South China Sea: Did you mean...?

Art in the ancient world was initially associated with ceremonial ritual but, in time, began featuring subjects related to everyday life. The Chinese were among the first civilizations to create a narrative of their culture and mythology...

Spain’s rapid expansion into South America followed the consolidation of its Caribbean footholds by 1512, marking a decisive shift from exploration to imperial conquest. Under the reign of Ferdinand II of Aragon (reign1479–1516) and later...

The so-called North Sea Empire refers to the personal union created by Cnut the Great (reign in England 1016–1035; Denmark 1018–1035; Norway 1028–1035), which linked the kingdoms of England, Denmark, and Norway under a single ruler during...

Powder horn depicting Charles Town, South Carolina, 1770. Used for carrying gunpowder, this pre-Revolution powder horn is engraved with the fortified city of Charles Town (now Charleston), along with a fleet of ships in the harbour (not...

Marco Polo (1254-1324 CE) was a Venetian merchant and explorer who travelled to China and served the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan (l. 1214-1294 CE) between c. 1275 and 1292 CE. Polo's adventures are recounted in his own writings, The Travels...

Piracy, defined as the act of attacking and robbing a ship or port by sea, had a long history in the ancient Mediterranean stretching from the time of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten (r. 1353-1336 BCE) and throughout the Middle Ages (c. 476-1500...

A map highlighting the areas of settlement of various pre-Columbian civilizations in the northern areas of South America such as the Muisca, Tairona, and Quimbaya

The Mongol Empire (1206-1368) was founded by Genghis Khan (r. 1206-1227), first Great Khan or 'universal ruler' of the Mongol peoples. Genghis forged the empire by uniting nomadic tribes of the Asian steppe and creating a devastatingly effective...

Genghis Khan (aka Chinggis Khan) was the founder of the Mongol Empire which he ruled from 1206 until his death in 1227. Born Temujin, he acquired the title of Genghis Khan, likely meaning 'universal ruler’, after unifying the Mongol tribes...

Throughout history, in order for a government to be respected and obeyed, it must possess some form of legitimacy recognized by the governed. Governmental systems have relied on a number of models for legitimacy, among them the dynastic form...