CONTENTS
Reader's Guide = ⅸ
Timeline of Events in the Middle Ages = xi
Words to Know = xxxi
Research and Activity Ideas = xli
Chapter 1 : The Middle Ages = 1
Understanding Medieval Times = 4
Chapter 2 : The Fall of the Roman Empire = 7
The Decline of the Roman Empire(A.D. 180-c. 350) = 8
The Fall of Rome(c. 350-476) = 13
Chapter 3 : The Merovingian Age = 19
Dividing Up Western Europe(400s-500s) = 19
The Church = 23
The Merovingians(481-751) = 29
Chapter 4 : The Carolingian Age = 33
The Carolingian Age(751-987) = 33
Feudalism = 37
The Vikings(793-c. 1000) = 39
The End of the Early Middle Ages(843-c. 1000) = 42
Chapter 5 : Eastern Europe = 47
The Byzantine Empire = 47
Byzantine Culture = 51
The Slavic Peoples = 54
The Turning Point for Eastern Europe = 58
Chapter 6 : The Islamic World = 61
Preparing the Way for Islam(300s-632) = 61
The Islamic Faith = 66
Islamic Empires = 68
Muslim Civilization = 72
The Splintering of the Islamic World(c. 875-1258) = 75
Chapter 7 : The Turks = 77
Early Turkish Empires(500s-900s) = 77
The Seljuks(900s-1243) = 79
The Mamluks(1252-1517) = 81
The Ottomans = 82
Chapter 8 : The Jewish World = 85
Jews, Judaism, and Anti-Semitism = 85
Jews in the Middle East and North Africa = 87
Jews in Spain = 88
Jews in Europe = 90
Chapter 9 : The Eleventh Century = 93
Europe on the Eve of the Crusades = 93
The Recovery of the Church = 99
The First Crusade(1095-99) = 102
Chapter 10 : The Twelfth Century = 107
A Changing World = 107
The Cross and the Sword = 113
The Age of Chivalry = 116
Chapter 11 : The Thirteenth Century = 121
The End of the Crusades = 121
The New Europe = 126
Chapter 12 : The Mongols = 133
Genghis Khan(c. 1162-1227) = 133
Conquests in Eastern Europe(1227-41) = 134
A Shift to Southwest Asia(1241-60) = 136
Kublai Khan(1215-1294) = 136
Tamerlane and the End of the Mongols(1294-c. 1500) = 137
Chapter 13 : India = 141
A Land of Divisions = 141
Muslim Empires and Hindu Kingdoms = 145
Chapter 14 : Southeast Asia = 151
Indochina = 151
The Malay Peninsula and Archipelago = 155
Chapter 15 : China = 161
New Religions, New Ideas = 161
The Sui Dynasty(589-618) = 163
The T'ang Dynasty(618-907) = 164
The Sung Dynasty(960-1279) = 169
Y$$\ddot u$$an Dynasty(1279-1368) = 171
Glory Days of the Ming Dynasty(1368-c. 1500) = 172
Chapter 16 : Japan = 175
From the Kofun to the Nara Period(250-794) = 175
The Heian Period(794-1185) = 180
The Kamakura and Muromachi Periods(1185-1573) = 181
Chapter 17 : The Americas = 185
The Maya = 185
The Aztecs = 190
The Incas = 194
Chapter 18 : Africa = 201
Ethiopia = 201
The Sudan = 203
Bantu Kingdoms and Cities = 207
Chapter 19 : The Late Middle Ages = 213
Pestilence and War = 213
The People and the Powers = 220
Where to Learn More = xlvii
Index = xlix
Reader's Guide = ⅸ
Timeline of Events in the Middle Ages = xi
Words to Know = xxxi
Research and Activity Ideas = xli
Chapter 1 : The Middle Ages = 1
Understanding Medieval Times = 4
Chapter 2 : The Fall of the Roman Empire = 7
The Decline of the Roman Empire(A.D. 180-c. 350) = 8
The Fall of Rome(c. 350-476) = 13
Chapter 3 : The Merovingian Age = 19
Dividing Up Western Europe(400s-500s) = 19
The Church = 23
The Merovingians(481-751) = 29
Chapter 4 : The Carolingian Age = 33
The Carolingian Age(751-987) = 33
Feudalism = 37
The Vikings(793-c. 1000) = 39
The End of the Early Middle Ages(843-c. 1000) = 42
Chapter 5 : Eastern Europe = 47
The Byzantine Empire = 47
Byzantine Culture = 51
The Slavic Peoples = 54
The Turning Point for Eastern Europe = 58
Chapter 6 : The Islamic World = 61
Preparing the Way for Islam(300s-632) = 61
The Islamic Faith = 66
Islamic Empires = 68
Muslim Civilization = 72
The Splintering of the Islamic World(c. 875-1258) = 75
Chapter 7 : The Turks = 77
Early Turkish Empires(500s-900s) = 77
The Seljuks(900s-1243) = 79
The Mamluks(1252-1517) = 81
The Ottomans = 82
Chapter 8 : The Jewish World = 85
Jews, Judaism, and Anti-Semitism = 85
Jews in the Middle East and North Africa = 87
Jews in Spain = 88
Jews in Europe = 90
Chapter 9 : The Eleventh Century = 93
Europe on the Eve of the Crusades = 93
The Recovery of the Church = 99
The First Crusade(1095-99) = 102
Chapter 10 : The Twelfth Century = 107
A Changing World = 107
The Cross and the Sword = 113
The Age of Chivalry = 116
Chapter 11 : The Thirteenth Century = 121
The End of the Crusades = 121
The New Europe = 126
Chapter 12 : The Mongols = 133
Genghis Khan(c. 1162-1227) = 133
Conquests in Eastern Europe(1227-41) = 134
A Shift to Southwest Asia(1241-60) = 136
Kublai Khan(1215-1294) = 136
Tamerlane and the End of the Mongols(1294-c. 1500) = 137
Chapter 13 : India = 141
A Land of Divisions = 141
Muslim Empires and Hindu Kingdoms = 145
Chapter 14 : Southeast Asia = 151
Indochina = 151
The Malay Peninsula and Archipelago = 155
Chapter 15 : China = 161
New Religions, New Ideas = 161
The Sui Dynasty(589-618) = 163
The T'ang Dynasty(618-907) = 164
The Sung Dynasty(960-1279) = 169
Y$$\ddot u$$an Dynasty(1279-1368) = 171
Glory Days of the Ming Dynasty(1368-c. 1500) = 172
Chapter 16 : Japan = 175
From the Kofun to the Nara Period(250-794) = 175
The Heian Period(794-1185) = 180
The Kamakura and Muromachi Periods(1185-1573) = 181
Chapter 17 : The Americas = 185
The Maya = 185
The Aztecs = 190
The Incas = 194
Chapter 18 : Africa = 201
Ethiopia = 201
The Sudan = 203
Bantu Kingdoms and Cities = 207
Chapter 19 : The Late Middle Ages = 213
Pestilence and War = 213
The People and the Powers = 220
Where to Learn More = xlvii
Index = xlix