The World: 600 -1450

Expanding Communities

Demographic and Environmental Changes

• Nomadic Migrations

VikingsTurksAztecsMongolsArabs

Predict the impact of these movements.

Demographic and Environmental Changes• Migration of Agricultural

PeoplesBantu migrationsEuropeans to Eastern and

Central Europe

• Consequences of Disease For ex. Black Plague 1348

• Growth and Role of CitiesUrbanization

How much of this demonstrates continuity?

Inter-regional networks and Contacts

• Mediterranean trade circuit

• Silk Routes• Indian Ocean

• Trans-Saharan Trade

• Trans-American circuits

• Religious connections: missionaries, inter-religious contact

• Impact of Mongols

Mediterranean Circuits

Silk Routes

Indian Ocean

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trans-American trade

Religious Connections

Impact of Mongols: Blessing or a Curse

China: Internal and External Expansion

• Tang DynastyTechnological innovations:

compass, paper, gunpowder etc.

Influence on JapanFootbinding, Neo-

Confucianism

• Song DynastyAll the makings of an

industrial revolution

• Early MingZheng He voyages,

eunochs and nomadic threats

Islamic World: Dar al-Islam

• Expanding cultural, economic and political influence

Al-Andalus/ Islamic SpainNorth and West AfricaIndian Ocean: East Africa, India,

SE Asia

• Technological accomplishments: astrolabe, algebra, philosophy, cartography…

Al-Andalus

Islamic World: Sample Comparisons

• Compare Islam to Christianity• Compare Islamic contacts with

Europe and with Africa• Crusades- points of view

compared• Compare gender changes • Compare support/ patronage of

arts and sciences

Europe

• Break in eastern and Western Christendom: political significance?

• Religious schisms compared:Eastern Orthodox and Roman

CatholicismMahayana and Theravada

BuddhismSunni/ Shiite in Islam

Europe• Restructuring of

institutionsRole of religion: Papacy,

Crusades, architecture and education

Development of feudalism

Comparison of feudalism in Europe and Japan

Increasing importance of monarchy over church

Amer-Indian World

• Migrations over the Bering Strait at least 10,000 years ago.

• Northern America: Cahokia• Southwest: Hohokam• Meso-America; Olmecs, Maya,

Toltec (Aztec)• South America: Nazca, Moche,

(Inca)

Sub-Saharan Africa• West African kingdoms: Ghana,

Mali, Songhay • East African city states: Axum,

Kilwa, Mombasa• Southern Africa: Great

Zimbabwe• Contacts with Islamic World,

Indian Ocean world, and within Africa

• Role of Trade, Education and Religion

                                                        

Questions we will focus on:• Was there a world economic

network in this time period?• How did gender roles

change? • How can material culture

and urban history help us to understand early societies?

Conclusions

• Examples of continuity?• Examples of change?

Think about new and old players.

Similar patterns and trends: demographic, social and cultural, technological.

New avenues of intersection.