Name____________________________________________
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Date: _______
Block: _____
Snapshot Chart: World History – 600 to 1450 C.E.
P
North America
Settled chiefdoms in
Southwestern Desert

Hohokam

Anasazi
E
R
S
I/A
Economies based on maize,
beans, & squash
Shamanism
Gender stratification

Men hunted, took
care of irrigation
works & traded

Women specialized
in crafts, agriculture,
& domestic duties
Decorative pottery & cotton
weaving (Anasazi)
Polytheism
Long-distance trade w/
Mesoamerica
Mississippian settled
chiefdoms

Cahokia
Social stratification
Underground buildings
called kivas
(Anasazi)
N
Southwestern desert in
present-day United States
Mississippi River Valley
Mound buiding
(Cahokia)
Urbanization
Mesoamerica

Toltec

Aztec Empire
Latin America
Andean So. America

Moche, Tiwanaku, &
Wari

Incan Empire
Both Aztec & Inca kings
were expected to extend
empire through conquest in
order to keep their
positions
Aztecs

Chinampa system to
grow maize, various
fruits, & vegetables

Tribute system

Long-distance trade
(barter)
Incas

Domestication of
llama/alpaca

Ayllu (clan-based
labor)

Mit’a system

Incan roads (13,000
miles)

Quipus for recordkeeping

Long-distance &
regional trade (vertical
integration)
Aztecs

Polytheism

Huitilopochtli
(Sun/War god) &
Tlaloc (Rain god) most
impt.

Ritual human sacrifice
expanded

Religious ritual
reaffirmed power of
the king

Calendar for religious
rituals
Incas

Polytheism

Sun god most
important

Human sacrifice

Royal family had a
divine to sun

Calendar for religious
rituals
Aztecs

Social stratification
based on wealth
(warrior-elite was
highest status)

Strong merchant class

Impressive
urbanization
(Tenochtitlan &
Tlateloco)

Polygamy for wealthy
elites
Andean So. America

Social stratification
based on wealth

Royal bureaucracy had
to be kinsmen

Impressive
urbanization (Cuzco)
Aztecs

Pyramid building

Art depicted &
glorified militaristic
aspects of society
Andean So. America

Massive temples &
palaces built out of
stone

Textile weaving

Metallurgy (copper
and bronze weapons
& figurines decorated
w/ gold & silver)
The Aztecs were originally a
semi-nomadic group of
serfs and mercenaries who
eventually moved to the
islands off the shore of Lake
Texoco and in 1325 began
building the cities that
would become the
foundation of modern
Mexico City. Eventually
they would conquer a large
empire in Central Mexico
Andean peoples like the
Incas had to cope w/ three
ecological zones
1. Mountainous zone
w/ harsh weather
& high altitudes
2. Arid zone of the
coastal region of
the Pacific Ocean
3. Hot, humid
Amazonian tropical
zone
The Inca created an
amazing empire that
stretched up and down the
coast of South America &
had more than 6 million
people under its control.
Spread of Islam
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Muslim regional kingdoms
in W. Africa

Ghana

Mali

Songhay
Muslim city-states in
Central Sudan

Hausa

Kanem-Bornu
Christian kingdom of
Ethiopia
Swahili city-states
Trans-Saharan trade (gold,
salt, slaves)
Islam
Christianity (Ethiopia)
Social stratification
emerged with increase in
wealth from trade
Iron working
Slavery emerged for labor
in mines but most slaves
specialized in service to
wealthy elites. They had
opportunities at
advancement.
Indian Ocean trade network
(ivory, ebony, gold, animal
skins)
West African coastal trade
with Portugal
Spread of Islam had a
varied impact on women
with most having many
roles in African societies &
reflected influence of local
traditions & customs.
Introduction of bananas &
yams from Malay sailors
from SE Asia
Export of Ethiopian coffee
to the Middle East
Mosques and Christian
churches blended Middle
Eastern designs w/ diverse
building styles of local
African regions
Mosques were centers for
education
(madrasas)
Increase in literacy as
Arabic was adopted &
Arabic alphabet was used
to write local languages
Swahili griots continued to
transmit African history
orally
Travels of ibn Battuta
Great Zimbabwe in
Southern Africa
Bubonic Plague Epidemic
(14th c.)
Copper wire & decorative
objects (SE Africa)
African societies emerged in
a variety of geographic
zones – grasslands of E.
Africa, dense tropical rain
forests of W. & C. Africa,
and deserts like the Sahara
in the North & Kalahari in
the south. Africa is almost
entirely in the tropical zone
of the Earth and its cycles
are rainy and dry seasons
rather than hot and cold.
Rivers were important to
the development of
irrigation and agriculture
with the three most crucial
being the Nile (central
Africa to north), Niger (W.
Africa), & Zambezi (south to
central Africa). Africans
found ways to produce food
in all these varied regions.
Copper & bronze statues
(W. Africa)
The Rise of Islam (Saudi
Arabia, 7th c.)
Middle East/North
Africa
Islamic Caliphates

Abu Bakr’s (632-661)

Ummayad (661-750)

Abbasid
(750-1258)
Some provinces of the
caliphates broke away &
established their own
caliphates by 9th c.

Fatimid caliphate
(Egypt)

Samanid caliphate
(Iran)
Turkish Sultanates (11th 14th c.)

Seljuk Turks

Mamluks (Egypt)

Timurid Empire
The Crusades (1095-1291)
The Mongols

Sacked Baghdad 1258

Il-khan Empire
Long-distance trade along
Silk Roads (coins, textiles,
crafts)
Position at the western end
of the Silk Roads made it
major conduit of luxury
goods from the East (silk,
porcelain, etc.)
Mongol tax farming (giving
out private contracts to
merchants to collect taxes
by whatever means served
them best)
Islam
Shia/Sunni split after
Muhammad’s death

Shias believed
succession should be
traced through
Muhammad’s
bloodline; cousin Ali
should’been 1st caliph
& only his
descendents could be
imams

Sunnis believed
caliph should be
chosen by
community; 1st three
caliphs properly
selected
Sufiism (mystical religious
sect within Islam)
Cities like Baghdad &
Cordoba were essential to
Muslim Empire, both as
ways of spreading the faith
& as governing centers
Ulama (religious scholar
class) preserved central
teachings & tenets of Islam
as the empire became more
diverse
Women in Islam had
greater legal freedom than
Jewish or Christian women
at this time. Although not
considered the equally of
men, they were influential
in family life, could own or
inherit property, divorce,
remarry, and testify in
court. Practices such as
seclusion & veiling actually
came from the Byzantine &
Sassanid Empires & were
adopted by Islam later.
Bubonic plague epidemic
(14th c.)
The Qur’an & language of
Arabic united the many
diverse cultures within the
Islamic Empire at this time
Islamic scholars looked to
many different sources for
knowledge including the
Greek classics, as well as
works from Persia and India
that had been translated
into Arabic
Muslim scholars built on
earlier advancements in
science, mathematics, &
technology including
algebra, trigonometry,
astronomical observations,
& medicinal studies.
Mosques were central
architectural landmarks
Art & literature had Persian
influences
The Muslim World (dar-alIslam) stretched from
places in the Middle East,
such as Syria, Palestine,
present day Iran & Iraq, to
North Africa, the southern
part of Spain, and across
Central Asia to the eastern
ends of the Silk Roads.
Europe
After the fall of the Roman
Empire in the 5th c. CE, the
western part of the Empire
became a decentralized
feudal system while the
eastern part of the Empire
continued under imperial
rule as the Byzantine
Empire.
Medieval Western Europe
(600-1000)

Feudalism

Carolingian Empire
(founded by
Charlemagne)

Pope demanded
honor & respect from
secular leaders
Medieval Western Europe
(1000-1450)

Holy Roman Empire

Investiture conflict

Politically
independent cities
in Italy & Flanders
The Crusades (10951291)
Viking invasions
Byzantine Empire

Constantinople
(capital city)

Reign of Justinian
(527-565)

Justian’s Code
preserved Roman
Law

Collapsed in 1453
when the Ottomans
captured
Constantinople
The main form of economic
production in medieval
Western Europe from 6001000 could be found on the
manor. The manor was a
single fortified dwelling
which sustained a
community of people &
included a mill, church,
workshops, and a village
where serfs lived. The
manor was self-sufficient &
rarely interacted with the
outside world due to the
lack of communication,
trade, and strong
centralized gov’t at this
time Several important
economic changes occurred
in late medieval Western
Europe (1000-1450). New
agricultural technologies
such as a new plow, the
horse collar, & the use of
horses instead of oxen led
to an increase in the food
supply & thus a larger
population. This surplus
freed people to focus on
industries in artistry &
construction & thus trade
resumed. Production rose
again after the Black Death
as serfdom ended & free
laborers bought land for
themselves & demanded
higer wages. Finally,
politically independent
cities in Italy, the Hanseatic
League, & the Flanders
revived seaborne trade. The
Crusades also renewed
economic contact w/ the
Muslim World.
The Byzantine Empire
continued Roman economic
traditions including the
regulation of prices, the
trading of luxury goods, &
grain shipments.
Constantinople’s ideal
location made it a center of
trade & travel.
Christianity had both a
political and a religious
impact as the power of the
church grew in both
Western & Eastern Europe,
and the concept of
Christendom took on a
territorial context
In 1054, a schism (formal
split) occurred between the
Christian church in Western
& Eastern Europe over a
series of doctrinal issues
such as the humanity &
divinity of Jesus, the place
of icons, the role of Mary,
and the role & power of the
pope. From then one, the
church was split into the
Roman Catholic (Latin)
Church in the west & the
Eastern Orthodox Church in
the east.
Monasticism developed in
medieval Western Europe.
Early medieval Western
Europe (600-1000) had a
very rigid system of social
stratification due to
feudalism’s emphasis on
the vassal relationship &
serfdom. Noblewomen
played an important role in
this system since they were
carefully & strategically
married to create political
alliance & gain more lands.
Women could own land &
manage estates when
husbands were away on
military service. The Church
provided the social
framework for this entire
system.
The tragic demographic
changes brought on by the
Black Death epidemic
(1347-51) led to a revival of
trade & the emergence of
independent cities that
offered more opportunities
for social mobility &
individual opportunity.
Western Europe’s Jews
lived in cities and
experienced periods of
great tolerance (Muslim
Spain) & also periods of
horrific persecution (during
Black Death).
The Byzantine Empire
moved from an urban way
of life to a more rural one
due to an epidemic of the
bubonic plague in the 7th c.
CE. Women also moved
from a freer existence to a
more secluded existence in
the home, marked by
wearing the veil in public.
Social interactions w/ men
were limited to family
members.
The Crusades brought
Muslim scholarship &
knowledge to Europe in the
form of the ancient Greek
classics (preserved by
Muslims) & the many
scientific & technological
achievements made by the
Muslims themselves.
Late medieval cities became
centers of learning as
universities specializing in
fields such as education,
law, & theology sprang up
across Europe. Universities
allowed for new questions
about the relationship b/t
reason & faith known as
scholasticism.
Most Western European art
& architecture at this time
centered around the
church. Architecture
flourished in the form of
the Gothic cathedral.
Byzantine Empire enjoyed
many cultural & artistic
achievements all reflecting
the Greek Orthodox
interpretations of
Christianity. The Hagia
Sophia is the greatest
example of Byzantine
architecture. The Byzantine
practice of painting icons
had a great influence on
pre-Renaissance painting in
Western Europe.
Post-classical Europe
derived from the fall of
Rome in the 5th c. CE. The
western part of the old
empire, that included the
present-day countries of
France, Germany, Italy, &
Great Britain among others,
replaced the imperial rule,
culture, and laws of Rome
with those of the Germanic
traditions and practices of
tribes in the area.
The eastern half of the
Roman Empire continued as
the Byzantine Empire, with
Constantinople as its great
capital located ideally b/t
the Black Sea & the
Mediterranean. The
Byzantine Empire
encompassed the Balkan
Area of southeastern
Europe as well as Anatolia
until it came to an end in
1453 w/ the Ottoman
conquest.
Russia/
Central Asia
Kievan Russia stood as
an independent state
from 980 until the arrival
of the Mongols in the
13th c.
Steppe diplomacy of the
Central Asian
pastoralists
In the 13th c. CE, the
Mongols established the
largest contiguous land
empire in world history,
stretching from China to
Baghdad in Persia &
Western Russia. This
was due mostly to
military tactics such as
their horsemanship and
the use of the Central
Asian bow. After the
death of the empire’s
founder Chinggis Khan,
the Mongols divided
their empire into
khanates. The khanates
in Central Asia were the
Chagatai Khanate ruled
most of Central Asia
while the Khanate of the
Golden Horde ruled
Russia
Economic prominence in
Kiew came from trade,
which provided the
money to pay soldiers.
Princes & artisans lived
in cities & focused on
trade while the Slavs
worked the lands. By the
12th c. CE, the Orthodox
Church had taken
control of economic
roles such as tax
collection.
Pastoral nomads of the
Central Asian steppes
were actively involved in
trade along the Silk
Roads due need to trade
for goods from settled
societies they could not
produce from settled
societies, and as carriers
of goods along the Silk
Roads.
In securing and
controlling Eurasia, the
Mongols allowed
missionaries, merchants,
and diplomats to move
freely and exchange
ideas and goods. The
peace they established
during their reign (the
Pax Mongolica) allowed
trade along the Silk
Roads to flourish.
The Mongols also
enacted practices like
tax farming & collected
tribute from their
conquered territories.
Kievan Russia followed
the traditions of
Orthodox Christianity
Pastoral nomads
believed in shamanism
Though the Mongols
often adopted other
faiths that spread along
the Silk Roads, such as
Buddhism, Christianity,
& Islam, they still
maintained their
shamanistic traditions
Kievan Russia had a
highly stratified society
in which the princes
were the elite class,
artisans & soldiers were
valued, & Slavs were
used to work the land in
a form of serfdom
Pastoral societies like
the Mongols tended to
be more egalitarian,
especially in regards to
the roles of women who
had a voice in tribal
councils. These tribes
did select a leader
known as a khan. The
most powerful families
could voice their
opinions to the khan,
and they grew more
powerful through
intermarriage & warfare.
The Mongol conquests
also unknowingly spread
disease, most notably
the bubonic plague
pandemic. In addition,
the Mongols spread
influenza, typhus, &
smallpox that spread
death & destruction
across Eurasia.
Kievan Russian churches
were built & icons
painted in the Byzantine
style. Byzantine
missionaries influenced
the formation of the
Cyrillic alphabet, which
became the written
language of Slavic &
Russian Orthodox
Christians.
Though the Mongols
were pastoral nomads,
the best example of
their architecture were
their yurts, they did
foster the exchange of
goods, ideas, and
technological
achievements across the
Eurasian continent. The
Mongols also adopted
many of the local
cultural traditions
depending on the areas
they conquered.
Kievan Russia emerged
north of the Byzantine
Empire with large cities
such as Kiev & Novgorod
which were located in
such present-day
Eastern European
countries like the
Ukraine.
In the 13th c. CE, the
Mongols established the
largest contiguous land
empire in world history,
stretching from China to
Baghdad in Persia &
Western Russia.
After Chinggis (Genghis)
Khan’s death, the
Mongol Empire was
separated into four
Khanates. They were…

Yuan Dynasty
(China)

IL-Khanate (Persia)

Chagatai Khanate
(Central Asia)

Golden Horde
(Russia)
East Asia
China rose as the most
influential state in East
Asia in terms of
economic & political
dominance
Imperial Dynastic Rule in
China

Sui (589-618)

Tang (618-907)

Song (960-1279)

Yuan (Mongol
rule; 1271-1368)

Ming (1368-1644)
Japan, Korea, & Vietnam
accepted some aspects
of Chinese culture &
rejected others, carving
out their own unique
cultural & political
identities
Japan became a
decentralized feudal
state that recognized the
emperor & shogun but
did not unify politically
until the threat of
Mongol invasion.
Chinese dynasties,
starting w/Tang
reestablished the
tributary system in
which independent
states gave gifts to the
Chinese emperor for
trade privileges.
Chinese cities such as
Chang’an, Kaifeng, &
Hangzhou were thriving
economic & cultural
centers
China had much
economic success as
many of its goods,
especially silk &
porcelain were traded
extensively across the
Silk Roads & Indian
Ocean.
Chinese technological
advancements:

Grand Canal (Sui)

Compass (Tang)

Junk (Tang)

Paper money

Flying money
(letters of credit)

Land redistribution
(Tang)

Gunpowder (Tang)

Tea & fast-growing
rice imported from
Vietnam (Tang)

Printing w/
movable type
(Song)

Abacus (Song)

Improvements in
iron & steel
production (Song)

Zheng He
Expedition (14051433)
Confucianism was
reestablished as the
philosophy of the state
& examination system
revived under Sui
Mahayana Buddhism
exerted significant
social, cultural, and
political influence in
China, Japan, Korea, &
Vietnam. Tang dynasty
attacked Buddhism as a
scapegoat for the
problems causing the
empire’s decline.
Neo Confucianism, a
blending of Buddhist &
Confucian ideas,
emerged during the
Song Empire
In Japan, Shinto (the
traditional Japanese
belief system that
revered spirits of nature
& ancestors) mixed w/
both Confucianism &
Buddhism.
Neo-Confucianism
promoted the
application of Confucian
respect for authority &
family to everyday life of
all levels of Chinese
society. It heightened
the tendency of Chinese
elite classes to withdraw
from contact w/ other
peoples.
China remained a highly
patriarchal society.
Chinese women did NOT
have the right to own
property, divorce, or
remarry, & rarely had
educational
opportunities. The
practice of footbinding
became a status symbol
amongst Chinese
women & made them
unable to work
China experienced a
significant decline in
population during the
Yuan Empire for a
variety of reasons,
including the bubonic
plague pandemic.
Population would
increase during the Ming
Empire
Mahayana Buddhism
Neo-Confucianism
Japanese bushido
(samurai code)
Chinese writers
produced popular short
stories & poetries
Chinese artists
expressed themselves
through landscape
paintings
Chinese territory was
expanded into central
Asia to the eastern
border of Bactria
(present-day
Afghanistan) including
portions of Tibet,
Manchuria, & South
Vietnam
Chinese cultural,
political, & economic
influence extended into
Korea, Japan, &
Vietnam
After decline of Gupta
Empire, India was divided
into separate feuding states
South Asia
Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526)
was a Muslim Empire
established by Turkish
invaders that did much to
centralize northern India
under a strict government
bureaucracy.
In 1398, Timur (Tamerlane)
sacked & conquered Delhi
in 1398 which signaled the
end of prominence of the
Delhi sultans.
Southeast Asia
Vietnam was divided
into two rival kingdoms
– Annam & Champa.
Annam was culturally,
politically, &
economically tied to
China. Champa was
heavily influenced by
India & Malaya. Both
were tribute states of
China.
The Delhi sultanate profited
tremendously from the
Indian Ocean trade network
b/c it held control over
many of the key port cities
& regions along this trade
route
The Dehli Sultanate
introduced Islam to the
Indian subcontinent
creating ongoing tension
between Hinduism & Islam
in South Asia that is still
evident today.
Arab dhows (a boat fitted
with a lateen sail) were the
typical ship of the Indian
Ocean b/c they were able
to master the monsoon
winds & effectively
navigate the currents
These kingdoms grew
wealthy & prominent by
being active members in
the Indian Ocean trade
network (esp. trade in
spices & gold).
The old Hindu caste system
continued to be practiced
though members of lower
Hindu castes &
untouchables found Islam
appealing b/c of its
accepting & egalitarian
nature.
Islamic cultural, artistic,
philosophical, &
technological developments
spread to India at this time
Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526)
was a Muslim Empire
established by Turkish
invaders who ruled almost
all of the northern part of
the subcontinent. The
southern part of the
subcontinent was
controlled by Hindu princes.
Hinduism & Buddhism
continued to affect
development of thought,
art, and architecture
Many of these trade
kingdoms emerged on
the Malay peninsula &
the islands of what is
today Indonesia, while
also emerging on the
peninsula that today
contains the countries of
Vietnam, Laos, &
Cambodia. The port
cities in this region were
ideally located along the
Indian Ocean trade
network.
The Delhi Sultanate
required Hindus to pay
special tax in return for
protection
Strong Hindu & Buddhist
influences
Islam emerged later
Foreign ideas, especially
religious ones, affect
social structure &
behavior
The emergence of Islam
later would further
affect cultural, artistic, &
philosophical
development of this
region.
Malay sailors were
active across the entire
Indian Ocean network
Indian Ocean Commerce
created several large
kingdoms in SE Asia –
Srivijaya (Malay
peninsula), Saliendras
(central Java) , & Khmer
state of Angkor (Burma)
Tribal governments
(Australia’s Aborigines)
Established villages based
on agriculture & fishing
Polytheism
Animism (Dreamtime)
Oceania
Regional kingdoms (ex.
Hawaii; the Maori of New
Zealand)
Polynesian (Austronesian)
migrations brought highly
stratified societies to the
many tiny islands in the
Pacific
The Maori of New Zealand
set up a stratified society
that included slaves
Paleolithic cave art
Polynesian canoes
Polynesian pictographs
After 600 CE, the Polynesian
people were involved in
migration & expansion from
island to island in the
Pacific. From their base in
the islands of Fiji, Samoa, &
Tahiti, the Polynesians
sailed northward & settled
the islands of Hawaii. About
1200 CE, another group of
Polynesians migrated to the
island of New Zealand