World History, Volume 1: to 1500

World History, Volume 1: to 1500 is designed to meet the scope and sequence of a world history course to 1500 offered at both two-year and four-year institutions. Suitable for both majors and non majors World History, Volume 1: to 1500 introduces students to a global perspective of history couched in an engaging narrative. Concepts and assessments help students think critically about the issues they encounter so they can broaden their perspective of global history. A special effort has been made to introduce and juxtapose people’s experiences of history for a rich and nuanced discussion. Primary source material represents the cultures being discussed from a firsthand perspective whenever possible. World History, Volume 1: to 1500 also includes the work of diverse and underrepresented scholars to ensure a full range of perspectives.

Senior Contributing Authors

Ann Kordas, Johnson & Wales University
Ryan J. Lynch, Columbus State University
Brooke Nelson, formerly California State University
Julie Tatlock, Mount Mary University

Contributing Authors

Chris Bingley, UCLA
Celeste Chamberland, Roosevelt University
Scott Corbett, Ventura College
Rick Gianni, Grand Canyon University
Jennifer Lawrence, Tarrant County College
Jamie McCandless, Kennesaw State University
Cristina Mehrtens, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Anthony Miller, Hanover College
Abigail Owen, Carnegie Mellon University
David Price, Santa Fe College
Kim Richardson, University of South Carolina Lancaster
Chris Rose, The University of Texas at Austin
Joseph Snyder, Southeast Missouri State University
Christopher Thrasher, National Park College
David Toye, Northeast State Community College
Alexander Wathen, University of Houston-Downtown
Grace Hunt Watkinson, Kennesaw State University
Joel Webb, Auburn University

Unit 1 Early Human Societies

Chapter 1 Understanding the Past
• Introduction
o Developing a Global Perspective
o Primary Sources
o Causation and Interpretation in History
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Chapter 2 Early Humans
• Introduction
• 2.1 Early Human Evolution and Migration
• 2.2 People in the Paleolithic Age
• 2.3 The Neolithic Revolution
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Chapter 3 Early Civilizations and Urban Societies
• Introduction
• 3.1 Early Civilizations
• 3.2 Ancient Mesopotamia
• 3.3 Ancient Egypt
• 3.4 The Indus Valley Civilization
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Chapter 4 The Near East
• Introduction
• 4.1 From Old Babylon to the Medes
• 4.2 Egypt’s New Kingdom
• 4.3 The Persian Empire
• 4.4 The Hebrews
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Chapter 5 Asia in Ancient Times
• Introduction
• 5.1 Ancient China
• 5.2 The Steppes
• 5.3 Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia
• 5.4 Vedic India to the Fall of the Maurya Empire
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Unit 2 States and Empires, 1000 BCE–500 CE

Chapter 6 Mediterranean Peoples
• Introduction
• 6.1 Early Mediterranean Peoples
• 6.2 Ancient Greece
• 6.3 The Hellenistic Era
• 6.4 The Roman Republic
• 6.5 The Age of Augustus
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Chapter 7 Experiencing the Roman Empire
• Introduction
• 7.1 The Daily Life of a Roman Family
• 7.2 Slavery in the Roman Empire
• 7.3 The Roman Economy: Trade, Taxes, and Conquest
• 7.4 Religion in the Roman Empire
• 7.5 The Regions of Rome
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Chapter 8 The Americas in Ancient Times
• Introduction
• 8.1 Populating and Settling the Americas
• 8.2 Early Cultures and Civilizations in the Americas
• 8.3 The Age of Empires in the Americas
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions


Chapter 9 Africa in Ancient Times
• Introduction
• 9.1 Africa’s Geography and Climate
• 9.2 The Emergence of Farming and the Bantu Migrations
• 9.3 The Kingdom of Kush
• 9.4 North Africa’s Mediterranean and Trans-Saharan Connections
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions


Unit 3 An Age of Religion, 500–1200 CE

Chapter 10 Empires of Faith
• Introduction
• 10.1 The Eastward Shift
• 10.2 The Byzantine Empire and Persia
• 10.3 The Kingdoms of Aksum and Himyar
• 10.4 The Margins of Empire
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Chapter 11 The Rise of Islam and the Caliphates
• Introduction
• 11.1 The Rise and Message of Islam
• 11.2 The Arab-Islamic Conquests and the First Islamic States
• 11.3 Islamization and Religious Rule under Islam
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions



Chapter 12 India, the Indian Ocean Basin, and East Asia
• Introduction
• 12.1 The Indian Ocean World in the Early Middle Ages
• 12.2 East-West Interactions in the Early Middle Ages
• 12.3 Border States: Sogdiana, Korea, and Japan
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Chapter 13 The Post-Roman West and the Crusading Movement
• Introduction
• 13.1 The Post-Roman West in the Early Middle Ages
• 13.2 The Seljuk Migration and the Call from the East
• 13.3 Patriarch and Papacy: The Church and the Call to Crusade
• 13.4 The Crusading Movement
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Unit 4 A Global Middle Ages, 1200–1500 CE

Chapter 14 Pax Mongolica: The Steppe Empire of the Mongols
• Introduction
• 14.1 Song China and the Steppe Peoples
• 14.2 Chinggis Khan and the Early Mongol Empire
• 14.3 The Mongol Empire Fragments
• 14.4 Christianity and Islam outside Central Asia
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Chapter 15 States and Societies in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Introduction
• 15.1 Culture and Society in Medieval Africa
• 15.2 Medieval Sub-Saharan Africa
• 15.3 The People of the Sahel
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions


Chapter 16 Climate Change and Plague in the Fourteenth Century
• Introduction
• 16.1 Asia, North Africa, and Europe in the Early Fourteenth Century
• 16.2 Famine, Climate Change, and Migration
• 16.3 The Black Death from East to West
• 16.4 The Long-Term Effects of Global Transformation
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Chapter 17 The Ottomans, the Mamluks, and the Ming
• Introduction
• 17.1 The Ottomans and the Mongols
• 17.2 From the Mamluks to Ming China
• 17.3 Gunpowder and Nomads in a Transitional Age
• Key Terms
• Section Summary
• Assessments
o Review Questions
o Check Your Understanding Questions
o Application and Reflection Questions

Appendix A Glossary
Appendix B World History, Volume 1, to 1500: Maps and Timelines
Appendix C World Maps
Appendix D Recommended Resources for the Study of World History
Index