What role did 17th c. luxury manufacturing play in the industrialization?

Why was textile manufacturing important to the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain? The British textile industry drove the Industrial Revolution, triggering advancements in technology, stimulating the coal and iron industries, boosting raw material imports, and improving transportation, which made Britain the global leader of industrialization, trade, and scientific innovation. Why was the textile industry the …

When and how did the Han ethnic group become by far the biggest ethnic group in China?

Where did the Han ethnic group come from? Originating from Northern China, the Han Chinese trace their cultural ancestry to the Huaxia, the confederation of agricultural tribes living along the Yellow River. What is the largest ethnic group in China? Han: With a population of about 1.159 billion, it forms the main body of the …

Is there any evidence of arachnophobia in ancient history?

Were ancient people scared of spiders? Fear of spiders is a survival trait written into our DNA, researchers have discovered. Dating back hundreds of thousands of years, the instinct to avoid arachnids developed as an evolutionary response to a dangerous threat, the academics suggest.  Where did arachnophobia originate from? Arachnophobia comes from the Greek word …

What were the cultures of peasants in China during the Hundred Schools period (600-221BCE)?

What were peasants in ancient China? Peasants were farmers and had not much money, but China needed them to produce food for everyone. Craftspeople made many things for the upper classes. They created tools, weapons, furniture, and household goods. Near the bottom of the ladder was the merchant class. What was life like for peasants …

Were British parliamentary seats really advertised in newspapers?

Is the Daily Mail left or right-wing? Editorial stance. As a right-wing tabloid, the Mail is traditionally a supporter of the Conservative Party. Is the Guardian a left wing newspaper? The paper’s readership is generally on the mainstream left of British political opinion, and the term “Guardian reader” is used to imply a stereotype of …

Was the interior of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople ever covered with mosaic icons?

Are the mosaics in Hagia Sophia covered? In 1934, it was declared a museum by the secularist Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. As of June 24 of this year, Hagia Sophia’s icons of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ are covered by fabric curtains as the edifice yet again changes functions.  Why were huge churches …