AP World History Timeline Key Events from 1200 to Present

AP World History Timeline Key Events from 1200 to Present

The AP World History Timeline outlines significant global events from 1200 to the present, focusing on key civilizations, empires, and cultural shifts. It highlights the rise and fall of major powers, including the Abbasid Caliphate, Mongol Empire, and Ottoman Empire, along with pivotal moments like the Crusades and the Black Death. This timeline serves as a valuable resource for AP World History students preparing for exams, providing a structured overview of historical developments and their impacts. Key themes include trade, cultural diffusion, and the evolution of political systems across various regions.

Key Points

  • Covers key events from 1200 to present, including the rise of the Mongol Empire and the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate.
  • Highlights significant cultural and economic developments, such as the impact of the Black Death and the expansion of trade routes.
  • Explores the influence of major dynasties like the Song, Yuan, and Ottoman on world history.
  • Details the effects of the Crusades on Christian-Muslim relations and cultural exchanges.
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Period One : 1200 to 1450
● 750-1258 : Abbasid Caliphate
○ Developments in Dar al-Islam (commonly tested)
○ Islamic Empire with capital in Baghdad (modern day Iraq)
○ built around trade → used receipt and bill system
○ Abbasid Caliphate's decline led to rise of Turkic Muslim empires like the Seljuk
Empire
● 960-1279 : Song Dynasty
○ Neo-Confucianism → emphasis on hierarchy & filial piety
○ Filial Piety (commonly tested) → practice of honoring one’s ancestors and
parents
○ expansion of the imperial bureaucracy through merit-based bureaucratic jobs to
maintain loyalty
○ economic Development through Champa rice, Grand Canal expansion & trade
across Eurasia
● 1095-1492 : Crusades
○ military campaigns by European Christians to convert Muslims and
non-Christians
● 1206-1526 : Delhi Sultanate
○ led to the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia
○ Rajput Kingdom resisted Muslim intrusion, maintaining Hindu influence
● 1206-1227 : Reign of Genghis Khan
○ Genghis Khan establishes Mongol Empire in 1206 (reign : 1206 - 1227)
■ unified the tribes in Mongolia to expand their authority over other societies
○ impact of Mongols :
■ Great diffusers of culture
■ Prevented Russia from culturally developing
■ World trade, cultural diffusion, global awareness grew as they spread
through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia
○ ruthless fighters, organized and mobile
○ Silk Roads (commonly tested)
○ Indian Ocean Trade (commonly tested)
● 1215 : Magna Carta signed
○ right to a fair trial for citizens
● 1258 : Mongols overtook and destroyed Baghdad (end of the Abbasid Caliphate)
● 1279-1368 : Yuan Dynasty
○ the first foreign-ruled dynasty to commandeer all of China, led by Mongols
● 1299-1923 : Ottoman Empire
○ founded by Osman Bey as the Mongol Empire fell & expanded rapidly
○ Islamic, soldified rule over territory from Greece → Persia
○ adoption of gunpowder weapons crucial for expansion
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○ devshirme → enslaved Christians from Balkans, converted them to Islam to form
elite fighting force (Janissaries)
● 1324 : Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca
○ this pilgrimage introduced the wealth of Mali to the the rest of the Mediterranean
● 1325 : Tenochitlan founded
○ capital city of Aztec Empire → markets were established, commercialised
● 1325-1354 : Ibn Battuta's travels
○ travelled all over Dar al Aslam - > possible with trade routes
○ helped his readers understand the cultures across world
● 1346 - 1388: Black Death aka Bubonic Plague
○ Emerged in North China → spread rapidly across the Silk Roads and the Indian
Ocean Trade routes
○ Middle East → Killed nearly 1/3 of their population
○ Europe → killed ½ of their population
○ very commonly shows up on the exam → notes
● 1368-1644 : Ming Dynasty
○ Came with the decline of Mongol rule in China
○ Established peace and order + expanded their borders with gunpowder
● 1405-1433 : Zheng He's voyages
○ Sent by the Ming Dynasty to go explore the Indian Ocean & enroll other states in
China’s tributary system
● 1428-1521 : Aztec Empire - “Trade and Sacrifice”
○ Tenochtitlan: capital city (modern Mexico City) →
Expansionist policy and professional, strict army
■ To secure their legitimacy as rulers → Mexica claimed heritage from older,
more renowned Mesoamerican people
● 1438-1533 : Inca Empire - “My land is your land”
○ Expansionist - army, established bureaucracy, unified language, system of roads
and tunnels
○ Established Mit’a System → required labor of everyone for a period of time each
year to work on state projects
○ Inca roads (commonly tested) → more notes on Inca
● 1440 : Swahili state-building flourishes
● 1440 : Printing press invented
○ Johannes Gutenberg → inventor
○ made books easy to produce and affordable, and literacy more accessible to
everyone
● 1400s : Caravel invented in Europe
● 1441 : Start of Atlantic slave trade
○ transporting between 10 and 12 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic
Ocean
○ conditions were brutal, overcrowded, unsanitary
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Period Two : 1450 to 1750
● 1453: Ottoman Empires conquers Constantinople
● 1450s-1480s: Russia breaks free from Mongol rule
● 1464-1591: Songhai Empire thrives (Islamic state)
● 1469: Birth of Sikhism
○ held onto significant doctrines from Islam & Hinduism
● 1491: Spain completes the Reconquista
○ Reconquista → effort to rid the Iberian Peninsula of Muslim rule
○ Re-established christianity as the official religion of the region
● 1492: Columbus voyages to the "New World"
○ marks start of Spanish colonization and the Columbian Exchange → notes
● 1497: Portugal starts colonization of the Americas
○ 1498 → Vasco da Gama reaches India
● 1501-1722: Safavid Empire emerges as the largest Shia empire
○ in conflict with the Sunni Ottoman Empire
● 1534: First enslaved Africans arrive in Americas
● 1517: Protestant Reformation starts
○ 95 Theses, MLK (shows up commonly)
● 1526-1748: Mughal Empire rises
○ Notable rules : Akbar and Aurangzeb
■ Akbar → religious tolerance and supports the arts (1556-1605)
■ Aurangzeb → persecution of Hindus and Sikhs
■ ended when last ruler Bahadur Shah II was sent into exile
○ Increasing Bhakti Movement & Sufism → commonly tested (notes here)
● 1545: Discovery of silver at Potosi mine
○ Silver was KING
● 1550-1700: Scientific Revolution
● 1552: Russian Empire emerge
○ Ivan the Terrible→ shows up often, notes
● 1595: Invention of the Fluyt
○ responsible for half of all europe’s shipping tonnage
● 1600: British East India Company established
● 1600-1868: Tokugawa Japan
○ strict government that instituted a rigid social class model
○ national seclusion policy
● 1602: Dutch East India Company established
● 1607: Jamestown
○ British Virginia company → role in funding exploration projects
● 1632: Taj Mahal construction start
● 1643-1715: Louis XIV's absolute monarchy reigns in France
● 1687: Newton's Principia published
● 1688-1911: Qing Dynasty governs China → shows up commonly!
○ Manchu Empire → commonly tested
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Faqs of AP World History Timeline Key Events from 1200 to Present
What are the major events covered in the AP World History timeline?
The AP World History timeline includes major events such as the rise of the Abbasid Caliphate, the establishment of the Mongol Empire, and the signing of the Magna Carta. It also highlights the impact of the Crusades, the spread of the Black Death, and the flourishing of empires like the Ottoman and Ming. Each event is contextualized within its historical significance, showing how these moments shaped global interactions and cultural exchanges.
How does the timeline address the impact of trade on civilizations?
The timeline emphasizes the role of trade in connecting various civilizations, particularly through the Silk Roads and Indian Ocean trade routes. It discusses how these trade networks facilitated cultural diffusion, economic growth, and the exchange of ideas and technologies among different societies. The economic developments during the Song Dynasty and the impact of the Mongol Empire on trade are specifically highlighted.
What themes are explored in the AP World History timeline?
Key themes explored in the timeline include the rise and fall of empires, cultural exchanges, and the evolution of political systems. It examines how trade, religion, and warfare influenced the development of societies from 1200 to the present. The timeline also addresses social structures and the impact of significant events like the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution on global history.
What role did the Black Death play in world history according to the timeline?
The Black Death is portrayed as a transformative event that drastically altered the demographic landscape of Europe and Asia. The timeline notes that it led to the death of a significant portion of the population, which in turn affected labor markets, economic structures, and social hierarchies. The aftermath of the plague contributed to shifts in power dynamics and the eventual rise of the Renaissance.
How does the timeline illustrate the relationship between different cultures?
The timeline illustrates the relationship between different cultures through events like the Crusades, which fostered both conflict and cooperation between Christians and Muslims. It also highlights the spread of religions, such as Islam and Buddhism, and their influence on various societies. Cultural exchanges facilitated by trade routes are emphasized, showing how ideas, art, and technology were shared across regions.