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Period: 1200 to 1300
Feudalism in Europe
the dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection. -
Period: 1200 to 1400
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the longest-lasting medieval power, and its influence continues today, especially in the religion, art, architecture, and law of many Western states, Eastern and Central Europe, and Russia (empire really began in 330 AD) -
Period: 1200 to 1235
Ghana Empire in Africa
Located between two major rivers, the Niger and the Senegal, and bordered by the Sahara to the east, Ghana became the center of trade between the Arabs and Berbers in the northern regions and other African societies to the south. Bringing down salt from northern Africa, the Arabs and Berbers traded in Ghana for gold and ivory. (300-1235) -
Period: 1200 to 1500
Swahili Trade Cities in Africa
Eventually, the entire coastal area blossomed into a number of important and independent trading cities which included Mombasa, Mogadishu, and Zanzibar. At their height from the 12th to 15th century CE, these city-states traded with African tribes as far afield as Zimbabwe as well as the period's great trading nations across the Indian Ocean in Arabia, Persia, India, and China. (800-1500) -
Period: 1200 to 1450
Songhai Empire in Africa
During the second half of the 13th century, Gao and the surrounding region had grown into an important trading center and attracted the interest of the expanding Mali Empire. Mali conquered Gao towards the end of the 13th century. Gao would remain under Malian hegemony until the late 14th century. As the Mali Empire started to disintegrate, the Songhai reasserted control of Gao. Songhai rulers subsequently took advantage of the weakened Mali Empire to expand Songhai rule. (1000-1591) -
Period: 1200 to 1279
Song Dynasty in East Asia
The Song dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song dynasty is particularly noted for the great artistic achievements that it encouraged and, in part, subsidized. The Bei Song dynasty at Bianjing had begun a renewal of Buddhism and of literature and the arts. The greatest poets and painters in the empire were in attendance at court. -
Period: 1200 to 1450
Japanese Feudalism
The feudal period of Japanese history was a time when powerful families (daimyo) and the military power of warlords (shogun), and their warriors, the samurai ruled Japan. Feudal Japanese and European societies were built on a system of hereditary classes. The nobles were at the top, followed by warriors, with tenant farmers or serfs below. There was very little social mobility; the children of peasants became peasants, while the children of lords became lords and ladies. (1185-1868) -
1230
Mongol Invasions in Europe
The Mongol invasion of Europe in the 13th century occurred from the 1220s into the 1240s. In Eastern Europe, the Mongols conquered Volga Bulgaria, Cumania, Alania, and the Kievan Rus' federation. -
Period: 1230 to 1460
Mali Empire of Africa
Sundiata Keita rose up from his small kingdom of Kangaba, won the people’s support, conquered the last stronghold of Ancient Ghana, and began the reign of the Mali Empire. -
Period: 1240 to 1500
Golden Horde In Europe
The Golden Horde was the group of settled Mongols who ruled over Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and the Caucasus from the 1240s until 1502. The Golden Horde was established by Batu Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan, and subsequently a part of the Mongol Empire before its inevitable fall. -
1256
Ilkhanate of Persia in Mid-East
The emergence of the Ilkhanate had an important historical impact in the Middle Eastern region. The establishment of the unified Mongol Empire had significantly eased trade and commerce across Asia. The communications between the Ilkhanate and the Yuan Dynasty headquartered in China encouraged this development. -
Period: 1279 to 1368
Yuan Mongol Dynasty in East Asia
In 1271 that Kublai Khan officially proclaimed the dynasty in the traditional Chinese style and the conquest was not complete until 1279 when the Southern Song dynasty was defeated in the Battle of Yamen. Kublai Khan promoted commercial, scientific, and cultural growth. He supported the merchants of the Silk Road trade network by protecting the Mongol postal system, constructing infrastructure, providing loans that financed trade caravans, and encouraging the circulation of paper banknotes -
Period: 1299 to 1450
Ottoman Turks in Mid-East
Expanding from its base in Bithynia, the Ottoman principality began incorporating other Turkish-speaking Muslims and non-Turkish Christians. Crossing into Europe from the 1350s, coming to dominate the Mediterranean and capturing (1453) Constantinople (the capital city of the Byzantine Empire). The Ottoman Empire came to rule much of the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East (excluding Iran), and North Africa over the course of several centuries, with an advanced army and navy. (1299-1922) -
1300
Italian City-States
At the time of the Renaissance Italy was governed by a number of powerful city-states. These were some of the largest and richest cities in all of Europe. Some of the more important city-states included Florence, Milan, Venice, Naples, and Rome -
1347
Bubonic Plague
The Black Death was a plague pandemic that devastated Europe from 1347 to 1352 CE, killing an estimated 25-30 million people. The disease, caused by a bacillus bacteria and carried by fleas on rodents, originated in central Asia and was taken from there to the Crimea by Mongol warriors and traders -
Period: 1368 to 1450
Ming Dynasty in East Asia
The Ming Dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644 A.D., during which China's population would double. Known for its trade expansion to the outside world that established cultural ties with the West, the Ming Dynasty is also remembered for its drama, literature, and world-renowned porcelain -
1370
Timur in South Asia
Timur was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. As an undefeated commander, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest military leaders and tacticians in history. From that base, he led military campaigns across Western, South, and Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Southern Russia, and emerged as the most powerful ruler in the Muslim world. -
1453
Fall of Constantinople to Turks
conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire. The dwindling Byzantine Empire came to an end when the Ottomans breached Constantinople’s ancient land wall after besieging the city for 55 days. Mehmed surrounded Constantinople from land and sea while employing cannon to maintain a constant barrage of the city’s formidable walls.