Crusaders believed would assault Muslim lands from the rear. Some historians claim that the Khitan’s earlier conquests helped fuel the legend, while others suggest that Kuchlug, as a Nestorian Christian, added to the stories.

The Khitan also had one more contribution to history. The old European name for China, “Cathay,” is derived from “Khitan.” Indeed, they were known in Europe as the “Qara-Khitai,” the “Black Cathays.”

7 Vijayanagar

The Vijayanagar Empire ruled southern India for over 300 years, from 1336 to 1646. Domingo Paes, a Portuguese chronicler, marveled at how its capital was “as large as Rome and very beautiful to the sight; the palace of the king is larger than the castle at Lisbon.” Another Portuguese traveler, Duarte Barbosa, was astonished at how tolerant its rulers were of people of other faiths. Barbosa explained that Vijayanagar “allowed such religious freedom that every man may come and go, and live according to his own creed—whether Christian, Jew, Moor, or Hindu.”

Life was good in the empire, most notably during the reign of Krishnadevaraya, when the empire reached its greatest extent, defeating numerous Muslim invasions. Unfortunately, his successors were unable to fill the void he left behind. His son‑in‑law, Ramaraja, usurped the throne and plotted to have the neighboring Deccan Sultanates fight among themselves, allowing him to attack when they were weakened. Unfortunately, his plan backfired—the Deccan Sultanates ended their rivalries and allied to crush Vijayanagar. On January 23, 1565, Vijayanagar’s armies were destroyed and Ramaraja himself was soon executed.

Murder and pillaging followed nonstop for almost six months. When a Venetian traveler arrived at the old capital three years later “it had degenerated into a den of brigands, a pile of carbonized ruins invaded by creepers and tigers.” Some of Vijayanagar’s princes and administrators escaped to rebuild, though their works were a faded shadow of what the empire had once been. The city’s ruins are now a major tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

6 Majapahit

Those lucky enough to visit the beautiful island of Bali, Indonesia might wonder why a predominantly Islamic nation has such an abundance of Hindu temples. The answer can be traced back to 1293, when the Mongols were turned back from capturing Java by Raden Wijaya, the founder of the Majapahit Empire. With the Mongols defeated, Raden Wijaya and his successors set about expanding their domain. The Majapahit controlled the sea lanes, bringing untold riches to their domain. Their fleets sailed throughout modern‑day Indonesia, obtaining submission or tribute.

The empire would reach its peak under Gajah Mada, a commoner who rose through the ranks to help restore King Jayanagara to power and subsequently became the commander of the king’s bodyguards. The king was later murdered by his physician—although many historians suggest the plot had been hatched by Gajah Mada himself after the king took his wife for his own. Gajah Mada became the most powerful man in Majapahit politics. He even made good on an oath, the “sumpah palapa,” that he would not eat spices until he conquered the entire archipelago (another interpretation would be that he would not enjoy special privileges or revenues from his subjects until he could subjugate the empire’s rivals).

Although the empire’s rulers were Hindu, Buddhism was also prevalent, with no evidence of conflict. In fact, Hindu and Buddhist ministers held equal status in court. Islam, which had been practiced by neighboring kingdoms, would later become the dominant religion as Majapahit trade and influence declined. Despite this turn of events, the people of Bali, with their many temples and gardens, still consider themselves descendants of the Majapahit.

5 The Hyskos

We’ve previously mentioned the Hurrians, a forgotten civilization which flourished in the Middle East during the second millennium B.C. They would later be subjugated by the Assyrians under King Shalmaneser I, who captured and blinded 14,400 Hurrians.

According to some historians, another group of Hurrian origins were the better‑known Hyksos, herdsmen and horsemen who migrated into Egypt around the 17th century B.C. The Hyksos eventually broke the power of the old Egyptian dynasties and would rule the Nile Delta for 108 years.

The Hyksos revered an unnamed Asiatic storm god, whom historians have compared to the Egyptian god Seth. Archaeological work has revealed that the Hyksos had unique Canaanite temples, Palestinian‑type burials (including those of horses), as well as frescoes that had some similarities with the Minoans.

The Hyksos introduced new weaponry to the Egyptians, including the composite bow, sickle‑sword, improved battleaxes, and mail armor. The Hyksos expertise with horses led many historians to believe that they were the ones who brought war chariots to Egypt. All of these innovations would later be used against them—the Egyptians drove them out completely around 1521 B.C.

4 Cahokia

In 1982, the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The largest pre‑Columbian settlement north of Mexico, the site contains approximately 120 mounds of various sizes. The best‑known is Monk’s Mound, the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas.

During the Woodland Period from A.D. 700–900, the emergent people of the Mississippi gradually settled in Cahokia. There was a dramatic increase in the population around 200 years later—it was around this time that Monk’s Mound was constructed. After A.D. 1100, the population in Cahokia began to steadily decline.

Although some early European settlers might have stumbled upon the old city and its mysterious mounds, no detailed accounts have survived. In fact, the oldest written description of Cahokia was compiled by Henry Brackenridge, a lawyer, amateur historian, and friend of Thomas Jefferson. Brackenridge claimed that he was “struck with a degree of astonishment, not unlike that which is experienced in contemplating the pyramids” upon seeing the great mounds. Newspapers took little note of his work—leading him to complain to Jefferson himself. It didn’t help.

By the turn of the 20th century, horseradish farmers had turned Cahokia’s second‑biggest mound into a landfill. Subsequently, a subdivision was built on another part of the site and other mounds were destroyed for gambling sites and a pornographic drive‑in. Ignorance led humanity’s quest for knowledge astray and there is much we now may never know about this amazing civilization.

3 Caral And The Norte Chico Civilization

For centuries, historians and archaeologists have combed the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, Egypt, China’s Yellow River, and the Americas in search of a “Mother Civilization”—one of the sites where complex, city‑dwelling societies independently developed.

In 1994, Peruvian archaeologist Ruth Shady Solis and her team began excavating and studying the Caral site in the Supe Valley near Peru’s western coast. What they found was astonishing.

Six large pyramids once stood in its vast central zone; several smaller pyramids, plazas, temples, amphitheaters, and residential districts were also part of the area. The oldest artifact found at the site was from 2627 B.C., predating the Great Pyramid of Giza by around 50 years. The Olmecs, long believed to have been the first great civilization of the Americas, emerged around 1,400 years after Caral. Solis and her team also discovered that, unlike many civilizations, the people of Caral banded together and prospered not for mutual defense or warfare, but for trade. Indeed, no weapons, battlements, or mutilated bodies have been found at the site. However, Solis has noted that Caral might have simply been the center or capital of the actual civilization, which could have spanned over much of the Norte Chico region of Peru.

Other experts still argue about whether Caral was truly a “Mother Civilization,” as Solis suggested that it might be. Indeed, new discoveries in light of her findings have revealed even more ancient sites being discovered in Norte Chico. One, Huaricanga, has been dated to at least 3500 B.C., which would make it the oldest city in the Americas.

2 Ghana, Mali, And Songhai

Today, West Africa is home to some of the poorest nations in the world. But from the 8th century to the 16th, things were very much different. The kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai were dazzling pinnacles of wealth and culture.

The Empire of Ghana flourished in what is now Mali and Mauritania (far to the north of modern Ghana) and was primarily composed of the Mande people. The sub‑Saharan region known as the Sahel, now mostly arid plains, was once a fertile savannah suitable for farming and raising livestock, allowing Ghana to prosper.

As Ghana eventually went into decline, the Empire of Mali rose to take its place. Of note is arguably its greatest ruler, the famously wealthy Mansa (Emperor) Musa I, who completed a pilgrimage to Mecca in A.D. 1325. While passing through Egypt, it was said that he gave away so much gold that its value substantially decreased in Cairo.

Sonni Ali of Songhai was an able commander known for his expert horsemen and amphibious assaults via canoes. His aggressive policies led to a period of expansion, most notably the capture of Timbuktu, West Africa’s foremost intellectual city. His successor Askia Mohammad Toure brought Songhai to its zenith. Toure, a devout Muslim, would also complete the Hajj and even be declared Caliph of all of the Sudan.

Expeditions from Morocco would eventually arrive in pursuit of lands and riches. The once proud halls of the Mande and Soninku peoples were destroyed, the gallant warriors no match against the tide of imperialism. Monuments such as the Mosque of Djenne and the libraries of Timbuktu now serve as reminders of West Africa’s faded glory. Indeed, centuries of civil strife, slavery, and war have led the region to become what it is today. It is a humbling thought that when Europe was experiencing some of its darkest years, it was in West Africa where light shone brightest.

1 Khazaria

For 200 years, from the seventh to ninth centuries, there was an empire of Turkic Jews which spanned the entire Crimean Peninsula, the Caucasus region, and most of modern‑day Ukraine and Georgia. It was called Khazaria, and it dominated trade in the region despite many external threats.

The Khazars were originally nomads who practiced Tengriism. Over time, many converted to monotheistic religions, primarily Judaism. There were also thousands of Christians and Muslims in the empire—religious freedom and tolerance was a key factor to its stability.

Indeed, one essay characterized the Khazars as “an unusual phenomenon.” They were surrounded by pagan nomads, yet they had a structured government, a prosperous trade system, and an organized army. At a point in history when “great fanaticism and deep ignorance” raged throughout Western Europe, Khazaria was famed for its justice and tolerance. One historian put it quite succinctly: “Khazaria was the one place in the medieval world where the Jews were their own masters.”

Numerous wars between the Khazars and Arabs marked the seventh and eighth centuries, with neither side able to conquer the other. The Khazars proved to be a valuable ally to the Byzantine Empire, becoming a buffer against Islamic invasion from one side.

Ultimately, Khazaria would meet its demise when the Russian Prince Sviatoslav began his relentless conquest of Eastern Europe. The prince of the Kievan Rus believed Constantinople was his ultimate prize, but to get there he had to take out Byzantium’s allies one by one. Sviatoslav subjugated the Bolghars then turned his eyes toward Khazaria in 965. The major fortress of Sarkel was destroyed, and the capital of Itil was razed to the ground. Later visitors would remark that in Itil “no grape or raisin remained; no leaf on a branch.” Such was the destruction wrought by the prince.

Khazaria’s light was all but extinguished—a once mighty empire reduced to a rump state. “The glistening star on the gloomy horizon of Europe faded without leaving traces of its existence.”

In the early years of our ancestors, humankind discovered that banding together in small groups made hunting, gathering, and caring for the vulnerable far easier. Above all, living in groups boosted survival odds, and as agriculture took hold, those groups swelled into settlements that could become true powerhouses. Today we’ll tour the ten legendary metropolises that once ruled the ancient world.

10 Cities Once: A Glimpse at Ancient Capitals

10. Venice Italy

During the fourth century A.D., as the Western Roman Empire crumbled, Europe fell into chaos. Germanic tribes, Huns, and other marauders pillaged towns of northeastern Italy. With no hills to retreat to, the Italians fled to the marshy islands off the Adriatic coast.

These islands offered a temporary refuge but were ill‑suited for permanent habitation. Fresh water was absent, yet the refugees discovered that boiling seawater produced drinkable water and salt – the latter dubbed “Edible Gold” – a vital lifeline for the fledgling colony.

Realizing the islands were safer than the war‑torn mainland, they faced another problem: the soggy mud and sand could not support sizable structures. The first Venetians drove hundreds of wooden piles deep into the ground, creating a solid foundation for homes, businesses, and palaces.

Island life proved perfect for the Venetians, who quickly became master seafarers and shipbuilders. Powered by the lucrative salt trade, Venice blossomed into a Mediterranean trade hub and the wealthiest city in Western Europe – especially after its famed sack of Constantinople.

9. Palembang Indonesia

Like Venice, Palembang on Sumatra thrived thanks to a prime trading spot. The Indian Ocean Trade linked Africa to China via the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia, dwarfing the overland Silk Road in scale. Unlike European commerce, prices were set by merchants themselves, and apart from occasional piracy, trade sailed peacefully without armed escorts.

This environment birthed the Srivijaya empire (7th–13th century). Controlling the Strait of Malacca, the empire flourished, and Palembang, its capital, lay close to the vital waterway. Early on, the city absorbed Indian culture and religion; later, Islam spread as Muslim traders frequented the strait.

After Srivijaya’s decline, Palembang fell under Majapahit rule, later managed by Chinese merchants until the 16th century, and eventually became the seat of the Palembang Darussalam Sultanate. Today, Southeast Asia houses 62 percent of the world’s Muslim population – a legacy of the Indian Ocean Trade and Palembang’s strategic position.

8. Eridu Iraq

The ancient Sumerians hailed Eridu – the “Home of the Gods” – as humanity’s first city. Founded around 5400 B.C. on the fertile banks of the Euphrates in southeastern Iraq, Eridu now lies in windswept desert ruins.

Eridu appears in the Eridu Genesis (c. 2300 B.C.), which tells of Tagtug the Weaver, punished by the god Enki for eating forbidden fruit, and of Utnapishtim, who built a massive boat to preserve the “Seed of Life” against a cataclysmic flood. Archaeologists have uncovered a 2.5‑meter layer of silt dating to 2800 B.C. around the city.

The great Ziggurat of Amar‑Sin at Eridu’s core is often linked to the biblical Tower of Babel. Historian Berossus seemed to describe Eridu when writing about Babylon. For reasons still debated, the city was abandoned around 600 B.C., yet many scholars think Eridu served as a prototype for later civilizations.

7. Thebes Egypt

Ancient Egypt never ceases to awe historians and casual readers alike. Its civilization produced countless artifacts now displayed worldwide. Nestled along the Nile in northeastern Africa, the Egyptians reached cultural and economic zeniths while mammoths still roamed the Earth.

The Egyptians were a formidable social and economic force. Though governments and religions shifted over time, Thebes remained the cultural heart. This city, home to both the living and the dead, dazzles with temples and monuments honoring the sun god Amon. Known today as Luxor, Thebes served as Egypt’s ancient capital, adjacent to the famed Valley of the Kings and the imposing Karnak Temple complex. While some debate its primacy among Egyptian capitals, Thebes undeniably housed both sacred and secular institutions, leaving a lasting imprint on Egyptian history.

6. Karakorum Mongolia

The Mongols, a once‑mighty nomadic people, forged an empire unlike any other in East Asia. Riding herds of horses, they lived in yurts and traversed the continent from the comfort of their saddles. By age three, Mongol children were already riding and shooting bows.

After Genghis Khan united the tribes and created the largest land empire in history, he ordered the construction of Karakorum in A.D. 1220 as his main base. Initially, the capital comprised yurts and wooden houses, its location near the Orkhon River (360 km southwest of modern Ulaanbaatar) being more crucial than its design. Situated on the Silk Road, Karakorum offered security and a sacred site, as the Orkhon Valley held spiritual significance for locals.

By the 1230s, after Genghis’s death and his son Ögedei’s rise, Karakorum expanded beyond simple tents. Ögedei erected a wall and a palace surrounded by 64 wooden columns. Franciscan William of Rubruck described the city as a modest settlement of about 10,000 inhabitants, yet a vital hub for trade and craft. Artisans from across the empire were summoned, and Rubruck noted twelve temples—Shamanistic, Confucian, and Buddhist—alongside two mosques and a Christian church.

When Kublai Khan, founder of the Yuan Dynasty and Genghis’s grandson, shifted the empire’s capital to Khanbaliq (now Beijing) in A.D. 1267, Karakorum’s influence waned, ultimately being destroyed by the Chinese in A.D. 1388.

5. Great Zimbabwe Zimbabwe

Africa, the cradle of humanity, still harbors many mysteries. Deep in the heart of present‑day Zimbabwe, about 550 km from the eastern coast, archaeologists uncovered an immense stone complex. Early explorers mistakenly credited Muslims, Persians, Indians, or even Chinese with its construction, assuming native Africans couldn’t have built it.

Recent research points to the Shona people as the architects. Around A.D. 1100, the Shona erected Great Zimbabwe, which served as the kingdom’s capital for four centuries. The very name “Zimbabwe” derives from a term meaning “stone houses,” showing the country took its name from the site, not vice‑versa.

Modern finds, such as a copper Muslim coin, link Great Zimbabwe to the Indian Ocean Trade. The city likely thrived on resources like wood, ivory, gold, and rhino horns, shipped down the Limpopo and Save rivers to the coast, then onward to Arabia, India, or China.

At its peak, over 25,000 people inhabited the ruins, but it was later abandoned. Scholars debate the cause—famine, political unrest, or depleted gold mines—but Great Zimbabwe endures as a testament to Africa’s hidden historical treasures.

4. Hattusa Turkey

In the era of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, the Hittite empire reached its zenith. While Troy endured Agamemnon’s siege, Hattusa, the Hittite capital, buzzed with trade and travelers from distant lands.

Hattusa was inhabited by the local Hatti people as early as 2400 B.C. After the Hatti were defeated, King Hattusili rebuilt the city, making it the empire’s capital in 1700 B.C. Over centuries, Hattusa clashed with the Mittanians, Assyrians, and Egyptians. Around 1274 B.C., after the famous Battle of Kadesh, King Muwatalli II and Pharaoh Ramses II signed a peace treaty on clay tablets, a landmark accord now displayed at the UN headquarters.

In the 12th century B.C., Phrygians sacked and burned Hattusa. It wasn’t until between the 7th and 9th centuries A.D. that the site saw any restoration, but the city never regained its former glory.

3. Chan Chan Peru

Chan Chan served as the capital of the Chimu kingdom, which dominated northern Peru. It was the largest pre‑Columbian city in the Americas, constructed almost entirely of adobe bricks. Its origins trace back to A.D. 850, lasting until A.D. 1470 when the Inca conquered the Chimu capital.

Located in one of the planet’s harshest deserts, Chan Chan’s central plaza featured nine walled citadels, each boasting its own temples, palaces, gardens, cemeteries, and water reservoirs. The city’s residential area spanned 20 square kilometers, with each citadel functioning as a self‑contained community.

Confident in their military superiority, the Chimu prepared for battle against the Inca, a clash that never materialized. Over time, inhabitants migrated to the Incan capital of Cuzco, leaving Chan Chan deserted. When the Spanish arrived, they discovered treasures such as a silver‑covered doorway now valued at over $2 million, and they established mining enterprises to strip the site of its riches. Today, erosion threatens the adobe structures, putting the historic city at risk of disappearing.

2. Xi’an China

As one of six ancient Chinese capitals, Xi’an stands out for hosting the Han and Qin dynasties. Emperor Qin Shi Huang, founder of the Qin Dynasty, curated the famed terracotta warriors.

Ancient China’s closed society fostered rapid development, yet eventually contributed to its decline. While much of the world languished in squalor, China pioneered philosophy, science, and technology—introducing paper, gunpowder, currency, and many other innovations we now take for granted.

The Silk Road, named after China’s invention of silk, linked East to West and sparked Xi’an’s rise. Caravans set out from the city laden with goods, ideas, and technologies that elevated global standards of living. By the eighth century, Xi’an’s population hit a world‑record two million citizens.

1. Pataliputra India

When Alexander the Great pushed his empire from Greece to modern‑day India, he inspired the Indian prince Chandragupta to forge his own empire. Chandragupta suppressed local tribes, expanding his realm to cover most of present‑day India, Pakistan, and eastern Afghanistan. He expelled the remaining Greeks and founded the Mauryan empire in 326 B.C., selecting Pataliputra as its capital.

Travelers and ambassadors—Greek and Chinese—described Pataliputra as a lavish, crime‑free city where Hindus and Buddhists coexisted peacefully. Hospitals treated everyone, even the poorest. Early structures were wooden, but under Emperor Ashoka (273–232 B.C.) stone buildings emerged. Ashoka banned sport hunting and introduced animal hospitals, cementing the city’s reputation as a cultural hotspot comparable to Rome and Xi’an.

Today, Pataliputra’s legacy endures as a testament to Indian ingenuity and influence, echoing the grandeur of ancient capitals that once ruled the world.

Life under Mao Tse‑tung was strange and brutal, and the 10 crazy things that unfolded during his rule still make heads spin. While he steered China as chairman, a cascade of bizarre policies emerged, costing an estimated 45–75 million lives. Under the feverish grip of his cult of personality, ordinary citizens found themselves in wildly absurd situations you’d never expect.

Why These 10 Crazy Things Still Matter

10 Mao Sent Mangoes To People, And They Went Crazy

In 1968 a Pakistani foreign minister presented Mao with a cartload of mangoes—a simple diplomatic gesture that turned into a national frenzy. The tropical fruit, virtually unknown to most Chinese at the time, was handed to a few members of Mao’s propaganda crew, who reacted as if a celestial miracle had arrived.

The state newspaper, People’s Daily, ran a glowing piece describing how “tears swelled up in their eyes” and how recipients “cried out enthusiastically and sang with wild abandonment” over the mangoes. The ecstatic response was so intense that it was framed as a triumph of the revolution itself.

One textile factory even erected a shrine for the prized mango, forcing workers to pause and pay homage each time they entered. When the original fruit spoiled, the factory crafted a replica to keep the ritual alive, ensuring that no employee ever began a shift without offering thanks to the mango.

9 A Man Was Executed For Comparing Mangoes To Sweet Potatoes

Because mangoes were a novelty, their mere sight transformed into a life‑changing experience for nearly every Chinese citizen—except one daring dentist. When he finally laid eyes on one, he dismissed the fruit, likening it to a humble sweet potato.

This off‑hand remark sparked outrage across the nation. Authorities charged the dentist with “counter‑revolutionary speech,” imprisoning him promptly. Within weeks, he faced execution for daring to suggest that the mango resembled a sweet potato.

The brutal outcome sent a chilling message: no one could openly mock the mangoes, the new symbols of revolutionary devotion, without risking their lives.

8 Stamp Collecting Was Made A Crime

Mao’s campaign to eradicate bourgeois influences extended even to seemingly harmless hobbies. He deemed stamp collecting a decadent pastime, a relic of capitalist culture that needed to be eradicated during the Cultural Revolution.

Official edicts prohibited citizens from assembling or preserving any stamp collections, effectively criminalising the hobby. Families were forced to surrender their cherished stamps, and the practice vanished from public life for the duration of Mao’s rule.

Only after Mao’s death did hobbyists quietly resume their collections. Ironically, the once‑banned stamps from that era have become some of the most coveted items among philatelists worldwide.

7 Students Were Encouraged To Beat Their Teachers

The Communist Party’s rallying cry to “clear away the evil habits of the old society” was interpreted by many Red Guard youths as a license to assault their own teachers. Starting in 1966, at least 91 schools saw students dragging educators into the streets for brutal beatings.

Violent tactics ranged from splashing ink on teachers’ garments and brandishing red X‑shaped placards over their names, to wielding nail‑spiked clubs and dousing victims with scalding water. Some of these encounters ended in death, while others drove teachers to suicide under the weight of public humiliation.

Mao reportedly ordered his security forces not to intervene, allowing the chaos to fester for two years before the army finally stepped in to restore order.

6 The Great Wall Was Torn Down For Building Materials

During the 1970s, the Chinese government concluded that the iconic Great Wall was an unnecessary waste of resources. Instead of preserving the ancient fortification, officials encouraged locals to dismantle sections for spare bricks.

Villagers near the wall ripped out massive portions, repurposing the stones for their own homes. Even state‑run projects participated, using reclaimed bricks to construct a dam in the region.

Eventually, the Great Wall earned heritage status and received legal protection. Nevertheless, a handful of houses still sport walls built from the historic bricks, a silent reminder of that brief, material‑driven crusade.

5 Tigers Were Declared An Enemy Of The People And Nearly Eradicated

In 1959 Mao grew exasperated with tiger attacks on farmers, labeling the majestic felines—along with wolves and leopards—as “enemies of the people.” The campaign framed these predators as threats to socialist progress.

Mobilising the masses, the government launched a series of anti‑pest operations, urging citizens to hunt and kill any big cat they encountered. Within a few short years, roughly three‑quarters of the world’s South Asian tiger population vanished, pushing the species to the brink of extinction.

The devastating loss underscored how political fervour could weaponise wildlife, turning revered animals into symbols of counter‑revolutionary danger.

4 The Red Guard Wanted To Make People Go On Red Traffic Lights

Obsessed with eradicating any hint of bourgeois behaviour, the Red Guard noticed a seemingly innocuous practice: drivers stopping at red traffic lights. Since red symbolised the Communist Party, the Guard argued that halting at a red light was “obstructing the progress of revolution.”

They marched through streets demanding that motorists ignore red signals and drive through them, claiming the colour should be celebrated by motion, not restraint. The proposal threatened chaos on the roads.

Premier Zhou En‑lai intervened before the plan could be enacted, explaining that obeying red lights actually protected revolutionary activities. His timely counsel averted a potential wave of traffic accidents and further unrest.

3 People Were Arrested For Owning Ties

Writer Liang Heng recounts how simply possessing a tie could land a family in trouble during Mao’s era. Red Guard members stormed Liang’s home, rummaging through his father’s belongings, and seized a single silk tie.

The Guard brandished the tie as a “capitalist” relic, labeling Liang’s father a “stinking intellectual” for also owning a suit and cuff links. Their possessions were confiscated and set ablaze as part of a public denunciation.

To avoid imprisonment, Liang’s father professed that burning his belongings was a “revolutionary action” and thus acceptable. Though he escaped jail, the Red Guards still pilfered his radio and a month’s salary before departing.

2 People Cannibalized Each Other To Show Their Dedication To The Party

During the Cultural Revolution, cannibalism emerged as a grotesque manifestation of revolutionary zeal. In Guangxi Province alone, at least 137 individuals were murdered and then eaten by their peers, who claimed the act celebrated the defeat of “counter‑revolutionaries.”

Reports indicate that some student perpetrators not only killed their principals but also consumed the bodies, while a government‑run cafeteria allegedly displayed traitors on meat hooks and served their flesh to diners.

Starvation certainly played a role, yet many participants framed the gruesome feasting as a testament to their unwavering devotion to the Party, insisting that eating an enemy proved the depth of their commitment.

1 Mao Tried To Gift 10 Million Women To The US

In 1973 Mao sat down with Henry Kissinger to negotiate a bilateral trade deal. While Kissinger aimed for serious economic discussion, Mao drifted toward a bizarre proposal.

He told Kissinger that China, being a “very poor country,” had little to offer except an overabundance of women, offering to send ten million of them to the United States.

One party official warned Mao that such a statement would provoke public outrage, but the ailing chairman seemed unfazed, coughing heavily as he declared, “I’m not afraid of anything. God has sent me an invitation.”

The outrageous offer never materialised, yet it remains a striking example of the eccentric, often reckless rhetoric that characterised Mao’s final years.

When you think of ancient Rome, the image that springs to mind is usually that of stoic senators and battle‑hardened generals. Yet beneath the marble columns, a handful of women slipped into the shadows and wielded power with a ferocity that would make even the toughest legionary blush. These 10 ruthless women mastered intrigue, manipulation, and outright murder to keep the throne within their grasp.

10 Ruthless Women Who Dominated the Empire

10 Messalina

Messalina is forever linked to scandalous rumors about her prodigious sexual appetite, a trope Roman writers loved to weaponise against anyone they wished to discredit. Pliny the Elder even boasted that she managed to sleep with twenty‑five men in a row simply to outdo the city’s most infamous courtesan.

The reason such gossip clung to her is that, by the mid‑first century AD, Messalina had become the most influential woman Rome had ever seen. Her husband, the unassuming Claudius, had ascended the throne largely because his more ambitious relatives dismissed him as a simpleton and never bothered to eliminate him. After Caligula’s assassination, Claudius was discovered cowering behind a curtain and was plucked from obscurity to become emperor.

From the moment Claudius took the purple, Messalina seized the reins, steering his administration with an iron grip. She could have anyone arrested on fabricated charges, and she even convinced the emperor to execute her own stepfather after claiming a prophetic dream that painted him as a conspirator.

Her ambition, however, overreached in AD 48 when she secretly wed another nobleman, apparently plotting a full‑blown coup to supplant Claudius. The bureaucrats of Rome, preferring the pliable emperor, persuaded Claudius to order the execution of the conspirators. They also barred Messalina from seeing her husband before her death, fearing she might sway his decision.

9 Agrippina

Following Messalina’s downfall, Claudius rewrote Rome’s incest statutes and married his own niece, Agrippina, a seasoned veteran of imperial scheming. (Her sister had met a grisly end, starved to death on Messalina’s orders.) As before, the emperor proved a malleable figure, while Agrippina swiftly commandeered the empire, even signing official documents and handling foreign ambassadors on her own.

Agrippina’s ultimate goal was to see her son Nero, born of a previous marriage, ascend the throne. She persuaded Claudius to adopt Nero and to favour him over his biological heir, Britannicus, systematically eliminating any opposition to her chosen successor.

When Nero was finally granted equal imperial authority, Agrippina decided she no longer needed her husband and served him a banquet of poisonous mushrooms. A sudden bout of severe diarrhea saved Claudius from the lethal concoction, but his physician later slipped a feather‑laden dose of poison down his throat, ensuring Nero’s rise to power and cementing Agrippina’s triumph.

8 Poppaea Sabina

Once Nero claimed the throne, Agrippina continued to pull strings from behind the curtain, but she soon ran head‑to‑head with her son’s ambitious lover, Poppaea Sabina. Poppaea coveted marriage to Nero, yet he was already wed to Octavia, the daughter of Claudius and Messalina.

Agrippina had laboured tirelessly to secure that very marriage, even framing Octavia’s first fiancé for treason, and she refused to let her son dissolve the union. Meanwhile, Poppaea—whose mother had been forced into suicide by Messalina—detested Octavia and pressed Nero to defy his mother.

Cornered between these formidable women, Nero chose Poppaea and even commissioned a collapsing boat designed to sink and kill his mother. Agrippina survived the trap, swimming to safety, but she recognised the ploy because she had witnessed the “rescue” crew brutally clubbing survivors with their oars. In a panic, Nero abandoned the ruse, ordering his mother’s murder outright; legend says she faced her assassins bravely, urging them to strike first at her womb.

7 Julia Domna

After a century dominated by male rulers, the Severan dynasty ushered in a renaissance of female influence, with Julia Domna, wife and confidante of Emperor Septimius Severus, leading the charge. While Septimius ruled, Domna acted as his trusted adviser, but her true authority blossomed after his death in AD 211.

When the empire passed to their sons, Caracalla and Geta, Julia Domna stepped into the administrative arena, effectively steering the empire while Caracalla campaigned abroad. She was recognised as an official ruler, managing state affairs with competence and poise.

Unfortunately, tragedy stalked her family. Caracalla, in a fit of rage, murdered his brother Geta, and later, the prefect Macrinus assassinated Caracalla. Overwhelmed by the cascade of bloodshed, Julia Domna chose to end her own life upon hearing the grim news.

6 Julia Soaemias

Following Caracalla’s murder, the usurper Macrinus claimed the throne, underestimating the resolve of the Severan women. Julia Maesa, Domna’s sister, and her daughter, Julia Soaemias, plotted revenge and set about restoring their family’s dominance.

Through a whirlwind of intrigue, Soaemias and Maesa persuaded the Eastern legions to back Soaemias’s son, Elagabalus. Although Elagabalus bore no blood relation to Septimius Severus, they fabricated a rumor that he was Caracalla’s illegitimate offspring, a claim that somehow swayed the troops.

Macrinus rushed to suppress the rebellion but met defeat and execution outside Antioch. Elagabalus ascended as emperor, yet the fourteen‑year‑old showed little interest in governance. In reality, Soaemias and her mother Maesa pulled the strings, running Rome from behind the throne.

5 Julia Maesa

While Soaemias helped steer the empire, the young emperor Elagabalus indulged in a spree of decadence, reputedly prostituting himself within the imperial palace and marrying a charioteer named Hierocles. Cassius Dio even claimed he offered a fortune to any surgeon brave enough to create a vagina for him.

On another occasion, Elagabalus fell for the athlete Zoticus, famed for his prodigious endowment. Jealous Hierocles poisoned Zoticus’s drink, leading to an embarrassing night wherein the emperor was unable to achieve an erection, prompting his exile from the palace, Rome, and eventually Italy.

Whether these tales are factual or embellished, it is clear Elagabalus alienated the Roman elite, and his mother refused to rein him in. Eventually, his grandmother Maesa intervened, orchestrating a coup that deposed Elagabalus in favour of his cousin Alexander, the second emperor she installed. In a chilling display of ruthlessness, Maesa ordered the execution of both her own daughter Soaemias and grandson Elagabalus to cement Alexander’s rule.

4 Julia Mamaea

After Maesa’s death, her daughter Julia Mamaea inherited the reins, becoming the mother of Emperor Alexander and the final matriarch of the Severan dynasty to wield real power. Historians agree that Mamaea “totally dominated” her teenage son, steering the empire alongside a council of senators.

Defying convention, Mamaea even accompanied the army on campaigns, a rarity for a woman of her era. However, the military ventures faltered, and the legions eventually mutinied. In the resulting chaos, soldiers slew both Alexander and Mamaea as they clung together inside their tent, bringing the Severan line to a violent close.

3 Ulpia Severina

Ulpia Severina was married to Emperor Aurelian, a celebrated general whose reign ended when his own soldiers assassinated him in AD 275. Beyond this brief marriage, little is known about her, and most of what we do know comes from monuments and coinage suggesting she may have briefly ruled after Aurelian’s death.

During Aurelian’s rule, Roman mints produced coins bearing both his and Severina’s names—a common practice. Yet after his demise, the mint issued coins solely in Severina’s name, displaying imagery that appears to portray her shoring up her authority.

Ancient sources note a gap between Aurelian’s death and the accession of Tacitus, leading some historians to speculate that Severina briefly held power before being erased from the official record. Her coins, however, remained in circulation, hinting that she could have been the first woman to rule the Roman Empire in her own right.

2 Aelia Pulcheria

Aelia Pulcheria was a prodigious teenager who, at just fifteen, declared herself regent for her brother, the emperor. She maintained a tight grip on authority for the next forty years, bolstering her position by taking a lifelong vow of chastity and cultivating a reputation as a pious, religious figure.

When her brother died in 450, Pulcheria, who had already been the true power behind the Eastern Roman throne, faced the unprecedented challenge of ruling alone—a scenario almost unthinkable for a woman at the time. To preserve her authority without breaking her vow, she eventually married the senator Marcian, who became her co‑emperor after publicly agreeing never to consummate the marriage.

1 Galla Placidia

Galla Placidia, daughter of Emperor Theodosius, lived through the waning days of the Western Empire. As a young woman, she demonstrated her steel by confirming the execution of the woman who had raised her. Years later, the Visigoths sacked Rome and abducted Placidia, intending to ransom her to her brother, Emperor Honorius, who refused to pay. The Goths dragged her across Europe for six long years.

In 414, Placidia married the youthful Visigothic king Athaulf. Their union seemed genuine, yet Athaulf was murdered within a year. Returning to Rome, Placidia wed Emperor Constantius. After his death, a usurper attempted to snatch the throne from her infant son, prompting Placidia to flee to Constantinople, where she persuaded her niece Pulcheria to furnish an army.

Back in Rome, Placidia installed her son as emperor and governed as regent for the ensuing fourteen years, cementing her legacy as a formidable power behind the throne.

When you hear the phrase 10 forgotten women, you might picture mythic heroines or legendary queens, but the reality is far richer. Across continents and centuries, a handful of women slipped into the shadows of male‑dominated power structures, pulling the strings of empires while the world believed they were merely consorts or mothers. This roundup shines a light on those covert rulers, revealing how they seized, held, and sometimes lost power in the most dramatic fashion.

Discover the 10 Forgotten Women Who Shaped History

10 Marozia

In the chaotic early tenth century, Europe resembled a crumbling mosaic: the Frankish realm was disintegrating, Viking raids intensified, Muslim forces held Spain and Sicily, and the Hungarians thundered across the Carpathians. The only institution appearing to hold the continent together was the Catholic Church, and at its helm was a woman of astonishing ambition—Marozia, a senator of Rome.

Born to Count Theophylact, the most influential Roman noble of his day, Marozia inherited his vast political network after his death. She proclaimed herself senatrix and, when Pope John X tried to assert independence, she imprisoned him, where he met a swift and mysterious demise. From that point onward she installed a succession of pliant popes, effectively ruling Saint Peter’s throne from behind the curtain.

By 931, after Pope Stephen VII’s death, Marozia placed her own son, John XI, on the papal seat, cementing her grip on Rome. Yet she craved even greater authority. In 932 she negotiated a marriage to Hugh of Arles, the King of Italy, hoping that the Pope would crown the pair as emperor and empress, thereby claiming overlordship of all Europe.

Fate, however, intervened in a petty domestic squabble. Marozia’s teenage son Alberic, from a previous marriage, despised his new stepfather. When Hugh slapped Alberic for spilling water, the insult ignited a rebellion. Alberic rallied Roman citizens, forced Hugh to flee down the city walls via a rope, and then seized his own mother, imprisoning her and assuming the true reins of power in Rome.

9 Toregene

When Genghis Khan’s third son, Ögedei, took the mantle of Great Khan, his reign was marked by a surprising indulgence: he was an inoffensive alcoholic whose main political talent lay in delegating authority. That delegation fell largely to his wife, Toregene, whose name appears on several imperial edicts even before Ögedei’s death.

After Ögedei’s premature demise—largely a result of his own drinking—Toregene stepped forward as the empire’s de‑facto ruler, buying time until a new khan could be selected. She skillfully postponed the election for five long years, during which the Mongol realm stretched from the Chinese heartland to the distant steppes of Russia. Even the Seljuk sultan and Grand Prince Yaroslav of Kiev journeyed to pay homage to her, though Yaroslav met an untimely, mysterious end after feasting at her court.

Throughout her extended regency, Toregene worked tirelessly to secure her own lineage. She championed her son, Güyük, as the next Great Khan—a candidate that many despised. To force his election, she introduced an aggressive tax‑farming system, raising funds for a massive bribery campaign across the empire. Her efforts bore fruit in 1246, just a year before her death, when Güyük finally ascended the throne.

8 Kosem Sultan

The most formidable Ottoman woman of the seventeenth century arrived in Istanbul as a captive around 1600. Of Greek origin, she was renamed Kösem upon her entry into the imperial harem, where she quickly became the favorite consort of Sultan Ahmed I. Following Ahmed’s death, Kösem engineered the ascension of his mentally unstable brother, Mustafa, to the throne, marking her first bold move onto the political stage.

Mustafa’s reign was short‑lived; he was ousted by his nephew, Osman II, prompting Kösem to retreat from the limelight for a few years. She resurfaced in 1623 when her own son, Murad IV, assumed the sultanate. As his mother, Kösem acted as regent, steering the empire through a decade of turbulence and consolidating her authority.

When Murad IV died in 1640, the throne passed to his mentally ill brother, Ibrahim I. Kösem, recognizing Ibrahim’s erratic behavior, orchestrated his assassination in 1648. She then continued to dominate as regent for his young son, Mehmed IV, ensuring that the Ottoman state remained firmly under her control for yet another generation.

7 Turhan

After Mehmed IV’s accession, Kösem continued to rule from behind an opulent curtain, directing ministers and court affairs with a subtle hand. This arrangement irked the sultan’s mother, Turhan Hatice, who believed the regency should rightfully belong to her. Though Kösem’s power seemed unassailable—bolstered by the personal loyalty of the Janissary corps and a fortune that made her one of the world’s wealthiest individuals—Turhan plotted her own rise.

Complicating matters, Kösem sensed growing independence in both her son Mehmed and his mother Turhan, prompting her to scheme a lethal plot to poison the sultan’s sherbet. Turhan, however, received a warning about the poison and realized that decisive action was required.

In September 2 1651, Turhan launched a swift palace coup. She and her cadre of eunuchs stormed Kösem’s apartments, slaughtering the guards before Kösem could summon her Janissary allies. The empress tried to hide in a closet, but was dragged out and strangled with the very curtains she once ruled from.

With Kösem eliminated, Turhan assumed the regency, effectively governing the empire until 1656, when she consented to transfer authority to Grand Vizier Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, marking the end of her direct rule.

6 Sorghaghtani

Although her name seldom surfaces in modern textbooks, Sorghaghtani was a powerhouse of the thirteenth century. The Persian chronicler Rashid al‑Din praised her, noting that the “great emirs and troops” of the Mongols “never strayed a hair’s breadth from her command.” A contemporary poet even proclaimed that if all women resembled her, they would surpass men.

Sorghaghtani was married to Tolui, Genghis Khan’s youngest son. When Tolui passed away, she was appointed regent of his extensive estates, despite her eldest son already being twenty‑three. She quickly asserted herself as a central figure in Mongol politics, playing a decisive role in the elevation of Güyük Khan to the throne.

Following Güyük’s death in 1248, Sorghaghtani seized the moment to advance her own lineage. Forming an alliance with Batu, the powerful khan of the Golden Horde, she launched an extensive bribery campaign to secure the election of her son, Möngke, as Great Khan. This effort faced fierce opposition from Güyük’s relatives, but Sorghaghtani persisted, even overseeing the torture and execution of Güyük’s wife, Oghul Qaimish, to eliminate rivals.

Her meticulous scheming paid off: all four of her sons—Möngke, Kublai, Hulagu, and Ariq Böke—rose to prominence as great khans, cementing her legacy as one of the most influential women in Mongol history.

5 Ahhotep

Ahhotep I lived during a turbulent epoch in the 1500s BC, when ancient Egypt was besieged by internal strife and the invading Hyksos. She was the sister‑wife of Pharaoh Seqenenre Tao, who met a brutal end at the hands of the Hyksos—his mummy reveals two axe blows to the head and a dagger wound to the neck.

Following her husband’s gruesome death, Ahhotep stepped into the role of regent for her young son, Ahmose I. Not only did she govern Egypt, but she also personally rallied her husband’s forces, leading campaigns that expelled the Hyksos and quelled domestic rebellions. In recognition of her military prowess, she was awarded the “Golden Flies of Valor,” a decoration traditionally reserved for distinguished Egyptian generals.

Ahmose later commissioned an inscription honoring his mother: “Give praise to the lady of the land, the mistress of the lands, whose name is held high in every foreign country, who has made many plans… who took care of [Egypt]. She looked after its troops, she guarded them, she rounded up its fugitives, brought back its deserters, she pacified the South and she repelled those who rebelled against her.”

Ahhotep lived to an impressive age—perhaps around ninety years—and was interred with great honors, still wearing the Golden Flies of Valor around her neck, a testament to her lasting influence.

4 Zoe

Although she officially shared power with a succession of husbands, Zoe was undeniably the true architect of Byzantine policy during her reign, which spanned the Balkans and Asia Minor. Her sole rival for supremacy was her sister, Theodora, who eventually forced herself onto the throne as co‑empress before Zoe managed to sideline her once more.

Born daughters of Constantine VIII, the childless emperor, Zoe first married the powerful urban prefect Romanos, who became emperor upon Constantine’s death. Zoe swiftly exiled her sister, poisoned Romanos, and then wed her chamberlain, who ascended the throne as Michael IV.

When Michael IV died, a usurper attempted to seize the throne and banish Zoe. The people of Constantinople erupted in fury, storming the palace and demanding the return of their empress. The captured pretender was brutally castrated, blinded, and sent to a monastery, while Zoe’s sister Theodora was also summoned to share power.

Eventually, Zoe outmaneuvered Theodora by marrying Constantine IX Monomachus, who became co‑emperor. Zoe continued to dominate Byzantine affairs until her death in 1050, after which her husband and sister carried on her legacy.

3 Arsinoe

Arsinoe was the daughter of Ptolemy I, the Macedonian general who seized Egypt after Alexander the Great’s death. She first married Lysimachus, another of Alexander’s successors who ruled Thrace. In a ruthless bid for power, Arsinoe poisoned Lysimachus’s son from a previous marriage and later saw her own children murdered by her second husband.

Circa 279 BC, Arsinoe fled back to Egypt, where her brother Ptolemy II sat on the throne. Demonstrating extraordinary political acumen, she orchestrated the exile of her brother’s wife on fabricated charges and then married Ptolemy II herself—a scandal that shocked Greek sensibilities.

As queen, Arsinoe effectively eclipsed her brother’s authority, governing Egypt in all but name. Official documents referred to her as a pharaoh, and she issued coins bearing her portrait in full pharaonic regalia. In art, she and Ptolemy II were frequently depicted as Isis and Osiris, invoking ancient Egyptian traditions to legitimize their joint rule.

Arsinoe died around 268 BC, leaving behind a powerful cult that venerated her. Her brother never remarried, continuing to rule for another two decades under her lingering influence.

2 Empress Wei

Empress Wei was married to Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty, who ascended the throne in the early eighth century after the reign of Wu Zetian—the sole woman to ever rule China in her own right. Wei, a fervent admirer of Wu, sought to emulate her predecessor’s ruthlessness and political savvy.

Fortunately for Wei, her husband was widely regarded as timid and lacking the will to govern, happily ceding real authority to his more astute and decisive wife. She swiftly assembled a formidable faction at court, recruiting many of Wu’s former ministers. Opposition was met with lethal severity; on one occasion, the Minister of War murdered an officer merely for daring to criticize the empress.After five years of rule, Wei’s position was jeopardized when her husband suddenly died—rumors suggested she herself had poisoned him. Anticipating a scramble for the throne, Wei concealed his death, buying time to summon a force of fifty thousand troops to encircle the palace.

However, her own enemies were already poised inside the palace. Princess Taiping, the emperor’s sister, and her nephew Li Longji orchestrated a nocturnal coup. Wei attempted to flee, but the very soldiers she had ordered to guard the palace turned on her, killing her and siding with the victorious conspirators.

1 Nur Jahan

In the 1620s, the Mughal Empire stretched across the Indian subcontinent, a realm of immense wealth and power. Officially, the empire was ruled by Emperor Jahangir, yet in practice the reins were firmly in the hands of his wife, Nur Jahan—an extraordinary woman whose influence eclipsed that of the emperor himself.

Nur Jahan’s authority was unmistakable: she issued proclamations bearing her own name, minted coins that displayed her portrait, and held the royal seal used to authenticate every official order. Her presence in the public sphere was a radical departure from the norm, where women’s power was typically confined to the harem.

A contemporary observer noted that while women’s influence often operated silently within the harem, Nur Jahan “stood forth in public; she broke through all restraints and custom, and acquired power by her own address.” Her boldness reshaped the perception of female authority in the empire.

Her chief adversary was the general and minister Mahabat Khan. When Nur Jahan had Mahabat’s son‑in‑law arrested, he retaliated by seizing Jahangir in a coup. Undeterred, Nur Jahan personally led troops in an attempt to reclaim the emperor and devised a cunning escape plan, ultimately thwarting Mahabat’s ambitions and leaving her power unchallenged.

10 ways you might not realize, the People’s Republic of China is pulling strings in ways that touch almost every corner of your everyday routine. Whether you’re scrolling through short‑video clips, buying the latest gadget, or simply paying taxes, Chinese influence is quietly woven into the fabric of modern life. Below we break down the ten most eye‑opening ways the communist regime is steering the world – and you – from behind the scenes.

10 ways you are being shaped without even noticing

10 China Owns Tik‑Tok

Fact: Tik‑Tok Is Owned By China

Tik‑Tok burst onto the scene in 2017 and has since become a cultural juggernaut, captivating millions of young people worldwide with its endless stream of bite‑size videos. Even if you never download the app, you’ve probably heard friends or family rave about it, and the statistics back that up: by the end of 2019 the platform had already been downloaded more than 80 million times in the United States alone.

Because the app is headquartered in China, U.S. officials have branded it a national‑security concern after a deep‑dive by the Peterson Institute for International Economics. The investigation highlighted Tik‑Tok’s ability to pinpoint the locations and activities of American service members who use the service. Even more disquieting, the biometric data collected by Tik‑Tok is reportedly shared freely with the Chinese government, which dominates the nation’s cyber‑industry. In short, if you’ve ever opened Tik‑Tok, there’s a strong chance a Chinese official has a record of that interaction.

9 China Owns Reddit

Fact: Reddit Is A Vehicle Of Chinese Propaganda

Reddit, while based in the United States, is not immune to foreign influence. In February 2019 the platform raised $300 million in a financing round, and a major chunk of that cash came from Tencent Holdings Ltd., the massive Chinese internet conglomerate. The deal sparked an uproar among Reddit users, many of whom were alarmed by China’s strict policies that suppress content deemed offensive or politically sensitive – from footage of the Tiananmen Square protests to even the occasional meme of Winnie the Pooh, which has been censored for its perceived resemblance to President Xi Jinping.

Reddit confirmed that Tencent contributed $150 million, a sum that would be hard to secure without some level of sway. China’s expertise in cyber‑defense and its world‑renowned propaganda machine mean the platform has become a hotspot for Chinese‑operated troll farms, colloquially known as “chinabots.” The site’s most pro‑Trump subreddit, The_Donald, was eventually quarantined, while pro‑communist subreddits continue to operate with minimal interference.

8 China Owns Hollywood

Fact: Chinese Influence On American Cinema Is All About The Benjamins

If you’ve noticed an uptick in blockbuster films featuring gargantuan robots, endless explosions, and over‑the‑top fight scenes, thank the Chinese box‑office. The Chinese movie‑going public has a voracious appetite for high‑octane action, and their ticket sales now constitute a massive share of global film revenue. This financial muscle has reshaped Hollywood’s calculus: studios pour millions into productions that promise to dazzle Chinese audiences, even if domestic critics cringe.

The result? Franchises like Transformers have thrived thanks largely to Chinese ticket sales, allowing producers like Michael Bay to keep cranking out sequels despite lukewarm reception at home. In essence, the Chinese market’s deep pockets have become a decisive factor in what movies get green‑lit, steering the creative direction of American cinema toward spectacles that guarantee box‑office gold across the Pacific.

7 Global Power

Fact: China Is Quickly Becoming A Global Power

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the United States has long been viewed as the world’s sole superpower. China, however, is charting a different course – not through military invasions, but by flexing economic muscle. In 1990 China’s share of the global economy was a modest 2 percent; by 2014 that figure had ballooned to 13 percent, and the upward trajectory has continued.

By 2018 China had vaulted into the position of the world’s second‑largest economy, trailing only the United States with a GDP of roughly $13.6 trillion. This surge has placed China ahead of traditional powerhouses such as Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan. One tangible impact on the average American is that a sizeable slice of U.S. Treasury debt is now held by China, meaning a portion of every tax dollar you pay ends up servicing Chinese‑owned bonds.

6 Goodbye Free Speech

Fact: The Chinese Government Has Limited American Free Speech

While the First Amendment guarantees Americans the right to speak freely, the Chinese government has found ways to exert pressure on that liberty abroad. In late 2019, massive protests erupted in Hong Kong over Beijing’s tightening grip, prompting a wave of solidarity statements from Western public figures. One such voice was Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who tweeted a graphic urging support for Hong Kong.

China reacted swiftly, threatening to curb NBA broadcasts on its networks – a move that would have cost the league billions in revenue. The NBA initially issued an apology to appease Beijing, sparking outrage among U.S. lawmakers who accused the league of bowing to foreign pressure. Though Morey’s tweet was never censored, the incident highlighted how Chinese economic leverage can indirectly shape the contours of free expression in the United States.

5 Military Focus

Fact: China’s Push Towards Becoming A Superpower Has Shifted The West’s Military Focus

China’s meteoric rise as an economic titan has reverberated through global defense budgets. While the United States and China are not openly hostile, both nations are preparing for potential competition over the Pacific. A key flashpoint is the South China Sea, where China has been constructing artificial islands to extend its territorial claims.

These geopolitical tensions have prompted the U.S. to recalibrate its own military posture. The United States now spends roughly $680 billion annually on defense, while China’s defense budget sits around $175 billion, a figure that continues to climb. Training exercises, wargames, and procurement decisions increasingly feature Chinese scenarios, driving up costs and reshaping the strategic priorities of Western armed forces.

4 Raw Materials

Fact: China Has Most Of The World’s Rare Earth Elements… And You Need Them!

Rare‑earth elements – the critical minerals that power everything from smartphone cameras to solar panels – are notoriously difficult to mine and even trickier to process. China dominates this niche, accounting for more than 95 percent of global production and processing capacity. This monopoly grants Beijing outsized leverage over a host of high‑tech industries worldwide.

The United States shut down its sole rare‑earth processing plant in the early 2000s, leaving the nation heavily dependent on Chinese supplies. As demand for these materials has exploded alongside the rise of advanced electronics, electric aircraft, and modern weaponry, America’s reliance on Beijing’s rare‑earth output has become a strategic vulnerability.

3 Made In China

Fact: Most Of The Products We Use Are Manufactured In China

There’s a running joke that everything you own was made in China. While not 100 percent accurate, the claim isn’t far off – a sizable chunk of consumer goods sold in the United States are either produced or assembled on Chinese soil. Companies chase Chinese factories because labor is abundant, inexpensive, and the regulatory environment is far less stringent than in the West.

Many products are designed in the U.S. but shipped in parts to China for assembly before returning to American shelves. This model applies to a wide spectrum of items, but perhaps the most iconic example is Apple’s iPhone, which is largely assembled in Chinese factories. So, if you’re scrolling this article on an iPhone, you’re already benefiting – and indirectly supporting – Chinese manufacturing.

2 Google Kowtows To China

Fact: China’s Influence Over Google May Become Problematic

Google has long championed the principle of free speech, but the search‑engine giant has quietly begun courting Beijing. In May 2018 the company excised the iconic “Don’t be evil” mantra from its corporate code of conduct, a move that raised eyebrows about its shifting values. Simultaneously, Google started work on a censored search project code‑named “Dragonfly,” intended to comply with China’s strict internet regulations.

While China has historically blocked Google services behind its infamous “Great Firewall,” the tech titan now appears eager to tap into the country’s massive online market of over 800 million users. If Google proceeds with Dragonfly, the result could be a version of the world’s most popular search engine that filters results in line with Beijing’s censorship policies – a development that could have ripple effects for users worldwide.

1 Chinese Hackers

Fact: Chinese Hackers Have Probably Hacked You At Least Once

When it comes to cyber‑espionage, China fields a formidable army of hackers – estimates range from 50 000 to 100 000 skilled operators. While Western nations focus on defensive measures, Beijing has been quietly building a sophisticated offensive capability, targeting everything from corporate trade secrets to everyday consumer apps.

It’s highly likely that your personal information has been compromised by Chinese cyber‑actors at some point, whether through a data breach on an e‑commerce site or a malicious app you’ve installed. The sheer scale of China’s hacking operations means that even ordinary internet users are exposed to potential espionage, making digital privacy an increasingly precarious commodity.

About The Author: Jonathan is a graphic artist, illustrator, and writer. He is a retired soldier and enjoys researching and writing about history, science, theology, and many other subjects.