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History glossary

diplomacy

negotiation between states or political actors to manage conflict, alliances, or settlements.

Category
Political practice
Region
Global
Date range
Varies

What it means

Negotiation between states or political actors to manage conflict, alliances, or settlements.

Stories using this term

The Mali Empire

From Sundiata's victory at Kirina to Mansa Musa's pilgrimage and Timbuktu's rise, Mali turned gold, trade and political alliance into one of medieval Africa's great empires.

The Ethiopian Empire

From Tewodros II's reunification drive to Haile Selassie's overthrow, Ethiopia defended independence, expanded imperial power, modernised unevenly and held a unique place in modern African history.

The Opium Wars

From the Canton System to the fall of Beijing, the Opium Wars turned illegal trade, imperial power and Qing weakness into a new unequal treaty order.

The Mughal Empire

From Babur's victory at Panipat to the sack of Delhi, the Mughals built a wealthy Indian empire whose power rested on conquest, administration, elite integration and court culture before central authority fractured.

The Meiji Restoration

From Tokugawa order to imperial restoration, conscription, industrialisation and military victory, the Meiji era transformed Japan into a modern imperial power.

Apartheid South Africa

From white minority rule to mass resistance, Mandela's release and the first democratic election, apartheid reshaped South Africa and the world.

The Rise and Spread of Buddhism

From the Buddha's awakening to Ashoka's patronage and missions to Sri Lanka, Buddhism grew from a northern Indian path into a faith with foundations across Asia.

The Maurya Empire

From Chandragupta's overthrow of the Nandas to Ashoka's edicts and the empire's fall, the Mauryas created the first imperial state to unite much of the Indian subcontinent.

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