Streams of Civilization
Table of Contents
Foreward and Acknowledgments
Earliest Time to the Discovery of the New World
Introducing History
Why History? ..................... 1
History's Building Blocks ..................... 3
Historical Time Periods ...................... 6
Views of History ............................. 7
Message to Students of History ..................... 8
Chapter 1—How Did it all Begin?
In the Beginning ..................... 10
Men, Monkeys, and Missing Links ..................... 15
The History of the Earth ..................... 22
Chapter 2—Dawn of Civilizations
c. 4000-1785 B.C.
Dawn of Civilizations ..................... 30
The Fertile Crescent ..................... 33
The Indus River Valley ..................... 39
Ancient Egypt ..................... 42
Chapter 3—Expanding Civilizations
c. 2100-1085 B.C.
Expanding Civilizations ..................... 52
Egypt's New Kingdom ..................... 52
The Old Babylonian Kingdom ..................... 61
The Aesean Civilization ..................... 63
The Western Hemisphere ..................... 68
Chapter 4—Rise of Small Kingdoms
c. 2000-550 B.C.
Rise of Small Kingdoms ..................... 74
The Middle East ..................... 74
The Early Russians ..................... 81
The Greek Dark Ages ..................... 84
The Earliest American Civilizations ..................... 91
Chapter 5—Sunset of Mesopotamian Influence
c. 1500-521 B.C.
Sunset of Mesopotamian Influence ..................... 96
The Assyrian Empire ..................... 96
The Chaldean Empire ..................... 100
The Persian Empire ..................... 104
The Indian Vedic Ages ..................... 109
Chapter 6—Classical Greece and Hellanization
c. 625-133 B.C.
Classical Greece and Hellenization ..................... 113
Greek City-States and Colonies ..................... 116
Greek Freedom Threatened ..................... 121
The Golden Age of Greece ..................... 126
Spread of Greek Culture ..................... 131
Chapter 7—Risk of the Roman Republic
c. 2000-30 B.C.
Rise of the Roman Republic ..................... 140
Early Beginnings ..................... 140
Roman Expansion ..................... 145
Fall of the Roman Republic ..................... 150
Chapter 8—The Roman Empire
c. 30 B.C.—180 A.D.
The Roman Empire ..................... 158
The Pax Romana ..................... 158
The Germanic Tribes ..................... 171
Chapter 9—Christianity, Rome, and the Byzantine Empire
c. 180-867 A.D.
The Development of Christianity ..................... 180
The Fall of Rome ..................... 187
Influence of the Byzantine Empire ..................... 192
Chapter 10—The Dark Continent and the Mysterious East
c. 3000 B.C.-400 A.D.
The Dark Continent ..................... 200
The Indian Middle Ages ..................... 206
The Origins of Chinese Civilization ..................... 216
Chapter 11—The Early Middle Ages
c. 400-925 A.D.
European Dark Ages ..................... 228
Islam—A New Faith Emerges ..................... 236
Feudalism ..................... 244
Chapter 12—England, The Norsemen, and the Age of Chivalry
c. 500 B.C.-1300 A.D.
The Development of England ..................... 250
The Norsemen of Scandinavia ..................... 253
The Age of Chivalry ..................... 261
Chapter 13—The Development of European Nations
c. 911-1328 A.D.
The Crusades—For Glory, God and Unity ..................... 270
Twilight of Feudalism ..................... 284
European Society Changes ..................... 288
Russia and the Golden Horde ..................... 292
Chapter 14—Far East and African Developments
c. 400-1500 A.D.
China and the Mongols ..................... 298
Japan: Land of the Rising Sun ..................... 304
The Muslims Conquer India ..................... 310
Muslim Influence in Africa ..................... 313
Chapter 15—Pre-Columbus America
c. 500 B.C.-1600 A.D.
The Pre-Aztec Civilizations ..................... 318
The Mayas ..................... 321
The Aztecs ..................... 326
The Pre-lncan Civilizations ..................... 331
The Incans ..................... 333
The North American Indians ..................... 338
Chapter 16—Nationalism and the Renaissance
c. 1300-1584 A.D.
French and English Nationalism ..................... 346
Eastern European Nationalism ..................... 352
The European Renaissance ..................... 360
Chapter 17—The Reformation and a New World
c. 1294-1600 A.D.
The Eve of the Reformation ..................... 370
The Reformation ..................... 376
A New World ..................... 383
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