Top Ten Medieval Civilizations

The medieval period (476 A.D - 1400 A.D) is known as the Dark Ages, when the Bubonic Plague hit and trade declined. However, the medieval period is also a time of enlightenment. These are the top ten medieval civilizations.
The Top Ten
Islamic Caliphates

The Islamic Caliphs were dominant rulers, creating one of the great empires that brought Persia to its knees. The Islamic Empire is unique as the largest and only empire founded on a religion. The Islamic Caliphates significantly reduced the Byzantine Empire, the #2 on this list, to just the city of Constantinople. They also took over parts of Spain and conquered Egypt and Northern Africa. They won many battles and only failed at the Battle of Vienna.

The Caliphates were instrumental in preserving and advancing knowledge. They stored ancient texts in libraries, ensuring that Greek ideas, logic, mathematics, and more were not lost. They also made significant advancements in health and medicine and introduced the numeric system we use today. However, it's not accurate to say they wrecked the remaining Jews after Roman rule. This statement is an oversimplification of complex historical events. The Islamic Caliphates also had ties with the African Kingdom of Mali, whose greatest ruler, Mansa Musa, was Muslim and allied with Islamic Egypt. In summary, the Islamic Caliphates forged one of the largest and most powerful empires during medieval times.

Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire was a significant cultural, political, and military force during the medieval era. They faced constant attacks from Islamic factions, driven by both political and conquest motives, yet held out with remarkable skill. Their decline began when Western Catholic factions struck from behind, most notably during the sack of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade.

The Byzantines were technically the continuation of the Eastern Roman Empire, which had split before the fall of Rome - a fact their citizens proudly claimed. Overall, the Byzantine Empire was incredibly powerful and influential, surviving the fall of antiquity, the Dark Ages, and the Muslim conquests until finally succumbing to external pressures. Their unique style and iconography remain distinct and valued to this day.

Song China
Mongols
Mali

Oral traditions tell of Mansa Musa, a leader so wealthy from the salt-gold trade in West Africa that he disrupted the Egyptian economy for many years due to his lavish spending. The people of Mali also constructed massive mud-brick mosques in Djenné, Gao, and Timbuktu.

Scholars in Djenné were among the first in history to identify the dangers of smoking tobacco. Mali's economy was influential, with its leaders able to dictate gold prices. The empire was a global center of education.

England

England made significant contributions to medieval society, including the Magna Carta. The University of Oxford, founded during this time, remains a leading institution. England also repelled numerous invasions.

England has been a powerful naval and diplomatic force and has not been successfully invaded for nearly a thousand years.

Ancient Japan

Japan successfully fended off Mongol invasions and developed a feudal society similar to Europe's, featuring daimyos, samurais, and shoguns. During a period of cultural flourishing, Japan produced haikus and Noh dramas, often compared to Classical Greek plays. They also developed two new forms of Buddhism.

Frankish Empire

The Frankish Empire played a crucial role in spreading Roman Catholicism into Central Europe. Charlemagne, one of their great leaders, transformed the Frankish Empire into a successful realm and became the first Holy Roman Emperor, laying the foundation for the Holy Roman Empire. The Frankish Empire defeated numerous other empires, including the Islamic Caliphates, the Byzantines, and the Gothic Kingdoms such as the Visigothic and Ostrogothic Kingdoms.

One of the first medieval empires, the Frankish Empire defeated England in the Hundred Years' War. They played a key role in the Age of Faith, pioneering the Gothic style of cathedrals. Charlemagne and Clovis are among the many great rulers of this empire.

Mayans
Holy Roman Empire

The Newcomers

? France
? Papal States
The Contenders
Ottoman Empire
Khmer Empire

The Khmer Empire was one of the most advanced and powerful empires in Asian history, surpassing even the Tang Dynasty. It defeated strong kingdoms like Champa, the Vietnamese states, and the Srivijayan Empire.

This civilization is not well-known in the United States, but it created some of the largest Hindu temples in Southeast Asia and the world. The capital city, Angkor Wat, was truly splendid.

This civilization had a long-lasting impact and maintained significant power throughout its history.

Serbian Empire
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Never lost a war during medieval times.

Spain

The Spanish fought against the powerful Islamic Caliphates and rose to become one of the world's largest empires, conquering much of Latin America, Peru, the Philippines, and more.

Pandyan Empire
Bulgarian Empire
Inca Empire
Persian Empire
Kanem Empire
Hungarian Kingdom
Zulu Kingdom
Empire of the Huns

The Huns built a vast empire in Europe, surpassing other barbaric groups. They were a significant force, displacing many other tribes, except the Franks.

Greece
Visigoths
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