The people of the Arabian Peninsula consistof loosely linked nomadic clans-—theBedouin, herding goats, sheep, and camels in the desert-—and settled tribes, engaged incommerce and long-distance caravan trade.

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POLITICS & POWER GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENT CULTURE & RELIGION

546 Rome is destroyed by Ostrogoths.

553 Byzantine Emporer Justinian sends anarmy into North Africa and reconquers lostRoman territory from the Vandals.

561 Civil war breaks out among the Merovin-gians in France to last for 50 years.

570 Byzantium and Persia establish a 50-year peace.

570 The Abyssinians establish a protectorateover southern Arabia. Only five years later, thePersians overthrow the Abyssinians in Yemen.

570 Muhammad, the prophet and futurefounder of Islam is born in Mecca, Arabia.

540 Factional strife on the Korean Peninusladivides the country into three kingdoms: Silla,Koguryo, and Paekche.

542 Ly Bon leads Vietnamese in a successfulrebellion against China’s cccupation.Withinsix years China retakes the territory.

China’s warring kingdoms begin to solidifyinto three dynasties: the Southern Chen (557-589), the Northern Zhou (557-581), and theNorthern Qi (550-577).

574 Crown Prince Shotoku of the powerfulSoga clan in Japan is born. He becomesregent for his aunt, Empress Suiko.

Thule people move into Alaska.

Hopewell Indians ofNorth America spreadthrough the easternwoodlands.

551 Beirut is destroyed by an earthquake inwhich 250,000 people lose their life.

Mecca is an important city on the ArabianPeninsula, lying halfway on the trade routealong the Red Sea from the Mediterranean to Yemen in the south and at the crossroad to the Persian Gulf. Caravans carryfrankincense, myrrh, and other luxury goods.

Maya hieroglyphs are the first written lan-guage in the Americas.

Nazca and Moche people in Peru develop a rich artistic culture.

543 The Church of St. Germain-des-Pres isfounded in Paris.

550 Church bells come in use in France.

553 Justinian’s missionaries smuggle thesecrets of silk-spinning and silkworm culturefrom China. These first few silkworms signifythe beginning of the European silk industry.

563 Christianity gains in Saxon England.

543 The first Christian mission is establishedin Nubia. Scholars begin to translate the Bibleinto the local language.

Nomadic tribesfrom the northinvade and attackland along China’sborder.

Buddhism begins to wane inIndia, but continues to spreadfarther east.

Luoyang becomes the capital of China and the center of Buddhism in east Asia, with

1,367 monasteries in the city alone.

552 Buddhism reaches Japan.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PEOPLE & SOCIETY

The Maya develop astronomical calendars;they include a 260-day sacred calendar and a 365-day solar calendar.

Iron-smelting—allowing for better tools—andbanana cultivation enable Bantu people toclear land and expand into heavily forestedregions of Africa.

The kite is invented in China. Although it mayhave been in use earlier, the year 545 is thefirst recorded mention of a kite.

Moon-Jaguar, the 10th Maya ruler of the city-state of Copan, in present-day Honduras,marks his reign from 553-578 by adding a terraced two-story temple, known as Rosalila,to the administrative complex, plazas, andballcourts. His name is carved on its frontstairway. The temple decorations—a true testament to Maya culture—honor the sacred maize plant.

St. Columba, a recluse from near Dublin, Ireland, founds the monastery of Iona in Scotland and helps spread Celtic Christianitythroughout Scotland and Northumbria.On subsequent missions, he establishes a monastery in Luxeuil, France, and one in Bobbio, Italy.

502-549 Emporer Wu, founder of the LiangDynasty, reforms the nine-rank system ofadvancement in China’s government so thatonly “those with talent may advance along theroad to success.” He becomes a devout Bud-dhist and sponsors construction of numeroustemples. In 549 when his city of Jiankang isbesieged, Wu orders a kite to be flown abovethe city to alert allies of his plight. His ploy isunsuccessful, and he and his kingdom fall tothe Chen Dynasty.

BUDDHISMSPREADS EAST

rising in India about 500 B.C.,Buddhism slowly gained adher-

ents along the Silk Road. Astraders plodded along the trails, monksfollowed. By the third century A.D. they had founded monasteries at someof the caravan stops in the KushanEmpire of Afghanistan.

In China, Daoism, Confucianism,and traditions honoring ancestors prevailed. After the fall of the HanDynasty—when China split into severalwarring kingdoms—people may havelonged for a religion that offered peace-ful meditation and the prospect of per-sonal salvation. Kings began to supportthe building of temples and monaster-ies, many in caves and on mountain-sides. By about 550, China could boastof nearly 14,000 Buddhist temples. In Korea, Buddhism found the supportof kings as well. In 552 the prince ofPaekche recommended Buddhism toJapanese Emperor Kimmei, who adopt-ed the religion for his country.

Camel and rider,Northern Qi Dynasty

Seated Buddha, China.

540-580THE SACRED AND THE POWERFUL 500-1000 C O N C I S E H I S T O RY O F T H E W O R L D

ca. 500-600: Temple Mound Builders trade inthe Mississippi Valley.

550 Native people in southwest Coloradobegin building pit houses, roofed with mudand logs.

562 The Maya city-state of Tikal, in present-day Guatemala,is defeated by rival Calakmul,Mexico. The attackers were encouraged by apropitious alignment of the stars.

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Mosaic of Christat Hagia Sophiain Istanbul.

“THIS DHARMA …BESTOWS END-LESS AND IMMEASURABLE BLESS-INGS, EVEN THE ATTAINMENT

OF SUPREME ENLIGHTENMENT." Prince of Paekche to Emperor Kimmei

A

Hopewell Indiancopper plaque.

542-594 A series of plagues strikes Europe,halving its population.

568 The Lombards, a Germanic tribe, invadenorthern Italy.

558-559 The Huns invade Thrace, Macedo-nia, and Greece.

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THE SACRED AND THE POWERFUL 500-1000

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THE FABLED SILK ROAD, A NETWORK OF FOOTPATHS AND CARAVAN

trails across rugged mountains and barren lands, linked the Mediter-ranean to China as early as the second century B.C. Alexander the Great’sarmy had blazed trails from Greece to the Indus River. Chinese emissarieshad scouted the way to Central Asia, where they traded for horses from

Ferghana to defend against mounted raiders along their northern border.The main route led from China’s capital of Chang’an, modern-day Xi’an, west to

the great Taklamakan, or “desert of no return.” There the road split into a northernand southern trail, looping from oases to scarce watering holes. Rejoined at Kash-gar, the road threaded its way through the snow-capped mountains of the Pamirsand the Hindu Kush. Skirting the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, the road con-tinued via Antioch to the Mediterranean. Most merchants trekked only a short sec-tion of the way. The journey took months and was perilous. Sandstorms andmountain passes, marauders and self-appointed taxing agents took their cut.

By the seventh century, though, trade flowed steadily in all directions. China’sTang dynasty expanded far into western lands, setting up protectorates in Sogdianaand Ferghana, in Central Asia and eastern Persia. Chinese merchants traded exqui-site silks and porcelain for Roman glass, Bactrian gold jewelry, Sassanian bronze andsilver vessels, Indian precious stones. The contact with foreign goods also influencedreligion, science and technology, art styles, and foods. Buddhism flowed east fromIndia in the sixth century. A century later Islam began to spread through the Mid-dle East, Central Asia, and far into western China.

This exchange continued well into the 14th century, contributing to a North Asianculture that was vibrant, luxurious, and complex. When trade became more prof-itable via new sea routes, commerce along the ancient paths began to slow down.

THE SILK ROAD

Having crossed the most inaccessible regions of the ancient Silk Road, a caravan reaches Jiayuguan fortress inChina’s Gansu province. From here traders braved the unknown, conveying goods and ideas to the west.

ne more cup of wine for our remaining happiness.

There will be chilling parting dreams tonight.”

A NINTH CENTURY CHINESE POET

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