important people 1200-1450

emperor song taizu

Founder of the Song Dynasty, expanded the civil service exam system and bureaucracy.

Zhu Xi

Neo-Confucian philosopher who synthesized Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist ideas.

Muhammad

Founder of Islam, whose teachings spread across Afro-Eurasia

Al-Razi

Persian physician and scholar who made major contributions to medicine.

ibn Sina

Islamic scholar whose medical encyclopedia influenced European and Middle Eastern medicine.

Nasir al Din al Tusi

Persian polymath who made advances in astronomy and mathematics

Al-khwarizmi

Mathematician known as the "father of algebra," whose work influenced future mathematical studies.

Rumi

Persian Sufi poet and theologian, whose works emphasized spiritual love and mysticism

Raja raja Chola I

South Indian ruler of the Chola dynasty, known for military expansion and temple construction.

Mahmud of Ghazni

Turkish ruler who led invasions into India, spreading Islam and plundering Hindu temples.

Pachacuti

Founder of the Inca Empire, who expanded its territory and administrative structure.

Montezuma I

Aztec ruler who strengthened Tenochtitlán and expanded the empire's influence

Sundiata keita

Founder of the Mali Empire, established wealth through trade and strong governance.

Mansa Musa

Wealthy ruler of Mali, famous for his hajj to Mecca and promotion of Islam

Ibn Khaldun

Arab historian and philosopher, known for pioneering historical methodology.

Charlemagne

Frankish king who established the Holy Roman Empire and promoted learning

thomas aquinas

Catholic theologian who merged Christian doctrine with Aristotelian philosophy.

William the conqueror

Norman ruler who conquered England in 1066, establishing feudal monarchy.

Marco polo

Venetian merchant and traveler who documented his journey to Yuan China

Genghis khan

Founder of the Mongol Empire, known for military conquests and unifying nomadic tribes.

Kublai Khan

Grandson of Genghis Khan, ruler of the Yuan Dynasty, promoted trade and administration in China

Zheng He

Chinese admiral and diplomat who led maritime expeditions under the Ming Dynasty.

Ibn Majid

Arab navigator and cartographer who improved Indian Ocean navigation.

Ibn Battuta

Muslim traveler and scholar who documented the Islamic world's cultures and trade networks.

Xuanzang

Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India to acquire sacred texts and spread Buddhism.