THE WORLD ATLAS

Chapter · Early Middle Ages

Sui China Reunited

The world in 600

Around 600 CE the world is dominated by a handful of great empires. China has just been reunited after nearly three centuries of division by the Sui dynasty, whose founder Emperor Wen governs from a vast new capital at Chang'an and is building canals and granaries.

On the steppe, the Göktürks have created a huge Turkic empire stretching from Manchuria to the Black Sea, though it is splitting into eastern and western halves. The Eastern Roman Empire under Maurice and Sasanian Persia under Khosrow II are briefly at peace, but both are about to enter a devastating war. In Arabia, a merchant of Mecca named Muhammad is about thirty years old; within a decade he will begin preaching Islam. In Western Europe, Frankish and Visigothic kingdoms and Pope Gregory the Great shape a Christian world. In India, regional kingdoms like the Chalukyas and Pallavas have replaced the Guptas, and in the Andes the Wari and Tiwanaku states are expanding.

Open the map in 600

The great powers

Region by region

Southern Africa

Bantu-speaking farmers live across central, eastern and southern Africa, with chiefdoms growing in the Zambezi and Limpopo valleys. Khoisan herders and foragers live in the dry southwest. Madagascar is being settled by Austronesian people from Borneo, who will later mix with Bantu-speaking Africans.

Northern Africa

The Eastern Romans hold Egypt and the coast of Tunisia and Libya, reconquered from the Vandals in 533–534, while Berber kingdoms hold the interior of the Maghreb. The Christian Nubian kingdoms of Nobatia, Makuria and Alodia rule the middle Nile, and Axum, though declining, still dominates the Ethiopian highlands. In West Africa the kingdom of Ghana is probably emerging, though written records of its gold trade begin only in the 700s.

Europe

The Frankish kingdom is divided among Merovingian kings, Theudebert II in Austrasia, Theuderic II in Burgundy and Chlothar II in Neustria, with Queen Brunhild a powerful force. The Visigoths, now Catholic, rule Spain from Toledo, the Lombards under Agilulf hold much of Italy, and Pope Gregory the Great (590–604) has sent missionaries to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Kent. The Avars under their khagan Bayan rule the Danube plain, with Slavs pouring into the Balkans.

Middle East & South Asia

The Eastern Roman Empire holds Anatolia, Syria and Palestine, while the Sasanians under Khosrow II (r. 590–628), restored to his throne with Roman help, rule Mesopotamia, Iran and Yemen. In the Hejaz, Mecca is a trading town of the Quraysh tribe where Muhammad lives. In India, Harsha will soon build an empire from Kanauj (606), while the Chalukyas under Mangalesha rule the western Deccan, the Pallavas rule the southeast from Kanchipuram, and Shashanka rules Bengal.

Northern & Central Asia

The Göktürk Khaganate, founded in 552, has split into eastern and western halves: the Western khagan Tardu rules from Transoxiana to the Caspian, controlling the Silk Road cities of Sogdiana. The Khazars and other Turkic peoples are rising north of the Caucasus. Siberia is home to forest hunters and reindeer herders.

East Asia

Emperor Wen of Sui (r. 581–604) rules a reunified China from Daxing (Chang'an); his son Yang will build the Grand Canal and launch disastrous wars on Korea. The Eastern Turks under Yami Qaghan are Sui clients. In Korea, Goguryeo under King Yeongyang resists Chinese attacks, while Baekje and Silla compete in the south, and in Japan Empress Suiko and Prince Shotoku are importing Buddhism and Chinese-style government. In Tibet, Namri Songtsen is unifying the Yarlung valley chiefs.

Southeast Asia

Chenla, a Khmer kingdom, has overtaken Funan and controls much of Cambodia. The Mon kingdoms of Dvaravati rule central Thailand, the Pyu city-states rule central Burma, and Champa rules central Vietnam. In the islands, trading kingdoms in Sumatra and Java are preparing the ground for Srivijaya.

Northern North America

The Arctic is occupied by Dorset Paleo-Inuit hunters in the east and Birnirk whaling peoples in Alaska. Subarctic hunters live in the boreal forest, and the Pacific Northwest supports wealthy fishing societies.

Southern North America

Teotihuacan's centre has been burned and the city is in decline, leaving a power vacuum in central Mexico. The Maya cities are at the height of the Classic period, with the Snake (Kaan) dynasty, soon to rule from Calakmul, dominating rival Tikal and Palenque rising. In the American Southwest, Basketmaker farmers and Hohokam canal-builders flourish, and Late Woodland peoples farm the eastern woodlands.

Northern South America

Two great Andean states are expanding: Wari in the central highlands of Peru, building roads and administrative centres, and Tiwanaku around Lake Titicaca. The Moche of the north coast are in their final phase after severe climate disasters. Amazonian peoples, including the Marajoara, live in large settlements along the rivers.

Southern Cone

Hunting and gathering peoples range over the pampas and Patagonia, and canoe peoples live in Tierra del Fuego. In northwest Argentina the Aguada culture and in northern Chile oasis communities such as San Pedro de Atacama trade with Tiwanaku.

Australasia & Oceania

Aboriginal Australians live across the continent, and New Guinea is home to hundreds of farming societies. Polynesians remain in western Polynesia, while the islands of eastern Polynesia, Hawaii, Rapa Nui and New Zealand are still unsettled.

Events

  1. Lombards invade Italy
  2. Muhammad born in Mecca (c. 570)
  3. Sui dynasty founded
  4. Sui conquers the Chen and reunites China
  5. Khosrow II regains the Persian throne with Roman help
  6. Augustine's mission reaches Kent
  7. Emperor Maurice murdered; Roman-Persian war follows

Moments of this period

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Sources