Early Medieval History


During the early medieval period, Western Europe following the breakup of the Western Roman Empire was repeatedly invaded by peoples from northeastern Europe and Central Asia. These people became converted to Christianity as they settled. The Eastern Roman empire survived in the form of the Byzantine empire. The new religion of Islam originated in Arabia and spread by conquest over nearly the entire middle east, with the exception of areas controlled by the Byzantines, and began spreading into central Asia as well. The early classical empires of China and India also broke up.	Sapience Home Site Map About Sapience History Classical and medieval History

During the early medieval period, Western Europe following the breakup of the Western Roman Empire was repeatedly invaded by peoples from northeastern Europe and Central Asia. These people became converted to Christianity as they settled. The Eastern Roman empire survived in the form of the Byzantine empire. The new religion of Islam originated in Arabia and spread by conquest over nearly the entire middle east, with the exception of areas controlled by the Byzantines, and began spreading into central Asia as well. The early classical empires of China and India also broke up.

6th Century

c. 522 - 565 CE.Justinian I rules as Byzantine (Eastern roman) Emperor and creates a code of Roman law.

7th Century

c. 610-630 CE. Mohammed preaches in Arabia, founding Islam, and begins spreading his faith by military conquest. His teachings are included in the "Koran"
634 - 644 CE. Umar I, second caliph, leads Muslims to conquer Syria and Mesopotamia and begins conquest of Egypt and Syria. His rules for administration of conquered territories serve as the basis for administrative and legal structure of the Islamic empire.

8th Century

c. 768 - 814 CE. Charlemagne conquers much of Western Europe and in 800 CE is crowned as Holy Roman Emperor.

9th Century

10th Century


Physical and natural science is applicable in somewhat specialized contexts. Physics and chemistry are not as useful as astronomy, earth science, and biology. Personal studies are useful, not so much for studies of the human body or psychology, as for biographies. Prominent individuals of this period include: Mohammed Umar I Sui Wen Ti Charlemagne Justinian	Links to other sites: not yet available.
Anthropology including social foundations, demography, and physical anthropology will be considered in more detail as the site develops. Human ecology including environmental effects on people, relations with other life, and human effects on the environment can be examined. Human geography including European geography, African geography, North American geography, South American geography, and Oceanic geography can be connected. Asian geography including Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and North Asia can be examined. Particular groups may also be significant. Culture Material culture including clothing, buildings, transportation technology, communication technology, and other artifacts is important. Industrial technology including tools, fuel, chemical technology, machines, utilities, and other technology can be considered. Foodstuffs including agricultural products, processed and preserved foods, and prepared foods can be considered. Conceptual culture including literature, applied science, and philosophy is useful. Language including linguistics, writing, and languages of the world is important. Graphic arts including drawing and painting and possibly printmaking can be examined. Behavioral culture including cultural events can also be examined. Customs including vital customs, living and dwelling customs, dress and adornment customs, social interaction, and institutional customs are important. Occupations including food-related, building-related, transportation, communications, industrial, and service occupations are significant. Recreation and entertainment including music, dance, theater, games, and sports developed. Institutions Families including marriage, parenting, kinship, and particular families are significant. Education including research, teaching, cultural institutions, school organization, and particular shcools began to become important. Economics including economic activities, industries, and economic systems will be useful. Government including law, government activity, government structure, and particular governments can be outlined a little. Particular governments including local, national, and international government can be considered. Religion, including beliefs, practices and organization is especially prominent in this period. Particular traditions such as secularism can be followed. Abrahamic religion expanded considerably. Christianity was becoming divided into Catholic and Orthodox branches. The third major branch, Islam, originated during this period. Judaism did not expand much. Asiatic religion including Persian religion, Indian religion, and Oriental religion developed, though details are absent at present. The influence of pagan religion including European Pagan, Asian Pagan, African Pagan, and American Indian pagan was beginning to decline. Sociology Social structure and change can be examined. Social structure including anthropological structure, cultural structure, institutional structure, and class structure can be considered. Social types including hunting and gathering, horticultural, and agrarian types were present. Social change including social change processes, social change processes, and particular changes can also be examined. Communities will be developed as they are better studied [ Moscow may have been founded.] Most information comes from individual peoples. These can be examined by considering particular nations. Sudan, Spain, Argentina, Poland can be considered. Asiatic peoples including Central Asian peoples prospered. Myanmar, Dacca was founded. Middle Eastern peoples prospered. In Turkey, the region was mostly ruled by the Byzantine empire. In Egypt the city was taken from Byzantine control by the Persians, and taken from them by the Muslims. An Islamic dynasty called the Fatamids came to power. Cairo was founded as an Islamic city. In Iran, the Sassanid empire was conquered by the Omayyad caliphate of Islam, which was in turn conquered by the Abbasid caliphate. Among South Asian peoples, India suffered and absorbed numerous invasions. Islam may have begun to enter Pakistan. I have no details on Bangladesh. The site of Delhi was inhabited. Among Oriental peoples, in China, the Sui, T'ang, and Song dynasties ruled. In Japan, Buddhism entered China and the Japanese began to assert cultural independence from China. I have no details of South Korea. The site of Tokyo was inhabited. I have no details on the development of Seoul. Osaka was briefly the capital of Japan. Among Southeast Asian peoples, in Indonesia is little known, but Buddhism entered during this period. I have no information on the Philippines. I have no information on Vietnam. I have little information on Thailand for this period. Jakarta developed as a port city. The records of Western civilization are so fragmentary and incomplete that this period was known as the dark ages. Scandinavian peoples, and Balkan peoples can be followed. In Ukraine, various peoples such as Bulgars, Avars, Khazars, and Magyears came from or throut the area. Among Anglic peoples, various Germanic peoples invaded and occupied what is now the UK. Among the Latin peoples, France was occupied by the Franks, who were Germanic in origin, and was included in the empire of Charlemagne. Italy was invaded by several different peoples, and was disunited. Among Northeast European peoples, In Russia, the Kievan state was founded. Among Germanic peoples, in Germany, the empire of Charlemagne and his successors was important. Little is known of African peoples during this period. South Africa, In East Africa, in Ethiopia, the Christian kingdom of Axum seemed to have declined. In Western Africa, I have no information on Nigeria in these times. I know little about Central Africa and I have no definite information about Congo. American Indian peoples are not yet well known. I have no details on Colombia at present. Among Meso-American peoples, I have no details on Mexico at present. South American Indians are also little known. I have no information on Brazil. I have little information on North American Indian peoples. those found in the United States are not yet well known. Other History Events of this period are a continuation of late classical times and are continued in the late medieval period. They are also studied in the modern period, including the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. In the 20th century, study of this period continues from a scholarly point of view, but is not particularly popular. I lack details on discoveries and developments of the early 20th century, early-mid 20th century, mid 20th century, late-mid 20th century, late 20th century, and early 21st century. The future of these studies, including the near future, middle future, and far future, is obscure.

Physical and natural science is applicable in somewhat specialized contexts. Physics and chemistry are not as useful as astronomy, earth science, and biology.

Personal studies are useful, not so much for studies of the human body or psychology, as for biographies. Prominent individuals of this period include:

Links to other sites: not yet available.

Anthropology including social foundations, demography, and physical anthropology will be considered in more detail as the site develops. Human ecology including environmental effects on people, relations with other life, and human effects on the environment can be examined. Human geography including European geography, African geography, North American geography, South American geography, and Oceanic geography can be connected. Asian geography including Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and North Asia can be examined. Particular groups may also be significant.

Culture

Material culture including clothing, buildings, transportation technology, communication technology, and other artifacts is important. Industrial technology including tools, fuel, chemical technology, machines, utilities, and other technology can be considered. Foodstuffs including agricultural products, processed and preserved foods, and prepared foods can be considered.

Conceptual culture including literature, applied science, and philosophy is useful. Language including linguistics, writing, and languages of the world is important. Graphic arts including drawing and painting and possibly printmaking can be examined.

Behavioral culture including cultural events can also be examined. Customs including vital customs, living and dwelling customs, dress and adornment customs, social interaction, and institutional customs are important. Occupations including food-related, building-related, transportation, communications, industrial, and service occupations are significant. Recreation and entertainment including music, dance, theater, games, and sports developed.

Institutions

Families including marriage, parenting, kinship, and particular families are significant. Education including research, teaching, cultural institutions, school organization, and particular shcools began to become important. Economics including economic activities, industries, and economic systems will be useful. Government including law, government activity, government structure, and particular governments can be outlined a little. Particular governments including local, national, and international government can be considered. Religion, including beliefs, practices and organization is especially prominent in this period. Particular traditions such as secularism can be followed. Abrahamic religion expanded considerably. Christianity was becoming divided into Catholic and Orthodox branches. The third major branch, Islam, originated during this period. Judaism did not expand much. Asiatic religion including Persian religion, Indian religion, and Oriental religion developed, though details are absent at present. The influence of pagan religion including European Pagan, Asian Pagan, African Pagan, and American Indian pagan was beginning to decline.

Sociology

Social structure and change can be examined. Social structure including anthropological structure, cultural structure, institutional structure, and class structure can be considered. Social types including hunting and gathering, horticultural, and agrarian types were present. Social change including social change processes, social change processes, and particular changes can also be examined.

Communities will be developed as they are better studied [ Moscow may have been founded.] Most information comes from individual peoples. These can be examined by considering particular nations. Sudan, Spain, Argentina, Poland can be considered.

Asiatic peoples including Central Asian peoples prospered. Myanmar, Dacca was founded. Middle Eastern peoples prospered. In Turkey, the region was mostly ruled by the Byzantine empire. In Egypt the city was taken from Byzantine control by the Persians, and taken from them by the Muslims. An Islamic dynasty called the Fatamids came to power. Cairo was founded as an Islamic city. In Iran, the Sassanid empire was conquered by the Omayyad caliphate of Islam, which was in turn conquered by the Abbasid caliphate. Among South Asian peoples, India suffered and absorbed numerous invasions. Islam may have begun to enter Pakistan. I have no details on Bangladesh. The site of Delhi was inhabited. Among Oriental peoples, in China, the Sui, T'ang, and Song dynasties ruled. In Japan, Buddhism entered China and the Japanese began to assert cultural independence from China. I have no details of South Korea. The site of Tokyo was inhabited. I have no details on the development of Seoul. Osaka was briefly the capital of Japan. Among Southeast Asian peoples, in Indonesia is little known, but Buddhism entered during this period. I have no information on the Philippines. I have no information on Vietnam. I have little information on Thailand for this period. Jakarta developed as a port city.

The records of Western civilization are so fragmentary and incomplete that this period was known as the dark ages. Scandinavian peoples, and Balkan peoples can be followed. In Ukraine, various peoples such as Bulgars, Avars, Khazars, and Magyears came from or throut the area. Among Anglic peoples, various Germanic peoples invaded and occupied what is now the UK. Among the Latin peoples, France was occupied by the Franks, who were Germanic in origin, and was included in the empire of Charlemagne. Italy was invaded by several different peoples, and was disunited. Among Northeast European peoples, In Russia, the Kievan state was founded. Among Germanic peoples, in Germany, the empire of Charlemagne and his successors was important.

Little is known of African peoples during this period. South Africa, In East Africa, in Ethiopia, the Christian kingdom of Axum seemed to have declined. In Western Africa, I have no information on Nigeria in these times. I know little about Central Africa and I have no definite information about Congo.

American Indian peoples are not yet well known. I have no details on Colombia at present. Among Meso-American peoples, I have no details on Mexico at present. South American Indians are also little known. I have no information on Brazil. I have little information on North American Indian peoples. those found in the United States are not yet well known.

Other History

Events of this period are a continuation of late classical times and are continued in the late medieval period. They are also studied in the modern period, including the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. In the 20th century, study of this period continues from a scholarly point of view, but is not particularly popular. I lack details on discoveries and developments of the early 20th century, early-mid 20th century, mid 20th century, late-mid 20th century, late 20th century, and early 21st century. The future of these studies, including the near future, middle future, and far future, is obscure.

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