1492: The Year Our World Began (40 page)

5. J. Viera y Clavijo,
Historia de Canarias,
3 vols. (Madrid: n.p., 1771–75; vol. 2, 1773), 2:151–55.

6. F. Solis,
Gloria y fama mexica
(Mexico City: Smurfit, 1991), 98–112.

7. R. A. Covey,
How the Incas Built Their Heartland
(Ann Arbor: Univ. of Michigan Press, 2006), 52.

8. Covey,
Heartland,
227.

9. Covey,
Heartland,
219.

10. T. N. D’Altroy,
The Incas
(Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2002), 104.

11. Covey,
Heartland,
151.

12. D’Altroy,
Incas,
95, 173.

13. D’Altroy,
Incas,
97.

Epilogue: The World We’re In

1. Summary in D. Nirenberg, “Figures of Thought and Figures of Flesh: ‘Jews’ and ‘Judaism’ in Late-Medieval Spanish Poetry and Politics,”
Speculum
81 (2006): 425.

2. S. Subrahmanyam,
The Career and the Legend of Vasco da Gama
(Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1997), 111.

Note: Entries in this index, carried over verbatim from the print edition of this title, are unlikely to correspond to the pagination of any given e-book reader. However, entries in this index, and other terms, may be easily located by using the search feature of your e-book reader.

Page numbers in italics refer to maps and illustrations.

Abd er-Razzaq, 243

“Adamites,” 192–93

Afonso I, King (Nzing Mbemba; Kongo), 78–81, 86

Africa,
56, 82, 85

Christianity/Islam competition for, 75, 77, 81, 83, 86

Christianity’s introduction into West, 75–81

Christians in Ethiopia, 81–83

European impressions of blacks, 56–57, 62–63, 193

gold trade, 57–59, 61–62, 69, 178, 187–88, 279

Islam in West, 64–67, 74–75

Mali empire, 59–65, 69, 71

navigation around, 255–56

paganism in, 64–67, 70, 74, 75

See also
slave trade; Sonni

“Age of Gold,” 10–11

Age of the Spirit, 6–9

Alexander, John, Czar (Bulgaria), 168

Alexander VI, Pope (formerly Rodrigo Borgia), 139–41

Ammar (governor Timbuktu), 69–70, 72

“Angelic Pope,” 1, 8

Angevin claim, 132–33

anti-Semitism, 88–91

apocalyptic beliefs, 1, 6–11, 52, 136, 148, 171, 185, 321

Aragon, 9–10, 29,
37,
45, 46, 113

Aristotle, 49–50, 124, 128, 193

art, 121–23, 143–44, 206, 219–22, 233–35, 292

Asia, 4–5, 17–20, 26, 186, 187, 202, 242–45, 250, 253, 318–19

Askia Muhammad Touray, 71, 72–75, 86, 103

astrology, 11, 128,
129

astronomy, 24, 188–89

Ayaz, Malik, 261–62

Azores, 20, 178, 179, 186

Aztecs

art of, 292

Codex Mendoza
, 293,
294
, 298

conquest by Spaniards, 287–88

similarities with Incas, 288–89, 307

Tenochtitlan,
290
, 291, 293–99

what constitutes, 289–90

Bahlul, Sultan, 262

Bahmanids, 260–61

Barrados, Diogo de, 182

Bayezid II, Sultan (Ottoman Empire), 108–11

Behaim, Martin, 12, 15–17, 19, 20, 178, 186

Bernáldez, Andrés de, 87–89, 92, 96, 105

black Africans, 56–57, 62–63, 193

Boabdil, King (Muhammad XI; Granada), 27–28, 35–38, 41

Bonfire of the Vanities, 130, 142, 145

Book of the Kings’ Three Sons, The,
135–37

Borgia, Rodrigo (later Pope Alexander VI), 139–41

Bornu, 75

Buddhism, 216–19, 226, 228–29, 247, 266, 320

Byzantium, 166–69, 171

Camõens, Luis Vaz de, 266

Canary Islands,
277

characteristics of native population, 193, 275–76

Christianity in, 279–81, 283

conquest of, 179, 276–80

de Vera’s campaigns, 280–82

disposition of natives, 280–81

Granada war and, 276, 283, 284

La Palma in, 282–86

as lab for New World conquest, 274–75, 287

as launch point for Atlantic winds, 183, 286–87

New World mistaken for, 273–74

Cape of Good Hope, 256, 319

Caribbean, 288, 309

cartography, 11–17, 19–20

Casimir IV, King (Poland), 147–49, 158, 161–64, 175

Castile, 9–10,
37,
45–46, 88, 113

Catholic Church

enmity with orthodoxy, 166–71

exploiting exiled Jews in Rome, 104

Granada conquest in the name of, 29

indulgences, 279

Inquisition, 41–43, 88, 90–93, 95–98

Ivan’s defense of Orthodoxy against, 162, 165–66, 172, 175

papacy threatened by Mehmet, 108

rule of state and, 45

Savonarola’s rebuke of, 126–27, 144–45

witchcraft persecution, 24, 96

Charlemagne, 136, 137

Charles VIII, King (France), 10, 133–36, 141–44

Checas, 305–6

China

aim of Columbus, 187, 188, 206–8, 210

animal tribute, 246–47

art, 205–
07,
219–22

astronomy, 24

cartography, 13–14

counting of time, 22

economy, 208–11, 213, 245, 248

eunuchs in, 216, 218, 247

Europe’s fascination with, 208–10

as “first modern state,” 212–13

imperial court, 217–18

internal power struggles, 216–19

inventions spawning modernity, 25, 26

Mongol presence in, 149–50, 227, 248

Muslims in, 216, 223, 225, 247

political and military strength, 214–15

power of Confucian elite, 213–17, 222

seafaring ventures, 202, 204, 223–28, 239, 245–50, 319

silver market, 209–10

spice trade, 18–19, 244, 245

chivalry, 48–49, 134–36, 143–44, 180–82, 191–92, 203

Ch’oe Pu, 211–13, 215, 228–30

Christianity

in Canary Island conquest, 280–81, 283

compared to other religions, 320

competition with Islam for Africa, 75, 77, 81, 83, 86

in Ethiopia, 81–83

introduction into West Africa, 75–81

Jewish conversion to, 96–97, 99

significance of Constantinople, 30, 166–70

spread of Islam inspiring conquests, 4, 9–10, 52–53

Cisneros, Cardinal, 40–43

classicism, 11, 122–24, 128–30, 141–43

Cobo, Bernabé, 308

Codex Mendoza
(document; Aztec), 293,
294,
298

Columbus, Christopher

account of natives, 192–94,
196

belief in small earth, 12, 20, 186–87

China as aim of, 187, 188, 206–8, 210,
238

exploring the New World, 192–98, 288

factors behind voyage proposal, 177–79, 183–87

feeding “Last Emperor” beliefs, 10, 185

first transatlantic voyage, 189–92, 198–200

hope of Hispaniola colonization, 195–97

influences on, 180–81, 183–85

potential opened up by, 4, 5, 21, 200–201, 203–4, 308–9

religiousness of, 184, 185, 190, 198

sea voyage navigation, 188–89

second voyage of, 200

support of Ferdinand and Isabella, 177–78, 187–88, 199

use of Atlantic wind system, 3, 179–80

Confucianism, 204, 213–19, 222, 226–30, 247–48, 265–66

Constantinople, 30, 106,
107,
166–71

Conti, Niccolò, 251–55

convergence, 2–4, 20–21

Corvinus, Mathias, King (Hungary), 171–72

Covilhão, Pedro de, 83, 86, 256–58

Cuba, 195

currency, 18–19, 25, 66, 209

Cuzco, 303–8

Dias, Bartolomeu, 256, 257

disease, 18, 24, 80, 102, 286, 288

Djem, Prince (Zizim; Ottoman Empire), 111, 137

“dumb trade,” 58

economics

African gold trade, 57–59, 61–62, 69, 178, 187–88, 279

Atlantic exploration, 178–79

court of Isabella, 50–51

currency, 18–19, 25, 66, 209

fall of Granada, 29–30, 33–35, 39–40

Jews in Spain, 88–89, 93–94

Mongols “crane catching,” 150

potential in Americas, 194–95

of Songhay, 67–69

spice trade, 17–19

Egypt, 59–60, 111, 318

Eratosthenes of Alexandria, 19–20, 186

Ethiopia, 81–83, 86,
257,
258

Europe

allied with Ethiopia, 83

apocalyptic beliefs, 6–9

ascent of, 25–26, 203–4, 318, 319

astronomy, 24

cartography, 11–13, 15–17, 19–20

fascination with China, 208–10

importance of spice trade to, 17–19

Indian Ocean merchant travel, 250–55

inferiority to Asia, 4–5

racism, 62–63, 263

reaction to rise of Russia, 164

sea exploration, 201–4, 248, 255, 319

search for African gold sources, 61–62

significance of Granada fall to, 44

trade in West Africa, 63–64, 69

use of slaves in, 178–79

evolution, 2, 21, 312

exploration.
See
sea exploration

Ferdinand, King (Spain)

conquest of Canary Islands, 276–81, 283

expulsion of the Jews, 93, 94, 96–99, 110, 113–14

“Last Emperor” beliefs, 10, 185

nature of rule, 44–45, 50–53

position against the Turks, 30, 111–12

relationship with Isabella, 46–48

support of Columbus, 177–78, 185, 199, 201

at Valladolid tourney, 48–49

war in Granada, 9, 29–36, 38–42

Fergana, 214

Fez, 100–103

Ficino, Marsiglio, 11

Florence, 115–21, 123, 124, 128, 130, 138, 142, 143, 145–46, 251

fourth world, 273

France, 132–33

Francis of Assisi, Saint, 8–9, 123, 185, 193

Franciscans, 9, 185, 193

Gama, Vasco da, 201, 250

Gao, 63–64, 67

Gazmira, Francisca, 283, 284

geography, 11–17, 19–20, 186–87, 251, 255, 321

Germany, 16, 92, 108, 153–54

Ghana, 65–66

globalism, 4, 21, 210, 312–13, 316, 320

gold trade, 57–59, 61–62, 69, 178, 187–88, 279

Granada war,
37

and Canary Island conquest, 276, 283, 284

economics of, 29–30, 33–35, 39–40

handling of Muslims following, 39–44, 51

influence on Jewish expulsion, 94–95

Italy and the, 138, 142

and Muslims in Europe, 28–29, 44

religious justification for, 9, 29

role of Boabdil, 27–28, 35–36

sources of conflict, 29–33

taking Granada city,
28,
36–41

Grand Canary, 278, 280–84

Greece, ancient, 122–24, 128, 129, 143, 168, 317

Guanarteme, Don Fernando (Tenesor Semidan), 281, 284

Gujarat, 261, 318

gunpowder, 25

Hassan, Mulay, 30–33, 35

Henrique, Dom (“Henry the Navigator”), 76, 181–83, 282

Herrera, Diego de, 278–79

Hinduism, 259–60, 262–63, 266, 320

Hispaniola, 195–97, 200,
238,
287

Histoire de Mélusine,
134–35

history, nature of, 311–12, 314

Hoso Soun, 237

Huari, 301

Huayllacans, 306

Huayna Capac, 302–4, 306

human sacrifice, 291, 307

humanism, 122, 128–30, 141–42, 145

Ibn Battuta, 58–60, 62

Ibn Verga, Solomon, 104–5

imperialism, 203, 228, 248, 302, 316, 317

Incas

agriculture practices, 301–3

calendar, 22

chronology of, 308

compared to Romans, 300–301, 303

conquest by Spaniards, 287–88, 303, 306, 308

ecological imperialism by, 302

gods/mummies/sacred sites, 305–8

government use of terror, 303–4

human sacrifice, 307

marriage, 306–7

meaning of name, 303

road system, 304–5

similarities with Aztecs, 288–89, 307

system of organization, 299–300

tribute system, 307–8

India, 21–22, 26, 201–3, 244–45, 254–55, 259–63, 318

Indian Ocean,
242, 252

Chinese expeditions to, 223, 239, 245–50

European merchant accounts, 250–55

lack of exploration from, 318–19

monsoon systems in, 243–44, 249, 256

navigational routes to, 200–201, 255–56

Portuguese explorers of, 256–58, 319

Swahili coast, 263–65

Innocent VIII (Pope), 38, 132, 138–40

Inquisition, 41–43, 88, 90–93, 95–98

Isabella, Queen (Spain)

conquest of Canary Islands, 276–81, 283

expenditures of, 50–51

expulsion of the Jews, 93, 94, 96–99, 113–14

and medieval views of women, 45–46

nature of rule, 44–45, 51–53

relationship with Ferdinand, 46–48

support of Columbus, 177–78, 185, 199, 201

war in Granada, 29–35, 38–42, 51

Islam

competition with Christianity for Africa, 75, 77, 81, 83, 86

as inherently inflexible, 320

jihad, 65, 73, 75, 109, 260–63

in Renaissance, 317

in Sonni politics, 70, 72–75

spread inspiring European conquests, 4, 9–10, 52–53