Note from the Author

Preface

From the Beginnings to Circa 1500 BC

The evolution of man

The beginnings of civilization -- cave paintings -- from hunting to agriculture -- the Middle East, the Mediterranean, the Indus Valley, North China, Egypt -- the early cultures of America

Sumeria -- Malta -- Egypt -- the Indus Valley

Sargon the Great -- early codes of law

Egypt -- the Old Kingdom and the Middle Kingdom

The Hittite Empire, and the Eighteenth Dynasty -- Exodus

Crete and Mycenae -- the Phoenicians -- the Jews

Circa 1500-500 BC

China -- origins -- the Shang -- the Chow -- Spring and Autumn -- sthe Warring States

Aryan invasion of India -- Aryan culture and beliefs -- early literature: Mahabharata, Baghavadgita -- the Hindu pantheon

The Assyrians -- the Babylonians -- the Jews

Greece -- Dorian invasions -- Hopmer -- Hesiod -- Delphi and Olympia -- Greek colonies -- the Phoenicians -- Greek civilization -- the Etruscans -- origins of Rome -- Persia: Cyrus the Great

The great religions: Zoroaster -- Ezra and the temple of Solomon -- Buddha -- Mahavira -- Confucius -- Chinese philosophy

Circa 500-300 BC

The Persian Empire -- The Greek city states -- the Persian War 490-479 -- Athens under Pericles -- the Peloponnesian War -- Socrates, Plato, Xenophon, Aristotle

Alexander the Great

India -- Chandragupta Maurya -- Asoka

China -- Shih Huang Ti -- the Han -- Wu Ti -- Ssu ma Chi'en -- Chang Chi'en -- Bactria and the Silk Road

Circa 300 BC-70 AD

Rome and Carthage -- slavery in Roman society -- Patricians and Plebeians -- the Gracchi -- slave revolts -- Marius and Sulla -- Pompey, Crassus Julius Caesar and the fall of the Republic -- the reign of Augustus

The Hasmonean dynasty and the troubles of Judaea -- Jesus of Nazareth -- Paul of Tarsus -- the early Christians -- the siege and fall of Jerusalem -- Rabbinic tradition -- Philo of Alexandria

Circa 50 AD-500

China -- the Later Han -- the Warring States -- the Silk Road -- Korea -- Japan

China -- the Kushana -- the South -- further development of Buddhism -- trade and industry -- the Gupta

The Roman Empire in the Second Century

Persia -- the rise fo the Sassanids -- decline of Roman power -- Mythraism and Christianity -- Diocletian and Cosntantine

The fall of the Roman Empire in the West

The Byzantine Empire -- Justinian -- Monasticism

Circa 500-1000

Persia: the end of the Sassanids -- Muhammad -- the Caliphate: -- Baghdad -- Cordova -- Cairo

China under the T'ang

Japan: Prince Shotoku -- rise of the Fujiwara -- the Nara epoch

Byzantium and Western Europe: Charlemagne

Further invasions of the West -- the Vikings -- Alfred the Great -- growth of the Feudal System -- Otto the Great -- Resurgence of the Byzantine Empire -- Holy Russia

The Americas: Woodland Culture -- the Chavin culture -- the Olmec -- the Mochica -- the Maya -- Teotihuacan -- Africa

Circa 900-1200

North India from the Gupta to the Slave Kings -- Harsha of Thanesar -- Mahmud of Ghazni -- Muhammad of Ghur -- Marco Polo in South India -- Revival of Hinduism -- Vishnu and Shiva -- cave temples -- Tantric Buddhism

China under the Sung -- culture, economy, administration -- the Southern Sung

Japan -- the Fujiwara -- Court life and culture -- Shinto and Buddhism -- the Kamakura age -- the Samurai -- Bushido

Fall of the Abbasid Caliphate -- Persia under the Seljuqs -- the Shi-ite Caliphate of Cairo -- the Assassins -- Muslim expansion in Africa -- Christians and Moors in Spain -- the Cid

The Normans -- in Normandy -- in Italy and Sicily -- in England

Church and State -- co-operation and rivalry

The Byzantine Empire and the Crusades

Circa 1200-1450

The Mongols -- Genghis Khan -- China under Kublai Khan -- Hulagu in Persia -- The Golden Horde in Russia -- Alexander Nevsky

Church and State in Europe -- economic revival -- Frederick Barbarossa -- Henry II and Becket -- Innocent III -- Frederick II -- Boniface VIII -- the Papacy at Avignon -- Franciscans and Dominicans

Growth of nation states and their rulers -- Louis IX of France -- Alfonso the Wise of Castile -- Diniz of Portugal -- England: Henry II -- Magna Carta -- Edward I -- Wales, Ireland, Scotland: Malcolm Canmore -- David I -- Robert Bruce -- Charles IV of Bohemia -- the 100 Years' War -- the Black Death

The Hanseatic league -- the Italian Cities -- the 100 Years' War -- Joan of Arc -- the Early Renaissance -- the early Reformers

Western travellers in China -- Marco Polo -- Ibn Battuta in Africa, India and China -- fall of the Yuan and rise fo the Ming

Circa 1350-1550

The decay of Byzantium -- Hungary -- Tamerlaine -- the fall of Byzantium -- the spread of learning -- Florence in flower -- the invention of printing

Chinese Naval expeditions -- Portuguese explorers: Cadamosto, Dias, Vasco da Gama -- Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America

The Spaniards in the West Indies -- the Aztecs in Mexico -- the Inca in Peru -- Cortes -- Pizarro -- New Spain and Old Spain -- the Habsburg succession and its consequences

Renaissance and Reformation -- Charles V and Luther -- origins of the Reformation -- town and country -- conflict in Switzerland -- the printing press -- peasant revolts in Germany and Hungary -- Luther and the Peasants' War -- the Reformation spreads in Germany and Europe -- translations of the Bible -- Multiplication of sects

Charles V and the Turks -- and the French -- Sack of Rome -- Reform of the Catholic Church -- the Divine Right of Kings

Notes

Index