Historians and Poets

Perhaps the first popular record of the “hard times create strong men” meme was written by Ibn Khaldun.

Why did he say that nobility came from the desert?

You see, Khaldun was writing justifications for new elites. Berbers, seen as savages, needed some way to legitimize their rule. Khaldun gave that to them (and himself).

The Manchu were a steppe people who conquered China in the 17th century.

Ji Yun wrote the Emperor a beautiful poem, playing Manchu Conquest as the Mongol’s rightful return to ruling China.