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Period: 200 to 900
Maya
Location: Jungles on the East Coast of Mexico
Fact: The Maya religion believed in more than 160 gods which made them polytheistic. However, they had main gods which were based on nature that affected people's daily lives. -
Period: 320 to 550
Gupta Empire
Location: Southern India
Fact: Hinduism and Buddhism were the main religions of the Gupta empire. Carved structures that were discovered displayed a carved out Hindu God Vishnu and the Ajanta Caves cover in carvings and paintings that depict the lives of Buddha -
Period: 330 to 1453
Byzantine Empire
Location: Southeastern Europe and much of the land surrounding the Mediterranean sea
Fact: The Byzantine empire was influenced by Orthodox Christianity and eventually the empire formed a unique form of Christianity which led to the great Schism and formation of the Eastern Orthodox Church. -
Period: 632 to 1258
Muslim Empire
Location: The middle east, Iberian peninsula, and Central Asia.
Fact: The Muslim Empire followed Islam and they had 5 pillars of Islam. The first pillar was Shahadah which is seen as the recitation of faith. The second pillar is Salat which is the ritual prayer which you do 5 times a day facing Mecca. The third pillar is Zakat which is charitable giving to the poor. The fourth pillar is Ramadan which is one month of fasting. The final pillar is Hajj which is the pilgrimage to Mecca. -
Period: 750 to 1240
Ghana
Location: West Africa
Fact: Islam was brought over to Ghana by Muslim traders and missionaries. Although the king and most people didn't convert, they accepted Muslims into their society. Eventually 12 mosques were built in the city and grew into a thriving Muslim community after many Muslim merchants settled in the capital city, Kumbi. -
Period: 794 to
Japan
Location: Japan or now seen as modern day Tokyo
Fact: Shintoism was the main religion of people living in Japan during the heian-edo period. Shintoism is a religion that expresses love and respect for nature and has no code of morals. Shintoism however was not the only religion seen during this time. Buddhism was brought over from Chinese culture. Over time these two religions blended and thrived together. -
Period: 926 to
Holy Roman Empire
Location: Central and Western Europe
Fact: The Holy Roman Empire followed Christianity and was split up into Orthodox Christians in the East and Catholics in the West. The Catholics were ruled by the Pope while the Orthodox Christians were ruled by an emperor. Orthodox were much more laid back in rules than Catholics. -
Period: 1240 to 1460
Mali
Location: West Africa
Fact: Mali had already accepted Islam while Ghana had ruled. Leaders practiced Islam in their own way and Mansa Musa was the first to practice and make a Hajj. -
Period: 1368 to
Imperial China
Location: China
Fact: People in Imperial China followed Confucianism and Daoism which are two very similar religions but have differences that separate them. Daoism is more focused on mythical and self beliefs as where confucianism is more social harmony based and following a set of rules. -
Period: 1400 to 1532
Inca
Location: Present day Peru
Fact: Inca believed that gods influenced their daily lives. They believed that there was many different gods who controlled different things in life but in the end all of them received their power from a supreme god called Viracocha who was seen as the creator of the world. -
Period: 1428 to 1521
Aztec
Location: Central Mexico
Fact: When the Aztecs captured other cities they had people pay tribute to honor the god Huitzilopochtli and promise obedience to the Aztec ruler. The cities however were allowed to keep their own religion and customs. -
Period: 1461 to
Songhai
Location: West Africa
Fact: Islam was carried into the Songhai empire after conquering Mali. These rulers however were not strict Muslims but eventually they chose a ruler to enforce Muslim law and convert people.