Random Events in Eurasian History Quiz

The Tang dynasty is considered by many to be the golden age of ancient China. The dynasty began in the year 618 C.E. when Emperor Gaozu of Tang rose to power following a rebellion against Emperor Gong of the Sui dynasty. The Tang dynasty controlled what is mostly the eastern half of modern China and parts of northern Vietnam.

During the Tang dynasty nomadic tribes from the north were kept at bay, which helped ancient Chinese culture to flourish. In addition, Buddhism rapidly spread throughout the land and the Tang dynasty enjoyed prosperous trade with other civilizations. The Tang dynasty came to an end in the year 907 C.E when Emperor Ai of Tang was deposed by Emperor Taizu of Later Liang.

The main purpose of The Crusades were to free the Holy Land (modern day Israel) from Islamic rule. The First Crusade was spearheaded by Pope Urban II and is said to have officially began on the Feast of the Assumption (August 15, 1096). Christian forces from all across Europe joined in the campaign against the Muslims.

The First Crusade lasted nearly three full years, concluding on August 12, 1099. The crusaders were successful in liberating Jerusalem as well as surrounding regions such as the Byzantine Empire (modern day Turkey) and the Levant (modern day Syria and Lebanon) from Islamic rule. This victory would not last as the balance of power constantly shifted leading to seven more official crusades between 1099 and 1291 .

The Mongol Empire was a force to be reckoned with during the 13th century. The empire began when the infamous Genghis Khan (whose birth name was Temujin) rose to power in the year 1206. Under Genghis Khan's leadership, the Mongols would launch campaign of conquest which saw them expand their empire across Asia including parts of the Middle East

Genghis Khan passed away on August 25, 1227, however the specifics behind his cause of death (including his final resting place) have yet to be revealed. There are some who believe that Genghis Khan succumbed to illness, while others claim he fell in battle. One ancient Mongolian literary work titled "The Secret History of the Mongols" claims that the infamous warlord died after accidentally falling off his horse.

The Hundred Years' War was not a single war, but a series of wars centered around the line of succession to the French throne. The conflict started with the marriage of Princess Isabella of France to King Edward II of England. This made their future son, King Edward III of England heir to the throne of France after King Charles IV of France (Isabella's brother) passed away in 1328. The French court, upset by this, named a distant cousin (King Philip IV) heir to the throne.

The Hundred Years' War officially began on May 24, 1337 when King Philip IV invaded the region of Gascony (near modern day Bordeaux, France) which had been under English rule since 1154. The balance of power shifted back and forth but ultimately resulting with the French regaining permanent control over the Gascony region. Though it was named the Hundred Years' War, the conflict actually lasted 116 years, finally concluding on October 19, 1453.

Joan of Arc was born in the village of Domremy in northeastern France around the year 1412. Joan of Arc was only a teenager when she felt that it was her divine duty to defend France against the English during the Hundred Years' War. Upon convincing the future French king Charles VII of her cause, she was sent to participate in the siege of Orleans (October 12, 1428 - May 8, 1429) and helped the French turn the tide against the English.

After her success in the siege of Orleans, Joan of Arc initially gained the trust of the French king as a strong military leader. Unfortunately, this trust diminished following failed sieges on Paris and La Charite in early 1430. Joan of Arc was eventually captured during the siege of Compiegne by a group of Burgundians (a faction with loyalties to the English). Joan of Arc was convicted of heresy by a French bishop with English loyalties and was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431 at the age of 19. She would eventually be granted sainthood by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

The infamous Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisicion (aka Spanish Inquisition) began in 1478. In that year, the Spanish kingdoms of Aragon and Castile were unified following via the marriage of King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I. The co-rulers of Spain, with the support of Pope Sixtus IV, would launch a campaign to forcefully convert Jews and Muslims living in the region to Christianity, specifically Roman Catholicism.

Following the conquest of the Granada region, which had a large Jewish and Muslim population, the king and queen issued the Decreto de la Alhambra (Alhambra Decree) on March 31, 1492. The Alhambra Decree ordered the expulsion of all people suspected of practicing Judaism within the nation. The Jews were given four months to either leave the region or convert to Christianity, otherwise they would be put to death.

Ferdinand Magellan is famous for leading an expedition that would be the first to circumnavigate the Earth in recorded history. Ferdinand Magellan was born in Portugal in 1480, but his expedition would be sponsored by the Spanish government. Magellan's expedition initially consisted of five ships (Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Victoria and Santiago) and approximately 270 crew members. The expedition departed from Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain on September 20, 1519.

The fleet initially sailed west and south across the Atlantic Ocean and around South America to the Pacific Ocean. From there they sailed to the northwest, reaching the islands we know today as The Philippines on March 16, 1521. Ferdinand Magellan would later be killed on April 27, 1521, after the expedition got into a violent skirmish with Philippine natives on the island of Mactan. Magellan's navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano completed the voyage, returning to Spain with only one ship (Victoria) and eighteen crew members remaining.

The iconic Taj Mahal is located along the bank of the Yamuna River in the city of Agra, India, which is about a three hour drive to the southeast of New Delhi. The dome portion of the Taj Mahal is 240 ft (73 m) in height. There are also four 137 ft (42 m) tall minarets that stand at the perimeter of the structure. The dome of the Taj Mahal was completed in 1643. However, the project as a whole would not be completed until 1653.

The Mughal Empire ruled the land we know today as India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh from 1526-1858. The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan, the Emperor of the Mughal Empire in 1631. It was built primarily as a mausoleum to house the remains of Mumtaz Mahal, favorite wife of Shah Jahan. Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631 after giving birth to their fourteenth child. Shah Jahan would eventually be entombed at the Taj Mahal alongside his wife when he passed away in 1666.

The Tulip Era (aka Tulip Period) began in the Ottoman Empire following the Treaty of Passarowitz which ended the Austro-Turkish War on April 21, 1718. By this time, the Ottoman Empire had grown quite large with its territory ranging from southeastern Europe, through much of the Middle East down to the northern coast of Africa along the Mediterranean and Red Seas.

During the Tulip Era, the Ottoman Empire entered a brief period of peace and cultural renaissance where Ottoman art and architecture saw significant progress. The time period was named after the tulip flower which became a fad throughout the Ottoman Empire, especially amongst the wealthy. The Tulip Era ended on September 28, 1730, when Sultan Ahmed III was deposed during the Patrona Halil Revolt.

Catherine the Great (previously known as Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst) was born in Prussia in 1729. In 1745, Princess Sophie married Charles Peter Ulrich (aka Duke of Holstein-Gottorp) and changed her name to Catherine after converting from Lutheran to Russian Orthodox. Charles Peter Ulrich (grandson of Peter the Great) would later become Emperor Peter III of Russia on January 5, 1762 following the death of Empress Elizabeth.

The reign of Peter III lasted only six months as he would be deposed by his wife who ascended to the Russian throne as Empress Catherine II on July 9, 1762. During her reign, Russia greatly expanded its territory, reformed its education system and made significant advances in the arts. Catherine the Great passed away due to a stroke on November 17, 1796.