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500
Thesis
From 500 C.E to 1000 CE, expansion occurred and new policies were implemented while old bases of government remained in Byzantium, China, India, and the Islamic state. -
Period: 500 to Jan 1, 1000
Post Classical Era
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534
Justinian's Code
Description: In 534, Justinian, the emperor of Byzatium, issued Corpus Luris Civilis (Body of the Civil Law), which compiled Roman ancient law into one code that was enforced throughout the empire.
Significance: Justinian's Code has become the basis for most modern day European laws and was used as a reference in the making of the Bill of Rights. -
Jan 1, 600
Bureaucracy Based on Merit
Description: The Tang government re-established bureaucracy and formed a series of civil service exams based on Confucian classics.
Significance: This system is important because it enabled a smoothly-run government in China and influenced later bureaucracies, including the Department of Excise in the UK during the 18th century. -
Jan 1, 600
The Equal-Field System
Description: This system, mainly utilized in the early Tang Dynasty, emerged due to the realization that concentration of land, as seen in the Han Dynasty, can cause major social problems. Administrators distributed land based on its fertility and the needs of the individual.
Significance: The equal-field was important because it temporarily reduced extreme accumulation of land in the hands of the wealthy in rural areas. This provided for a socially and economically stable countryside. -
Jan 1, 620
The Tributary System
Description: Like the Han Dynasty, the Tang used tributary relationships between China and its neighbors who recognized Chinese emperors as their overlord. This sytem caused China to be known as the Middle Kindom and also required neighboring lands, such as Korea and Vietnam, to deliver gifts to the Chinese court.
Significance: The tributary system was important because it formed relatively peaceful relationships which fascilitated trade and cultural expansion between China and its neighbors. -
Jan 1, 630
The Caliph
Description: After the death of Muhammad, Abu Bakr became the first caliph and formed the Rashidun Caliphate. Caliphs led the Umma (Muslim community) as "deputies" and became the major political and religious leaders.
Significance: The presence of a caliph was important because they continued to enforce Sharia(law based on teachings of Qur'an) after Muhammad's death. -
Jan 1, 650
The Theme System
Description: As a result of expanding threats from the Islamic state during the late 7th century and early 8th century, the Byzatines created the theme system. The theme system placed an imperial province (theme) under the administration of a military general and granted land to individuals in exchange for military service.
Significance: The theme system was important because it created large, well-equipped armies that mobilized quickly to defend against Islamic forces. -
Jan 1, 726
Byzantine Iconoclasm
Description: Iconoclasm, issued by Leo III in 726, was an ecclesiastical policy that forced the destruction of religious images and the prohibition of their use in churches. The policy caused riots and protests for over a century.
Significance: Iconclasm was important because it caused an even more distinct divergence between the eastern and western churches. This difference contributed to the great schism in 1054 between the two churches that is still present today. -
Jan 1, 1000
Expansion and Changes in the Caste System
Description: By the 11th century, the caste system became officially established in southern India. With expansion came change. Merchants and artisans established their own subcastes and guilds which wielded significant political power.
Significance: These changes in the caste system helped guide the population and provided a way of order in the presence of a decentralized government. -
Jan 1, 1210
The Sultanate of Delhi
Description: Northern India, specifically the city of Delhi, was conquered by Muhammad's successors and placed under Islamic rule by a sultan. Although there was no permanent bureaucracy or administration, the Sultanate on Delhi was capable of controlling their state through their powerful army.
Significance: The Sultanate of Delhi, although surrounded by Hindus, was capable of sponsoring and establishing a place for Islam in India. -
The Samurai
Description: Japan had a decentralized political order that favored military talent and discipline. This led to the importance of the samurai, a lord-serving warrior who played a major role in military and political affairs.
Significance: Samurai were important because they became a major political symbol in a decentralized medieval Japan. Even after the abolition of the feudal system in 1868, the samurai's code, known as bushido, has influenced the basic code of conduct in modern Japan.
