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Period: 500 to 1200
Feudalism in Europe
Feudalism was a form of caste system in Europe. A king, who was the highest rank, would give a piece of land to a lord, the second highest rank, which they would rule and protect. Knights were below lords and they would provide the protection for the land and everyone who lived on it. Finally, at the lowest ranks were serfs who would provide services for those in the manor. This system began to fall after the bubonic plague because the serfs were in higher demand and the system crumbled -
Period: 618 to 1279
Tang and Song Dynasties
Within theis time period, China was united and its boarders expanded as many central Asian tribes were conquered. Many Chinese customs were also revived such as the Civil Service Exam and key Chinese philosophies such as Confucianism. The infamous Tribute System was also implemented under these dynasties along with major growth in industries such as steel and iron production and textiles. This inventive and restorative time period eventually led to the Mongol Empire. -
Period: 750 to 1517
Abbasid Caliphate
This time period was know as the "Golden Age" of Islam. Islamic scholars of this time made many great feats in areas such as medical, math, science, astronomy, and literature and many people from all over would come to learn from them. some of these accomplishments are still seen today such as the Dome of the Rock. While this empire rules for many centuries, their decline came just like all of the others as the Turks began to take over. -
Period: 1206 to 1526
Delhi Sultanate
This was an Islamic empire in and around modern day India.This empire Established Islamic rule in India which also brought more diversity. The empire ultimately ended as more and more conflict arose form within. The Delhi Sultanate was then replaced by the Mughal Empire. -
Period: 1206 to 1368
Mongol Empire
This was an extremely powerful empire that conquered the majority of Asia and the Middle East. The Mongols created a very powerful and accurate bow that was the prime weapon of the tie which helped them conquer so many land and spread their empire so far. One of their major feats was creating peace on the Silk Road through the Pax Mongolia which increased trade. When this large empire fell it divided into four parts that were ruled by different Mongol men. -
Period: 1235 to
Mali Empire
This empire was in west Africa and was known for its gold, ivory, and salt trade. Its gain wealth quickly as it could regulate and tax trade and travel between Southern Africa and the Sahara Desert. This in turn affected the trade in Europe between African countries. Eventually the empire grew weak and lost control of its boarders. This resulted in the fall of the Mali Empire. -
Period: 1279 to 1368
Yuan Dynasty
This dynasty was one of the four fragment do the former Mongol Empire and it was ruled by Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan son. The majority of the nation was modern day China and it was run completely by Mongols. Chinese men were not allowed in high government positions and the Civil Service Exam was eliminated which was a main part of the culture. Other than that, Chinese culture was tolerated by Mongols but the two cultures did not mix. -
Period: 1300 to
European Renaissance
This was a time of culture, art, and growth in Europe. It was known as the "rebirth" after the Middle Ages and brought new knowledge and ideas with it. Inventions such as the printing press and moveable type were some of the biggest feats of the time and made printing and getting books much easier. This helped more people learn and for overall knowledge to expand. This time period cleared the path for the Age of Exploration and the great progress it brought. -
Period: 1342 to 1353
Bubonic Plague
This was a major illness in Europe that killed about 1/3 of the population. During this time many people lost faith in the Catholic Church which resulted in the Church losing much of its power in Europe at this time. While the Church lost power, it was able to charge more for services and gained wealth. There was also inflation of goods as trade stopped and products stopped moving. This also gave the serfs that survived an opportunity to demand more from their jobs so feudalism eventually fell. -
Period: 1368 to
Ming Dynasty
This was a very influential dynasty in China with many new reforms that were unique to its time. Its rulers focused on self reliance and gave land to the poor in order to expand the agriculture of the country. Trade was also limited so that there would be less foreigners in the country and self reliance could grow. The Civil Service Exam was also brought back and anything that had to do with the Mongols was destroyed. The dynasty also got rid of paper money which was very strange for the time. -
Period: 1400 to
Age of Exploration
During this time period many countries began to go out and explore new places. It began with countries looking for ways to get to Asia for trade but when the New World was discovered, many countries saw new opportunities. European countries quickly took control of this new land which brought them new wealth and resources. This time period also brought exploration to areas near Africa and Asia as new routes were discovered. -
Period: 1400 to
Ottoman Empire
This empire was one of the three "Gunpowder Empires" that took some of the power left by the Mongols when the Khanates fell. It was one of the first countries to use gunpowder in warfare which was revolutionary and what gave it and the other two empires their nickname. It was also able to control the Silk Road for a large amount of time which gave it its wealth. While it started out strong, the empire eventually fell when other countries began to industrialize and it couldn't keep up. -
Period: 1400 to 1500
Portugese Traden Post Empire
Portugal was the first to start the Age of Exploration and they began looking for a sea route to Asia. During this time they also explored the coastlines of Africa and began setting up trading posts there. Eventually this built up to a massive trading empire between the West Africa and East Asia. With all of these ports and post under their control and a large navy in the Indian Ocean, Portugal could easily control trade in this region and eliminate any competition. -
Period: 1400 to
Spanish Colonial Empire
During the Age of Exploration the Americas were discovered and when this happened, Spain conquered much of modern day South America. They were able to overpower the native tribes that were there and began setting up colonies throughout the continent. They used the natives as workers in their caste like "Encomienda System" which was much like the Feudal System in Europe. There were also large amounts of silver found which gave Spain great wealth but would later result in mass global inflation. -
Period: 1428 to 1533
Mesoamerican empires
The Aztec and Incan empires were two very powerful empires in Mesoamerica. Both empires practiced human sacrifices which was a key part of both cultures. These two cultures also introduced many new foods and used a form of the tribute system in order to control the city-states around them. These empire ultimately fell when the spanish came from Europe and took over. -
Period: 1450 to
Atlantic Slave Trade
During this time large amounts of African people were transported to the North America as slaves. This caused a population influx in North America and a great population decrease in Africa, though a mass amount of African people died on the voyage and did not make it to America. This also resulted in a blend of cultures as dishes, religions, and traditions were shared amongst people. This time also brought the African kingdoms new wealth and crops from the Europeans in exchange for their people. -
Period: 1517 to
The Reformation
This was a movement started by Martin Luther who challenged the Church by writing his famous 95 Thesis. He saw that the Church was becoming more and more corrupt so he wrote his 95 Thesis about it and because the printing press had just been invented, they spread through Europe like crazy. This created a Protestant movement against the Catholic Church which led to the Church loosing much of its power. This also led to the Council of Trent and many small denominations of Christianity being formed -
Period: 1526 to
Mughal Empire
This empire was one of the three "Gunpowder Empires" and like the others was what realties in the fall of the Khanates. This empire ruled most India and Pakistan during its time and but consisted of mainly Turko-Mongols. Islam was widely practiced by the leaders of the empire but Hinduism was practiced by the citizens. The empire eventually fell due to foreign invasion. -
Period: to
Qing Dynasty
This was a time of peace and prosperity in China. As Chinese territory expanded into Central Asia, the country remained isolationist but some trade was permitted in certain ports. Arts flourished during this time and Confucianism, Buddhism, and the Civil Service Exam remained staples in the culture. Manchu style also became very prominent in society. New foods from the Americas were also brought in and introduced during this time. -
Period: to
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a time for great new ideas in Europe as different thoughts about government, human rights, and science came to light. This time brought great movement in Europe but it also impacted the Americas in many large ways. After the American Revolution, much of the United States new government's principals were bases on the Enlightenment and its ideas on government. As these new ways spread people in Latin America became more educated and revolutions began there as well. -
Period: to
Industrial Revolution
As European imperialism grew and colonies were bring new resources, many countries began to industrialize. This time period brought many new inventions and mass production which not only made products a lot cheaper, it meant more jobs in factories making theses products. As factory jobs opened up people began moving from the countryside to the city. This also meant population growth and in turn agricultural growth. Along with new inventions, new weapons were made and world conflict shifted. -
Period: to
American Revolution
After the French and Indian war, Britain was in immense debt that they felt their American Colonies should pay off. This resulted in a spike in taxes that the colonists did not agree with. After being denied a say in their taxation, the colonist attempted to break away from Britain and with the help of the French, they succeed. This outcome was very important because of how unlikely it was. Because the Americans were able to break away, others could too which inspired many other revolutions. -
Period: to
The French Revolution
Many different factors led up to this revolution but overall it was how the citizens were treated. Many were greatly oppressed and over taxed while the nobles didn't face the tax at all. This led to an uprising and the revolution that would last about a decade. The most violent time in this revolt was known as the "Reign of Terror" where many were executed including Manu well known French nobles. The the revolution came to an end the government and power division in France was forever changed. -
Period: to
The Haitian Revolution
This was a slave rebellion where the participants not only ended slavery but cut their ties with France all together. This was greatly influenced by the French Revolution and like its results, the human rights and treatment in Haiti were changed immensely. The revolution was also influenced by The Enlightenment and the American Revolution as new thoughts on human rights and success were spread. Because Haiti was one of the most profitable colonies, this brought many financial impacts to France. -
Period: to
Tanzimat Reforms
This was a series of reforms that was meant to help the dying Ottoman Empire. When the rest of the world began industrializing the Ottoman Empire could not keep up and the once powerful domain began to slowly fall. These reforms were meant to boost the education, economics, and military of the empire in hopes of catching up to its European neighbors. These attempts were unsuccessful and the Ottoman Empire soon fell. -
Period: to
Opium Wars
During the time of the Qing Dynasty China would only trade for silver so British merchants began smuggling opium into china in exchange for silver. Many became addicted so and hostility grew between the countries. The first war was ended by the Treaty of Nanjing but the second soon began as the tension was renewed and France joined forces with Britain.After several casualties, China re-observed the Treaties of Tianjin and surrendered a small portion of land in order to end the war. -
Period: to
Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion was a large revolt against the Qing Dynasty in China. This was led by Hung Hsiu-ch'üan and his group that believed that there should be a new dynasty in China called the Taiping Dynasty. This rebellion also had a major religious component as it had Christian focuses along with other traditional Chinese religions.This rebellion ultimately failed and caused a large amount of casualties. -
Period: to
Tokugawa Shogunate
This was the last Shogun empire in Japan. It came after a time of violence in Japan known as "Waring States". Though this time was violent, it brought much of Japan together and once it was unified, Japan went under Tokugawa's rule. This was also a time where Christianity was being cast out of Japan and many Christians were persecuted. This empire fell not long after it was created and led into Japanese industrialization. -
Period: to
Sepoy Mutiny
During the time of imperialism modern day India was under the control of Britain and was known as the British East India Company. Many Indians didn't agree with how the British ran things which caused this mutiny. Though it was unsuccessful, It was the first of many attempt to rebel against British rule and it began other rebellions on other areas. This resulted in many casualties and a dramatic change in the management and overall rule of India. -
Period: to
Meiji Revolution
After the Tokugawa Shogun was abolished, the new emperor began to make changes to Japan to make it more industrial which was known as the Meiji Revolution. All former social classes were abandoned and Western ways of modernization in industry and military were adopted. Trade was also expanded and the government made many new adjustments. Because of this revolution, Japan quickly became the most industrial nation in Asia. -
Period: to
Scramble for Africa
During the time of European imperialism many countries were looking for land to control. Africa was the perfect location for this because it was full of underdeveloped countries that could provide new resources and labor for their mother countries. This desire and opportunity cause many countries to conquer as much of Africa as quickly as possible which was known as the Scramble for Africa. This later led to strain and conflict between countries who did not obtain so much land as others. -
Period: to
Berlin Conference
When Africa was being colonized many European countries held a conference to decide how the continent was going to be fairly divided and how trade was going to be regulated. Though this seemed promising in the beginning, most countries did not stay true to the agreements made at the conference and the land was unevenly divided. this caused tension between counties that got little land and the countries that got large portions. This tension would later lead to the conflict of WWI.