The Post-Classical Era Unit 3 Introduction
What is the Post-Classical Era? Roughly 500-1450 AD Major Themes Spread of Religion: Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam spread to impact large regions Global Trade: Africa and Eurasia connected by numerous interregional trade routes (note: not Americas) New Concept: Changes and Continuities What aspects of civilization have changed in a region from the previous time period? What are the continuities from the previous era?
Major Regions (by chapter) Middle East and North Africa (and Europe) South Asia (India) and Southeast Asia Sub-Saharan Africa (West, East, South) Eastern Europe Western Europe Americas (Central, South, North) East Asia (China) East Asia (Japan, Korea, Vietnam) Nomadic Challenge (Mongols)
Middle East & North Africa: Rise and Spread of Islam
India and Southeast Asia: The Arrival of Islam
Sub-Saharan Africa: The Arrival of Islam
Eastern Europe: The Byzantine Empire and the Rise of Russia
Western Europe: Feudalism and Christianity
The Americas: An Age of Empires
Tang and Song China: A New Golden Age
East Asia: The Spread of Chinese Culture
Nomadic Challenge: The Pax Mongolica
Coach Lerch’s Final Thoughts This era witnessed a golden age of art and learning in the Islamic world and China, which spread their advancements to other groups The rise of a global trading network (except America) meant interactions between different regions became more frequent and had greater cultural effects A number of people began to identify with one of the major world religions, although this usually involved blending it with their own traditional views