Chapter 12:The Worlds of the 15th Century

Many don't view Columbus as a hero due to the invasions, slavery, and murders his voyages brought about
Arguably the single most important event of the 15th century, columbus's voyages were not the only significant event
15th century was about globalization
Bands of hunter-gatherers, villages of agricultural peoples,  newly emerging chiefdoms or small states, pastoral communities, and established civilizations and empires were all societies existing in the 15th century
substantial areas of the world still hosted hunter-gatherers or paleolithic peoples though they had changed over time
Australia had 250 separate groups still hunting and gathering at this time a pattern which continued well after europeans arrived in the  late 18th century
Australians practiced firestick farming which cleared brush and made hunting easier
North America had a very different type of gathering and hunting society with affluent gathering and hunting communities Northwest coast peoples had permanent settlements with sturdy houses, economic specialization,  and ranked societies that sometimes included slavery
as  the agricultural revolution unfolded across the globe, the numbers of these groups of people diminished severely
Much more numerous were people who were fully agricultural yet developed no city or state based societies
West Africa-Igbo tribe refused to follow pattern of urban centers though traded actively with neighboring peoples
agriculture had always been mainly a female role so as hunting decreased in places like present day new york, warfare became the new avenue to male prestige
great law of peace between the 5 nations
women were very powerful in iroquois nations
expanding economic network that included many other civilizations
paastoral mongols didnt last and there was a brief attempt to revive them during late 14th and early  15th century
Chinggis Khan again brought devastation to india persia and russia, timurs conquest last great military success of pastoral people from central asia
In africa pastoral people remained free from established empires
Some Fulbe adopted ISlam and abandoned pastoral ways
THere were civilizations much larger and more densely populated than other communities
Ming Dynasty in CHina
European COmparisons-state building and cultural renewal, maritime voyaging
Civilizations of the 15th century islamic world
In the Islamic Heartland; The Ottoman and Safavid Empires
On the Frontier of Islam: The Songhay and Mughal empires
Civilizations of the Fifteenth Century: The AMericas
The Aztec Empire and The INca Empire
webs of COnnection
A preview of COming attractions: Looking ahead to the Modern era 1500-2015

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