One of the most disastrous crusading campaigns was [BLANK-1] from 1202-1204. This campaign not only saw crusaders fail to wrest Jerusalem from Muslim control, but it also saw Christian crusaders attack and sack the Christian city of Constantinople after the city refused to admit them. This blunder was more than a deviation from the main goal of the Crusades (retaking the Holy Land) it was a complete refutation of one of the very causes for the Crusades (for the Catholic Church to reconcile with the Eastern Orthodox Church which was centered in Constantinople). Not only did the Crusade fail to unite the Eastern and Western churches, it further divided the two and it led to the weakening of the Byzantine Empire (the heart of the Eastern Orthodox Church).

AndalusiaAngkor WatAshikaga TakaujiEaster IslandEsoteric BuddhismThe Eurasian SteppesFeudalismThe First CrusadeThe Fourth CrusadeThe Hanseatic LeagueSte. Hildegard of BingenHonen BuddhismJatiKalidasaLate HorizonMagna CartaManorialismNichiren BuddhismPeter AbelardPopol VuhSatiSei ShonagonThe Tale of GenjiTax-FarmingTecuhtliTepanecThe Troyes FairTlachtliYi Song-gyeYurts

In 206 B.C.E., a former Qin general campaigned in modern-day Vietnam. As the Qin Dynasty collapsed, this general decided to found his own kingdom in the area and he established the first state there, known as Nam Viet. While ruling his new state in Nam Viet, this general became known as [BLANK-1].

[BLANK-1] (c. 380-450) was the greatest Indian poet and his works highlighted the cultural and artistic flourishing in Medieval India.

The Xiongnu, Turks, and Mongols were three important nomadic groups that used clan ties and advanced horsemanship techniques to rule the area known as [BLANK-1].

In 804, a monk named Kūkai traveled to China and returned to Japan with texts that related to Shingon, or “True Word,” a form of [BLANK-1]. He attracted a large following and established a monastery south of Osaka at Mount Kōya. The popularity of his teachings increased the amount of Japanese religious art. His teachings were based on the idea that the secrets of enlightenment had already been secretly transmitted from the religion’s founder. People could access these mysteries through initiation into the mandalas, mudras, and mantras

[BLANK-1] is an Ancient Indian cosmological concept that refers to the tally of good and bad deeds a being committed during its life that determines the status of that being’s next life. This cosmological concept is central the three great religions of Ancient India: Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

The migration of the [BLANK-1] into Egypt helped to bring about Egypt’s Second Intermediate Period – an era of political fragmentation and decline around 1640-1570 B.C.E.

Spouse of Theodora of Constantinople, [BLANK-1] ruled the Byzantine Empire from 527-565. This Byzantine ruler was known for the creation of a comprehensive legal code that streamlined and simplified the numerous (and sometimes contradictory) aspects of Roman law. This collection of laws and legal commentaries continues to inform the legal profession throughout much of the world (including in the United States) today. This person’s reign was weakened by the arrival of a deadly plague (likely Bubonic Plague) between 542-560.

[BLANK-1] was the first consolidated Chinese civilization. This state’s rulers were emperors who acted both as warrior kings and as high priests. The emperors would communicate with their ancestors by divining Oracle Bones. They would throw tortoise shells and cattle bones in fires and then read the cracks made by the fire to interpret the will of their ancestors and the Yellow Emperor.