The Middle Ages Around the World

Overview

Uncover the seminal events and currents of the Middle Ages as they radiated not only through Europe but across the globe in this 24-lecture course exploring medieval civilizations from China to the Americas.

Course No. 30190

The Middle Ages was a time of major historical shifts that shaped the modern world. Journey through 1,000 years of global history, from the fall of empires to the rise of Islam, the Crusades, Mongol conquests, and the Age of Exploration.

Course Content

Foundations of the Medieval World

1. Medieval Beginnings: The Fall of Empires (33 min)
   • The collapse of Rome, Han China, and Gupta India; rise of Germanic kingdoms.

• Constantinople, Aksum, and Tang China (32 min)
  • Three great medieval cities: Byzantine capital, African trade hub, and Chinese imperial seat.

3. The Rise of Islam and Europe’s Knights (32 min)
   • Muhammad’s revelations, Arab conquests, and the origins of European feudalism.

4. Creating an Islamic Culture (33 min)
   • The Five Pillars, Sunni-Shiite split, and Islam’s golden age of learning.

• The Medieval Spread of Religions (34 min)
  • Christianity’s Great Schism, Hinduism in India, and Buddhism’s journey east.

6. The Medieval Rebuilding of Empires (33 min)
   • Charlemagne’s Europe, Abbasid Baghdad, and China’s Tang Dynasty golden age.

Expansion and Exchange

7. North America and Viking Explorers (33 min)
   • Norse settlements in Greenland and brief contact with Indigenous Americans.

8. Medieval Growth and Prosperity (31 min)
   • Song Dynasty innovations, European agricultural revolution, and Seljuk Turks.

9. The Crusades’ Clash of Cultures, 1097–1291 (32 min)
   • Christian holy wars, Muslim counter-crusades, and lasting consequences.

• Medieval Towns and Trade Networks (29 min)
  • European commerce, Mali’s gold, and Swahili Coast merchants.

11. Cathedrals to Pagodas: Sacred Architecture (30 min)
    • Hagia Sophia, Gothic cathedrals, Angkor Wat, and Chinese pagodas.

12. Universities and Intellectual Discovery (31 min)
    • China’s exam system, Islamic advances in math/medicine, and Europe’s first universities.

Global Encounters

13. Life in a Medieval Palace (31 min)
    • European castles, Alhambra’s splendor, and China’s Forbidden City.

14. Medieval Tales of Heroes and Lovers (31 min)
    • Beowulf, The Tale of Genji, and Arthurian romances.

15. Mongol Conquests: From China to Russia (31 min)
    • Genghis Khan’s empire, sack of Baghdad, and Yuan Dynasty.

16. Marco Polo Travels East to China (29 min)
    • 24 years in Kublai Khan’s court and the Travels that inspired Europe.

17. Medieval Pilgrims and Travelers (30 min)
    • Ibn Battuta’s 75,000-mile journey and Japanese diarists.

18. Fictional Travels and Monstrous Races (30 min)
    • The Travels of Sir John Mandeville and its harmful myths.

The Americas and Pacific

19. High Middle Ages in the Pacific: Polynesia (29 min)
    • Navigation feats, Easter Island statues, and ecological consequences.

20. High Middle Ages in the Americas (27 min)
    • Maya city-states, Anasazi cliff dwellings, and Amazonian civilizations.

Crisis and Transition

21. Late Medieval Disasters: Climate and Plague (29 min)
    • The Little Ice Age famine and Black Death’s global devastation.

22. Religious Struggles in the Age of Faith (27 min)
    • Questioning authority in Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.

23. Medieval Warfare Ends with Gunpowder (29 min)
    • Chinese invention transforms battles; Joan of Arc’s rise.

24. Medieval Empires Fall as Islam Revives (32 min)
    • Ottomans take Constantinople; Timur’s empire; medieval legacies.