So You Think You Can Rule Persia

We are living in a golden age as the dust of revolution settles and al-Mahdi is charged with leading the caliphate in this prosperous time. Join us for humorous anecdotes, a peaceful reign, and introducing the only caliph most people have heard of.   You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2026/11/08/110-al-mahdi/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia Our new merch store is here! https://sythycarp-store.printify.me/

The newly minted Abbasid Caliphate needs a capable man to take charge, reform its structural issues, and secure the succession. Al-Mansur is ready to do all this and introduce us all to the glorious city of Baghdad.   You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2026/10/18/109-al-mansur/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia Our new merch store is here! https://sythycarp-store.printify.me/

The Umayyad Caliphate is no more and in its place rise the Abbasids in the person of al-Saffah, the bloodshedder. Will he live up to his name, and will he be able to consolidate his dynasty before it's too late? You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2026/09/20/108-al-saffah/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia Our new merch store is here! https://sythycarp-store.printify.me/

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?   You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2026/09/13/107-marwan-ii/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia Our new merch store is here! https://sythycarp-store.printify.me/

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.   You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2026/07/12/106-ibrahim-ibn-al-walid/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia Our new merch store is here! https://sythycarp-store.printify.me/

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?    Find Alexandria: A Hellenistic Age Podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/033pLdpkNR5saAWRfqrH0R You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2026/07/05/105-yazid-iii/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia Our new merch store is here! https://sythycarp-store.printify.me/

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. You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2026/06/21/104-al-walid-ii/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia Our new merch store is here! https://sythycarp-store.printify.me/

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? You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2026/06/14/103-hisham-ibn-abd-al-malik/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia Our new merch store is here! https://sythycarp-store.printify.me/

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? You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2026/05/17/102-yazid-ii/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia Our new merch store is here! https://sythycarp-store.printify.me/

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.   You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2026/05/10/101-umar-ii/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia Our new merch store is here! https://sythycarp-store.printify.me/