Questions of Periodization: Consolidation and Interaction (600 -1450)
I.
Introduction
a. Set by collapse of Roman Empire and decline of classical empires in Asia
i. Invasions of nomadic peoples
ii. Huge changes in the map of the world’s civilizations
b. Ended with reaction to another set of invasions causing major realignments
i. 13th and 14th Centuries nomadic Mongol invaders tore through Asia and E. Europe
ending or changing many governments
ii. By end of 1400s, Asia was beginning to recover from Mongol’s onslaught
iii. Beginnings of W. Europe’s explorations into the wider world
iv. Collapse of 2 key political units in the Middle East: Arab caliphate and Byzantium
II. Four Overarching Developments
i. Important to note they affect individual civilizations in different ways
a. Rise of Islam
i. Islamic Civilization was a leading civilization, expanding greatly and influencing
many other civilizations
 Originally spread by Arabs
ii. Created new empires in Middle East, N. Africa, and brought political initiatives to
India, S. Europe, central Asia
iii. Conversion spread further through outreach
 Africa and Asia
iv. Commerce spread across the Indian Ocean to W. Pacific, down the E. coast of
Africa, across Sahara
v. Decline of the Islamic imperial system was a key aspect leading to end of this era
in world history
b. Expansion of Civilization
i. Civilization began to spread geographically to areas not previously embracing this
human organization
 Sub-Sahara Africa
 N. Europe (east and west)
 Japan
 Americas
 Polynesian culture spread throughout the Pacific
ii. Seven diverse areas
 Middle East and N. Africa
 China and E. Asia
 E. Europe
 W. Europe
 Sub-Sahara Africa
 India and S.E. Asia
 Americas
iii. All shared similarities and differences
 E and W Europe = mostly Christian despite other differences
 Many areas imitated other areas
a. Sub-Saharan Africa and with Islam
b. W. Europe with E. Mediterranean
iv. Civilization continued to interact with strong nomadic societies
c. World Religions
i. No agreement on belief (fierce competition) but common effects
ii. Spread of religion across much of Asia, Africa and Europe
 Hinduism – India and areas of S.E. Asia
 Buddhism – China, central and E. Asia, Japan
 Islam – Middle East, N. Africa, important minority religion in India, W.
China, sub-Saharan Africa, S.E. Asia
 Christianity – North in Europe (west and east)
iii. Differed widely but commonalities:
 Move away from multiple spirits to supreme God or single supernatural
force
o Growth of international trade encouraged religions spread – Why?
Local gods make less sense in broad picture
 Extended beyond local cultures to win adherence of diverse people to a core
belief system
 Inclusion of both elites and ordinary
 New institutions – Christian churches, Buddhist monasteries, religious and
legal experts of Islam
iv. Why were people willing to change?
 Political confusion – religions provide new structure
 Missionaries
 Examples of political and commercial spender of religious capitals and
authorities
d. The World Network
i. Increasing levels of interchange between Asia, Europe and Africa
ii. International trade grew
 Arab commerce, Indian merchants, Chinese exchanges with S.E. Asia,
North and South trade in W. Europe, African merchant routes in E. coast of
Africa and Sahara
 Luxury goods primarily (same as before) but higher volume and further
distances
iii. Cultural exchange
 Religions
 Arabs learned Indian math  European learn Arab math
iv. Disease
 Black Death
v. Not global  Americas, Polynesia, Australia and others
vi. No fundamental technological changes, but spread of ideas to new areas
 Few exceptions – printing press and gunpowder
vii. No dominant political forms – empire declined because religious ties became more
important in holding civilizations together
III.
World History Themes
a. Not a period of environmental change
i. Reflected mainly population expansion
b. Basic structures of social and gender inequality did not change
c. Nomad’s impact begins to decline
i. Peaked with Mongols
ii. Lesser role in trade compared to organized merchants
IV.
Exchange and Imitation
a. Best developed manufacturing centers and largest bureaucracies were located where
previous empires stood
i. Middle East, China, India, Byzantine remained highly influential
ii. Newer civilizations clustered around them
 Japan, N. Europe, S.E. Asia, sub-Sahara Africa
 Traded with major centers but at a disadvantage – sent more raw materials
and imported more manufactured goods
b. Cultural spread through contact was a leading feature of the period, but the timing varied in
different locations