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UNIT 3: Defining a Millennium . 500-1500. Defining the Millennium. Most classical civilizations fell Transatlantic voyages of 15 th century define next era How are we to understand the thousand years between the end of the classical era and the beginning of the modern world?
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UNIT 3: Defining a Millennium 500-1500
Defining the Millennium • Most classical civilizations fell • Transatlantic voyages of 15th century define next era • How are we to understand the thousand years between the end of the classical era and the beginning of the modern world? • Difficulty to define this millennium's identity • Medieval—too Euro centric • “third wave civilizations”—ones following river valley, and classical
Defining the Millennium • Not easy to identify clearly defined features that encompass all the major civilizations during this period • Several patterns are true • Greater cultural interactions • Wholly new but small civilizations arose where none existed before • Swahili City States, KievanRus (Eastern Europe), Japan Korea and Vietnam witnessed new centers of civilization…
A New Player on the World Stage • Largest, most expansive and widely influential new third wave civilization was Islam • Began in Arabia 7th century • Arab people built an enormous empire based on new, attractive religion • Islam defined this new civilization • Encompassed vast area—East Africa, Spain, Southeastern Europe, Persia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, interior Africe
The Old Civilizations • The Byzantine empire—eastern Roman Empire/continued Christianity lasted until 1453 • China—Sui, Tang, Song unified China under reasserted Confucian tradition • India retained caste and Hinduism along with cultural diversity –some fell under Muslim rulers • West Africa—Ghana, Mali, Songhay sustained trans Saharan trade. • Collapse of the Roman Empire and Western Europe—kings abdchurch leaders sought to maintain links with the older Greco-Roman-Christian traditions of classical Mediterranean civilizations. • Decentralized societies emerged • Became a backwater compared to rest of the world • Competition • Mesoamerica—Mayan collapse • Mexico saw the birth of the Aztecs • South America—Inca