Assignment

Write an essay on the rise and expansion of the Mongol Empire. What impact did Mongol have on the different nations and empires, culture & traditions, economic, and political systems that prevailed during that time? Describe the pioneering and path-breaking legacy that the Mongol empire created? Why did Mongol power weaken in the 14th Century? How did this affect state-building and political power in India, Southeast Asia, and Japan?

What were the long -term effects of climate change and plague that began in the 14th Century? Who were among the long-term winners and losers from the plague? Why did some Europeans blame the Jews for the Black Death? How did the contemporaries grapple with the plague? What were the social and political effects of plague in China, Islamic world and Western Europe?

How did the world recover in the late 14th and 15th Centuries? How did the Russian and Ottoman Empires expand during the 14th and 15th Centuries? Why did China turn away from maritime expansion in the 14th Century? Why was Western Europe motivated to try to expand overseas? What roles did geography and culture play in European expansion overseas?

Write a brief essay on your understanding of medieval European art and science? How does it contribute to the visions of Western society and Western civilization?