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Explanation: Many figures before the rise of modern nation-states do not neatly fit into our national/ethnic categories, and some people get quite… passionate about who is placed where - especially when talking about figures seen as national heroes. Saladin was a Kurd from Armenia who ruled over a Turkic Empire based in Arabic Egypt and the Levant. Try sorting that out with your local nationalists!
There’s also that German guy from Austria
Hey, I like Beethoven…
Kinda weird to call Saladin anything other than a Kurd.
Elizabeth was German
Is one a product of their ancestry or the culture they were raised in?
And what happens when ancestry and culture are judged differently than they are in the modern day?
All sorts of nightmarish questions if one cares about such things! Personally, I just like the cool history people in my books plotting and scheming and killing each other and occasionally doing nice things for people.
FUN FACT! Saladin, one of the most powerful men in the world at the time, died almost literally penniless because of his extensive charity efforts.
We are fortunate enough where the children of immigrants in western countries are more associated with the western country and not the country of their parents. For the most part at least, racism still exists unfortunately.
My comment was more for Saladin being born in present day Iraq to Armenian parents. There’s no doubt in my mind that him being born and raised in that area heavily influenced him and his worldview. I’m not too familiar with the history of the other figures so I can’t aay if my point stands for them as well.
