1450 - 1750 Renaissance and Reformation

This course contains 6 segments:

Spanish and Portuguese Empires

The Spanish and Portuguese were the first Europeans to build global empires.

Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment

Copernicus challenging the notion that Earth is the center of the Universe is usually cited as the beginning of the Scientific Revolution. A time in which brave thinkers challenged the status quo based on evidence and logic. The period is considered to culminate with Newton's _Principia_. The Enlightenment emerges out of the ideas of the Scientific Revolution as philosophers begin to challenge traditional thinking in politics and human rights.

Mughal rule in India

After over three hundred years rule over North India, the Muslim Delhi Sultanate is overthrown by the Central Asian ruler Babar (who is descended from both Timur and Genghis Khan). He starts the Mughal Dynasty ("Mughal" is the Persian word for Mongol) that brings a further Persian influence to North India. As we enter the 18th century, Mughal power declines and we see the entrance of the British into Indian affairs.

Sikhism

Guru Nanak begins a movement focused on devotional love of God. It develops in a context of emerging Mughal rule. Forged by bouts of persecution by the Mughal Emperors, it develops a martial culture with the goal of fighting oppression.

The Protestant Reformation

In 1517 a German theologian and monk, Martin Luther, challenged the authority of the Pope and sparked the Protestant Reformation. His ideas spread quickly, thanks in part to the printing press. By challenging the power of the Church, and asserting the authority of individual conscience (it was increasingly possible for people to read the bible in the language that they spoke), the Reformation laid the foundation for the value that modern culture places on the individual.

The Russian Empire

From its medieval, Nordic-Slav roots as the 'land of Rus', Russia will eventually break free of Mongol control and emerge as a significant empire in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia.