AP World Timeline

PERIOD 1

750-1258 Abbasid Caliphate

-developments in Dar al-Islam

-Islamic Empire w capital in Baghdad

-built around trade —→ used receipt and bill system

-Abbasid Caliphate’s decline led to rise of Turkic Muslim empires like the Seljuk Empire

960-1279 Song Dynasty

-Neo-Confucianism —→ emphasis on hierarchy & filial piety

-women faced legal rights restrictions and social limitations (foot binding)

-filial piety: practice of honoring one’s ancestors and parents

-expansion of imperial bureaucracy through merit-based bureaucratic jobs to maintain loyalty

-economic development through Champa rice, Grand Canal expansion, and trade across Eurasia

1095-1291 Crusades

-military campaigns by European Christians to convert Muslims and non-Christians

1206-1526 Delhi Sultanate

-led to the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia

1206-1227 Reign of Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan established the Mongol Empire in 1206

-unified the tribes in Mongolia

Impact of Mongols:

-great diffusers of culture

-prevented Russia from culturally developing

-world trade, cultural diffusion, global awareness grew as they spread through Europe and Asia

Silk Roads

-established by the Han dynasty

1215 Magna Carta Signed

-right to a fair trial for citizens

1258 Mongols Overtook and Destroyed Baghdad

-end of Abbasid Caliphate

1279-1368 Yuan Dynasty

-the first foreign-ruled dynasty to commander all of China, led by Mongols

1299-1923 Ottoman Empire

-founded by Osman Bey as the Mongol Empire fell

-it expanded rapidly

-Islamic, solidified rule over territory from Greece —→ Persia

-adoption of gunpowder weapons crucial for expansion

-devshirme - enslaved Christians from Balkans, converted them to Islam to form elite fighting force (Janissaries)

1324 Mansa Musa’s Pilgrimage to Mecca

-the pilgrimage introduced the wealth of Mali to the rest of the Mediterranean

1325 Tenochtitlan Founded

-capital city of the Aztec Empire —→ markets were established, commercialized

1325-1354 Ibn Battuta’s Travels

-traveled all over Dar al Islam (possible w trade routes)

-helped his readers understand the cultures across the world

1346-1388 Bubonic Plague

-emerged in North China —→ spread rapidly across the Silk Roads and the Indian trade routes

-Indian Ocean Trade

-Middle East —→ killed nearly 1/3 of their population

-Europe —→ killed ½ of their population

1368-1644 Ming Dynasty

-came w the decline of Mongol rule in China

-established peace and order + expanded their borders w gunpowder

1405-1433 Zeng He’s Voyage

-sent by the Ming Dynasty to go explore the Indian Ocean & enroll other states in China’s tributary

1428-1521 Aztec Empire - “Trade and Sacrifice”

-Tenochtitlan - capital city (modern Mexico City)

-expansionist policy and professional, strict army

-to secure their legitimacy as rulers —→ Mexico claimed heritage from older, more renowned Mesoamerican people

1438-1533 Inca Empire - “My land is your land”

-Expansionist - army, established bureaucracy, unified language, system of roads and tunnels

-Established the Mit’a System —→ required labor of everyone for a period of time each year to work on state projects

-Inca roads

1400

-Swahili state-building flourishes

-Printing press invented

-Johannes Gutenberg —→ inventor

-made books easy to produce and affordable, and literacy more accessible to everyone

1441 Start of the Atlantic slave trade

-transporting between 10 and 12 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean

-conditions were brutal, overcrowded, and unsanitary

PERIOD 2

1450-1750

1453

Ottoman Empire conquers Constantinople

1450s-1480s

Russia breaks free from Mongol rule

1464-1591

Songhai Empire thrives (Islamic state)

1469 Birth of Sikhism

-held onto significant doctrines from Islam and Hinduism

1491 Spain completes the Reconquista

-Reconquista —→ effort to rid the Iberian Peninsula of Muslim rule

-Re-established Christianity as the official religion of this region

1492 Columbus voyages to the “New World”

-marks the start of Spanish colonization and the Columbian exchange

1497 Portugal starts colonization of the Americas

-1498 —→ Vasco de Gama reaches India

1501-1722 Safavid Empire emerges as the largest Shia empire

-in conflict w the Sunni Ottoman Empire

1534

First enslaved Africans arrive in America

1517 Protestant Reformation starts

-95 Theses, MLK

1526-1748 Mughal Empire rises

-Notable rulers: Akbar and Aurangzeb

-Akbar: religious tolerance and supports the arts (1556-1605)

-Aurangzeb: persecution of Hindus and Sikhs

-ended when last ruler Bahadur Bahadur Shah II was sent into exile

-Increasing Bhakti Movement & Sufism

1545 Discovery of Silver at Potosi mine

-silver was KING

-in Bolivia

1550-1700

Scientific Rev

1552 Russian Empire emerges

-Ivan the Terrible -crowned the first Tsar of Russia and expanded the territory significantly, establishing a centralized government.

1595 Invention of the Fluyt

-responsible for half of all Europe’s shipping tonnage

1600 British East India Company Established

-a trading company granted a royal charter by Queen Elizabeth I, which played a major role in trade between Britain and India.

1600-1868 Tokugawa Japan

-strict gov’t that instituted a rigid social class model

-national seclusion policy: limited foreign relations and trade, maintaining stability in Japan.

1602 Dutch East India Company established

-a chartered company founded to enhance Dutch trade in Asia, playing a pivotal role in the spice trade.

1607 Jamestown

-British Virgina company → role in funding exploration projects

1632 Taj Mahal construction starts

-a white marble mausoleum built in Agra, India, commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

1643-1715 Louis XIV’s absolute monarchy reigns in France

-a period marked by the consolidation of royal power, leading to the establishment of France as a leading European power and significant cultural developments.

1687 Newton’s Principia published

-the foundational work in classical mechanics, formulated by Sir Isaac Newton, outlining the laws of motion and universal gravitation.

1688-1991 Qing Dynasty governs China

-Manchu Empire: the last imperial dynasty of China, known for its expansion, cultural achievements, and eventual decline, which led to the end of imperial rule.

-expulsion, division between Manchu & Han, isolationism

1689-1725 Peter the Great modernizes Russia

-a period during which Peter the Great implemented extensive reforms to modernize Russia, including military reorganization, westernization of culture, and the establishment of a new capital at St. Petersburg.

1689 Glorious Rev (England)

-the revolution in England that led to the overthrow of King James II and the ascension of William and Mary to the throne, establishing parliamentary sovereignty and constitutional monarchy.

1715-1789 The Enlightenment flourishes

-effects: major revs, expansion of suffrage, abolition of slavery, end of serfdom, calls for women’s suffrage

-enlightenment thinkers: Voltaire, Rousseau, Locke

-an intellectual movement emphasizing reason, individualism, and skepticism of authority, significantly influencing political thought and social reforms in Europe and America.

PERIOD 3

1750-1900

1756 7 Years War

-a global conflict fought between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time, and often seen as the first "world war" due to its scale and the number of nations involved.

1757 Beginning of English colonization in India

-marked by the establishment of British control over Bengal after the Battle of Plassey, leading to significant economic and political changes in the region.

1760-1789 First Industrial Rev

-the steam engine

-important people to know: Charles Darwin, Adam Smith, Karl Marx

-Charles Darwin: developed the theory of evolution through natural selection, fundamentally changing the understanding of species and their development.

-Adam Smith: an economist known for his ideas on free markets and capitalism, particularly in his book "The Wealth of Nations."

-Karl Marx: the philosopher and economist who co-authored "The Communist Manifesto" and critiqued capitalism, advocating for socialism.

-factory act of 1883: a series of laws aimed at improving working conditions in factories, particularly for women and children.

1765-1783 American Rev

-provided a template for other nations to challenge colonial rule and seek independence, inspiring revolutions worldwide.

-role of enlightenment in the American Rev: Enlightenment ideas emphasized reason, liberty, and democracy, significantly influencing American revolutionary leaders and promoting the notion of self-governance.

1789-1795 - French Rev

-causes: social inequality between the estates, economic hardships, enlightenment, weak leadership, food shortages

-resulted in the overthrow of the monarchy, establishment of a republic, and rise of radical political factions, significantly impacting France and Europe.

1791-1804 Haitian Rev

-a successful anti-colonial rebellion against French rule that led to the establishment of Haiti as the first independent, black-led republic, inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution.

1792 Beginning of feminism

-Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft published

-became a symbol for feminist movements

1799-1815 Napoleon’s reign in France

-characterized by military expansion across Europe, the establishment of a consulate, and later the declaration of the French Empire. His reign ended with his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

1806-1826 Latin American Revs

-a series of uprisings and wars of independence in Latin America against Spanish colonial rule, leading to the emergence of several independent nations.

-Simon Bolivar —→ Enlightenment ideas

1815 Congress of Vienna

-a conference held to negotiate peace and restore stability in Europe after the Napoleonic Wars, leading to a balance of power and the redrawing of national borders.

1839-1860 Opium Wars

-two conflicts between China and Western powers, primarily Britain, over trade imbalances and the opium trade, resulting in significant territorial concessions and the Treaty of Nanking.

-Treaty of Nanjing: an agreement that ended the First Opium War, ceding Hong Kong to Britain and establishing extraterritorial rights for British nationals in China.

1839-1876 Tanzimat Reforms

-a series of reforms in the Ottoman Empire aimed at modernization and the establishment of a more centralized and secular state, including changes in law, education, and military organization.

-steps towards industrialization in Egypt

1845-1849 Irish Potato Famine

-widespread famine + many dies —→ caused Irish migration westward

1848 Communist manifesto published

-a political pamphlet by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that lays out the principles of communism and critiques capitalism, calling for the working class to rise up against the bourgeoisie.

1848 Seneca Falls Convention

-call for constitutional amendment that recognized women’s rights to vote

-marked the beginning of the women's suffrage movement in the United States, gathering notable figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott.

1850-1864 Taiping Rebellion

-Qing Dynasty began to weaken

-leading to a massive civil war in China initiated by Hong Xiuquan, who sought to establish a new heavenly kingdom.

1857 Sepoy Mutiny in India

-failed; British then made all of India a crown country

-crown country: India was directly governed by the British Crown.

-a major uprising against the British East India Company's rule in India, fueled by discontent with British policies and practices.

1859 Suez Canal built by Britain in Egypt

-artificial waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, enhancing global trade and naval mobility.

1860s-1870s Social Darwinism begins to take shape

-as a social theory, justifying imperialism and economic competition through the belief that some races were inherently superior to others.

-this ideology contributed to the justification of colonial expansion and the mistreatment of indigenous populations.

-a concept applied to societal evolution, suggesting that "survival of the fittest" applied to human societies and cultures.

1861 Russian serfs emancipated

-an act that freed millions of serfs in Russia, allowing them to own property and marry without consent. This reform aimed to modernize the Russian economy and reduce social unrest.

1863 Emancipation Proclamation in U.S

-a presidential decree issued by Abraham Lincoln that declared the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory, marking a pivotal moment in the American Civil War.

1865-1909 King Leopold rules the Congo

-commits human rights crime to get rubber

-a brutal regime characterized by forced labor and exploitation of the Congolese people, leading to millions of deaths and severe social and economic disruption. This period highlighted the darker aspects of colonialism in Africa.

1868 Meiji Restoration

-era of Japanese westernization - Japan became a world power

-cause —→ after Matthew Perry demanded Japan open to trade w the U.S., Japan realized it technological inferiority and adopted Western technology for self-protection

1870-1914 Second Industrial Rev

-a period of rapid industrial growth characterized by advancements in steel production, electricity, and chemical processes, significantly transforming economies and societies.

1871 Unification of Germany under Otto Von Bismarck

-the process where various German states consolidated into a single nation-state, marked by the leadership of Otto Von Bismarck and significant military and diplomatic strategies that included wars against Austria and France.

1882 Chinese Exclusion Act

-A federal law in the United States that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers, reflecting racial tensions and economic fears during the late 19th century.

1885 Berlin Conference

-beginning of the “scramble for Africa”

-where European powers divided African territory among themselves. This conference established rules for colonization and intensified imperial rivalries.

-a meeting of European nations to regulate the colonization of Africa, occurring in 1884-1885, leading to significant geopolitical changes throughout the continent.

1890s European spheres of influence in China

-A period where various European powers established exclusive trade rights and economic control over regions in China, leading to significant foreign intervention and loss of Chinese sovereignty.

-Manchu dynasty still had authority but was increasingly weakened by foreign pressures and occupations.

1898 Spanish-American War

-This conflict arose from tensions over Cuban independence and the explosion of the USS Maine, resulting in a quick military victory for the United States.

-U.S. acquires Guam, Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico

-marking a significant moment in American imperialism and its emergence as a global power.

1899 United Fruit Company established

-played integer role in strengthening western rule in developing countries

-a major American multinational corporation that focused on the production and export of tropical fruit, particularly bananas, and significantly influenced the economies and politics of several Central American countries.

1899-1901 Boxer Rebellion

-A nationalist uprising in China against foreign influence and missionaries, led by the "Boxers". It aimed to expel foreign powers and their citizens from China, resulting in military intervention by an eight-nation alliance.

PERIOD 4

1900 to Present

1906 Muslim League Founded

-a political party founded to advocate for the rights and interests of Muslims in British India and eventually played a key role in the creation of Pakistan.

-supporters for a separate nation for Muslims of India (Pakistan)

1910-1920 Mexican Rev

-A major armed struggle in Mexico that transformed the nation's political and social structures, leading to the end of Porfirio Díaz's dictatorship and significant land reforms.

-Peasant armies led by Poncho Villa and Emiliano Zapata —→ unsuccessful

1914-1918 WWI

-causes: militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism, assassination of Gavrilo Princip

-”total war,” propaganda, trench warfare, Indian infantry

-end —→ Paris peace conference, treaty of versailles

-A global conflict primarily involving European powers, marked by unprecedented military mobilization and extensive battles on the Western and Eastern fronts.

1915-1917 Armenian genocide

-The systematic extermination of the Armenian population by the Ottoman Empire during World War I, characterized by mass killings, forced deportations, and death marches.

1917 Russia Rev

-Russian citizens grew tired of Tsar regime

-Bolksheviks seized power in a second revolution, leading to the establishment of a communist government under Lenin.

1917 Zimmerman telegram

-A secret communication sent by Germany to Mexico proposing a military alliance against the United States during World War I, which ultimately contributed to American entry into the war.

1920 League of Nations founded

-has weak points that make it disintegrate later: primarily due to the absence of the United States and its inability to enforce decisions effectively. It aimed to promote peace and cooperation but struggled with conflicts between member states.

1925 Reza Shah Pahlavi’s rise initiated Westernization in Iran

-A military officer who became the monarch of Iran, implementing reforms that modernized the country and created a secular state.

1929-1933 Great Depression

-A severe worldwide economic downturn that began after the stock market crash in October 1929, leading to widespread unemployment, poverty, and a decline in industrial output.

1933 New deal by FDR

-infrastructure projects, retirement programs

-financial reforms to combat the Great Depression. It aimed to provide relief, recovery, and reform to the American economy.

1939-1945 WWII

-A global conflict involving most of the world's nations, marked by significant battles, genocide, and the use of atomic weapons, resulting in large-scale destruction and the establishment of the United Nations.

1941-1945 Holocaust

-desire to create a pure race

-resulted in the systematic genocide of six million Jews and millions of others, including disabled individuals, Romani people, and political dissidents by Nazi Germany.

1941-1953 Stalin in power

-Industrialization of USSR —→ Five year plan

-nationalism and its role in facism

-Stalin's regime focused on rapid industrialization through centralized planning, leading to significant economic transformation in the Soviet Union, as well as widespread repression of dissent.

1943-1978 Green Rev

-A period of agricultural transformation that introduced high-yielding variety seeds, fertilizers, and modern farming techniques, significantly increasing food production, especially in developing countries.

1945-1950 Chinese Communist Rev

-A political revolution led by the Chinese Communist Party, resulting in the overthrow of the Nationalist government and the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing

-The atomic bombings were conducted by the United States during World War II in August 1945, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of the war, marking the first and only use of nuclear weapons in conflict.

1945 United Nations created

-An intergovernmental organization established to promote international cooperation and maintain peace after World War II, officially founded on October 24, 1945.

1946 Philippines

-became a Commonwealth of the United States, eventually leading to full independence in 1946.

1947 Partition of India

-The division of British India into two independent dominions, India and Pakistan, leading to significant political and social upheaval, mass migrations, and communal violence.

-Gandhi led peaceful protests for independence

-Indian National Congress: a major political party in India advocating for independence from British rule.

1947 Japanese Empire ends

-The end of the Empire marked the conclusion of World War II in Asia, resulting in the loss of territories and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in Japan.