Ibn Khaldun, a 14th-century North African scholar from Tunisia, revolutionized history with his theories on the rise and fall of empires. In his famous work The Muqaddimah, he argued that every dynasty has a natural lifespan of 100-120 years, with three generations:

1. The first generation is disciplined and hardworking.

2. The second becomes less disciplined.

3. The third is weak and corrupt, leading to the dynasty’s fall.

This theory, best summed up by the popular meme : “strong men create good times, good times create weak men, weak men create hard times , hard times create strong men” was embraced by the Ottomans, who managed to stretch their empire’s life to 600 years.

Shaykh Firas Alkhateeb @khateeb88