The Medieval Worldand Beyond

Student Edition

Teachers' Curriculum Institute

Introduction 1

Setting the Stage 4

Chapter 1The Legacy of the Roman Empire 7

Discover the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empireand how aspects of ancient Roman culture, such as art,architecture, engineering, and language, continue toinfluence and affect modern life today.

Chapter 2The Development of Feudalismin Western Europe 19

Learn about the feudal system and the differencesbetween the social classes of monarchs, lords and ladies,knights, and peasants.

Chapter 3The Role of the Churchin Medieval Europe 31

Explore the influence of the Roman Catholic Church as thecenter of medievallife during the High Middle Ages.

Chapter 4Life in Medieval Towns 43

Learn about the growth of medieval towns and exploreaspects of daily life during the later Middle Ages.

Chapter 5The Decline of Feudalism 53

Explore how three key events in England and Europe-the signing of the Magna Carta, the bubonic plague,and the Hundred Years' War-contributed to the declineof feudalism.

Chapter 6The Byzantine Empire 61

Learn about the Byzantine Empire's beginnings in easternEurope, its greatest emperor and distinctive church, and itsrelationship with the Roman Empire.

Medieval EuropeTimeline 68

Chapter 7The Geography of the Arabian Peninsula 75

Study the Arabian Peninsula's environments and discoverthe ways of life of its peoph~ in the sixth century.

Chapter 8The Prophet Muhammad 83

Explore Muhammad's life and leam about the spread ofIslam throughout Arabia and beyond.

Chapter 9The Teachings of Islam 93

Take a closer look at the basic beliefs and practices ofthe Islamic faith. Discover how Islam is practiced as acomplete way of life.

72

130

Setting the Stage

Chapter 10Contributions of Muslims toWorld Civilization 105

Discover the many achievements of Muslims inarchitecture, education, science, geography, mathematics,medicine, literature, art, and music.

Chapter 11From the Crusades toNew Muslim Empires 119

Explore the impact of the crusades on Christians,Muslims, and Jews. Leam how new Muslim empiresarose and how Islam continued to spread to new parts ofthe world.

Islam Timeline

West Africa Timeline 172

Chapter 12Early Societies in West Africa 137

Discover how the kingdoms of Ghana, Songhai, and Malideveloped out of early societies in West Africa.

Chapter 13Ghana: A West African Trading Empire 145

Learn about Ghana's govemment and military as weHas how Ghana's people acquired wealth through thetrans-Saharan trade.

134

Chapter 15The Cultural Legacy of West Africa 165

Learn about West African oral and written traditions,music, and visual arts and how they continue to influencethe world today.

Chapter 14The Influence of Islam on West Africa 155

Explore Islam's influence on West African religiouspractices, govemment and law, education, language,architecture, and decorative arts.

Setting the Stage

Setting the Stage 176

Chapter 16The Politieal Development 01 Imperial China 179

Explore China's political development under severaldynasties and their different approaches to government.

Chapter 17China Develops a New Eeonomy 187

Discover how changes in agriculture, trade and commerce,and urbanization helped China's economy grow during theSong dynasty.

Chapter 18Chinese Diseoveries and Inventions 195

Explore Chinese advances in exploration and travel,industry, military technology, everyday objects, anddisease prevention during the Tang and Song dynasties.

Chapter 19China's Contaets with the Outside World 205

Learn how the Chinese both welcomed and rejectedforeign contact and how cultural exchange affectedChina during the Tang, Yuan, and Ming dynasties.

Imperial China Timeline 212

Setting the Stage 216

Chapter 21Heian-kyo: The Heart of Japan's Golden Age 229

Explore how Heian aristocrats lived and how they creatednew kinds of art and literature in Japan's Golden Age.

Chapter 22The Rise of the Warrior Class in Japan 241

Meet Japan's samurai and leam about their code of conductand the lasting mark they left on Japanese culture.

252Japan Timeline

Chapter 20The Influence of Neighboring Cultureson Japan 219

Discover how Japan blended ideas from other culturesinto its own unique civilization.

Setting the Stage 256

Chapter 23The Maya 259

Traee the development of Mayan civilization and studyMayan dass strueture, family life, religious beliefs andpraetiees, and agrieultural teehniques.

Chapter 24The Aztecs 271

Learn about the Aztee people and how they built a greatempire in eentral Mexieo.

Chapter 25Daily Life in Tenochtitlan 279

Diseover what life was like in the Aztees' eapital cityof Tenoehtitlan. Explore Aztee dass strueture, marriage,family life, food, markets, religious praetices, andreereation.

Chapter 26Thelncas 289

Explore how the Inea Empire was built and maintained.Learn about the Ineas' dass strueture, family life, religion,and relations with other people.

Chapter 27Achievements of the Maya, Aztecs,andlncas 301

Study the aeeomplishments of these three great peoplesof the Amerieas, with a foeus on seienee and teehnology,arts and arehiteeture, and language and writing.

Civilizations of the AmericasTimeline 308

Setting the Stage 312

Chapter 28The RenaissanceBegins 315

Explore how the Renaissance differed from the MiddleAges and classical times. Examine changes in Europeanlife that led to the Renaissance.

Chapter 29Florence:The Cradle of the Renaissance 323

Visit the Italian city of Florence to learn about theadvances in architecture and engineering, painting,sculpture, literature, science, and mathematics thatwere made during the Renaissance.

Chapter 30Leading Figures of the Renaissance 333

Learn how Renaissance ideas spread from Italy acrossEurope, and study the lives and work of ten leading figuresof the Renaissance.

Chapter 31The Reformation Begins 347

Learn about the problems that weakened the RomanCatholic Church, meet the early reformers who tried tochange the church, and discover how the Reformationended the religious unity of Christian Europe.

Chapter 32The Spread and Impact ofthe Reformation 357

Explore the growth of Protestantism and the Counter-Reformation of the Catholic Church. Leam about thebeliefs and practices of three Protestant sects: Lutheranism,Calvinism, and Anglicanism.

Renaissanceand ReformationTimeline 368

Setting the Stage 372Chapter 33The Age of Exploration 375

Learn how the voyages of discovery by explorers fromPortugal, Spain, and other European countries changed howEuropeans saw the world.

Chapter 34The Scientific Revolution 389

Meet some of the key scientists of this period, and leamabout their major discoveries and inventions.

Chapter 35The Enlightenment 399

Meet philosophers whose ideas influenced theEnlightenment, and discover how their work led to newthinking about govemment and individual rights.

Modern Europe Timeline 410

Resources 413