1. The Origins of Civilization Up until about 12,000 years ago, all humans were hunter-gatherers: that is, they lived by hunting wild game, fishing, and gathering fruits and berries. They lived in small bands, following a mobile lifestyle as they followed animal herds and moved to where more plants could be found. They owned only […]
Medieval World
History of China
Introduction Longevity In terms of longevity, the only rival it has is India’s, the other civilization that dates back to ancient times which is still flourishing today. And indeed, the Indus civilization pre-dated the rise of literate, urban civilization in China by about a thousand years. However, it later vanished, and cultures in the Indian […]
Medieval Europe
The medieval period in Europe was a time of ignorance, superstition and violence, but also one of great change, when many of the foundations of the modern world were laid down. With all its contradictions, it is one of the most fascinating periods of world history.
Government and Warfare in Medieval China
Section 1: Bureaucracy The centuries between the end of the Han dynasty in 220 AD and the founding of the Sui dynasty in 589 AD saw China weak, divided, invaded and partially occupied by tribal peoples from beyond its borders. Nevertheless, throughout these chaotic and violent times, the tradition which four centuries of stable Han […]
The History of the Deccan Empires of Ancient and Medieval India
Historical overview The Satavahana Satavahana was the first large kingdom of central India. It probably came to power at the end of the third or beginning of the second century BCE (it’s not known exactly when), as one of the major successor states to the great Mauryan empire. It was based in the great plateau of […]
India: the Medieval Era
Medieval India saw the high point of Hindu civilization in the Indian sub-continent, followed by a succession of Muslim conquests.
West African Kingdoms
<< back to TimeMaps Atlas of World History
Civilization Overview: African Kingdoms
The Delhi Sultanate
Islam comes to South Asia The first major incursion of Islam into the Indian subcontinent came in the early 8th century, when armies of the Muslim Caliphate occupied Makhran, Sindh and Multan, all in what is now Pakistan. Islam thus established a firm foothold in South Asia, but attempts to make further advances at this […]
The Byzantine Empire
Introduction The word “Byzantine” comes from the name of the ancient Greek city of Byzantium; it was this that the Roman emperor Constantine (reigned 324-37) expanded and remodeled as his new capital. Constantinople. The great city of Constantinople stood at the heart of the Byzantine Empire. Its official name was New Rome (Constantinople was its informal name […]