Complete Phase 3 — Post-Classical & Medieval World
A master timeline of the post-classical and medieval period from 500 to 1450 CE — Islam, Byzantium, feudal Europe, the Mongols, Song China, Africa, and the Americas.
Justinian I Becomes Byzantine Emperor
The most ambitious Byzantine emperor begins his reign, producing the Hagia Sophia, the Corpus Juris Civilis, and military reconquests.
Birth of Muhammad
The Prophet of Islam is born in Mecca, setting the stage for one of history's most transformative religious and political movements.
Tang Dynasty Founded in China
China enters its golden age under the Tang, with Chang'an becoming the world's largest and most cosmopolitan city.
The Hijra
Muhammad's emigration from Mecca to Medina marks Year 1 of the Islamic calendar and the founding of the Muslim community.
Muslim Conquest of Iberia Begins
Islamic forces cross into Spain, establishing Al-Andalus and beginning nearly eight centuries of Muslim presence in Europe.
Foundation of Baghdad
The Abbasids build their new capital at the crossroads of the world, inaugurating the Islamic Golden Age.
Coronation of Charlemagne
The Frankish king is crowned Emperor of the Romans, reviving the concept of Western empire.
Song Dynasty Founded
China enters its most technologically innovative era — movable type, gunpowder weapons, paper money, and the magnetic compass.
Christianization of Kievan Rus'
Prince Vladimir I adopts Orthodox Christianity, aligning Eastern Europe with the Byzantine cultural sphere.
The Great Schism
Christianity permanently splits into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox branches.
First Crusade Launched
Pope Urban II calls for the reconquest of Jerusalem, beginning nearly two centuries of religious warfare.
Kamakura Shogunate Established in Japan
The samurai class seizes real political power, establishing military government that will define Japan for 700 years.
Genghis Khan Unifies the Mongols
Temüjin is proclaimed Universal Ruler, launching the most rapid and extensive military conquest in world history.
Sundiata Founds the Mali Empire
Sundiata Keita's victory at Kirina establishes the Mali Empire, which will control the trans-Saharan gold trade.
Mongol Sack of Baghdad
The destruction of Baghdad ends the Abbasid Caliphate and devastates the Islamic world's greatest center of learning.
Mansa Musa's Pilgrimage to Mecca
The Mali emperor's legendary hajj crashes gold markets across the Mediterranean and puts West Africa on European maps.
Tenochtitlán Founded
The Aztecs establish their island capital on Lake Texcoco — it will become one of the world's largest cities.
The Black Death Reaches Europe
Bubonic plague arrives in Sicily, beginning a pandemic that will kill a third of Europe's population and reshape the medieval world.
Ming Dynasty Overthrows the Yuan
Chinese rebels expel the Mongols, founding the Ming Dynasty and ending foreign rule over China.
Inca Empire Begins Rapid Expansion
Under Pachacuti, the Inca begin building the largest state in pre-Columbian America, stretching 4,000 km along the Andes.
Dawn of the Renaissance
Italian city-states lead a cultural revolution drawing on classical and Islamic learning — the medieval world gives way to the modern.