Ceecee’s Reviews > The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World—and Globalization Began > Status Update

“Around 989 AD, (Prince) Vladimir of Russia began to look for a major religion that could command the loyalty of his subjects. Once he chose the right religion, he could mandate conversion and ban the worship of other deities, making it difficult to challenge his government.”

Religion as a political tool to divide people and gatekeep power, classic.

“…The Russians posed as Christians because Abbasid law allowed peoples of the book, Christians Jews to pay lower taxes than other non-Muslims.” Interesting. You’d think Muslims back then only favored their own.