1. The world around 1600 Dr. Ashley Eva Millar Department of Historical Studies University of Cape Town

2. Outline Snapshot of the world in 1500 Polycentric world Globalised world 1. China’s Ming Dynasty 2. Songhai Empire (West Africa) 3. Mughal Dynasty (India) 4. European societies

3. www.worldmapper.org

4. Polycentric world

5. Globalised world

6. 1. Ming Dynasty (China) 1368-1644 -Sinocentric?

7. Relatively high standard of living Advanced, commercial economy

8. Meritocracy Advanced public works

9. Zheng He (b. 1371- d. 1433) Voyages: 1405 - 1433

11. 2. Songhai Empire (West Africa) 1340-1591

12. Sonni Ali the Great (reigned 1464-1493)

13. Askia Muhammad the Great (reigned 1493-1528) Timbuktu

15. 3. Mughal Empire (India) 1526-1858 Akbar (reigned 1556- 1605)

16. Taj Mahal (built 1632-1653) Shah Jehan I (r. 1627-1658)

18. 4. European societies

19. Feudalism (c. 9 th – 15 th centuries)

20. The Black Death

21. Peaked 1348 - 1350

22. The Renaissance (c. 14 th -17 th centuries)

23. Conclusion World around 1600 was polycentric (many centers of trade, culture, political power) Early modern world was not stagnant but extremely dynamic In many ways it was also globalised (trade, disease, ideas, religions – all travelling)