Brain Matter Upgrade 2
History
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is the most influential civilizations in the world. They created everything what we believe in today and what we do today.
Language, typography, philosophy, architecture, history, science, geography to astronomy, art, beauty and much more.
53.000 words in this world is Greek of origin. And Greeks invented so many things most people don't even know.
-53.000 words in the world is Greek of origin. (Greek language today is the richest in the world with over 800.000 words. The number 2 in the world has only 250.000)
-The musical notation system that we use everywhere in the world
-Typography (line length, leading, tracking, point size, typefaces
-Epic poetry
-The science of philosophy
-Humanism
-Democracy
-Development of Mathematics
-Automatic doors
-Diving bells
-First alphabet with vowels
-Hippocratic Oath
-Science of history
-Logic
-Mythology
-Science of Anthropology
-Coined money
-The Olympic
Greece is the founder of Western civilization and also the most influential one, they invented so many things its impossible to write them in a paragraph. Romans copied everything from the Greeks the Romans were deeply enamoured with Greek culture they regarded Greece as the mother of all knowledge, they adopted their religion, architecture, philosophies even the rich aristocrats hired Greek teachers for their kids+56
A lot of Ancient Greek influence can be found all over the world. Democracy started in Greece, Theatre was created there and trade played a big part during that time period, which influenced our trading strategies.+51
Very deserving of the first place spot. Perhaps one of the most fascinating and beautiful civilizations to exist. By the way, please visit Greece at least once in your life. Easily my favourite place in the world.
ANCIENT EGYPT
Dude, Egypt should be number ONE! They've just provided so much to the world. Lemme see where I can start and end.
First centralized civilization, luggages, boomerangs, oldest topographical map, writing, paper, pen, black ink, different colored inks, Egyptian blue, World's first Alchemist, nilometer, shaduf, irrigation, dams and reservoirs, the alphabet, padlock, toothpaste, oldest surgical instruments, glass making, ramp, lever, pulleys, prosthetics, breath mints, braces, first plastic surgery, Automatic moving statues, water wheels, noria, mathematixs(deserves it own wiki, an example is story problems and geometry), astronomy( deserves its wiki), oldest known door, oldest clothing, world's first clocks, world's first police, first ship. Even in military, the Egyptians contributed in a very important sector which is the navy and first warships. First philosopher, naming the organs of the body both external and internal, ox drawn plow, world's first condoms, world's first ...more+3
Ancient Egypt deserve number one spot. Recent studies have shown they have the oldest known port in the world. On top of that people forget how Rome and Greece were influenced by Egypt. Pythagoras studied in Egypt for 22 years. Plato also studied in Egypt. Ancient Egypt was the first centralised civilisation. The pyramids are a testimony of their engineering skills. The oldest medical school is from Ancient Egypt. In law, it was the ancient Egyptians who invented Wills to be read by lawyers upon the demise of an individual, divorce proceedings, marriage contract, estate or land property rights and the Police. The oldest topographical map is from Ancient Egypt. In science, the ancient Egyptians used the system of aerodynamics to invent world's first ship and sails. Recent archaeology has a questioning remark as to if they sailed to Australia since hieroglyphs were discovered there.
They invented geometry, decimal system and other topics in maths. They were able to create our modern ...more+2
Simply the best ancient civilization.
For the pyramids only Egyptian civilization will forever be known as the pinnacle the ancient peoples' achievement.+68
I'm sorry, they just invented virtually everything from office utensils to cosmetics. Egypt was the first to have a centralized government, ink, papyrus paper, pens, make-up, writing, surgery, neuroscience, astronomy, sails, condoms, and much, much, much more! We would be nowhere without the Egyptians. That is why they are the greatest civilization to ever exist. Greece would be nothing. Rome would be nothing. Britain, U.S.A., Russia, etc... would not exist. If Egypt never rose, we may have been in a dark age in 2019.
Ancient Rome
ANCIENT ROME
The roots of Western Civilization developed from histories longest lived civilization (500BC-1493AD). The decline and fall of the western part of the empire in 476AD, and the 1000 year chaos which followed (i.E. the dark ages) exemplify the importance of this once great empire. The Romans adapted foreign customs, ideas and people into their own. The were the first republic, and model for every republic to follow. With Rome lay the roots of western language, government, architecture and religion.
The history of modern nations such as the United States, mirrors Rome to a "T". Rome was founded as a result of resistance to the opposition and tyranny of their Etruscan overlords. The Roman's in founding their new nation swore never again to have a king. The government they established for their fledgling nation was named SPQR (latin translation: The Senate of the People for the People of Rome) was to serve that purpose. Sound familiar?
Ultimately national security ...more+26
The Romans were way ahead of their time. While most citizens of the world were out and about living in huts and eating wild animals and stuff, the city of Rome was already dealing with building height regulations (buildings had to be limited to 6 floors), traffic jams, and problems with indoor plumbing. Instead of a feudalist like society found anywhere else in the world, where you would die in the same status you were born in, you could be a simple soldier in Rome and become a Senator, a simple baker and become filthy rich. You could live in modern day Spain or Egypt or Bulgaria and still be a Roman citizen. They had an advanced highway system, the likes of which are comparable to the interstate system, war machines in use even 1,000 years after Rome, and after the fall of Rome Europe couldn't recover for another millennia. The effects of this civilization are felt today all over the Western World. - JustAnAccount
Rome: 753BC-509BC: kingdom, 509-27BC: republic, 27BC-395AD: united empire, 395-480AD: western roman empire, 395-1453: Eastern roman empire.
Let's not forget the Pax Romana, a 200 year golden age of Europe (27BC-180AD), where the roman empire brought peace on a never seen before scale to the world. During this time, justice and law was brought to Europe. Almost all of the provinces never experienced war, except for Britain, Judea and Syria. And even then, Romans quickly brought things back under control. They also expanded the known world, trading with the Irish, all the way to the Chinese.
Not only that, but women in the empire also had a new power. They were able to own businesses, lead shipping companies, and pretty much everything else but the military and politics, (and even then several wormed their way into them.) we even have a few records of female surgeons!
The roman empire brought technology to a new levels. They had aqueducts dozens of kilometers long, ...more+3
Rome was the greatest civilization of all time; Rome greatly increased technological levels in Europe and made European empires possible. Art flourished, Rome nearly united the known world, and we still feel the influence of Roman Christianity today. Heck, Rome CONQUERED Greece and Egypt. 'enough said.
Ancient India
ANCIENT INDIA
World's oldest university takshashila (700 bce) was in india
Will Durant, American historian: "India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of Europe's languages: she was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all".
Mark Twain, American author: "India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only."
Albert Einstein, American scientist: "We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made."
Max ...more+103
Ancient india must be the first because world's first planned cities were built in india (mohenjadaro and harappa), world's first sanitation system is found in india(3000 because). World's first dockyard is found in india(3000 bce, whereas trignometry (modern sine and cosine were stated by aryabhata nearly before 1500 years and he formulated the world's first sine table ), algebra (al khwarismi whop is credited for inventing modern algebra himself has stated it is the work of arjehir-aryabhat in arabic, many india books were translated to arabic since greece was in dark age during this period)), numeral system(ancient indians developed it and aryabhata perfected it),0(0 existed before millenias in india pingala stated the binary system with 0 but aryabhata and bhramagupta completed the work on 0), binary system(pingala), astronomical models(aryabhata, bhramagupta, bhaskaracharya all stated several helio centric models, nilakantha somayaji formulated tycho brahe model nearly 3 ...more+108
World's oldest dam was built in India.. By our ancient engineers.. It's name is Kallanai.. India was much better before Britishers.. Even+133
It used to be one of the richest civilizations in the world
Ancient china
ANCIENT CHINA
The ancient Chinese were ahead in the game in virtually all aspects of civilization. They were one of the only prominent civilizations in ancient history that elected government officials through merit instead of wealth/family background.
It is essentially the only ancient empire that still survives in its near full prominence and cultural diaspora that influenced and stimulated the culture of the largest/most populous continent on the planet. No other empire has survived the test of time besides China because their 1.4 billion people truly believe they are one culture and ethnic group which took thousands of years of integrations to achieve (the English have been trying to convince the Irish and Scottish people that they are one culture for a thousand years and still have not accomplished it). For most of ancient and modern history, around 1/4 to 1/2 of the human population lived and died in the Chinese Empire. While in modern times, high birth rates/high populations might ...more+72
They were ahead of the europeans in astronomy and science, invented paper, gunpowder, seismograph, printing, silk and many other things. They had lots of infrastructure, the forbidden city looked so grand. They developed caligraphy, painting, literature, was advanced in metallurgy and pottery. They left the best pottery that the word china also means pottery. They also invented chopsticks and make their language written words look like pictures.+39
Although China was lagging behind of Europe and America in a few of recent centuries, China was far ahead of other civilizations in term of science, economy and social management. They invested the paper and languages to record the history, the silk for covering our bodies, china and chop-stickers to eat our meals properly, and cultivate so many of plants to feed our human, and hundreds of inventions, most important, they gave their knowledge free to the rest of world.
Ancient China has a big influence on the modern world. They had writing systems, agriculture and empires. Many historical sights are in China. They invented paper, printing, gunpowder, and the compass. They also discovered fire. Much of what is today has to do with Ancient China. Many places, things, and even buildings are related to the Ancient Chinese.
Persia
PERSIA
Persians started the worlds first largest empire which was founded by morals. Persian kings did not believe in slavery and created the first declaration of human rights. They contributed so much to our world by creating the worlds first gardens, inventing wine, alcohol for medical use, and was the main influence for mediterranean food. They invented the kabob, birthday parties, the first monotheistic religion, the first feasts, domestication of horses, backgammon, their architectural influences spread to Europe, and etc. They have a history that dates back to almost 9, 000 years!+93
The word Persia itself invokes the ancient world. In terms of their contribution to civilization, their ancient civilization contributed more to humanity than any ancient civilization, including human rights, law, travel, culture, architecture, governmental system, commerce, art and music.+95
The concept of loving the motherland in a multiracial country was started in Persia. Persian ancient patriot myths are outstanding. People from different ethnic groups who get together and scarify themselves for each other are seen in Persian stories. But regardless of these things, Persian poetry is outstanding. Just do some research about it...+42
Persia is an important part of history, this civilization is one of the main reasons were as evolved in human rights and equality as we are. History isn't just the countries still existing, its about who and what has impacted our past and researching and acknowledging it. I can't believe more people voted for GEORGIA! they were probably just looking that it was American and that it made a lot of money, but what about culture, tradition and impact.Persia has made the human race better and if you just look around you, you can obviously just see its effect on us, without places like that we would be heartless caveman, do you really want that, GEORGIA (i don't like Georgia as you can tell).
Spartans
THE SPARTANS
Small yet mighty, no warriors in history ever did or ever will outmatch the men of Sparta. Having trained since the age of seven, their military career ended either when they reached an old enough age that they could not fight too well (most likely their mid-sixties), or it simply ended when they died. In their daily lives, they took up no other work except being soldiers everything they did was geared towards warfare, even the music they listened too. They trained every day from when the sun rose in the East to when it set in the West, and the training was the harshest known to man to this day from he youngest of ages, the boys were beaten near to death, flogged to test endurance and in most cases were killed during training. Once training was complete (after some 15 years of none-stop surviving) only then would they be given citizenship. And then there's the legacy of Leonidas and the 300 at Thermopylae which has become legend, an almost unbelievable story of courage, duty and ...more+7
This world was forged upon warfare, and who else to better represent the title "Best Ancient Civilization" than the greatest ancient military minded civilization? SPARTA+18
This is the most awesome civilization ever! Constantly striving for military excellence and their women enjoyed some of the best rights of any ancient civilization as well! I wish I could have seen what it was like!+14
Sparta is Greece but this is like a tribe and they were amazing they also had the greatest greek hero ever achilles+12
V
Aztec empire
AZTEC EMPIRE
The Aztecs had some of the best ancient technology in the world!new
The Aztec empire had are among some of the most advanced native american civilizations they were particularly good in the fields of Architecture and Agriculture. Their capital city, Tenochtitlan, Had a population of approximately 200,000 and was much cleaner and healthier than most European cities of the time, also they didn't have rivers of feces running through their streets like that of London+24
This is my favorite empire they are sooo interesting
European disease practically wiped out all the grandeur of this highly civilized society which had not reached its peak when the Spaniard invaders destroyed it. Many criticize it for its practice of human sacrifice but the truth is most countries in Europe were killing more of their own people on a statistical level. Tenochtitlan was an enormous city that stunned the Europeans when they first saw it. It had public schools, universities, hospitals, a high level of social structure, education was free, it was bigger than any European city of its time. It was filled with botanical gardens none existing in Europe. Streets were clean unlike European cities with ankle deep sewage. Aztec poetry and philosophy was even more abundant than the better know Greek productions. It is also a myth that it was European superior technology that defeated the Mexica Empire. It was disease. 95 percent of the 80 million natives people of the Americas were wiped out in a few years after the arrival
inca empire
INCA EMPIRE
Often overlooked, as most of the empire was consumed by the jungle (which is a wonder, how did they cultivate and build in the harshest jungles in the world in the first place? ). We still have much to learn from them. - JustAnAccount
A culturally rich empire because assimilated many cultures, their socioeconomically and political system was very developed making the Inca empire very organize for their time. In times where in other parts of world suffered from starvation, the Incas had food reserves for the bad times making their population virtually impervious to hunger or famine. They had a tax system called the "mita" which was a labor tax system. The Inca empire covered a very large geographical area, in fact the largest in the Americas and included countries such Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. They had a very develop system of canals and aqueducts that provided with irrigation and filtered water to their population. They probably were one of a very few develop ancient civilizations that did not communicate with writing (because they did not know it) but an alternative way to store communication called the "Quipus". Their constructions are (still standing) are out fo this world.+1
Should be higher up! Their roads rival that of Rome's and built many famous cities today, like Machu Picchu.+8
Created bases for community and kindness, ingenuity and problem solving. These people cared less about wealth systems and more about their communities.
Huns/mongols
THE HUNS/MONGOLS
Although Mongols and Huns are considered by some to be barbaric without influential cultural artifacts etc. they should be considered VERY INFLUENTIAL in world history by the fact that they had huge impact on the forming of nowadays Great Nations (Such as China, Russia and so on. ) Also if we consider Military to be a achievement, the military of Mongols and Huns should be considered the "Tour de force" of Human kind.
And Yes they were mass killers, they threatened the So called Cultured civilizations
But it was what they did to survive with their land of harsh, the leftover lands of cold and hot. Seriously People been choosing to live in Hawaii rather than anchorage.+5
I like Greece. I have been there few years ago during the Christmas. It was really amazing there. Even though people were in winter clothes I was walking in only my suits. The air, the place, just amazing. And I have seen Acropolis. But for me, the place where it was built was more interesting than the temple itself. But my points is that they managed to do something that many great civilizations wanted to do but couldn't. Even though they have bad reputation but they contributed many things to human history. Also they left traces of their culture all over Eurasia. So I vote for Mongols and the Huns.+1
When it comes to size... - JustAnAccount
Under the rule of Attila the Hun the Barbarian group called the Huns could quickly sweep through towns in just a matter of minutes. Attila and the Huns conquered most of Europe and weakened Rome. Genghis Khan the ruler of the Mongols conquered more than twice as much land as Rome in only a few decades. Rome on the other hand took almost 1000 years to conquer only a fraction of the land the Mongols could.
ancient macedonia
ANCIENT MACEDONIA
Ancient Macedonia was not Ancient Greece - it was hellenistic, or an imitation of Greek culture. Alexander the Great led the Macedonian empire, and was able to claim the largest empire in history, spanning from Greece, all the way to India. If Alexander's soldiers hadn't grown tired of war, and hadn't wanted to go back to their families, Alexander would probably have been able to conquer even more.
Ancient Macedonia was Greek.+29
Macedonia was greek go vote for ancient Greece instead+21
There is no Ancient Macedonia as a civilization, there is Ancient Greece. Great Alexander was Macedonian his father Philip the second united all ancient Greek states to one. so Macedonian and sparta are parts from Greece
babylonian empire
BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
They're cool
Absolutely most influential. Babylonian ideals developed our western religions, philosophies, stories, science, etc. The Greeks were indebted to them, as Alexander noted.
Thought 360 days per year thus 360 degrees in a circle
plus super ingenuitive
plus awesome walls covered in mosaics
I learned about Mesopotamia in class and they were very advanced, should be #1
ancient mayan
ANCIENT MAYAN
Yes the mayan people was some of the best civilization. They are consider scientists+3
I'm studying this and this civilization is the best+1
I love this civilization+1
Mayans, a civilization wiped out so swiftly by the savage europeans before they could prove how impressive their work has been on civil engineering, mathematics, astronomy, agriculture. Mayans with their great cities and histories were wiped out and it's achievements, culture and ancient past completely forgotten and obliterated.
ancient turkey
ANCIENT TURKEY
Yes Turkey+1
Turks have established 18 empires throughout their history, have conquered all of the known world, and the west has had to make up alternative narratives to curtail Turkish nationalism from reemerging in its greatness and dominating Middle East and Europe in the 20th century. The most significant legacy in most of Central Asia, Black Sea and Eastern Europe is of Turkish origin. The world has never known more powerful and benevolent conquerors than the Turks, and the Turks will soon rise again in their ferocious glory.
To conquer other countries, appropriation of other cultures and history, destruction of other nations can not be proud of the nation, which claims to be civilized.
viking times
SCANDINAVIA IN VIKING TIMES
Should be number 1. Absolutely amazing and brutal. The most powerful civilization in their time.new
The Norse civilization should be number 1. The Norse people were Germanic people who settled in Scandinavia they had to live in one of the hardest places to farm and back then if you had a poor crop harvest you would starve but they got past that by raiding and trading with other European settlements to get food. The Vikings were also very good explorers and sailors being the first Europeans to discover Greenland and Canada. The Vikings could also navigate with the using the stars. Also The Viking's civilization never fell like Greece, Egypt and Times did they just stopped being Vikings when they were converted into Christians.+5
Vikings led fleets of longships throughout Europe in a campaign to invade and ransack other civilizations to obtain there resources. The vikings also discovered America before any other easterners, but due to lack of resources and personnel, left it and returned home. People may think of vikings as mindless savages, but in reality, their civilizations produced an enormous change in technology, seafaring abilities, and many other advancements.
ancient japan
ANCIENT JAPAN
Wow so surprised that Japan is so high ranked even more than Korea.
You've got all your cultures from them don't you? You've got no cultures at all before Korea brought for you. You had no proper clothes (That's why Kimono is not even sewed properly), no china... How come you can say you have "culture"?
All your culture you think that is "Japanese" are actually from China or Korea.
Even Sashimi. Korean started to eat them first. You guys are just good at fudging people.+1
I think ancient japa is one of the most interesting civilizations, I hesitated between egypt and japan, but japan is the one that was the most honorable (in my opinion)+1
Not very well known because of its cut-off trade system, but filled with knowledge, logic, and brilliant ideas. There were emperors, samurais and geishas. Fantastic paintings and art were created.+6
Japan should be higher on the list because it has more to offer. I literally looked up how is Japan the most influential civilization and this appears and what does Japan get, NUMBER 9! I think it should at least be in the top 5. So reconsider what you have done.
UMAYYAD CALIPHATE
Well the end of the Umayyad caliphate was that they were living like kings instead of religious leaders+4
One of the most great era of Muslims. They have the great scientist, philosphers, warriors, docters, tecnology of that time like manginiac. They ruled about aone thousand year at entire world.
assyrian empire ipo
ASSYRIAN EMPIRE IPO
Known to have been one of the first civilizations to follow Christianity, most technologically advanced with more than one world wonder in their history+11
I'm learning about the Assyrian Empire in school. The Assyrians used ziggurats to worship their gods and held religious ceremonies to make food sacrifices. Note- they did not make human sacrifices- that's good!+8
They did invent Libraries+2
Very influential civilization, recent archeology shows that the hanging gardens may actually have been Assyrian not Babylonian
ancient atlantis
ANCIENT ATLANTIS
Plato told the story of Atlantis around 360 B.C. The founders of Atlantis, he said, were half god and half human. They created a utopian civilization and became a great naval power. Their home was made up of concentric islands separated by wide moats and linked by a canal that penetrated to the center.
indus valley
INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
Indus valley most advanced of old civilizations. I daresay better than Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Chinese, Turks, Japan, Tibet, Mongols, and even the bloody Romans. I think it is even superior to 17th century and 18th century England (Indus Valley had toilets). It should be a civilization to be remembered for all time and history.
The Indus Valley was extremely advanced with their water and sewer systems. They learned to trap the water every year during the flood and use it all year for drinking water and to water crops. They mysteriously disappeared and still no one knows what happened to them. Pretty cool.
ancient armenia
ANCIENT ARMENIA
Armenia lies in the highlands surrounding the Biblical mountains of Ararat. The original Armenian name for the country was Hayk, later Hayastan (Armenian: հայաստան), translated as the land of Haik, and consisting of the name of the ancient Mesopotamian god Haya (ha-ià) and the Persian suffix '-stan' ("land").
akkadian empire
AKKADIAN EMPIRE
The first Empire of Mesopotamia and was ruled by Sargon of Akkad. He himself is very powerful ruler.
The First empire to ever exist (so far) and created the first proper administration and organized force in the world, and it doesn't surprise us that it started in the mid-east.
mesopatamia
ANCIENT MESOPATAMIA
Mesopotamia (from the Greek, meaning 'between two rivers') was an ancient region located in the eastern Mediterranean bounded in the northeast by the Zagros Mountains and in the southeast by the Arabian Plateau, corresponding to today's Iraq, mostly, but also parts of modern-day Iran, Syria and Turkey.
ancient syria
ANCIENT SYRIA
The history of Syria covers events which occurred on the territory of the present Syrian Arab Republic and events which occurred in Syria (region). The present Syrian Arab Republic spans territory which was first unified in the 10th century BCE under the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the capital of which was the city of Ashur, from which the name "Syria" most likely derives. This territory was then conquered by various rulers, and settled in by different peoples. Syria is considered to have emerged as an independent country for the first time on 24 October 1945, upon the signing of the United Nations Charter by the Syrian government, effectively ending France’s mandate by the League of Nations to "render administrative advice and assistance to the population" of Syria, which came in effect on April 1946. On 21 February 1958, however, Syria merged with Egypt to create the United Arab Republic after plebiscitary ratification of the merger by both countries’ nations, but seceded from it in 1961, thereby recovering its full independence. Since 1963, the Syrian Arab Republic has been ruled by the Ba’ath Party, run by the Assad family exclusively since 1970. Currently Syria is fractured between rival forces on the course of the Syrian Civil War.
songhai empire
SONGHAI EMPIRE
The Songhai Empire, also known as the Songhay Empire, was a pre-colonial West African trading state centered on the middle reaches of the Niger River in what is now central Mali. The empire eventually extended west to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, and east into present-day Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
Considered one of the greatest African empires, from the early fifteenth to the late sixteenth century, Songhai was also one of the largest empires in West Africa, stretching all the way to present-day Cameroon. With several thousand cultures under its control, Songhai was clearly the largest empire in African history.
Conquest, centralization, and standardization in the empire were the most ambitious and far-reaching in sub-Saharan history until the colonization of the continent by Europeans.
Established by the Songhai tribe circa 800 C.E., the kingdom lasted nearly 800 years, until being overtaken by Morocco.
Origins of the Songhai Empire
Prior to the rise of the Songhai Empire, the region around the Big Bend of the Niger River had been dominated by the Mali Empire, centered on Timbuktu.
Mali grew famous due to their immense riches obtained through trade with the Arab world, and the legendary hajj of Mansa Musa. By the early fifteenth century, the Mali dominance of the region began to decline as internal disputes over succession weakened the political authority of the crown. Many subjects broke away, including the Songhai, who made the prominent city of Gao their new capital.
Gao
The history of the ancient city of Gao has been reconstructed from oral history and tombstone writing at the burial site of kings. While the two sources of historical record do not always agree in details, together they form an image of Gao beginning in the seventh century C.E. While it would not be considered the center of the Songhai Empire until early in the eleventh century C.E. , the first records of Gao describe a bustling trade center that had established political autonomy. Capitalizing on the conditions already existing in Gao, the Songhai chose it as their capital in 1010 C.E., a move which set Gao along the road of future development and growth.
Dia Kossoi
The first Dia, or king, of the Songhai Empire to enter the historical record is Dia Kossoi, who was responsible for converting the empire to Islam in 1010 C.E., concurrent with the shift to Gao as capital. Many scholars argue that his conversion was a pragmatic measure to benefit relations with berber traders, who controlled the caravans and played a major role in the economy of the empire.
ancient israel
ANCIENT ISRAEL
The Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah were related kingdoms from the Iron Age period of the ancient Levant. The Kingdom of Israel emerged as an important local power by the 10th century BCE before falling to the Neo-Assyrian Empire in 722 BCE. Israel's southern neighbor, the Kingdom of Judah, emerged in the 8th or 9th century BCE and later became a client state of first the Neo-Assyrian Empire and then the Neo-Babylonian Empire before a revolt against the latter led to its destruction in 586 BCE. Following the fall of Babylon to the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE, some Judean exiles returned to Jerusalem, inaugurating the formative period in the development of a distinctive Judahite identity in the province of Yehud Medinata.
During the Hellenistic classic period, Yehud was absorbed into the subsequent Hellenistic kingdoms that followed the conquests of Alexander the Great, but in the 2nd century BCE the Judaeans revolted against the Seleucid Empire and created the Hasmonean kingdom. This, the last nominally independent kingdom of Israel, gradually lost its independence from 63 BCE with its conquest by Pompey of Rome, becoming a Roman and later Parthian client kingdom. Following the installation of client kingdoms under the Herodian dynasty, the Province of Judea was wracked by civil disturbances, which culminated in the First Jewish–Roman War, the destruction of the Second Temple, the emergence of Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity. The name Judea (Iudaea) ceased to be used by Greco-Romans after the Bar Kochba revolt of 135 CE.
andalusia
Location of Andalusia within Spain.Coordinates: 37°23′N 5°59′WCoordinates: 37°23′N 5°59′WCountrySpainCapitalSevilleGovernment • BodyCouncil of Andalusia • PresidentJuan Manuel Moreno (PP-A)Area (17.2% of Spain) • Total87,268 km2 (33,694 sq mi)Area rank2ndPopulation (2016) • Total8,388,107 • Rank1st • Density96/km2 (250/sq mi) • Percent17.84% of SpainDemonymsAndalusian
andaluz, -za[2]ISO 3166 codeES-ANOfficial languagesSpanishStatute of Autonomy30 December 1981
first revision 2002
second revision 2007[3]LegislatureParliament- Congress61 Deputies of 350- Senate41 Senators of 265HDI (2017)0.860[4]
very high · 15thWebsitewww.juntadeandalucia.es
Andalusia (UK: /ˌændəˈluːsiə, -ziə/, US: /-ʒ(i)ə, -ʃ(i)ə/;[5][6][7] Spanish: Andalucía [andaluˈθi.a]) is an autonomous community in southern Spain. It is the most populous, and the second largest autonomous community in the country. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a "historical nationality".[8] The territory is divided into eight provinces: Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Seville. Its capital is the city of Seville (Spanish: Sevilla).
Andalusia is located in the south of the Iberian peninsula, in southwestern Europe, immediately south of the autonomous communities of Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha; west of the autonomous community of Murcia and the Mediterranean Sea; east of Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean; and north of the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar. Andalusia is the only European region with both Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines. The small British overseas territory of Gibraltar shares a three-quarter-mile land border with the Andalusian province of Cádiz at the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar.
The main mountain ranges of Andalusia are the Sierra Morena and the Baetic System, consisting of the Subbaetic and Penibaetic Mountains, separated by the Intrabaetic Basin. In the north, the Sierra Morena separates Andalusia from the plains of Extremadura and Castile–La Mancha on Spain's Meseta Central. To the south the geographic subregion of Upper Andalusia lies mostly within the Baetic System, while Lower Andalusia is in the Baetic Depression of the valley of the Guadalquivir.[9]
The name "Andalusia" is derived from the Arabic word Al-Andalus (الأندلس).[10] The toponym al-Andalus is first attested by inscriptions on coins minted in 716 by the new Muslim government of Iberia. These coins, called dinars, were inscribed in both Latin and Arabic.[11][12] The etymology of the name "al-Andalus" has traditionally been derived from the name of the Vandals; however, a number of proposals since the 1980s have challenged this contention. Halm in 1989 derived the name from a Gothic term, *landahlauts,[13]and in 2002, Bossong suggested its derivation from a pre-Roman substrate.[14] The region's history and culture have been influenced by the native Iberians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Visigoths, Byzantines, Jews, Romani, Muslim Moors and the Castilian and other Christian North Iberian nationalities who reconquered and settled the area in the latter phases of the Reconquista.
Andalusia has been a historically agricultural region, compared to the rest of Spain and the rest of Europe. However, the growth of the community especially in the sectors of industry and services was above average in Spain and higher than many communities in the Eurozone. The region has a rich culture and a strong identity. Many cultural phenomena that are seen internationally as distinctively Spanish are largely or entirely Andalusian in origin. These include flamenco and, to a lesser extent, bullfighting and Hispano-Moorish architectural styles, both of which are also prevalent in some other regions of Spain.
Andalusia's hinterland is the hottest area of Europe, with cities like Córdoba and Seville averaging above 36 °C (97 °F) in summer high temperatures. Late evening temperatures can sometimes stay around 35 °C (95 °F) until close to midnight, with daytime highs of over 40 °C (104 °F) being common. Seville also has the highest average annual temperature in mainland Spain and mainland Europe (19.2 °C), closely followed by Almería (19.1 °C).[15]
ancient africa
ANCIENT AFRICA
The history of Africa begins with the emergence of hominids, archaic humans and—at least 200,000 years ago—anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens), in East Africa, and continues unbroken into the present as a patchwork of diverse and politically developing nation states. The earliest known recorded history arose in the Kingdom of Kush,[1] and later in Ancient Egypt, the Sahel, the Maghreb and the Horn of Africa.
Following the desertification of the Sahara, North African history became entwined with the Middle East and Southern Europe while the Bantu expansion swept from modern day Cameroon (Central Africa) across much of the sub-Saharan continent in waves between around 1000 BC and 0 AD, creating a linguistic commonality across much of the central and Southern continent.
During the Middle Ages, Islam spread west from Arabia to Egypt, crossing the Maghreb and the Sahel. Some notable pre-colonial states and societies in Africa include the Ajuran Empire, D'mt, Adal Sultanate, Alodia, Warsangali Sultanate, Kingdom of Nri, Nok culture, Mali Empire, Songhai Empire, Benin Empire, Oyo Empire, Ashanti Empire, Ghana Empire, Mossi Kingdoms, Mutapa Empire, Kingdom of Mapungubwe, Kingdom of Sine, Kingdom of Sennar, Kingdom of Saloum, Kingdom of Baol, Kingdom of Cayor, Kingdom of Zimbabwe, Kingdom of Kongo, Empire of Kaabu, Kingdom of Ile Ife, Ancient Carthage, Numidia, Mauretania, and the Aksumite Empire. At its peak, prior to European colonialism, it is estimated that Africa had up to 10,000 different states and autonomous groups with distinct languages and customs.[2]
From the mid-7th century, the Arab slave trade saw Muslim Arabs enslave Africans. Following an armistice between the Rashidun Caliphate and the Kingdom of Makuria after the Second Battle of Dongola in 652 AD, they were transported, along with Asians and Europeans, across the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Sahara Desert.
From the late 15th century, Europeans joined the slave trade. One could say the Portuguese led in partnership with other Europeans. That includes the triangular trade, with the Portuguese initially acquiring slaves through trade and later by force as part of the Atlantic slave trade. They transported enslaved West, Central, and Southern Africans overseas.[3] Subsequently, European colonization of Africa developed rapidly from around 10% (1870) to over 90% (1914) in the Scramble for Africa (1881–1914). However following struggles for independence in many parts of the continent, as well as a weakened Europe after the Second World War (1939–1945), decolonization took place across the continent, culminating in the 1960 Year of Africa.
Disciplines such as recording of oral history, historical linguistics, archaeology and genetics have been vital in rediscovering the great African civilizations of antiquity.