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100
Mesopotamian Cities (2000 BC)
This was the place of some of the first civilizations known to mankind such as Assyria and Babylon. It is situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Several key things happened. Cuniform, one of the first written languages, was invented during this time. Also, Hammuabi, leader of the Byzantine Empire, created one of the first written laws. In spite of a few hiccups, the Assyrian Empire ruled this area until the Persian Empire -
100
Roman Conflicts (100 CE)
With Rome expanding, the Sassanid empire was constantly at war with them. Neither side really bennefitted from these conflicts because they just exausted resources. These conflicts led to weakened nations. This allowed for Islamic forces to rush in and take over the Persian Empire. This changed the religious focus from Zorostrianism to Islam. -
100
Achaemenid Empire (550 BC)
This was the first Persian Empire. Under great leaders such as Darius I, and Cyrus II, this empire was able to expand its territory through conquests of surrounding areas. Trouble hit when the expanding Greeks got in the way of Persia's expansion. The Battle of Marathon was fought over this and Persia lost, ending expansion. A major idea that was held was the use of satraps. This established different territories that were still a part of the entire nation, helping with organization -
Jan 1, 622
Islam (622 CE)
Beginning with the life of Muhammud, Muslim influence quickly swept over South West Asia. Muslims conquered much of the region and became the dominant relgion for the region into modern times. This eventualy led to division among the region with the key issue being how caliphates were to be elected. -
Jan 1, 700
Golden Age (700-900 CE)
This time began under Harun Al Rashid of the Abbasid Caliphate. During this time, Islamic countries were the most powerful in the world. They built on the ideas of the Greek and expanded human understanding in the areas of math, science, and medicine. This era set the bar for future empires, but was fallen by the Mongols. -
Period: Jan 1, 1100 to Jan 1, 1200
Crusades (1100 CE)
This was a time when Christianity was on the rise. Europeans launched several invasions into Islamic territory in order to capture the Holy Land of Israel. This caused pressure on the Islamic leaders and caused them to use resources. -
Period: Jan 1, 1200 to Jan 1, 1300
Mongol Conquest (1200 CE)
This truely ended the Golden Age of Islam. The Mongols conquered much of Asia and the Islamic countries were no exception. Baghdad was sacked and intense damage was done across the country. The country would not see any independence untill the decline of the Mongols. -
Period: Jan 1, 1300 to
Ottoman Empire (1300 CE)
This was the longest lived "modern" empire. It was known for its use of gunpowder in combat. It conquered many lands and became very powerful. It was a Sunni Muslim state, which cause strife with other Muslim nations. -
Period: Jan 1, 1500 to
Safavid Dynasty (1500 CE)
This dynastry controlled the area around present day Iran. It reintroduced Shi'a Islam to the region and made it the dominate religion. While the reign was succesful at reuniting previously scattered nations, it fell to more powerful forces such as the Ottomans. -
Decline of the Ottoman (1800 CE)
This was the last major event of South West Asis before the turn of the twentieth century. They failed to stay up to par with the industrializing Europeans and quickly fell into decline. Their major problem was conquered territories gathering nationalism for their own countries. This caused internal strife which led to the fall of the empire. -
THESIS
The changes of the South West Asian region were signifigant and included becoming Islam and entering their Golden Age. A continuity that occured was the difficutly of quelling relgious conflicts.
