The Safavid dynasty flourishes in modern-day Iran
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran, often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history.
Kingdoms & empires
The Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca peoples form the Iroquois Confederation
The Iroquois Confederacy or Haudenosaunee is believed to have been founded by the Peacemaker in 1142 or 1451 C.E., bringing together five distinct nations in the southern Great Lakes area into “The Great League of Peace”.
The Songhai Empire rises to power in the western Sahel
At its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history. The state is known by its historiographical name, derived from its leading ethnic group and ruling elite, the Songhai.
Three city-states combine to form Aztec Triple Alliance, consolidating power in Mesoamerica
That accord formed the basis of what was to become the Aztec Empire that ruled Central Mexico and eventually most of Mesoamerica when the Spanish arrived at the very end of the Postclassic period.
The Jagiellonian dynasty comes to power in central Europe
The Jagiellonian dynasty was a royal dynasty founded in 1386 that reigned in several Central European countries between the 14th and 16th centuries.
Muhammad Shah establishes the Sultanate of Brunei
The Bruneian Empire or Sultanate of Brunei was a Malay sultanate, centered in Brunei on the northern coast of Borneo island in Southeast Asia.
The Jolof Empire comes to power in modern-day Senegal
The Jolof Empire, also known as the Wolof or Wollof Empire, was a West African state that ruled parts of Senegal from 1350 to 1549.
The Majapahit Empire flourishes on Java
The Majapahit Empire was a Hindu Empire and thalassocracy in Southeast Asia, based on the island of Java, that existed from 1293 to circa 1527.
The Ottoman Empire begins in modern-day Turkey
During the 16th and 17th centuries, at the height of its power under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire was a multinational, multilingual empire controlling most of Southeast Europe, parts of Central Europe, Western Asia, parts of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa.
The Mali Empire comes into power in West Africa
The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centred around the town of Niani (the empire’s namesake in Manding).