Summary
An ideal companion for students of world history, Early Medieval World covers world history from about 300 to 1000, beginning with the decline and dissolution of the two empires that had dominated the previous period, the Roman Empire in the western Mediterranean and the Han Empire in China. The volume explores the large empires that defined this era, including the Byzantine, Sassanid, Gupta, and Islamic empires; the expansion of large regional trade networks; and the formation of new states in West Africa, Mesoamerica, South America, and Southeast Asia. A far-reaching development of this period were the mass migrations of the steppe peoples in Central Asia, the Bantu peoples in Africa, and the Polynesian peoples in Oceania.
About the Author(s)
William E. Burns earned his Ph.D. in British history from the University of California at Davis. His many publications include An Age of Wonders: Prodigies, Politics, and Providence in England, 1657-1727; The Scientific Revolution: An Encyclopedia; Science in the Enlightenment; and Witch Hunts in Europe and America.