Eastern Cultures Quiz

Noname · **on:** June 03, 2009, 12:01:56 AM

This is a quiz about all countries which do not share a Judeo-Christian, Greco-Roman heritage; basically, this means the Islamic countries, the Indian Subcontinent, Africa, East and Southeast Asia, and aboriginal Oceania. The questions can be drawn from any time period, recent, medieval or ancient. The one who gets the question correct asks the next one

I'll begin.

What is the "Year of the Elephant?"

Malte279 · **Reply #1 on:** June 03, 2009, 05:45:51 AM

The year in which the Prophet Muhammad was born?

Noname · **Reply #2 on:** June 03, 2009, 02:17:47 PM

Correct. It was named that was because an Ethiopian army which was attacking Mecca stopped and turned back because the elephant or elephants which were in the army refused to attack the city. Mohammed was said to be born in or around this year.

To tell you the truth, I half expected that someone would guess that the "year of the elephant" was a year in the Chinese Calendar...

Your turn, Malte.

Malte279 · **Reply #3 on:** June 03, 2009, 02:49:03 PM

This very ancient tale is about the main character's quest for immortality. What is the name of the main character and which place did he rule according to the legend.
The tale is perhaps the oldest recorded tale we still have.

Noname · **Reply #4 on:** June 03, 2009, 02:59:16 PM

The Epic of Gilgamesh, in which Gilgamesh is the king of the Mesopotamian city of Uruk.

Malte279 · **Reply #5 on:** June 03, 2009, 03:21:35 PM

Noname · **Reply #6 on:** June 03, 2009, 03:24:29 PM

My turn, then.

What great Islamic center of learning was destroyed roughly during the time of the crusades, but was not destroyed by the crusaders or even Christians, and where was it located?

Noname · **Reply #7 on:** June 07, 2009, 01:40:42 PM

I'll add a hint: This was NOT Alexandria, or Cairo, or located in Africa.

Noname · **Reply #8 on:** July 26, 2009, 12:59:17 PM

... It was the house of wisdom in Baghdad. Destroyed by the Mongols under their leader Hulugu. This thread isn't exactly going very far... neither are the other "brain food" sections...

Noname · **Reply #9 on:** November 05, 2009, 02:19:02 PM

Serris · **Reply #10 on:** November 06, 2009, 04:14:40 PM

When were rockets first used in Ancient China as a weapon?

Noname · **Reply #11 on:** November 12, 2009, 02:08:35 AM

In the 1200's?

Serris · **Reply #12 on:** November 13, 2009, 04:25:31 PM

Correct.

The Chinese first used rockets against the Mongols in 1232.

Noname · **Reply #13 on:** November 13, 2009, 11:10:25 PM

My turn! What was the name of the second large, centralized Persian Empire? A hint: it was ruled by the Persians themselves, not by the Greeks, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, or any other outside group.

Mirumoto_Kenjiro · **Reply #14 on:** January 24, 2010, 11:32:40 PM

The Achaemenid Empire?

Noname · **Reply #15 on:** March 12, 2010, 04:37:13 PM

Dang, I should have responded to this a lot earlier. No, it was not the Achaemenid empire, although that was a good guess.

I'll just give the answer out now. It was the Sassanian/Sassanid empire; the one that almost destroyed the Eastern Roman Empire, but was wrecked by a last-minute counterattack on the part of the Byzantines, and essentially destroyed after the battle of Nineveh. Then, the Arab Muslims pushed over what was left of it.

Whoever posts next can ask the next question.