Thematic Timeline, 500 - 1500

With Baghdad as the center of the scholarly world, Arab scholarship reached a “golden age”. Medical technologies improved, as the Arabs were the first to theorize the existence of “germs”. During this time, many ancient Greek texts were translated into Arabic, which could then be translated into other vernaculars. This is significant because with more texts in vernacular languages, literacy became available to a wider range of people

The Chinese invention of gunpowder, though used by the Chinese for fireworks rather than weapons, was revolutionary in terms of military matters. Though the Europeans later expanded upon gunpowder’s full military uses, this technological innovation completely changed military warfare globally

Before 1500 it was clear that western Europeans were less developed than their counterparts in the east. Europeans were backwards and “brutes”. However, Europeans soon learned to adopt and adapt others’ technologies and innovations. Among other adaptations, they took gunpowder from the Chinese and adapted it for artillery purposes and the windmill from the Persians and converted it into a highly effective water-driven mill. This, combined with their own inventions and breakthroughs, allowed western Europeans to “catch up” with their contemporaries and then exceed them in the following centuries as the dominant world power.

During Muhammad’s lifetime, he received twelve revelations from the prophet Gabriel. The holy book of Islam, the Quran, is made up of these revelations, which are said to be the exact word of Allah. Muhammad’s life is significant because within 100 years of his death, Islam was a global religion and remains so today.

From Medina, Islam quickly spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula. The idea of an Islamic community, or “umma”, was appealing to many who were tired of the continuous warfare between feuding tribes. With nearly all of Arabia under the control of an Islamic state and a common religion, the Arab people were able to initiate an extensive empire.

After Muhammad’s death in 632, a division surfaced over who should be his successor. On one side were the Sunnis who believed that a leader or king, known as a Caliph, as chosen by the Islamic community, should be Muhammad’s successor. The Shia faction felt that Islamic leadership should directly descend from Muhammad’s bloodline. This faction, merely political at first, has led to fundamental, and sometimes violent, conflicts that still resonate today.

Rus, a diverse and developing region of the world at the time, adopted Christianity as a means to unify the Rus people and link the Rus economy with other prosperous empires. As a turning point in Russian history, the conversion of Keivan Rus to Christianity would eventually leave Moscow as the final “protector and defender” of Orthodox Christianity.

The first Crusade launched in 1095 as authorized by the Pope initiated some of the bloodiest holy wars ever. The goal of the Crusades was to capture Jerusalem, and bring the city under Christian control to protect the holiest Christian sites. The Crusades did not have a lasting religious effect in the Middle East, but served to increase the European sentiment that Christianity was a superior religion

Foot binding, an incredibly painful and deforming practice of breaking young girls’ feet to prevent growth and mimic a lotus flower, gained prevalence under the Tang dynasty. As a sign of beauty, foot binding kept woman essentially immobile and restricted to the house. Bound feet enhanced a girl’s chances of marriage, an essential duty for girls in China as they were expected to bear many sons for their husband. This process would continue in China into the 20th century.

During the period known as the High Middle Ages, new opportunities for woman emerged thanks to economic growth and urbanization. Women could find employment weaving, brewing, milling grain, midwifery, retailing, laundering, spinning, and prostitution. There were even all-female trade guilds. However, by the 15th century, many of these opportunities were gone as women were restricted or banned from certain jobs.