c.5000-3000 | Yangshao culture in China |
c.5000 | Mangoes cultivated in SE Asia |
c.3750 | First evidence of cotton weaving. Mohenjo-Daro, India. |
c.3500-2500 | Longshan culture in China |
c.3400 | First evidence of wheel-made pottery. Sumeria. |
c.3200-1600 | Indus Valley civilization |
c.3200-2340 | Cities in Mesopotamia |
c.3200 | Wheeled transport develops in Mesopotamia. |
c.3200 | Lunar calendar in Mesopotamia |
c.3200 | Cuneiform in Sumeria. |
c.3000-2000 | Anthropomorphic religion in Mesopotamia |
3000 | Silk manufacturing. China. |
c.2500-1500 | Indus Civilization in India |
2334-c.2200 | Akkadian Empire |
c. 2200-1750 | Hsia (Xia) Dynasty in China |
c.2000-1800 | Mathematical advances in Old Babylonia |
c.2000-1600 | Old Babylonian Empire |
c.2000 | Horse introduced to W. Asia |
c.2000 | "Personal" religion develops in Mesopotamia |
c.1900 | Epic of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia. |
c.1790 | Code of Hammurabi |
c.1750-1100 | Shang Dynasty in China |
c.1700-1500 | Evidence of ideographic script in China |
c.1600-1200 | Hittite Empire in Asia Minor (Anatolia) |
c.1600 | Invention of alphabet (consonants only). Syria |
c.1550 | Kassites overthrow Babylonians |
c.1523-1027 | Shang dynasty and invention of writing |
c.1500-500 | Arrival of the Aryans and development of Vedic society (India) |
c.1400 | Development of alphabet by Phoenicians |
c.1250 | Moses unites Hebrews in worship of Yahweh |
c.1200s | Moses leads Hebrews from Egypt to Palestine |
c.1200-1025 | Hebrew occupation of Canaan |
c.1250 | Trojan War |
c.1200-800 | Vedas in India |
c.1100-250 | Zhou (Chou) Dynasty in China |
c.1027-771 | Western Zhou (Chou) Dynasty in China |
c.1025-933 | Unified Hebrew monarchy, Saul, David, and Solomon |
c.1000 | Rise of caste system in India |
933-722 | Kingdom of Israel |
933-586 | Kingdom of Judah |
c.800-600 | Upanishads in India |
771-c.250 | Eastern Zhou (Chou) |
c.750-612 | Height of Assyrian Empire |
c.750-550 | Hebrew prophetic revolution |
c.750-400 | Astronomical observation and record-keeping by New Babylonians |
c.625 | Zoroaster formulates religion in Persia |
612-539 | New Babylonian Empire |
c.600 | Deuteronomic code |
586 | Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem |
c.563-483 | Life of Gautama, the Buddha |
c.551-479 | Confucius |
c.550 | Laozi |
c.540-468 | Life of Mahavira, founder of Jainism in India |
c.563-483 | Life of Gautama, the Buddha |
c.540-468 | Life of Mahavira, founder of Jainism in India |
539 | Conquest of Babylon by Persians |
525 | Cambyses, the Persian ruler, conquers Egypt |
c.513 | Persian conquest of northwestern India and Indus Valley |
c.500 | Crop cultivation in rows in China |
c.500 | Iron plow in China |
c.500 | Royal Road of Persians |
490-479 | Greco-Persian War |
c.450 | Hebrew Song of Songs |
c.400 | Book of Job |
c.400 | Coinage in China |
c.400 | Trace harness in China |
c.400 | Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu) |
c.400-200 | Mahabharata and Ramayana reach final form in India |
c.400 B.C.E.-70C.E. | Hebrew prophetic revolution |
c.373-288 | Mencius |
334-323 | Conquests of Alexander the Great |
323 | Death of Alexander, division of his empire |
c.322-183 | Maurya dynasty in India |
c.300 | Wrought iron in China |
c.300 | Emergence of Mithraism |
300-237 | Xunzi (Hsün-tzu) |
c.273-232 | Reign of Emporer Ashoka in India |
c.261 | Ashoka conquers Kalinga, leading to spread of Buddhism in India |
c.250-208 | Han Fei-tzu and Li Ssu--development of Legalism in China |
221-206 | Unification of China under Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty |
221-206 | Destruction of Confucian literature under Legalist regime |
221-206 | Standardization of weights and measures, coinage, writing system under Legalist regime |
206B.C.E.-220C.E. | Han Dynasty in China |
c.200 | Use of the seed drill in China |
c.183-145 | Greek Invasion of India |
c.179-104 | Dong Zhongsho (Tung Chung-shu) |
c.141-87 | Emporer Han Wudi (Wu Ti) in China |
c.140 | First Chinese ambassadors to India |
c. 145-86 | Sima Qian (Ssu-ma Ch'ien) |
111 | Chinese expansion to S. China Sea and Vietnam |
c. 100 | Beginning of Japanese state |
c. 100 | Invention of the Rudder in China |
206 B.C.E.-220 C.E. | Han Dynasty in China |
c.0-100 | Shaka and Kushan invasions in northern India |
c.25-300 | Kushan rule in northwestern India |
c.78 | Kushan emporer Kanishka promotes Buddhism in India |
220-589 | Buddhism reaches China |
221-280 | Three Kingdoms Era |
c.200 | Porcelain in China |
c.200-300 | Creation of the Yamato state in Japan |
c.300-800 | Classical age of Hindu culture in India |
c.300-500 | Barbarian invasions of China |
320-467 | Gupta dynasty in India |
c.380-450 | Kalidasa, India's greatest poet |
c.405 | Adoption of Chinese writing in Japan |
500 | Manufacture of glass and magnetic compass in China |
c.550-1250 | Great stone temple architecture in India |
c.552 | Spread of Buddhism in Japan |
c.570-632 | Muhammad |
589-618 | Sui dynasty in China |
c.600-1000 | Sanskrit drama in India |
604 | Shotoku's Seventeen Article Constitution in Japan |
c.606-648 | King Harsha in India |
610 | Muhammad preaches reform, monotheism in Arabia |
618-907 | Tang Dynasty in China |
622 | Muhammad's Hijrah |
632 | Muhammad dies |
632-661 | Caliphate emerges as an institution |
636-651 | Muslims conquer Syria, Persia and Egypt |
645 | Taika Reform Edict |
651 | Publication of the Qu'ran, sacred book of Islam |
c.656 | Split in Islam between Shiites and Sunnites |
661-750 | The Umayyads dynasty (Islamic kingdom) |
661 | Umayyads move Muslim capital from Medina to Damascus |
c.700-1300 | Height of Islamic commerce and industry |
710 | Nara establised as Japan's first capitol (and first city) |
750-1258 | The Abbasid dynasty (Islamic dynasty) |
751 | Battle at Talas River ends Islamic penetration of Central Asia |
762 | Abbasids move Muslim capital from Damascus to Baghdad |
794-1185 | Heian era and literary flowering in Japan |
c.900 | Woodblock printing of books in China, Japan, and Korea |
907-960 | The Era of the Five Dynasties in China--warfare |
945 | Buyids occupy Baghdad |
c.950 | Death of Al-Farabi |
960-1279 | Song dynasty in China |
1000-1500 | Muslim invasions of India |
1000-1200 | Development of neo-Confucianism |
1037 | Death of Avicenna |
1021-1086 | Wang An-shih, political reformer and author in China |
1055 | Baghdad falls to the Seljuk Turks |
1095-1099 | First Crusade |
c.1120 | Rubaiyat of Umar Khayyam |
1141-1279 | Height of landscape painting in China |
c.1150 | Explosive powder used in weapons in China |
c.1162-1227 | Genghis Khan |
1185-1333 | Kamakura Shogunate and Japanese feudalism |
1187 | Crusaders lose Jerusalem to Saladin |
1192 | Establishment of Shogunate in Japan |
1192 | Destruction of Buddhism in India |
c.1200 | Zen Buddhism in Japan |
c.1200 | Innoculation for smallpox in China |
1206-1526 | Turkish Sultanate at Delhi |
c.1235 | Development of Chinese drama |
c.1250 | Poetry of Sadi |
1258 | Mongols destroy Baghdad and kill the last Abbasid Caliph |
1274 | Mongols unsuccessful attempt to invade Japan |
1279-1368 | Mongol (Yüan) dynasty in China |
1281 | Mongols unsuccessful attempt to invade Japan |
1290-1320 | Sultanate of Delhi |
1291 | Fall of last Christian outposts in the Holy Land |
1300-1500 | Rise of the daimyo in Japan |
c.1300 | Marco Polo travels in China |
1368-1644 | Ming dynasty in China |
c.1370 | Persian poetry of Hafiz |
1398 | Sack of Delhi by Timur the Lame (Tamerlane) |
1498-1511 | Portugal gains control of East Indian spice trade |
c.1500 | Founding of Sikh religious sect |
1549-1551 | Introduction of Christianity to Japan |
1582-1610 | Matteo Ricci in China |
c.1591 | Decline of Songhay afer defeat by Moroccans |
1453 | Heavy artillery (cannons) helps Turks capture Constantinople and end Hundred Years War |