Period 1 ( 1200-1450 ) Slideshows 1-3 [ Parrish ]

Constantinople

Imperial city built by Constantine I, moving Roman capital

Migration Period

Large-scale movement of Germanic, Gothic, and Slavic peoples in Europe

Byzantines

Greek rulers of the Eastern Roman Empire after 485 CE

Justinian I

Byzantine emperor who reconquered the Western Empire temporarily

Code of Justinian

Legal code setting precedent for modern state legal systems

Cyril and Methodius

Byzantine missionaries who spread Christianity in Eastern Europe

Plague of Justinian

Deadly plague in the 6th century reducing populations in the Byzantine Empire

Silk Roads

Trade routes connecting the Western world to South and East Asia

Byzantine-Sassanid War

Conflict weakening both the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires

Macedonian Renaissance

Resurgent growth of the Byzantine Empire in the 11th and 12th centuries

Ottoman Empire

Turkish Muslim empire that ended the Byzantine Empire in 1453

Islam

Theological system emerging from Muhammad's teachings

Muhammad

Arab religious, social, and political leader, last prophet of Islam

Allah

Arabic word for 'God', central in Islamic doctrine

Quran

Central religious text of Islam containing divine revelations

Muslims

Adherents to Islam regardless of race

Five Pillars

Core beliefs and practices in Islam

Ummah

Community of believers in Islam

Mecca

Primary regional Arab city where Muhammad preached Islam

Medina

City where Muhammad converted Arab tribes and rallied support

Rashidun Caliphate

Territory organized after Muhammad's death in 631 CE

Germanic, Gothic, and Slavic peoples

Groups that moved into the Roman Empire from 300 to 570 CE

Huns and Avars

Threatening forces to Roman imperial power in the 5th century CE

Black Death

Plague in the 14th century that significantly reduced populations in the region

Sassanid Empire

Empire that temporarily weakened the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century

Caliph

Civil and religious leader in Islam who determined state policy

Kaaba

Sacred building in Mecca central to Islamic pilgrimage

Dhimmis

Non-Muslim monotheists protected by Muslim states with restrictions

Jizya tax

Tax payable by dhimmis to the Rashidun Caliphate, avoidable by converting to Islam

Umayyad Caliphate

Caliphate from 661-750 CE, conquered Persia and Byzantine Empire, faced internal instability

Civil war

Conflict within the Rashidun Caliphate leading to Umayyad clan's victory

Abbasid Caliphate

Caliphate succeeding Umayyad, enriched state administration, experienced Golden Age

Abbasid Revolution

Revolt by Arabs and non-Arab Muslims against Umayyad, ushering in Abbasid rule

Golden Age

Period of cultural, scientific, and literary achievements under the Abbasid Caliphate

Saharan desert crossing

Achievement under Abbasids connecting Islamic world with West Africa

Sunni and Shi'a

Major branches of Islam with historical disputes over rightful caliph

Seljuk Turks

Group that destroyed Abbasid military power in the 11th century

Ayyubids

Successors to the Abbasid Caliphate in Egypt, maintaining symbolic rule

Mamluks

Non-Arab warriors increasingly relied upon by Arabs, inheriting caliphate title in Egypt

Safavid Dynasty

Persian Shi'a state that became a significant force in the Muslim world

Trade routes

Pathways facilitating Islamic expansion to various regions through trade and migration