The people of the Arabian Peninsula consist of loosely linked nomadic clans-—the Bedouin, herding goats, sheep, and camels in the desert-—and settled tribes, engaged in commerce and long-distance caravan trade. 192 ASIA & OCEANIA MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA EUROPE THE AMERICAS POLITICS & POWER GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENT CULTURE & RELIGION 546 Rome is destroyed by Ostrogoths. 553 Byzantine Emporer Justinian sends an army into North Africa and reconquers lost Roman territory from the Vandals. 561 Civil war breaks out among the Merovin- gians in France to last for 50 years. 570 Byzantium and Persia establish a 50-year peace. 570 The Abyssinians establish a protectorate over southern Arabia. Only five years later, the Persians overthrow the Abyssinians in Yemen. 570 Muhammad, the prophet and future founder of Islam is born in Mecca, Arabia. 540 Factional strife on the Korean Peninusla divides the country into three kingdoms: Silla, Koguryo, and Paekche. 542 Ly Bon leads Vietnamese in a successful rebellion against China’s cccupation.Within six years China retakes the territory. China’s warring kingdoms begin to solidify into three dynasties: the Southern Chen (557- 589), the Northern Zhou (557-581), and the Northern Qi (550-577). 574 Crown Prince Shotoku of the powerful Soga clan in Japan is born. He becomes regent for his aunt, Empress Suiko. Thule people move into Alaska. Hopewell Indians of North America spread through the eastern woodlands. 551 Beirut is destroyed by an earthquake in which 250,000 people lose their life. Mecca is an important city on the Arabian Peninsula, lying halfway on the trade route along the Red Sea from the Mediterranean to Yemen in the south and at the crossroad to the Persian Gulf. Caravans carry frankincense, myrrh, and other luxury goods. Maya hieroglyphs are the first written lan- guage in the Americas. Nazca and Moche people in Peru develop a rich artistic culture. 543 The Church of St. Germain-des-Pres is founded in Paris. 550 Church bells come in use in France. 553 Justinian’s missionaries smuggle the secrets of silk-spinning and silkworm culture from China. These first few silkworms signify the beginning of the European silk industry. 563 Christianity gains in Saxon England. 543 The first Christian mission is established in Nubia. Scholars begin to translate the Bible into the local language. Nomadic tribes from the north invade and attack land along China’s border. Buddhism begins to wane in India, but continues to spread farther east. Luoyang becomes the capital of China and the center of Buddhism in east Asia, with 1,367 monasteries in the city alone. 552 Buddhism reaches Japan. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PEOPLE & SOCIETY The Maya develop astronomical calendars; they include a 260-day sacred calendar and a 365-day solar calendar. Iron-smelting—allowing for better tools—and banana cultivation enable Bantu people to clear land and expand into heavily forested regions of Africa. The kite is invented in China. Although it may have been in use earlier, the year 545 is the first recorded mention of a kite. Moon-Jaguar, the 10th Maya ruler of the city- state of Copan, in present-day Honduras, marks his reign from 553-578 by adding a terraced two-story temple, known as Rosalila, to the administrative complex, plazas, and ballcourts. His name is carved on its front stairway. The temple decorations—a true testament to Maya culture—honor the sacred maize plant. St. Columba, a recluse from near Dublin, Ireland, founds the monastery of Iona in Scotland and helps spread Celtic Christianity throughout Scotland and Northumbria. On subsequent missions, he establishes a monastery in Luxeuil, France, and one in Bobbio, Italy. 502-549 Emporer Wu, founder of the Liang Dynasty, reforms the nine-rank system of advancement in China’s government so that only “those with talent may advance along the road to success.” He becomes a devout Bud- dhist and sponsors construction of numerous temples. In 549 when his city of Jiankang is besieged, Wu orders a kite to be flown above the city to alert allies of his plight. His ploy is unsuccessful, and he and his kingdom fall to the Chen Dynasty. BUDDHISM SPREADS EAST rising in India about 500 B.C., Buddhism slowly gained adher- ents along the Silk Road. As traders plodded along the trails, monks followed. By the third century A.D. they had founded monasteries at some of the caravan stops in the Kushan Empire of Afghanistan. In China, Daoism, Confucianism, and traditions honoring ancestors prevailed. After the fall of the Han Dynasty—when China split into several warring kingdoms—people may have longed for a religion that offered peace- ful meditation and the prospect of per- sonal salvation. Kings began to support the building of temples and monaster- ies, many in caves and on mountain- sides. By about 550, China could boast of nearly 14,000 Buddhist temples. In Korea, Buddhism found the support of kings as well. In 552 the prince of Paekche recommended Buddhism to Japanese Emperor Kimmei, who adopt- ed the religion for his country. Camel and rider, Northern Qi Dynasty Seated Buddha, China. 540-580 THE SACRED AND THE POWERFUL 500-1000 CONCISE HISTORY OF THE WORLD ca. 500-600: Temple Mound Builders trade in the Mississippi Valley. 550 Native people in southwest Colorado begin building pit houses, roofed with mud and logs. 562 The Maya city-state of Tikal, in present- day Guatemala,is defeated by rival Calakmul, Mexico. The attackers were encouraged by a propitious alignment of the stars. 193 Mosaic of Christ at Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. “THIS DHARMA …BESTOWS END- LESS AND IMMEASURABLE BLESS- INGS, EVEN THE ATTAINMENT OF SUPREME ENLIGHTENMENT." Prince of Paekche to Emperor Kimmei A Hopewell Indian copper plaque. 542-594 A series of plagues strikes Europe, halving its population. 568 The Lombards, a Germanic tribe, invade northern Italy. 558-559 The Huns invade Thrace, Macedo- nia, and Greece.