So You Think You Can Rule Persia

We're back and it's time to finish up the Third Fitna! Marwan managed to rise from obscurity to take control of the caliphate but will he be able to solve its structural problems or will they submerge him?

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The heir of a usurper is always a precarious one, but Ibrahim is here during the bubbling Third Fitna. Join us for a slow slide into chaos and a surprising number of death options.

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The tyrant is dead and now we have a man in charge who thinks that rulers should be held accountable for their actions. How will the caliphate react to a new regime and is more turmoil soon to follow? 

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The caliphate is in crisis: rebellions wrack the provinces and the eternal expansion has ceased. Who better to deal with this than an entitled manchild? Join us for rude poems, wine drinking, and all the symptoms of decline.

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We've resisted reform for decades, and now the whole caliphate is on fire: the empire is contracting from al-Andalus to Khorasan with threats both internal and external. Will Hisham be able to hold it together, or is this the end for the Umayyads?

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Yazid II was deemed to be an insufficient successor to Umar, but the succession happened before anyone could change things. Will Yazid beat expectations and make the caliphate prosper, or will he follow in the footsteps of his namesake?

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Umar II is known by many sources as the only good Umayyad, comparable to the Rashidun caliphs themselves, but does he live up to the hype? Join for the end of the siege of Constantinople, a reform of the administration, and a horse kick to the face.

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After our 100th ruler, have a peek behind the curtain into our Patreon!

We'll tell you about the extra episodes that await you there and, to entice you further, here is the first half of our special episode on Alcibiades. 

The most chaotic man of Ancient Athens is ready to hop between every available faction, break the balance of power in the Aegean, and have a good time doing it

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The caliphate is at peace and has only to rise and grasp its destiny. Al-Walid will oversee the greatest expansion since the caliphate's founding, leading us to Transoxiana, Sindh, and al-Andalus.

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A new Marwanid Umayyad caliphate has risen from impossible odds and now needs stable foundations that it may flourish. Abd al-Malik will rise out of civil war with the powers of friendship, administration, and incredible violence.

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H...

The Sufyanid Umayyad caliphate has fallen and ibn al-Zubayr will do his best to reshape its ashes into something more in line with the ideals of the Rashidun Caliphs. But as they fell into hardship, will he be drawn towards a grisly end?

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The second ruler of the Umayyad Caliphate has some mighty big shoes to fill but is he up to the challenge? Tune in for multiple tragedies, an assault on Mecca, and a pet monkey.

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Our latest release is a statement we have prepared about the ongoing protests in Iran and their brutal repression. We appreciate your attention

The sources of information we recommend are the Human Rights Activists News Agency which can be found in English at https://www.en-hrana.org/; Amnesty International at https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/middle-east/iran/; and the HENGAW Organization for Human R...

The Umayyad Caliphate has arrived but how rightly-guided will it be? Mu'awiya is planning to stabilize his new empire and mold it into a fief that can be passed down for generations; however, there are those who would halt this project...

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The caliph Uthman has been murdered, but the caliphate must go on. Enter Ali, closely tied to the Prophet since his youth, he will try his best to avoid the caliphate spiraling out of control, but pleasing everyone is hardly possible...

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https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2026/01/18/94-ali-ibn-abi-talib/

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We have returned at last with a new world brought about by the final prophet! Join us for an exploration of the Rise of Islam, how the caliphate came to be and expanded so quickly, and the dangerous intersection between ruling an empire and trying to be a good man.

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After many moons, we're back to talk to you about another 1300 years of history! But first, let us remind ourselves of what happened in the previous 92 episodes before we jump into the rise of Islam.

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