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1250
Feudalism in Europe
Feudalism was a type of government that was used in the 10th through 15th centuries in Europe. This system was based upon your land ownership and was divided up into three groups: lords, nobles, and peasants. Land was used as currency and was traded in return for loyalty and military services. This system would eventually collapse and lead to modern day democracy in Europe. -
1255
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire that ruled over modern day Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. The empire consisted of five different dynasties that started the Muslim rule in India. Similar to the Mongols taking over the Tang and Song dynasties, Muhammad of Ghor captured the city of Delhi and started the number of dynasties that make up the Delhi Sultanate. -
1258
Abbasid Caliphate
The Abbasid Caliphate was an empire that spanned over the Middle East, western Asia, and parts of Egypt and northeast Africa. Similar to the Tang and Song dynasties in China, the Abbasid Caliphate lead the 'Golden Ages' of Islam. Throughout this dynasty, school studies such as mathematics, science, and medicine flourished. The Abbasid Caliphate is most known for finding and creating the city of Baghdad as their capital. -
1279
Tang & Song Dynasties
The Tang and Song Dynasties were the time periods after the collapse of the Han Dynasty in China. They were considered the 'Golden Ages' of Chinese History because of the peace and prosperity that came from them. Similar to the Reformation in Europe, the Tang and Song Dynasties were a time where studies such as art, poetry, history, and porcelain flourished. Many new inventions and types of trade were created, making China a leading country in advancements. -
1290
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty was ruled by Kublai Khan who allied with Genghis Khan and the Mongols to create this dynasty. Kublai Khan realized that the Mongols were good fighters but didn't know how to run such a large empire, so he created a system of government. Kublai Khan allowed freedom of religion, but created social classes that were based on race. This system is very much like the social system in Latin America when they found gold and silver and based their social status off of race. -
1300
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire was one of the most powerful and successful empires known to man. Lead by Genghis Khan, the Mongols took over many countries and empires in Asia and had a strong military. They were also extremely talented engineers and were very ahead of their time. They were very similar to modern day countries because of their focus on science and military. -
1345
Mesoamerican Empires
Both the Aztecs and Incas ruled parts of Mexico and South America until the Spanish arrived. These two empires created some of the first advancements in terms of living style and resources. They created the first aqueducts, pyramids, and road systems known in the western hemisphere. These empires were very similar to the Romans in terms of road systems and creating systems of writings. -
1350
Bubonic Plague
The Bubonic Plague started when 12 ships from the Black Sea docked and most of the crew was dead. The plague was extremely contagious and killed up to 200 million people in Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. The plague resulted in a lessened amount of trade among countries and empires. It can be compared to today's coronavirus because of the sudden spread and its' contagiousness. -
1350
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire was based in West Africa and their famous ruler was named Mansa Musa. This empire was well known for its' production of gold and salt and their advancements in trade to Europe and the Middle East. Just like in the ancient Roman culture, farming was a highly respected job because the empire depended on trading raw materials for its source of income. The Mali Empire also used the caste system which would continue on for many coming years. -
1420
Age of Exploration
The Age of Exploration was a time when Europeans began searching for new land and trade routes. Many new trade routes, foods, plants, and animals were found because of their explorations. This Age of Exploration was enforced because of the new humanism idea from the Renaissance. This exploration lead to the discovery of many new lands which are now where we live. -
1450
European Renaissance
The Renaissance was a period in Europe known as the 'rebirth' of art, politics, and culture. The cultural movement known as humanism (the belief that man should in control of his own self and strive for achievements in education, classical arts, and literature) was one of the biggest results of the Renaissance. The outcomes of the Renaissance came to shape many of today's democratic governments and made many liberal art careers possible. -
1500
Spanish Colonial Empire
After Christopher Columbus discovered the Caribbean, the Spanish continued their colonization throughout the western hemisphere. They conquered the majority of North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and part of South America. The Spanish discovered lots of silver and gold and traded with China, who turned this gold and silver into their currency. Spain made the majority of their profits off of this trade deal with China. -
1500
Portuguese Trading Post Empire
As the Line of demarcation was drawn, Portugal was forced to only explore the Eastern Hemisphere. In early 1400's, the Portuguese established trading posts across the Indian Ocean to try and find a sea route to Asia. The Portuguese found the desired sea route to India, but they also found much more. Christopher Columbus was a famous navigator that came from the Portuguese and was looking for sea routes but stumbled upon North America. -
1550
Atlantic Slave Trade
After the discovery of silver and other raw materials in the western hemisphere, the Spaniards decided they needed help. Slaves from West Africa were taken and placed in the Caribbean and South America to harvest sugar cane and other materials. These slaves helped fulfill the demand of commodities coming from Europe and were instrumental in terms of trade. -
1550
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire was first created by the Turks from Asia, but united with many territories later in the years. The establishing Turks had strong Islamic morals and carried that through their leadership. The Ottoman Empire is most known for its' contribution to the arts and education as many citizens pursued education in astronomy, physics, and other science-based subjects. The empire was very similar to the last of the Qing Dynasty in terms of their focus on the arts. -
1550
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty came after the collapse of the Mongol-Yuan dynasty. Emperor Yongle was the leader and was heavily focused on military. His strategies were very similar to the Mongols in terms of military, however Emperor Yongle was known to be very mean and brutal. He did, however, repair the Great Wall of China to defend the northern part of the Ming territory. -
The Reformation
The Reformation was a movement across the Catholic churches in Europe. Because of the idea of humanism that came from the Renaissance, people started questioning authorities- the church being the main target. The most popular activist for this movement was Martin Luther, who created the '95 Theses', which protested the pope and the Catholic church. Because of this major uproar, many new branches of Christianity were created, Lutheran being the most popular as it was named after Martin Luther. -
Tokugawa Shogunate
Similar to the Qing Dynasty, the Tokugawa period is known as the 'Golden Ages' in Japanese history. During this period, the Tokugawa Shogunate created the rise of a new merchant class and increased urbanization.However, the Shogunate wanted no western influence, especially Christianity. The Shogunate forced Christianity underground and refused to trade with Western countries, causing the country to isolate itself. -
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty succeeded the Ming Dynasty and was the last major dynasty in China. The leaders of The Qing Dynasty were all very strict until Emperor Qianlong came around. Emperor Qianlong was an advocate for the arts and even wrote poetry and made several art pieces himself. He lead a movement very similar to the Renaissance for the people of the Qing Dynasty. -
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire ruled most of India and Pakistan in the 16th and 17th centuries. These countries were majority Hindu but the Mughal Empire spread Muslim arts and faith. The most famous result of the Mughal Empire is the creation of the Taj Mahal. Like the Renaissance times, the Mughal Empire contributed lot to arts and architecture. -
Enlightenment
After the printing press was introduced, literacy rates increased all over Europe. Most people were able to read, whether low of high class. This encouraged people to question how society worked, similar to the thoughts of the Renaissance. Literacy became a popular place for people to state their opinions, leading to a rise in ideas such as feminism, liberalism, any other types of governing. -
American Revolution
The Enlightenment heavily impacted the Americans as it highlighted the faults in Europe. At the same time, the Americans were also realizing that they no longer needed to rely on the British. They were furious that they had to pay taxes to the mother country but had no representation in the Parliament. This lead to, with help from France, the fight against Britain and the separation of America from British rule. The Declaration of Independence was written and was the final step towards freedom. -
French Revolution
After the French helped the Americans with their revolution, they spiraled into major debt. France was also buying more than they could make, hurting their economy even further. However, the recent Enlightenment resulted in the people of France creating a new empire that would be lead by Napoleon. They wrote the "Declaration of the Rights of Man" which is similar to our Declaration of Independence. -
Industrial Revolution
As the population continued to grow, more and more people moved to larger cities such as London, Liverpool, and Manchester. Machinery was created that would help manufacture goods faster as factory workers populated European cities. However, the conditions of the factories were almost inhumane. Workers had to work extremely close to each other for long hours with little pay. Many children were forced to work in these factories, as well. -
Haitian Revolutions
During the time of the French Revolution, the French loosened up on their control of Haiti. The Haitians took advantage of the weakened France and started to revolt against the French. With help from their leader Toussaint L'Ouverture, the slaves successfully revolted from the French and won their independence. To this day, the Haitian Revolution is considered the first ever successful slave revolt and is the reason most Haitians today have African American descent. -
Tanzimat Reforms
As the Industrial Revolution continued to spread throughout Europe, the Ottoman Empire was forced to change. They created the Tanzimat Reforms, which enforced many new changes. Their education system became more secular and gave men an equal chance at getting an education. These reforms also worked to get rid of any corruption in the government and open the empire up for international trade. -
Meiji Revolution
While the Industrial Revolution expanded across Europe, the Tokugawa Shogunate did not industrialize and fell behind. After receiving pressure from America, Emperor Meiji finally revolutionized Japan. He started with ending the feudal ways of society and taking over the shogunate. Once emperor, he brought trains and factories in order to industrialize Japan and bring them back to the international market. -
Opium Wars
As the British East India Company flourished in Africa, most of the profits were coming from the consumption of Opium from China. The leaders of the Qing Dynasty finally realized how much money they were giving to Britain and outlawed Opium. However, this caused a major problem in Britain as it was their main source of revenue. In response, there was a series of wars between Britain and China about Opium. In the end, Britain won the war and was able to trade Opium with a tarrif. -
Sepoy Mutiny
As the British East India Company dominated India, they started making their weapons with pig and cow byproducts. This change angered the indigenous Hindus and Muslims as pig and cows are seen as holy animals in their religion. This lead to the native Indian population revolting against the British. However, the Indians did not achieve freedom, but this revolt lead to a long reigning nationalist movement across India. -
Taiping Rebellion
As Europe began their imperialism in Africa, they set up spheres in China where they had access to to trade in that given area. This happened because of the weak economic policies of the Qing Dynasty which encouraged the Taiping Rebellion. During this rebellion, they attempted to overthrow the government of the Qing Dynasty and the corruption within it. The rebellion was not successful, but it inspired many other people and rebellions that eventually overthrew the government. -
Berlin Conference
After Germany became unified, Otto von Bismarck knew that Africa would be a source of conflict. In order to reduce this conflict, he hosted the European countries to a conference to peacefully divide up Africa among the empires. However, no African representatives were invited which lead to conflict across Africa. After Africa was divided up, many tribes were split up while some enemy tribes were untied. -
Scramble for Africa
After the Berlin Conference, European countries began an attempt to take over Africa and its' abundance of natural resources. To peacefully divide Africa amongst the European countries, they 'drew lines in the sand', which split up native tribes that had been untied for centuries. The Europeans treated the natives like slaves and forced them to work. The splitting up of these groups still affects Africa today, as they still face ethnic conflicts.
