What years define the post-classical history period?
Post-classical history spans from about 500 CE to roughly 1450 or 1500 CE. This era follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE and precedes the early modern eras.
Questions about Post-classical history
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Which empires rose during the post-classical history period?
Major powers included the Tang and Song dynasties in China, Islamic empires across the Middle East and North Africa, the Mali and Songhai Empires in West Africa, the Aztec Empire in Mesoamerica, and the Inca Empire in South America. The Mongol Empire also established safe trade routes connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa.
When did Islam begin and spread during post-classical history?
Islam began between 610 and 632 through revelations to Muhammad and quickly unified the Arabian Peninsula. It subsequently expanded across North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, parts of West Africa, Persia, Central Asia, India, and Indonesia.
How did climate change affect regions during post-classical history?
The Medieval Warm Period occurred from 950 to 1250 mostly in the Northern Hemisphere causing warmer summers that allowed Norse colonists to reach Greenland. Extreme weather events in 536 and 537 initiated global cooling migrations and crop failures worldwide after an eruption of Lake Ilopango caldera in El Salvador.
What scientific innovations emerged from Song China during post-classical history?
Song China specialized overseas trade and created maritime networks while using machines to manufacture goods with coal as a source of energy. Inventions such as gunpowder, woodblock printing, and the magnetic compass improved upon Tang and Song dynasties between 581 and 1279.