Cram Packet
Nature and causes of changes in the world history framework leading up to 600–1450 as a period:
Major events which caused change:
Islam emerges; Islamic empire emerges
Industrial Revolution in China (Sung dynasty)
Spread of Neo-Confucianism (in China) – mixture of Confucianism with some Buddhism
Schism in Christianity (when the east and the west churches divided into Roman
Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity; they divided over the issue of icons)
Camels in Sahara – increased trade
Black Death – decimated Europe’s population, political, and economic systems
Italian Renaissance – began the dominance of Europe in culture
Emergence of new empires and political systems
Tang …show more content…
Many historians believe that a severe drought caused the initial movement, and that the Mongol's superior ability as horsemen sustained their successes.
Around 1200 CE, a Mongol khan (clan leader) named Temujin unified the clans under his leadership. His acceptance of the title Genghis Khan, or "universal leader" tells us something of his ambitions for his empire. Over the next 21 years, he led the Mongols in conquering much of Asia. Although he didn't conquer China in his lifetime, he cleared the way for its eventual defeat by Mongol forces. His sons and grandsons continued the conquests until the empire eventually reached its impressive size. Genghis Khan is
usually seen as one of the most talented military leaders in world history. He organized his warriors by the
Chinese model into armies of 10,000, which were grouped into 1,000 man brigades, 100-man companies, and 10-man platoons. He ensured that all generals were either kinsmen or trusted friends, and they remained amazingly loyal to him. He used surprise tactics, like fake retreats and false leads, and developed sophisticated catapults and gunpowder …show more content…
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Marco Polo - In the late 13th century, Marco Polo left his home in Venice, and eventually traveled for many years in China. He was accompanied by his father and uncle, who were merchants anxious to stimulate trade between Venice along the trade routes east. Polo met the Chinese ruler
Kublai Khan (Genghis Khan's grandson), who was interested in his travel stories and convinced him to stay as an envoy to represent him in different parts of China. He served the khan for 17 years before returning home, where he was captured by Genoans at war with Venice. While in prison, he entertained his cellmates with stories about China. One prisoner compiled the stories into a book that became wildly popular in Europe, even though many did not believe that Polo's stories were true. Europeans could not believe that the fabulous places that Polo described could ever exist.
Ibn Battutu - This famous traveler and prolific writer of the 14th century spent many years of