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Period: 200 to 900
Maya (Classic Period)
Location: Central America
Fact: The Maya had around 160 gods, many of which were based on natural things, such as lighting and the sun. However, the people probably believed that the gods, were "many in one" similar to Hinduism. -
Period: 320 to 550
Gupta Empire
Location: South Asia
Fact: Hinduism and Buddhism were the two main religions in the Gupta Empire. Hinduism is a belief system that follows many different deities, each with their own personalities, but are all forms of one god, Brahman. Buddhism on the other hand does not have a god, instead it focuses on how people should live and treat others. -
Period: 330 to 1453
Byzantine Empire
Location: Europe
Fact: The Byzantine Empire followed the Eastern Orthodox church, which was a Christian church, meaning they believed in and followed Jesus Christ and his work. Religion was very important to them; the church and government were strongly connected. The Eastern Orthodox church was led by the patriarch. -
Period: 500 to 1240
Ghana
Location: West Africa
Fact: During Ghana's rule, Muslim traders came and brought their religion with them. Most of Ghana didn't convert, however Muslims were allowed to still live and practice Islam in the Ghana Empire. -
Period: 616 to
Imperial China (Tang-Ming Dynasties)
Location: China
Fact: There were two main religions in imperial China, Confucianism and Daoism. Confucianism focuses on the belief that people should behave in a certain, morally correct way. Daoism on the other hand, believes that everything has its natural place and that people should not interfere and let things work out naturally. -
Period: 632 to 1258
Muslim Empire (Rashidun-Abbasid Caliphate)
Location: Arabia
Fact: The Muslim Empire followed Islam. The prophet Muhammad spread Islam to communities around him and, despite fighting and a lot of rejection, this religion and its people went on to flourish. The two religious texts of Islam are the Qur'an and Sunnah. -
Period: 794 to
Japan (Heian and Edo Periods)
Location: Japan
Fact: Shintoism, a religion that is closely tied with a love for nature, was the original religion in Japan. However, when Buddhism came to Japan through Korea and China, Shintoism and Buddhism blended together and became the main religions of Japan. -
Period: 800 to
Holy Roman Empire
Location: Europe
Fact: The Holy Roman Empire followed the Roman Catholic Church (so the religion was Christianity). This church was split from the Eastern Orthodox Church after years of conflict.This church was ruled by the pope and had a lot of power, enough to rival the king. -
Period: 1240 to 1460
Mali
Location: West Africa
Fact: While under Ghana rule, the Mali had converted to Islam. When Mali came to power, they were already practicing Islam. However, Mali leaders picked pieces of Islam to follow, and others to leave out. For example, people in Mali didn't normally take the Hajj (a religious pilgrimage to Mecca). Mansa Musa was the first to do so. -
Period: 1428 to 1518
Aztec
Location: Central America
Fact: The Aztec's religion was influenced by previous people and their religions. Examples of this are the temples that they would adopt as religiously significant and the god they accepted, Quetzalcoatl (the serpent god). -
Period: 1438 to 1532
Inca
Location: South America
Fact: The Inca had many gods, and similar to the Maya, they were usually gods of nature. The most important god was Inti, or the sun god. Sacrifices were very common in the Inca religion. -
Period: 1460 to
Songhai
Location: West Africa
Fact: Songhai leaders did not follow Islam as strictly as some people had wanted. These people rebelled and Islam became more enforced.