Key Historical Figures, Dynasties, and Empires in World History

Darius the Great

Persian emperor who strengthened the Achaemenid Empire through standardized laws, taxation, roads, and provincial governance (satrapies).

Alexander the Great

Macedonian ruler who conquered the Persian Empire and spread Greek culture across Southwest Asia, Egypt, and parts of South Asia.

Qin dynasty

Short-lived Chinese dynasty that unified China through Legalism, strict laws, and centralized authority.

Emperor Shihuangdi

First emperor of China who standardized currency, weights, and writing, and ordered the construction of early Great Wall defenses.

Han dynasty

Chinese dynasty that expanded territory, promoted Confucianism, developed bureaucracy, and strengthened Silk Road trade.

Xiongnu

Nomadic pastoralist group from Central Asia that frequently raided Han China, prompting military expansion and diplomacy.

Han Wudi

Powerful Han emperor who expanded China's borders, weakened the Xiongnu, and promoted Confucianism as state ideology.

Chandragupta Maurya

Founder of the Mauryan Empire in India who created a centralized state with a strong military and bureaucracy.

Ashoka

Mauryan emperor who converted to Buddhism, promoted nonviolence, and spread Buddhist ideas through missionaries and edicts.

Gupta Empire

Decentralized Indian empire known for advances in mathematics, science, medicine, and a Hindu cultural revival.

Rock pillar edicts

Stone inscriptions issued by Ashoka that communicated Buddhist principles, moral behavior, and state policies.

Hellenistic Empire

The cultural blend of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian influences that spread after Alexander's conquests.

Constantine

Roman emperor who legalized Christianity and supported its spread, significantly shaping Roman and European history.

Vikings

Scandinavian seafarers who used longships to raid, trade, and explore across Europe, the Mediterranean, and the North Atlantic.

Mongols

Nomadic pastoralists from Central Asia who created the largest land empire in history under leaders like Genghis Khan.

Marco Polo

Venetian merchant who traveled to China and served in the Mongol court under Kublai Khan.

Zheng He

Chinese admiral of the Ming dynasty who led large naval expeditions across the Indian Ocean.

Margery Kempe

English Christian mystic who traveled widely on pilgrimages and recorded her spiritual experiences.

Neo-Confucianism

A revival of Confucian ideas that incorporated Buddhist and Daoist elements.

Sui dynasty

Short-lived Chinese dynasty that reunified China after centuries of division.

Song dynasty

Chinese dynasty marked by economic growth, technological innovation, and urbanization.

Tang dynasty

Powerful Chinese dynasty considered a golden age of culture, trade, and expansion.

Uighers

Turkic nomadic group that controlled key sections of the Silk Roads in Central Asia.

Sufis

Islamic mystics who emphasized personal devotion and spiritual connection to God.

Justinian

Byzantine emperor who sought to reunite the Roman Empire and strengthen imperial authority.

Seljuk Turks

Muslim Turkic group that controlled much of the eastern Islamic world.

Tamerlane

Central Asian conqueror who built a short-lived empire through brutal military campaigns.

Mali Empire

Wealthy West African empire that prospered from the gold-salt trade.

Mansa Musa

Ruler of the Mali Empire known for his immense wealth and pilgrimage to Mecca.

Swahili

Coastal East African culture formed through the blending of African and Islamic influences.

Kingdom of Axum

East African kingdom that controlled Red Sea trade routes.

William the Conqueror

Norman ruler who conquered England in 1066.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Medieval theologian who blended Christian teachings with Greek philosophy.

The Crusades

A series of religious wars launched by Christians to reclaim holy lands from Muslim control.

Reconquista

Centuries-long effort by Christian kingdoms to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule.

John of Montecorvino

Franciscan missionary who traveled to China during the Mongol period.

Ming dynasty

Chinese dynasty that restored native Chinese rule after the Mongols.

Renaissance

European cultural movement focused on classical learning, humanism, and individual achievement.

Ferdinand and Isabella

Spanish monarchs who unified Spain and strengthened royal authority.

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer who sailed around Africa to reach India.

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador who led the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer sailing for Spain who reached the Americas in 1492.

Inca Empire

Large empire in the Andes Mountains known for centralized rule and road systems.

Aztec Empire

Powerful Mesoamerican empire centered in Tenochtitlán.

Atlantic System

Network of trade connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Joint-stock companies

Businesses funded by multiple investors who shared profits and risks.

Casta system

Racial hierarchy in Spanish colonies that ranked people based on ancestry.

Encomienda system

Spanish labor system that granted colonists control over Indigenous labor.

Mita system

Forced labor system adapted by the Spanish from the Inca.

Vodun

African-based religion that developed in the Americas through syncretism.

Little Ice Age

Period of global cooling from about 1300-1850.

Chattel slavery

System in which enslaved people were treated as property for life.

Indentured servitude

Labor system where workers agreed to work for a set number of years in exchange for passage or wages.