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.
European background: Spain and Portugal The Reconquista In Medieval times, Spain and Portugal experienced a quite different history from the rest of Europe, as most of their territory had been conquered by Muslim armies in the early Middle Ages. The centuries-long Christian Reconquista of these lost territories lasted for the rest of the medieval period. The Reconquista was […]
Philosophy The Late Han period and after Confucianism Confucianism had been the official ideology of the Han dynasty, and it retained this status in all the Chinese states which succeeded the Han. It remained the focus of the officials’ educational curriculum and continued to shape the outlook of the elite. However, in the troubles which […]
Section 1: The end of the Han empire and the period of division A census in 140 CE showed that the Han empire (201 BCE to 220 CE) had a population of some 50 million people. This was down from nearly 60 million at the beginning of the 1st century CE. The large-scale wars and […]
Medieval India saw the high point of Hindu civilization in the Indian sub-continent, followed by a succession of Muslim conquests.
Geographical and historical background Japan consists of the four large islands off the east coast of Asia, and a hist of smaller islands. These are Kyushu, Shikoku, Honshu and Hokkaido. The smaller islands stretch to both north and south of these main ones. The islands of Japan lie across the sea from Korea, and, further […]
The Celts settled much of western Europe from the eighth century BCE.
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 […]
