An Age Of Empires, 1200-1750

by Bingham, Marjorie Wall

• ISBN13: 9780195178395
• ISBN10: 0195178394
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-08-25
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The Medieval and Early Modern World tells the colorful story of a pivotalperiod in human history, an era that is crucial to understanding our own times.The expansion of trade and city life, the spread and reform of religiousinstitutions, the rise of regional empires and local feudal regimes, andrevolutionary advances in science and technology laid the foundation for themodern world. Told through the words and experiences of the people who livedit--kings, queens, and commoners, priests and lay people, explorers, scientists,artists, and world travelers--this is a world history for a newgeneration.

Author Biography

Marjorie Wall Bingham has taught at every level from seventh grade to graduate school and has served on the Bradley Commission on History in the Schools and on other national and state committees to encourage more and better history teaching. She is a coauthor of a thirteen-book series including Women in World Cultures (1980-1987), and the author of a high-school curriculum for the Korea Society.

Table of Contents

Cast of Characters	8	(2)
Map of An Age of Empires, 1200--1750	10	(2)
Introduction: Days of Empire	12	(4)
Golden Khan, Golden Reins, Golden Horde: The Mongols Ride Out	16	(11)
Horse Sense and Hard Lives
Conquering the World
Anonymous, The Secret History of the Mongols, 13th century	25	(2)
Who's Next? The Mongols Reach Their Limit	27	(10)
Assassins, Brides, and the Tartar Yoke
A Nomadic Army Loses its Grip
Marco Polo, The Travels of Marco Polo, 13th century	28	(9)
Twice as Powerful: Poland and Lithuania Unite	37	(11)
Fighting Christians and Pious Pagans
Flowers Before the Flood
Guillaume Le Vasseur Beauplan, A Description of Ukraine, 1744	44	(4)
Troubled Times, Troubled Tsars: The Russian Empire	48	(12)
Fear and Rage: The Rule of Ivan the Terrible
Russia Looks Westward
Sophia, electress of Hanover, letter about Peter the Great, 1687	56	(4)
The Real Mughals, Not the Reel Moguls: Empire in India	60	(12)
Babur the Tiger Takes India
An Empire Withers
Francois Bernier, Travels in the Mogul Empire, 1670	65	(7)
Triumph of the Turks: The Rise of the Ottoman Empire	72	(11)
Rule by the Sword
The Sack of Constantinopole
Evliya Celebi, Book of Travels, 17th century	81	(2)
When Tents Become Towers: The Sultans Settle Down	83	(12)
Suleyman Eludes the Poisoned Shirt
Spring Tulips, Wilting Empire
Anonymous, archives of the Turkish prime minister, 1749	90	(5)
Stocking the Royal Spice Cabinet: The Portuguese Empire	95	(12)
Henry, Armchair Navigator
Running Out of Wind
Gomes Eannes de Zurara, Chronicle of the Discovery and Conquest of Guinea, 15th century	104	(3)
``Go Further!'': Spain Expands across an Ocean	107	(13)
1492, A Remarkable Year
Enemies at Every Turn
Reginaldo de Montesinos, sermon delivered in a Dominican church, 1511	116	(4)
The Wedding Ring Empire: Europe under the Habsburgs	120	(13)
Out of Many, One
The Queen of Common Sense
Emanuel Tarouca, Letter to Empress Maria Theresa, 1740	130	(3)
Teenagers Take the Throne: Manchu China	133	(11)
The Civilized Barbarians
The Celestial Suns: Kangxi and Qianlong
Cheng Panch'io, a letter to his brother, 1732	135	(9)
Epilogue: Remembering the Conquests	144	(2)
Glossary	146	(2)
Timeline	148	(2)
Further Reading	150	(3)
Websites	153	(1)
Index	154	(4)
Text and Picture Credits	158