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Known as Justinian's Plague or the Black Plague. PAndemic that sweeped the Eastern Roman Empire and lasted from 541 to 542.
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An Islmaic prophet responsible for starting the Islamic religion based on revelations from Allah.
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All Caliphs to rule in this Dynasty were killed which is why it was such a short dynasty.
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Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō which remained the capital (excluding 5 years) until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784 before moving to Heian-kyō, or Kyoto, a decade later in 794. (Japan)
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Descendants from Muhammad's uncle, al-Abbas, the Abbasids overthrew the Umayyad Caliphate and ruled the Islamic empire from Baghdad (capital) from 750-1258 CE.
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The house of Seljuk was a Sunni Muslim Dynasty that gradually adopted Persian culture and contributed to the persian tradition in the medieval West and Central Asia. The Seljuks established both the Great Seljuk Empire and Sultanate of Rum, which at their total height stretched from Anatolia through Persia, and also were targets of the First Crusade.
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Relations between the Greek speaking Eastern churches of the Byzantine empire and the Latin speaking Western churches were made hostile. This crisis led to the separation between the Eastern and Western churches and is referred to as the Great Schism of 1054.
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The invasion and occupation of England by an army of Normans and French led by Duke William II of Normandy.
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A military expedition by Roman Catholic Europe to regain the Holy Lands taken by the Muslims. Resulted in the recapture of Jerusalem in 1099.
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An attempt to conquer a Muslim controlled Jerusalem by invasion through Egypt.
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The Mongol invasion of China spanned six decades in the 13th century and involved the defeat of the Jin Dynasty, Western Xia, the Dali Kingdom and the Southern Song, which finally fell in 1279.
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His rise to power began by allying with a friend of his father’s, Toghrul. The two would later become enemies after Toghrul’s son became jealous of Temujin’s growing power. By 1206, a date which is commonly seen as the start of the Mongol Empire he was able to unite the tribes of Mongolia.
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Delhi Sultanate refers to the many Muslim dynasties that ruled in India. It was founded after Muhammad of Ghor defeated Prithvi Raj and captured Delhi in 1192.
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Kublai was the second son of Tolui and Sorghaghtani Beki, and a grandson of Genghis Khan. He succeeded his older brother Mongke as Khagan in 1260, but had to defeat his younger brother Ariq Boke in a succession war lasting till 1264. This marked the beginning of disunity in the empire.
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The Kingdom of Zimbabwe was in the territory of modern-day Zimbabwe. It is famous for its capital, Great Zimbabwe, the largest stone structure in Southern Africa until recently.
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The Mali Empire was a West African empire of the Mandinka from c. 1230 C.E. to c. 1600. C.E. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became known for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I.
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In 1260, the grandson of Tiemuzhen, Kublai Khan, took the throne. In 1271, he established the Yuan Dynasty by changing the state title into Yuan, with Yuandadu (currently Beijing) as the capital.
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Marco's father and his uncle were merchants who started their first eastern journey in 1260. They visited Constantinople and the domain of the Great Kublai Khan, ruler of China. The Emperor became interested in stories of their native land and sent the Polos to the Pope as his ambassadors with messages of peace and interest in converting areas of China to Christianity.
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The first African ruler to become widely known throughout Europe and the Middle East. He was celebrated for his pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca, during which he lavished so much gold on his hosts in Cairo that he nearly wrecked the Egyptian economy.
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An adventurer who traveled about 75,000 miles in his life and was the only adventurer of his time period to visit all Muslim rulers.
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A defining time for the history of England and France. It started when King Philip VI of France attempted to confiscate the English territories in the duchy of Aquitaine (located in Southwestern France). It ended in July 1453 when the French finally expelled the English from the continent (except for Calais).
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The Ming Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China for 276 years following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty
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Gained control over most of Central Asia and Iran through conquest and consalidated the Sunni Islam status as orthodox.
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Expeditions were used to cement allegience to the Ming Empire and to collect taxes.
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The Inca Empire was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The center of the empire was in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization came from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century.
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The siege on the Byzantine Capital, one of the most fortified cities, happened in 1453. The attack was led by Sultan Mehmed II, ruler of the Ottoman Turks. The city was defended by about 10,000 men. The Turks had between 100,000 and 150,000 men on their side.
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The last division of classical Japanese history, lasting from 794 to 1185.
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Angkor is a region of Cambodia that was the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flasted from about the 9th to 15th centuries. The Angkorian period began when the Khmer Hindu monarch Jayavarman II declared himself a "universal monarch" and "god-king", until Angkor first fell under Ayutthayan suzerainty, then in 1431 Ayutthaya put down a rebellion.
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The Ghana Empire or Wagadou Empire was in what is now southeastern Mauritania, and Western Mali. Complex societies had existed in the region since about 1500 BCE, and around Ghana's core region since about 300 CE.
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Charlemagne, otherwise known as Charles the Great was King of the Franks from AD 768-814. He was the oldest son of Pepin the Short and his wife Bertrada. To his contemporaries, he had many qualities of greatness: imposing physical stature, warrior prowess, piety, generosity, intelligence, devotion to family and friends, and joy for life. His actions made him a hero.
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Marked the start of Korea's cultural development. Buddhism expanded and furthered the construction of temples and art works. Despite Chinese influences, Silla remained largely tribal in culture.
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The Sui Dynasty lasted for only 38 years and had only three emperors.
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An imperial dynasty of China after the Sui Dynasty and before the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who took power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire.
