History is an interesting field of study. It has amazed the hearts of people since ages. Students of history often come across a lot of topics. These range from Ancient history to Modern history, covering various regions. But, many are unable to decide on any history dissertation topics. It confuses them. Below, the text outlines some lesser-known topics/eras to write a task on.
Roman Chinese Relations
We obviously have a lot of details about the two of them. We do not have proof if they ever met. They suggest that the two indeed had some trade relations. But these are not enough to confirm whether these two met directly. The below text explains their trade relations. It also explains their closest meeting being a near miss.
Trade Relations
The Silk Route ran along the length of Central Asia. Chinese silk was the most traded object. Other than that, there was a trade of ivory, jade and especially spices. Vietnam and Japan have also seen Roman coins. This tells us that they did have indirect contact.
Near miss
It was 97 AD, a Chinese person named Gan Ying explored the region. He certainly made his way from the Tarim Basin to Parthia. Also, he definitely reached the Persian Gulf as well. He went as far as Mesopotamia. Then, he wanted to sail to the Roman Empire. There the locals told him that the trip was dangerous. So then he chose not to travel further.
Pre-colonial Australia
The Australian continent was first settled by humans roughly 65,000 years ago. The world of then was much drier and colder. This allowed for the migration of humans.People either migrated on foot or by make-shift boats. The peopling of Australia led to the destruction of most of its megafauna. There was a period of stasis between the first humans in Australia and colonization. Many think that they might have had some trades with the outside world, but the evidences are sparse.
Indigenous Peoples
There are two main groups of indigenous peoples of the Australian region. The first is the Aboriginal Australians, of mainland Australia and neighbouring islands. The second people are the Torres Strait Islanders. These inhabit the area of the islands between Queensland and Papua New Guinea. They lived in Melanesia.
Surviving Archeological Sites
Lake Mungo is a prominent example. It being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That place proves human occupation of Australia dating back to 40,000 years ago. It contains the remains of the Mungo Man and the Mungo Lady. Other popular sites are Devil's Lair and Koonalda Cave.
First meeting with the European Powers
The British settled their prisoners in Australia. It was a penal colony. They populated the area to maintain the civil order. Also, to suppress the resistance of the Aboriginals. The British outmatched the Aboriginal Peoples in warfare technology. Their first meeting with the European powers was not a cordial one.
Malagasy Peoples
The Malagasy people are a unique peoples. They inhabit the island of Madagascar. Which is on the East Coast of the African Continent. They have a very distinct ancestry. It traces back to both African and Asian lineages. Scientists have well-studied and documented their genetics. But, their history and culture is an under-studied topic, especially for a dissertation.
The Settling of Madagascar
Madagascar was first settled by the Austronesian peoples from Southeast Asia. There were many waves of migration by them. Moreover, in the following centuries, the African Bantu peoples settled here as well. Leading to the mixing of genetics over time.
Political Unification
By the 15th - 16th century, small chiefdoms began to rise. The Merina Kingdom in the central highlands became a major player. The European Colonization happened as the French took over. Later, the Malagasy became independent in 1960.
Indian Megafauna
Megafauna refers to any animal above 45 kg in adult body mass. India also went through a megafauna extinction event. Although, the effect was much weaker than anywhere else. Modern humans have coexisted with the megafauna. This was the case in Africa as well. There, like India, animals and humans evolved side-by-side. But, there was still a minor extinction event in the past 100,000 years.
What do the studies say?
There have been some studies about the extinction of megafauna in India. The studies suggest that early hominins hunted smaller wild game. Also, they likely evolved alongside the various big animals present. Hence, most of the megafauna survived that initial extinction event.
The Coming Of Man in India
There were many hominid species living in India. Even prior to the coming of Homo sapiens. The most notable of which was the Homo erectus or the Upright Man. We were more intelligent, while they were lazy. Homo sapiens entered India roughly around 70 thousand years ago. The rest is history.
The ones that did not survive
There used to be a now extinct species of hippos, and a zebra-like horse called Equus namadicus. While this name might trigger a [grammar checker](https://www.assignmentdesk.co.uk/grammar-checker], this animal was as real as it gets. Also, two species of elephants, which are now called Palaeoloxodon namadicus, and Stegodon namadicus roamed prehistoric India.
The Mitanni
History has largely forgotten this kingdom. The Mitanni were a dominant kingdom of northern Syria and southeast Anatolia (Turkey). A kingdom with immense political power during the early days of humanity. Before the first ovens were lit and the first bread baked. There is a lot to write and know that still has not yet happened.
Who were They?
They ruled during the 2nd millennium BCE and were a Hurrian-speaking people. Also, they had Indo-Aryan linguistic and political influence. They were chariot warriors and had expert horse training.Â
Their Cultural Contributions
A great cultural contribution of the Mitannis was their skilled horse-breeding and horsemanship. They had a great influence on the Assyrian architecture and art. Especially, their major role in sending Assyro-Babylonian culture throughout their region of power.
Decline
Their decline stemmed from many reasons. There were growing internal weaknesses, like succession disputes. There was also external pressure from powers like the Hittites and Assyrians. All this led to territorial losses and subjugation. This is how they declined.
Conclusion
History is a field that is studied well over the years. But, there still are some unknown things. Considering history dissertation topics, there are some understudied eras of history. The Sino-Roman contact is the most illusive of these. The people of Australia and Madagascar are also good topics to write on. The Extinction of the Indian Megafauna is still subject to research. So is the culture of the Mitannis. Thus, these were some unheard topics for a history dissertation.
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