Significant Leaders, Events, Cultural Contributions, and Technological Developments of Eastern and Western Civilizations
Early Modern Times 1200 C.E.—1500 C.E.
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1200s C.E.
The Mongol Empire |
Nomadic warriors from northern steppes, the Mongols first invaded China under Ghengis Khan (now known as Chinggis Khan); his successors established the largest contiguous empire in history. The Mongols made Buddhism the state religion, but were tolerant of other religions. Under Mongol rule, the Chinese were forbidden to participate in state affairs so many intellectuals turned to art and culture. However, Mongol rulers encouraged contact with outside cultures.
http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/exhibit/mongols/mongols.html
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1250 C.E.
Kamakura period in Japan |
The Kamakura period is noted for three aspects. First, there was a great deal of feuding and infighting for dominance by the nobility; second, the Mongols attempted to invade, but were repulsed by typhoons, which the Japanese called kamikaze, meaning divine winds; finally, Buddhism gained a wider audience, spreading from the palaces of the nobility to the countryside.
http://countrystudies.us/japan/11.htm |
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1275 C.E.
Marco Polo |
Marco Polo was an Italian merchant who traveled to China and stayed for 17 years; his accounts document the wealth and splendor of the East and illustrate that China was more advanced than Europe at this time.
https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/marco-polo |
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1336 C.E.
Rise of the Ashikaga |
A feudalism similar to that of western Europe arose in Shogunate Japan. Under a weak emperor, daimyo warlords divided their land among loyal samurai who pledged their loyalty and military service. Despite this political turmoil, the Japanese economy grew to include an increasingly important merchant middle class.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashikaga_shogunate
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1350 C.E.
The Black Death |
The Black Death was a form of the bubonic plague transmitted by fleas that infested rats which carried the disease. The plague spread from the Black Sea region southwest to the British Isles, killing about one-fourth of the
population of Europe.
http://www.history.com/topics/black-death
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1350-1600 C.E.
The Italian Renaissance |
Italian city-states avoided the economic crisis in Europe by remaining trading partners with Byzantium and the Islamic Mediterranean. Italian scholars therefore had access to classical and Islamic texts. This led to a renewal (or Renaissance, meaning rebirth) in literature, art, politics, science, and philosophy.
https://www.history.com/topics/italian-renaissance |
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1368-1644 C.E.
The Ming dynasty |
The Mings ended Mongol rule in China and reopened government to the Chinese. Under Ming rule, China began a policy of expansionism and sought to become a sea power, which brought great prosperity. This in turn made important new construction projects possible. In the later Ming period, a fear of new ideas encouraged isolationism and an increasingly distant and corrupt nobility led to the Mings' political downfall.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ming/hd_ming.htm |
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1400s-1600s
C.E.
The Choson dynasty |
The Choson dynasty of Korea was based in the city of Seoul. Under the Choson, a Korean alphabet was developed, and Buddhism was discouraged in favor of Confucianism. After a series of invasions, first by the Japanese in the 16th century and next by the Manchus in the early 17th century, Korea strictly limited its contact with other countries. The Choson dynasty lasted until the early 20th century, when Japan annexed Korea as a colony.
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/main_pop/kpct/kp_choson.htm
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1415 -1434 C.E.
The Hussite wars |
Jan
Hus, a Czech priest and reformer in Bohemia, spoke
out against the sale of indulgences and other
Church practices of the time; branded a heretic,
he was burned at the stake in 1415. His followers,
called Hussites, launched an uprising and won
a series of victories against German armies sent
to suppress them. In 1434, they were able to broker
a peace with the Church, and Hussite ideas spread
to other parts of Europe.
http://history-lists.com/15-essential-facts-about-the-hussite-wars/
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1431 C.E.
Joan of Arc |
In the latter part of the Hundred Years War between France and England, Jeanne (in English, Joan), a French peasant girl, persuaded Charles, dauphin of France, that heavenly voices called to her to save their country. She convinced him to send troops to Orleans. Accompanied by Jeanne in battle armor, the troops won at Orleans and next won several field engagements. Jeanne then persuaded the dauphin to be crowned as Charles VII. Seized by Burgundian troops, she was turned over for a price to the English, who burned her at the stake in 1431 as a witch. Her memory continued to inspire French troops and contribute to national unity.
http://www.history.com/topics/saint-joan-of-arc
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1477-1485 C.E.
The Wars of the Roses |
The Wars of the Roses was a civil war between two powerful families in England, the Lancasters (whose badge was a red rose) and the Yorks (whose badge was a white rose). Eventually a Lancaster noble defeated the Yorks and become King Henry VII; he married Elizabeth, a York, to unify the families. Henry worked closely with Parliament to win the favor of the people. Because many English nobles had died during the wars, few were left to challenge Henry, who founded the Tudor dynasty.
https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/wars-of-the-roses |
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1492 C.E.
The Fall of Granada |
In Granada, the last Muslim outpost in western Europe, Catholic forces successfully ousted its Muslim rulers. This completed the reconquista, the restoration of Catholic authority to Spain, and united the entire country under the rule of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. The 1492 Treaty of Granada, signed by Ferdinand and Isabella, provided guarantees of religious tolerance for Muslims who chose to stay in Spain, but seven years later the treaty was revoked by Church authorities.
http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/treaty1492.html
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