Middle East 2500 BCE
The civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia are now flourishing in the Middle East.
The first civilizations in world history, those of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, are emerging.
The powerful Bronze Age empires of Egypt, the Mitanni, the Hittites and Babylonia dominate the Middle East.
Invasions have devastated the old centres of civilization, but important new developments, such as the use of iron, the appearance of the alphabet and the rise of Israel, with its monotheistic religion, have taken place.
A succession of great empires - the Assyrian, the Babylonian, and now the Persian - have dominated the Middle East for the past few centuries.
The conquests of Alexander the Great have reshaped the map of the Middle East, and Greek-speaking kingdoms, founded by Alexander's generals, now cover the region.
The Middle East is now divided between the Roman and Parthian empires.
One small part of the region, Judaea, has given birth to the new religion of Christianity, but has also seen the dispersal of the Jewish people from their homeland.
The Middle East is divided between the Eastern Roman empire and the Persian empire.
The Middle East has been conquered by Arab armies under the banners of a new religion, Islam.
The Islamic Caliphate is beginning to fragment.
Islam has by now become the majority religion in the Middle East.
The Middle East has been ruled by a succession of conquerors from central Asia.
The Ottoman empire now dominates most of the Middle east.
The Middle East experiences political weakness in both the Ottoman empire and Iran.
Some Middle Eastern governments are taking steps to modernize their countries.
The Ottoman empire has tightened its grip on much of the Middle East.
The British and French are increasingly active in the Middle East.
The Cold War has had a major impact on the Middle East.
Arab-Israeli hostility has dominated Middle Eastern politics.
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Civilizations
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What is happening in Middle East in 2500BCE
In the previous thousand years, the influence of Mesopotamian civilization has spread far and wide. This has been carried by the trade networks radiating outwards from the Sumerian cities. Towns and cities are now scattered over a large part of the Middle East, with outlying regions such as Asia Minor and Iran being drawn into the orbit of urban civilization.
The spread of trade routes is linked to a demand for tin and copper. The Sumerians alloy these two metals together to make bronze, which they use in weapons and armour.
The second great civilization of the ancient world is now well established. Situated in the Nile valley, Egypt has already produced some of the most famous structures in all history, the great Pyramids of Giza.
Next map: Middle East 1500 BCE
Read the full history of the Middle East
What is happening in Middle East in 3500BCE
Farming has been established for thousands of years in the Middle East, and in the river valleys of ancient Mesopotamia the first true civilization in world history is appearing, that of the Sumerians.
The Sumerians live in large communities of many thousands of people – the earliest cities. Along with many other advances they are developing the techniques of writing, on which most future human progress will depend.
A second civilization is also beginning to emerge in the Middle East, that of Ancient Egypt, in the Nile Valley.
Next map: Middle East 2500 BCE
What is happening in Middle East in 1500BCE
The past thousand years has seen the rise of fall of the first true empire in world history. This was the achievement of king Sargon of Akkad, in Mesopotamia, in the late 3rd millennium BC.
Since then the Middle East has seen many upheavals, particularly in Mesopotamia and surrounding regions. Indo-European speaking tribes have moved in from the northern fringes of the old civilizations and brought with them a new military technology, the chariot. Equipped with this battle-winning technology, they have subjugated local populations to create new states: the Hittite, Mitanni and Babylonian empires. These, together with the New Kingdom of Egypt, form the leading powers of the region.
These states are home to highly sophisticated – and already ancient – civilizations, with a complex commercial life, bureaucracies, and well-organised armies, all built around chariot formations. The struggles between them dominate the history of the Middle Eastern world in this period.
Next map: Middle East 1000 BCE
Read more on this high point of ancient Middle Eastern history
What is happening in Middle East in 1000BCE
Over the past 500 years, great changes have wracked the Middle East. The old powers of the region – Egypt, the Hittites, Assyria and Babylon – have all been devastated by invaders from outside their borders: the “Sea Peoples” from Europe, the Aramaeans from the Syrian desert and the Kuldu (Chaldeans) and other groups from the southern desert.
The eclipse of these states has allowed new peoples, particularly the Phoenicians and Israelites, to come to the fore. Their achievements will have an enduring impact on world history.
Several major advances in civilization have taken place in region in recent centuries. Firstly, iron has come into widespread use, probably starting somewhere in Asia Minor. Secondly, the alphabet has been developed, again probably in Asia Minor but soon to be spread by Phoenician merchants around the Mediterranean and Middle East. A third occurrence of world significance is the appearance of the monotheism, carried into history by the Israelite tribes. Finally, the camel has been domesticated recently. This tough animal is helping new trade routes across the Arabian desert to come into use.
Read more about these world-shaping events in Middle Eastern history
The Olmec civilization of present-day Mexico is the first civilization to appear in the New World.
What is happening in Middle East in 500BCE
The history of the Middle East over the past 500 years or so has been one of imperial powers following one another in succession: first the Assyrians, then the Babylonians and Medes, and now the Persian empire, the largest state in the history of the Ancient World.
The conquest of this huge empire was the achievement of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, the first great ruler of the Achaemenid dynasty (hence another common name for the state he founded is the Achaemenid empire).
His successor, Darius the Great now sits on the Persian throne, and is reorganising the empire along more centralised lines. The Persian empire now covers the entire region and beyond. The Lydians, Phrygians and Ionian Greeks of Asia Minor, the Phoenicians and Jews (newly restored to their homeland) of Syria and the Levant, the Egyptians, the Babylonians of Mesopotamia, and the different Iranian peoples, are now all under one regime.
This succession of great empires – and the policy that the Assyrians and Babylonians pursued of re-settling conquered peoples in scattered groups throughout their territories – has resulted in the upheaval of populations on a vast scale. As a result, old languages have vanished and Aramaean has become the lingua-franca of the region. With its simple-to-learn alphabet, this has greatly stimulated international trade and inter-regional communications.
Middle Eastern civilization, by now three millennia old in its Mesopotamian heartland, has reached new heights.
Read more on these great empires of the Middle East
This is the age of the Buddha and of Confucius, two thinkers who will have a huge impact on world history.
What is happening in Middle East in 200BCE
The past few centuries have seen the huge Persian empire conquered in a series of brilliant campaigns by the young Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, between 333 and 323 BC. These campaigns involved armies largely recruited from amongst the city-states of Greece.
Alexander’s empire failed to survive his early death, and his generals, together with some local princes, divided his conquests amongst themselves. Their descendants now rule powerful kingdoms – the Ptolemies in Egypt, the Seleucids in Syria, Mesopotamia and Iran, and various dynasts in Asia Minor. They have founded numerous Greek-style cities, which can now be found scattered across the Middle Eastern world as far as India, and from which the ruling classes of these kingdoms are drawn.
These cities have become the centre for the spread of Greek culture and language (which is replacing Aramaic as the lingua franca of the region). Greek cultural traditions mix with more ancient native elements to form a fascinating hybrid civilization which modern scholars label “Hellenistic”. It is at this time that some of the most spectacular “Greek” artistic and intellectual achievements occur, in countries far away from the Greek homeland.
Read more on Alexander the Great’s impact on Middle Eastern history
China is now unified under the rule of the Han dynasty of emperors. They will give their huge country centuries of peace and stability.
What is happening in Middle East in 30BCE
Over the past two centuries the Middle East has been divided between two major powers, the Roman Empire to the west, which now controls Asia Minor, Syria and Judaea, and Egypt; and Parthia to the east, which rules Mesopotamia and Iran. This political division will characterize the history of the region for several centuries.
The social and cultural division is not so sharp, however. Greek civilization has left its mark on Mesopotamia and other parts of the Middle Eastern world, as a powerful ingredient in a mix containing more ancient cultures. Greek-style (or “Hellenistic“) cities thrive under both the Romans and the Parthians, and in both empires art and architecture continue to be deeply effected by Greek influences. The Greek language remains the lingua franca throughout the region.
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At around this time, paper is first invented in China. It will make communication much easier than before.
What is happening in Middle East in 200CE
For the past two hundred years the Middle East continues to be divided between the Roman Empires and the Parthia Empire, with Asia Minor, Syria and Judaea, and Egypt under the firm rule of Rome, and Mesopotamia and Iran under the Parthians. The kingdom of Armenia acts as a buffer between the two, regularly fought over. The Roman empire normally has the better of the fighting, and has launched two major invasions which have penetrated deep into the heartland of the Parthian empire.
At this date Greek, or Hellenistic (“Greek-like”) culture still predominates, at least in the cities across the region. In the Parthian part, however, there is starting to develop an Iranian revival in art and architecture, and probably also in literature and religion, with a revived Zoroastrianism. This is sponsored by the powerful Iranian nobility, which is increasingly hostile to the Roman power to the west.
One small part of the Middle East, Judaea, has seen the birth of one of the major religions of world history, Christianity. Later, however, two great Jewish rebellions against the Romans (66-73 and 132-135) there were crushed, and the Jewish people have been dispersed from their ancient homeland.
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The extraordinary city of Teotihuacan, in modern-day Mexico, is one of the largest in the world at this time.
What is happening in Middle East in 500CE
The Middle East has remained divided between two superpowers. The Roman Empire (now ruled from Constantinople and known to modern scholars as Byzantine Empire) rules the western parts of the region, Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt. In the eastern parts of the region – Iran and Mesopotama – the Parthian Empire has been replaced by a new empire under the Persian Sasanian dynasty.
The Sasanian kings have proved more aggressive and formidable opponents of the Romans than their Parthian predecessors had. They have presided over an Iranian revival which has centred round the establishment of Zoroastrianism as the state religion. It has been during this period that a distinctively “Persian” civilization, which will later influence much Islamic art, architecture and literature, has evolved.
Zorosatrianism has not had it all its own way. In the 3rd century a new Iranian cult, called Manichaeism, briefly won many converts, at all levels of society. However, heavy persecution has since driven it underground. Also, Christianity has spread throughout the Middle East, under both the Romans and Persians; in the towns and cities of both empires it is probably the most popular faith.
Mesopotamia, with its intensive irrigation agriculture, has long been the breadbasket of the empires of the region, and the Sasanian government invests heavily in its irrigation systems. This, and along with it the entire productive economy of the region, reaches a level which it will not match until the 20th century. The expansion of Mesopotamian productivity increases the wealth of the whole empire.
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What is happening in Middle East in 750CE
The past two and a half centuries have seen the map of the Middle East change radically. In the 7th century, a prophet, Muhammed, originally a merchant from an Arabian town called Mecca, started preaching a new religion, Islam. By his death he had converted most of the Arab tribes to the new faith. Thus united under the banner of Islam, and freed from their interminable quarrels, the Arabs swept outwards in a surge of conquests: Iraq and Iran, Syria and Palestine, Egypt and North Africa, Spain – all fell to them. By this date, Arab armies have penetrated as far as central Asia, western India and, briefly, into France.
The Persian empire vanished under the onslaught, and the Byzantine empire lost its most valuable provinces. In their place, the Arabs established a vast empire, called the “Caliphate” (“caliph” means “successor”, in this case to the Prophet Muhammed).
Up until now the Caliphate has been ruled from Damascus, in Syria. This has been the capital of the Umayyad dynasty of caliphs. The overbearing rule of these caliphs has spawned a number Islamic break-way movements, seeking to install a purer form of rule. One of these is Shi’ism, which will remain an important force within Islam to the present day.
The days of the Umayyads are numbered. Already a great rebellion has broken out which will bring a new dynasty to power, the Abbasids. With the change of dynasty, the Caliphate’s capital will very soon move to a new city, Baghdad, in Iraq.
What is happening in Middle East in 979CE
Very soon after 750 Baghdad replaced Damascus as the capital of the Caliphate shifting the centre of gravity of the Muslim world eastward. Shortly after this, different provinces began to fall away from Baghdad’s political control: Spain, North Africa, Egypt, Syria, western India and much of Iran. By this date, the Caliphs have ceased to exercise much political power, even in Iraq. Nevertheless, the Caliphate continues to exist in the minds of Muslims: it is simply that the caliphs have increasingly taken on a more symbolic role as the focus of their religious loyalties.
The Muslim world is home to a flourishing, and highly sophisticated, cultural life. Technological and scientific developments have come in from China (for example paper) and India (the decimal system), which Arab scholars add to Greek thought (medicine and philosophy, amongst much else) plus major contributions of their own (including in optics, algebra and philosophy). These different strands mingle and synthesise to form a massive new body of knowledge, almost certainly the most advanced in the world at that time. This will in due course be passed westward to Europe, where it will form the basis for further advance.
The fragmentation of political power within the Islamic world allows the Byzantine Empire to continue to hold on to Asia Minor.
What is happening in Middle East in 1215CE
The preceding two centuries have seen the rise and decline of Seljuq power in the Middle East.
The Seljuqs were a group of Muslim Turks from central Asia who, swooping down from their homeland, overran Iran, Iraq, Syria and much of Asia Minor, where they took much territory from the Byzantine empire. They were careful not to usurp the spiritual position of the caliphs, but ruled in their name with the title of “sultan”, or governor.
Seljuq power soon broke up, however, giving way to regional states ruled by sultans of Turkish origin. The sultanate of Rum, in Asia Minor, was the most notable of these (“Rum” means “Rome”, because this sultanate lay in former Byzantine, or Roman, territory).
Turkish sultans also came to power in Egypt, which had never been conquered by the Seljuqs. These were the Ayyubids, and they have succeeded in conquering up into Syria and far into the Arabian peninsula.
The Seljuq conquests, and the stricter conditions they placed on Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem, led to a succession of campaigns from Europe, which attempted to set up a number of Christian states in Syria. These “Crusades” met vigorous resistance, and have all but failed. The Europeans now control only a narrow strip of coast. They will soon lose even this.
In recent years, another Muslim Turkish group, the Khwarizm Shah, have taken control of Iran, and the Middle East will see new waves of invaders from central Asia during the next two centuries.
What is happening in Middle East in 1453CE
The previous centuries have seen further invasions from central Asia. From the 1230s, much of the Middle East came under the rule of the Mongols. They conquered Iran and Iraq, and in 1258 captured Baghdad, killing the last of the Caliphs. They were only stopped by the Mamluq Turks, a group of slave-soldiers who had seized control of Egypt, Syria and western Arabia. They ousted the last Crusader toe-holds on the Syrian coast.
The Mongols introduced firearms to the region; the Mamluq armies adopted them and used them to greater effect than the Mongols had done.
The vast Mongol empire was divided amongst the descendants of Genghis Khan, and the Middle East fell to a branch which became known as the Il-khans. These converted to Islam. However, the usual decline set in, and a number of regional states emerged.
In the 1340s the region was struck by the Black Death. In the late 14th century another conqueror from central Asia, Timur, became master of most of the Middle East, with the major exception of Egypt and Syria, still under the Mamluqs.
Since Timur’s death his empire has shrank back to Iran, and Iraq has fallen to another group from central Asia, the Black Sheep Turks.
Meanwhile, Asia Minor has now come under the Ottoman empire. In this year, 1453, the Ottomans capture the great Byzantine capital of Constantinople.
What is happening in Middle East in 1648CE
Over the past two centuries, most of the Middle East has come under the rule of two major powers. The Ottoman empire sent its armies east from Asia Minor to conquer Syria in 1516, Egypt in 1517, western Arabia (the Hejaz and Yemen) in the following years, and Iraq in 1534. The Ottomans have brought much needed peace and stability to these countries, and a measure of economic progress. To the east has arisen the other major Middle Eastern power, Safavid Iran. Under the Safavids, Iran has experienced a period of great cultural achievement, particularly in architecture.
What is happening in Middle East in 1789CE
Over the past century, the military garrisons in Syria, Egypt and Iraq, which theoretically answer to the Ottoman sultans in Constantinople, have come to dominate their respective provinces and now govern them as virtually independent states. The Ottoman empire’s hold on the region is more apparent than real outside Asia Minor.
Luckily for the Ottomans, Iran has experienced even greater weakness. The Safavid dynasty has fallen from power, and successor regimes have become increasingly unstable. Through all this, the leadership of the Shi’ite branch of Islam has been strengthening its hold on the country.
In Arabia, today’s Gulf emirates are being established, and the first Saudi kingdom has appeared.
By this date, Western economic interests are being felt in the region. These will only get stronger.
What is happening in Middle East in 1837CE
In the last years of the 18th century and the early years of 19th, the decline in the Ottoman empire power became all too apparent. Egypt and Syria came under a break-away regime, and Iraq was governed as a virtually independent state. Now, however, there are signs of a revival. Iraq first, and now, Syria, are being brought back under the firm control of the Ottomans. Egypt, however, has been lost to the Ottomans. It is treated by Western powers as an independent state.
Iran continues to experience weakness and instability.
The small Arab emirates on the Gulf coast are beginning to feel the power of the British navy. In Arabia, the first Saudi kingdom was crushed, and a second one has now appeared.
What is happening in Middle East in 1871CE
The past decades have seen the lands of the Ottoman empire experience renewed centralized rule, with the provincial elites in Syria and Iraq being brought firmly back under the authority of the sultan’s government. Egypt is by now an independent kingdom.
In Iran, weak government and social stagnation continue; while remaining politically independent, the country is coming increasingly under the economic control of Britain. In fact, European (especially British and French) influence is growing throughout the region. The opening of the Suez canal has turned the Middle East into a vital strategic interest for Western powers. The canal is a main thoroughfare for Western trade, as well as an important link in the military chains tying the European powers to their overseas empires in East Africa, India, SE Asia and the Pacific.
What is happening in Middle East in 1914CE
In recent decades, the Suez canal’s immense importance in linking European nations with their empires in East Africa, India, SE Asia and the Pacific has placed the Middle East right at the heart of their concerns. The British, being the leading global power, are at the forefront in establishing their interests in the region. Egypt has now drifted under their political control, as have several small emirates on the Arabian coast. British commercial interests predominate in Iraq and Iran – which is also a target for Russian influence. French commercial influence is strong in Syria.
In the face of these pressures, the Ottoman empire has continued to tighten its control over Anatolia, Syria and Iraq, and is also intent on modernizing its dominions’ economies. The Ottoman government seeks to balance British and French influence by developing closer ties with Germany.
In the Arabian peninsula, a third Saudi kingdom has appeared, and this time it will endure. Two further developments which will have a dramatic impact on the coming decades in the region are the arrival of Jews in increasing numbers in Palestine, from the 1880s onwards, and the discovery of oil in Arabia, in 1901.
What is happening in Middle East in 1960CE
The decades since 1914 have been ones of great change for the Middle East.
The Ottoman empire sided with Germany and Austria in World War 1 (1914-8), and afterwards was broken up amongst the nations of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. All except Turkey and Saudi Arabia were at first under British or French control. Iraq became independent in 1933.
After World War 2, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan became independent. In 1948 the British left Palestine, under fire from both Arabs and Jews. The Jews declared the independent state of Israel. Bitter fighting between Jews and Arabs followed, but Israel continued in being.
The politics of most Middle Eastern states has been autocratic, and frequently unstable. They have also been deeply affected by the Cold War, with some (Syria, Egypt) veering towards the pro-Soviet camp and others (the monarchies of the Arabian peninsula, Turkey, Iraq and Iran) towards the West. Israel, on the whole pro-West, has retained a western-style parliamentary system.
The oil industry is transforming many Middle Eastern countries, especially in the Gulf region, giving them hitherto undreamed of wealth.
What is happening in Middle East in 2005CE
For the Middle East, the last few decades have been troubled ones, dominated by two issues – oil, and Arab-Israeli hostility. Such are their geopolitical importance to the rest of the world that the region has attracted constant global attention, and frequent intervention.
The first of these, oil, has brought economic progress and dazzling modernity to several countries, especially in the Arabian peninsula. The second has directly involved the surrounding countries of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, and, indirectly, all the countries of the region. It has brought two full-scale Arab-Israeli wars (the Six Days War in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War in 1973), plus several bloody disturbances on – and within – Israel’s borders. After the 1973 war the oil producing countries grouped together in an organization called OPEC and imposed an embargo on the sale of oil to those countries in the west which had supported Israel.
Virtually every major episode in the region’s recent history has been touched to a greater or lesser extent by these two issues. The rise and fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq (which involved two wars against the US and one or more of her allies, the Gulf War in 1991 and the Iraq War in 2003) and the Islamic Revolution in Iran, have had their impact multiplied by them. The Arab-Israeli question has made it much harder for Muslim leaders to adopt pro-Western policies, and has given anti-Western terrorist organizations widespread support. Oil wealth has helped finance terrorism, and has impeded the spread of democracy in the region: apart from Israel, Turkey is the only country to have developed a proper parliamentary-style system of government.
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Civilizations related to Middle East
3500BCE - 300BCE Ancient Mesopotamia 3000BCE - 300BCE Ancient Egypt Civilization 1650BCE - 1200BCE The Hittites 1350BCE - 600BCE Assyrian Civilization 1300BCE - 550BCE Ancient Israel 1150BCE - 650BCE Phoenicians 550BCE - 650CE Ancient Persia 300BCE - 0CE Hellenistic civilization 50BCE - 500CE Roman Empire: Government and Society 600CE - 1250CE Islamic Caliphate 1200CE - 1450CE The Mongol Empire 1350CE - 1900CE Ottoman EmpireSubscribe for more great content – and remove ads
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
Europe history 2500BCE
Europe is still inhabited by Stone Age farming peoples. Tribes speaking Indo-European languages are migrating into the continent from the east
Africa history 2500BCE
Ancient Egypt, one of the great civilizations of world history, has now full emerged in the Nile valley
India and South Asia history 2500BCE
One of the earliest civilizations in world history has emerged in ancient India, the Indus Valley civilization
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 2500BCE
Agriculture is spreading out from its core areas in ancient China, and one of the greatest civilizations in world history is emerging
South East Asia history 2500BCE
At around this time, a series of major population movements begin to affect this region. Starting in southern China and Taiwan, farming and fishing communities begin to move south and west, into the coasts and islands of South East Asia. These are the ancestors of today’s Malays, Polynesians and other Austronesian peoples, and it is […]
Oceania history 2500BCE
A new phase in technology is beginning in Australia, and the migration of the ancestors of the Polynesians has begun from south China
South America history 2500BCE
Large villages are developing along the Pacific coast, with temple-mounds and irrigation systems being constructed
North America history 2500BCE
The ancestors of the Inuit are arriving in North America
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
South East Asia history 3500BCE
Stone Age farmers and hunter-gatherers inhabit South East Asia
Oceania history 3500BCE
All the Pacific islands are uninhabited, except for Australia, New Guinea and the Solomons
South America history 3500BCE
Permanent villages have grown up along coasts and rivers
North America history 3500BCE
Hunter-gatherer cultures cover most of North America
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Europe history 1500BCE
Bronze Age farming cultures now cover most of Europe, and in the south-east, the first European civilizations now flourish in Crete and Greece
Africa history 1500BCE
New heights are achieved by the ancient civilization of Egypt, while south of the Sahara farmers pioneer tropical agriculture.
India and South Asia history 1500BCE
The history of ancient India is experiencing a dark age after the fall of the great Indus Valley civilization
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 1500BCE
The first urban civilization has appeared in the ancient history of East Asia, under the Shang dynasty in China
South East Asia history 1500BCE
Major population movements affect this region from both east and west.
Oceania history 1500BCE
The ancestors of the Polynesians are beginning to settle the islands of the Pacific
South America history 1500BCE
The peoples of the Pacific coast are making strides towards civilization
North America history 1500BCE
Farming is spreading to eastern USA
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
Europe history 1000BCE
Major population movements in Europe have caused widespread upheaval, and the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations have vanished
Africa history 1000BCE
Farming and cattle herding is spreading in western and central Africa
India and South Asia history 1000BCE
In this dark age of ancient indian history the Aryan people are laying the foundations of future Indian civilization
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 1000BCE
Ancient Chinese civilization expands under the Zhou dynasty, which will be the longest-lasting dynasty in China's history
South East Asia history 1000BCE
Large-scale popluation movements continue to affect this region
Oceania history 1000BCE
A new phase in technology is beginning in Australia, and the migration has begun from south China of the ancestors of the Polynesians
South America history 1000BCE
The first civilization in South America is in the making
North America history 1000BCE
The Olmec civilization has appeared in North America
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Europe history 500BCE
The Iron Age Celts and their relatives dominate much of Europe, whilst in the Mediterranean land a number of brilliant city-state civilizations, most notably the Greeks, now flourish
Africa history 500BCE
Bantu farmers from West Africa are beginning to spread out across the continent
India and South Asia history 30BCE
The Mauryan empire has vanished, and ancient India sees a new chapter in its history with invasions from Central Asia
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 500BCE
The philosopher Confucius, whose teachings will influence millions of people down to the present day, lives at this time
South East Asia history 30BCE
The first urban civilization of South East Asia has appeared, in Burma
Oceania history 30BCE
A new phase of Polynesian expansion in the Pacific is occurring
South America history 30BCE
The Moche and Nazca civilizations are now flourishing
North America history 30BCE
The Mayan civilization is emerging
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South East Asia history 200BCE
Indian traders are bringing Hinduism, Buddhism and other elements of Indian civilization to South East Asia
Oceania history 200BCE
A distinctive Polynesian culture is now evolving
South America history 200BCE
The spread of maize as a staple crop allows new areas to be settled by farmers
North America history 200BCE
Several post-Olmec civilizations are emerging in different parts of Central America
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
South East Asia history 30BCE
The first urban civilization of South East Asia has appeared, in Burma
Oceania history 30BCE
A new phase of Polynesian expansion in the Pacific is occurring
South America history 30BCE
The Moche and Nazca civilizations are now flourishing
North America history 30BCE
The Mayan civilization is emerging
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Europe history 200CE
The Roman Empire has given much of Europe two centuries of peace and prosperity
Africa history 200CE
All of North Africa is now part of the Roman empire, while to the south the Bantu migration continues
India and South Asia history 200CE
The Kushana empire of ancient India is important to world history as a centre for the spread of Buddhism
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 200CE
The Han dynasty of China has dominated much of ancient East Asia for a long period of history - but not for much longer
South East Asia history 200CE
Indian-style kingdoms and principalities are appearing in South East Asia
Oceania history 200CE
Distinctive Polynesian societies are evolving on the various Pacific islands
South America history 200CE
The Moche have reached a high level of civilization
North America history 200CE
The Mayan civilization is now emerging
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Europe history 500CE
The western Roman empire has fallen to German invaders, but the eastern Roman empire remains intact
Africa history 500CE
A powerful new kingdom is arising in Ethiopia, while in West Africa trade routes across the Sahara are developing
India and South Asia history 500CE
This period of India's history has seen the rise of the Gupta dynasty, under whom ancient Indian civilization reaches its peak
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 500CE
At this phase in its history China is weak and divided, but its influence continues to spread through ancient East Asia, in Korea, Japan and Vietnam
South East Asia history 500CE
Indian civilization exerts a deep influence upon the kingdoms and peoples of South East Asia
Oceania history 500CE
The Polynesians have settled Hawaii and Easter Island
South America history 500CE
Large chiefdoms have emerged in Amazonia
North America history 500CE
The Hopewell culture has vanished
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Europe history 750CE
Medieval Europe is beginning to emerge from the wreckage of the Ancient World.
India and South Asia history 750CE
At this stage in India's history, powerful regional kingdoms divide the subcontinent
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 750CE
China is now united and powerful under the great Tang dynasty, one of the most glorious in its history, and exerts a huge influence on Japan and Korea
Africa history 750CE
Wealthy kingdoms are emerging in West Africa
South East Asia history 750CE
By this period, Chinese influence is growing in South East Asia. Under the powerful Tang dynasty, China’s trade with the countries of the region is expanding strongly, and one consequence of this may well be the rise of the maritime power of Sri Vijaya, which seems to enjoy a specially-favoured status as a tributary trading […]
Oceania history 750CE
The Polynesian colonization of the major Pacific islands is in its final phase
South America history 750CE
The Tiwanaku and Wari empires now dominate the highlands of Peru
North America history 750CE
The Pueblo culture is now developing
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Europe history 979CE
Western Europe experiences internal wars and external attacks which bring widespread insecurity and lead to the rise of feudalism
India and South Asia history 979CE
This period of its history sees the south emerging as a major centre of Indian civilization
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 979CE
China's influence over Korea and Japan has diminished, but at home this phase of its history is a time of great advance
Africa history 979CE
West African kingdoms flourish
South East Asia history 979CE
Old kingdoms are disappearing and new ones emerging
Oceania history 979CE
Long-distance voyages remain a part of the Polynesian way of life
South America history 979CE
The Chimu empire has appeared on the Pacific coast
North America history 979CE
The Mayan civilization is now in decline, while the Mississippian culture is rising
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
Europe history 1215CE
European feudalism is at its height
South East Asia history 1215CE
The Khmer empire is at the height of its power, and the great temple of Angkor Wat has been built
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Africa history 1453CE
New kingdoms are emerging in different parts of Africa
Oceania history 1453CE
Easter Island statues getting larger!
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 1453CE
The history of the region has been dominated by the rise and fall of the Mongol empire, but Ming dynasty China is now at the centre of a tributary system spanning East Asia
Europe history 1453CE
The old feudal order and is beginning to give way to early modern Europe
India and South Asia history 1453CE
The history of India has entered a new phase with the dominance of Muslim-ruled states throughout most of the subcontinent.
South America history 1453CE
The Inca empire has begun its expansion
South East Asia history 1453CE
Muslim merchants have established a network of small sultanates in the region
North America history 1453CE
The Aztecs are now building their empire in Central America
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
North America history 1648CE
North America is now being colonized by Europeans
South America history 1648CE
The Spanish and Portuguese now control much of South America
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
Africa history 1789CE
The Atlantic Slave Trade is at its height, and having a destructive impact on wide areas of the African interior
Oceania history 1789CE
The first permanent European settlement has been established in Oceania, in south-west Australia, which has been claimed for the British empire
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 1789CE
This is the last glorious phase of East Asia's history before it feels the West's impact, and Qing dynasty China dominates the region with its tributary system
Europe history 1789CE
The foundations for worldwide scientific and military dominance are being laid in the struggles between European nations
India and South Asia history 1789CE
India has entered a new chapter in its history with the expansion of the British empire in the subcontinent
South East Asia history 1789CE
Dutch commercial and political influence now spreads far and wide throughout the islands and coasts of South East Asia
North America history 1789CE
The USA is now an independent nation
South America history 1789CE
The Spanish and Portuguese empires rule most of South America between them
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
Africa history 1837CE
The Zulu conquests are causing turmoil over a large part of south and central Africa
Oceania history 1837CE
European missionaries and traders are active throughout the Pacific
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 1837CE
New intrusions into East Asian history, Western merchants and missionaries, are clamouring to be let into China and the other countries of East Asia
Europe history 1837CE
Europe continues to be transformed by intellectual change and industrial expansion
India and South Asia history 1837CE
The British empire now dominates most of India, marking the most radical change in the long history of the subcontinent
South East Asia history 1837CE
The British are acquiring more territories in the region
North America history 1837CE
The USA has purchased a vast territory from the French
South America history 1837CE
The countries of South America have won their independence from Spain and Portugal
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
Africa history 1871CE
European explorers have visited the interior of Africa
Oceania history 1871CE
The Pacific islands are falling under European control
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 1871CE
East Asian history has taken a radically new direction as Western powers force open the doors of China and Jappan to trade and missionary activity
Europe history 1871CE
Nationalism and industrialization continue to transform Europe
India and South Asia history 1871CE
The history of British India almost ended in a great rebellion, but the British were able to regain control
South East Asia history 1871CE
European power is growing in South East Asia
North America history 1871CE
The USA almost tore itself apart in civil war
South America history 1871CE
Foreign investment is pouring into some South American countries
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
Europe history 1914CE
European nations now rule much of the world, but their rivalries are now leading them into the First World War
India and South Asia history 1914CE
The history of the British empire in India reaches its height - but it will shortly come to an end
South East Asia history 1914CE
The European powers have shared out most of South East Asia amongst themselves
South America history 1914CE
Brazil, Argentina and Chile are growing wealthy
North America history 1914CE
Canada and the USA have experienced huge industrial expansion
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 1914CE
Japan has successfully modernized, and has gained international status at the expense of China and Korea
Oceania history 1914CE
All the Pacific islands have fallen under foreign control
Africa history 1914CE
The European powers have divided almost the whole of Africa up between them
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
Europe history 1960CE
Europe has experienced two devastating world wars, and is now divided between East and West
India and South Asia history 1960CE
The long history of India and South Asia has entered a new chapter with the replacement of the British empire by independent republics
South East Asia history 1960CE
The countries of South East Asia have become independent from their Western masters
South America history 1960CE
Eva Peron wins the hearts of Argentinians
North America history 1960CE
The USA and Canada have fought in the two world wars together
Oceania history 1960CE
Many Pacific islands were caught up in the fierce fighting of World War 2
Africa history 1960CE
The European nations are starting to withdraw from the empires in Africa
East Central Europe history 1960CE
Eastern-central Europe is divided amongst several countries, most now under Soviet control
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
Europe history 2005CE
Most of Europe now belongs to the EU
India and South Asia history 2005CE
The history of India and Pakistan has been characterised by mutual hostility
South East Asia history 2005CE
South East Asia has experienced dramatic economic growth
South America history 2005CE
Many countries of South America have swung, first to dictatorship, and then to democracy
North America history 2005CE
The NAFTA trade agreement is benefitting the economies of all North American countries
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 2005CE
The recent histories of all the nations of East Asia, China, Japan and Korea, have seen them become major economic powerhouses in the world
Oceania history 2005CE
Many new independent nations now dot the Pacific Ocean
Africa history 2005CE
All European powers have withdrawn from their empires in Africa
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