600 C.E. - 1450 C.E.

600 C.E. - 1450 C.E. Overview

• Changes in migration patterns, culture, and trade

• Technology advances improve agriculture, capacity to trade

• Spread of world religions (Islam, Christianity, Buddhism)

• Islam influence most significant in era

Rise of Islam

• Islamist empires spread throughout Middle East, North Africa, Spain, Central Asia, and India

• Trade and missionaries spread it to Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia

• Great artistic, literacy, and scientific cultures develop

Other Religions

• Buddhism spreads to Southwest Asia, China, Korea, and Japan

• Christianity– Catholicism spreads throughout Western

Europe– Orthodox Christianity solidified in Eastern

Europe, Russia– Formally split in 11th century

Religion

• Millions converted, mostly from indigenous religions

• Many religious boundaries set in this era are still in place

• Rivalries arise between Islam/Christianity, Islam/Hinduism

Trade

• Luxury items (silk, spices, porcelain) traded in major urban centers (China, India, Middle East, and Byzantine Empire) - trickles into W. Europe, Africa

• Smaller trade networks w/in regions and across adjacent regions

• Spread of ideas, inventions– Compass: China => Middle East => Europe– Numbers: India => Middle East => Europe

Americas

• Remains isolated

• Mayans and later the Aztecs built upon accomplishments of the Olmecs.

• Incas dominate in South America

Africa

• Bantu peoples bring agriculture to South and East

• African kingdoms import Islam to further learning and administer kingdoms

• Largest African kingdoms in W. Africa - Mali, Ghana, Songhai

Changes - China

• Importation of Buddhism during years of uncertainty

• Eventually contained, made to fit within Confucian structure

• All other changes adapted to traditional framework - nothing revolutionary until 1911

Changes - India

• Muslim incursions bring Islam to India

• Muslim invaders control regional kingdoms

• No real unification of India

• Buddhism declines

Western Europe

• Christian / Muslim relations tense– Moors in Spain– Crusades– Ottomans in the East, siege of Vienna

• Europe fragmented politically• Lacks exportable resources (gold, silk)• Begin to explore trade routes, forced to

Atlantic by Ottoman presence in Med.

The 13th Century On

• Arab civilizations/empire begin slow decline

• Mongols invade China, Middle East, Russia - threatens E. Europe, S.E. Asia– Facilitated international contacts, trade– Printing, gunpowder from China => Europe

Would eventually give Europe advantage / strength to dominate world

• Plague - China to M.E. to Europe

The End of the Era

• Mongols defeated in China, Russia

• Byzantine Empire falls to Ottomans

• Europeans starting to sail down Africa

• New technologies available at end of this era would define the next: navigational devises, better ships, and GUNS!