^Period+4+Unit+2+Timeline

Unit 2 Timeline:

=500 CE: Mayan Empire #15= The Maya Empire, centered in the tropical lowlands of what is now Guatemala, reached the peak of its power and influence around the sixth century A.D. The Maya excelled at agriculture, pottery, hieroglyph writing, calendar-making and mathematics, and left behind an astonishing amount of impressive architecture and symbolic artwork. They are famous for the Mayan calender which supposedly predicted the end of the world. Most of the great cities of the Maya were abandoned by A.D. 900, however, and since the 19th century scholars have debated what might have caused this dramatic decline. Although some scholars think they over used the soil and constant tribal warfare helped the decline. Today they have decedents as well as great ruins all over Mexico and Central America.

= =


 * 21 Reign of Justinian Byzantine Empire (527 C.E.):** Justinian is known for being one of the most significant emperors during the rule of the Byzantine Empire. He became emperor in 527 C.E. and his wife, Theodora, shared the power as empress. During one of the hippodrome races, a protest began to take place. At first Justinian was tempted to flee and believed this was out of his control. However, Theodora convinced him to stand up to riot. As a result he lured around 30,000 people into the hippodrome and he ordered his men to kill everyone inside the hippodrome. This showed the dark side of Justinian, but he also had achieved many great things in his reign. After the destruction of a church caused by the riots, Justinian rebuilt it and made it even better. This great building was named the Hagia Sophia. He also created __The Digest__, which implemented every law and every case during the Roman Republic and Empire. Justinian waseven able to take back Rome for a very brief time. His rule ended when he died at the age of 82 in 565 C.E.



**(Hagia Sophia) (Justinian) (Hippodrome)**
=** 600 CE **=

__**The Abbasid Dynasty(758- 1258)**__ Abbasid Dynasty is a name commonly given to the Abbasid Empire's caliphate. The Abbasid gained power by defeating the Umayyad Empires army in combat. This time period of Islamic history was the golden age of Islam. The title came from the enlightenment in science, math, and medicine including many other intellectual fields. Notable scholars of this time period were al- Biruni and Abu Nasr- mansur. Islamic scholars took deeper and added to the works of the Greeks. Spherical geometry is an example to an Islamic addition to a Greek mathematical principle. The end of the Abbasid Dynasty came when a mongol general sacked the capital of Baghdad killing many of the cities inhabitants. Among these dead was the caliphate who was executed a few days after the mongol attack.

King Charlemagne, also known as Charles I and the King of the Franks, was one of the first emperors of western Europe since the collapse of the Roman Empire, and is known for the expansion of his empire and the period of Renaissance which he started. Charlemagne came to power after his father; "Pepin the short" died and became the true leader of the Frankish kingdom after the sudden death of his younger brother whom with he had co-ruled. Charlemagne launched an incursion into Islamic Spain and also began Christianizing Eastern Europe. His Christianization was under pain of death and this was an issue, leading to such things as the Massacre of Verden, which remains part of the legacy. The brief Renaissance under Charlemagne was known as the Carolingian Renaissance and was characterized as a period of cultural and intellectual emphasis, but within the Catholic Church. Charlemagne died in 814, his imperial rule lasted 13 years and he had expanded much of the Frankish territory.
 * #20: The Reign of Charlemagne (768-814 C.E) **


 * 32: Viking Raids in Europe** **(790-1066 CE):** The Vikings, also known as the norsemen, were seafaring people that lived along the coasts of Scandinavia but raided, explored, and traded vastly throughout areas of Europe, Asia, and some north Atlantic islands. They sailed in long wooden boats called 'longships" or "knars". Much of their survival was by looting which became a motive to raid many monasteries and churches in western Europe. Their "loot" consisted of money, food, and valuable items. These attacks brought a need for feudalism as a form of protection for the empire during Charlemange's reign in the 8th century.[[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Viking_swords.jpg/220px-Viking_swords.jpg align="right"]][[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Exhibition_in_Viking_Ship_Museum%2C_Oslo_01.jpg/220px-Exhibition_in_Viking_Ship_Museum%2C_Oslo_01.jpg]]


 * 6. Heian Period in Japan (794-1185): ** The height of the Buddhist, Taoism, and Chinese influence that occurred from 794-1185. This was the end of the classical age in Japanese History and it also marked the peak of the power of the imperial court in Japan, although the Fujiwara clan truly held the power. This era was named after its capital Heian-Kyo, which is modern Kyoto.



The Heian Period is also known for its art, specifically its poetry and literature. Borrowed many different aspects of Chinese culture such as artistic styles, laws, calendars and Buddhism.

**#13 The Mali Empire (800-1500 CE)** The Mali empire developed around 800 CE in West Africa along the upper Niger river. It derived from the state of Kangaba before the people rebelled and Sundiata became the new ruler, who set a precedent for previous successors. This empire flourished off trade and had much gold in its soil. After Sundiata came a ruler by the name of Mansa Musa who was Muslim, and like any Muslim had to have a pilgrimage to Mecca. Along the way he brought 80 camels carrying 300 pounds gold, and 500 slaves each carrying a gold staff. While Mansa Musa was on his way to Mecca he traded unfathomable amounts of gold to the middle eastern people. This much gold of course caused inflation which took the gold market 12 years to recover from. On his pilgrimage Mansa Musa also made many connections with the world outside of Africa, plus it gave the middle eastern people a whole new perspective of Africans.
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Fugen_enmei_painting.jpg/354px-Fugen_enmei_painting.jpg width="261" height="366" align="left" caption="File:Fugen enmei painting.jpg"]] ||




 * #11 Kingdom of Angkor (802-1432 CE): ** The Khmer Empire, now known as Cambodia, was the most powerful empire in Southeast Asia, and it's greatest legacy was Angkor. Jayavarman II was the founder of the Angkor empire and portrayed himself as a god-king, possessing powers similar to those of Shiva, the Hindu God. Great temples were built throughout the Angkorian period, some of which have become famous tourism sites. After struggling internally from the death of king Suryarvaman, Angkor finally fell to a Khmer rebellion in 1351, however it took almost another century for the people to desert the kingdom and for it to completely fall in 1432. The temples built were incredibly detailed with amazing relief carvings, as shown in the below images.




 * 3. Cyril and Methodius Create Russian Language (862 CE):** In response to their emperor's commands, Cyril and Methodius journeyed as missionaries to Moravia, or what is now known as modern-day Czech-Slovakia. Since the people who lived there had no written form of a language, Cyril and Methodius created an alphabet for the Slavonic language the people spoke.They both used the Greek alphabet as a basis and, when no Greek letter was close to the sound of a Slavonic syllable, borrowed from the Hebrew language. This "system" eventually gave rise to the Cyrillic alphabet which is used to write Russian and several other languages today.

Song Dynasty (960 and 1279):
The Song dynasty of China was a ruling dynasty that controlled southern China from the middle of the 10th century into the last quarter of the 13th century.With a prosperous economy and radiant culture, this period was considered as another period of 'golden age' after the glorious Tang Dynasty (618 - 907).The Song Dynasty is considered a high point of classical Chinese innovations in science and technology, and the revolutionary use of gunpowder weapons However, it was also a period of political and military turmoil, with opposing and often aggressive political factions formed at court, which impeded progress in many ways. Generally, the Song Dynasty was prosperous in many respects of the society. In agriculture, the productive technology was improved which promoted the output of food; in handicraft industry, the division of labor became more detailed which made the handicrafts technology reach an advanced level; additionally, the development of the commodity economy exceeded the previous level. Particularly, the earliest paper currency appeared at that period.

Norman Invasion of England (1066):
The Norman Invasion of China was the invasion and occupation of England by French soldiers led by William the Conqueror in order to reclaim his rights to the throne from Harold II of England. After crossing the English Channel and landing in England, Harold II rounded up an army of men and marched them south to fight William at the Battle of Hastings where he was later defeated and killed by William. After his victory at the Battle of Hastings, William expected the English people to submit to him, but instead found himself under attack by more English forces and faced with constant revolts. After seizing control of England, William made many drastic changes that continue to impact things today. He changed the national language to French, created and installed a new system of government, and made major changes to the social order by outlawing slavery. Ghana was an empire that developed in the area of modern day Mali and Mauritania. It began somewhere around 830 BCE through 1235 CE. The kingdom of Ghana was fairly small until the domestication of the camel allowed for trans-Saharan trade (mostly salt and gold) to flourish. Trade was the main driving force of the Kingdom of Ghana, forging ties with areas as far away as Europe and the Middle East. The wealth generated from this trade was fairly extensive. It was reported from multiple travelers that Ghana had a large military as well as expansive cities. The decline of the Kingdom of Ghana is somewhat difficult to figure out, due to the scattered nature of Arabic sources. Regardless it became enveloped within the Mali Empire in 1240.
 * 12. Kingdom of Ghana**


 * (Salt and gold trade illustration.) ||  || [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Ghana_empire_map.png width="206" height="170"]] ||

(Kingdom of Ghana at it's height)

The route of the first crusaders to Jerusalem, the seize of Jerusalem in 1099
 * 5. The First Crusade (1096-1099 CE):** The first crusade was a christian pilgrimage to take back the holy lands of Jerusalem from the Muslims. It was called by Pope Urban II in 1095.Crusaders were guaranteed a spot in heaven by the pope and hoped to gain wealth by going to Jerusalem. Crusaders consisted mainly of male nights and peasants but there were some women and children. In the end, the crusaders ended up gaining temporary control of Jerusalem. This particular crusade focused on the capture of Jerusalem but many others would follow. The crusade opened up Europe to the rest of the developing world and started the demise of feudalism.

The History of the Delhi Sultanate, Map of the Delhi Sultanate, The last Sultan
 * 27. Sultanate of Delhi (1206-1526):** The "Delhi Sultanate" was a term that was used to refer to five Persian-speaking kingdoms-- or sultanates that were based in Delhi. Originating in Medieval India, these sultanates who ruled the Delhi dynasties were mainly of Turkic and Pashtun background. The five sultans ruled in the time period of 1206-1526 until the last sultan, Sultan Ibrahim Loudi, was overtaken by the Mughal Dynasty in 1526. The five Dynasties include; The Mamluk Dynasty (1206-1290), The Khilji Dynasty (1290-1320), The Tughlaq Dynasty (1320-1414), The Sayyid Dynasty (1414-1451), And finally, the Lodi Dynasty (1451-1526).

Genghis Khan (~1162-1227)
 * 16. Mongol conquests under Genghis Khan (1207-1227):** During this period, the Mongol Empire conquered the Western Xia, the Uyghur Turks, the Northern Chinese Jin Dynasty, the Khwarezmid Empire, as well as confronting East Slavic warriors. The invasions of these various empires often resulted in great civilian causalities, and the Mongols were feared all across Eurasia because of their brutal tactics. During this period, the classic Mongol writing script was created. Genghis Khan died in 1227, and is thought of today as the father of Mongolia.


 * 23.The Reign of Mansa Musa. (1312-1337 C.E):** Mansa Musa was born in 1280 C.E., he came to power when the old king of the Malian empire set out on a voyage and appointed Mansa Musa as his royal deputy to serve in his place while he was away. This king never came back and Mansa Musa was crowned king of Mali. Mansa Musa is best known for his pilgrimage to Mecca, as he was a devout muslim, and one of the commandments of Allah is for every muslim to visit Mecca at least one time in their life, Mansa Musa took 60,000 men, and 12,000 slaves each carrying a 4 lb. gold bar. He gave away so much gold on his hajj, that he inflated the price of goods so much that it crashed the arabic economy. Mansa Musa died in 1337, and was succeeded by his son, Mansa Maghan.


 * 1) 2 **The Aztec Empire (1330-1521):**The Aztecs were the native American people who dominated northern Mexico at te time of the Spanish conquest led by Hernan Cortes in the early 16th century. At that time the Aztecs were a small, nomadic, Nahuatl speaking aggregation of tribal peoples living on the margins of civilized Mesoamerica. Sometime in the 12th century they embarked on a period of wandering and in the 13th century settled in the central basin of Mexico. Continually dislodged by the small city-states that fought one another in shifting alliances, the Aztecs finally found refuge on small islands in Lake Texcoco where, in 1325, they founded the town of Tenochtitlan, which is modern day Mexico City.

1 2 3
 * 1) 4. **European Bubonic Plague Pandemic (1347-1353):** The Bubonic Plague also known as the Black death is a bacteria that infects a persons lymph nodes. The lymph nodes are glands that filter out harmful substances in the body and disposes of them, the plague clogs up this system (Diagram 2) and causes them to swell and they become bulges called buboes (Diagram 1). This disease was highly contagious and combined with the superstitious treatment at the time (which only made it worse) (Diagram 3) this disease was able to wipe out one third of the entire European population. Of those who died approximately one half of the peasant working class was killed this may sound devastating but it was very good news for the other half who remained because they were now more valuable and received higher pay. This gave them more opportunities to become educated and go on to other skilled occupations which vastly contributed to the end of the middle ages.
 * 8. Ibn Battuta's Travels (1325-1354):** Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan explorer that spent almost half of his life (64 years) traveling all over Europe, Asia, and Africa. He began his journey in June, 1325, when he left Tangier Morocco at age 21 on his pilgrimage to Mecca. This journey took him 16 months, and after staying about a month in Mecca he headed off for Iraq with a group of pilgrims traveling by caravan. Once he got there, Ibn took a detour to Persia before continuing on to Baghdad. Once there he journeyed to Tabriz, heading north along the Silk Road before returning to Baghdad and eventually back to Mecca for his second hajj. After staying in Mecca for about three years, Ibn headed to Jeddah along the coast of the Red Sea. From there he traveled along the coast to Yemen, and eventually he ended up in the trading post of Aden in 1329. From Aden, Ibn traveled around Somalia and then journeyed along the Swahili coast. From there he went to Central and then Southern Asia, eventually arriving in China in 1345. After this he returned home, arriving in 1349, only to find that his father had died 15 years earlier and his mother had died only a few months before his return. He spent a few days back in Morocco but eventually left on a journey to North Africa and then the Sahara in 1351. From here we went to Mali and then Timbuktu. However, while traveling across the desert to Takkeda, he recieved a message from the Sultan of Morocco demanding that he return home. So he left and arrived back in Morocco in 1354, ending his 30 year journey. Ibn spent the year following his return writing the Rihla, which was a book summarizing the events that took place along his travels and included all the different places he had gone.


 * 9. Inca Empire (1438-1533):** The Inca Empire was located in what is now Peru in the Andean Mountain range, and Cuzco was its capital. The Incas were to rule so effectively because of the elaborate well-paved highway system that spread throughout the 2,500 mile empire. The incas used no wheel, no iron tools, and they had no system of writing. Instead, they used a quipo, a rope with knotted cords of different lengths and colors. There was great stonewroking throughout the empire, even with the use of metal tools and mortar,such as Machu Picchu. The official language of the Inca empire was quechua, but hundreds other local languages were also spoken. Inca leadership encouraged the worship of Inti, the sun god. The sun god was the most important to the Incas. Incan rulers were called Inca, which means “sons of the sun.”






 * 6. Fall of Constantinople to the Turks:1453**-This was the capture of the capital of the Eastern Byzantine empire. The siege by the invading ottoman empire marked the end of the Roman Empire. After the conquest Constantinople became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The siege itself took about a month and allowed the Ottoman armies to advance into Europe expanding their empire. Some historians believe that this fall marks the end of the Middle Ages.

=**1450 C E**=