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Timeline III: The World from c. 1300 to 1700

Between 1300 and 1700 (four centuries) Europe and Asia changed a lot. The 14th century saw the Black Death; the 15th century brought printing, the Ottoman capture of Constantinople and new sea routes; the 16th century saw the Reformation, the Mughals and Copernicus; the 17th century saw the telescope, Newton and trading companies in Asia. A timeline puts all this in order so we can see what came first and what happened at the same time.

๐ŸŽฌ Step-by-step story

  1. See the road from 1300 to 1700. It has 4 coloured blocks. Each block is one century, that is 100 years. The years 1301 to 1400 are called the 14th century.
  2. Now only the 14th century is bright. Two pillars stand on it: the Black Death plague in Europe (1347) and the start of the Ming dynasty in China (1368).
  3. The 15th century lights up. Four pillars: Constantinople taken by the Ottomans (1453), printing (1455), Columbus (1492) and Vasco da Gama reaching India (1498). Read them left to right.
  4. The 16th century: Luther starts the Reformation (1517), Babur starts Mughal rule in India (1526), and Copernicus says the Earth goes round the Sun (1543).
  5. The 17th century: the English East India Company is formed (1600), Galileo uses a telescope (1609) and Newton explains gravity (1687).
  6. Your turn. Move the slider to any year. The red marker walks on the road and the readout tells you the century. Try 1400 and 1401.

Tip: drag the 3D scene to turn it. Use two fingers to zoom.

๐Ÿค” Common doubts, cleared

Why is 1301โ€“1400 the 14th century and not the 13th?

Counting starts at year 1, so years 1โ€“100 are the 1st century. By the same count, 1301โ€“1400 is the 14th. Watch the first coloured block.

Were the Black Death and the Ming dynasty connected?

They are on the same century block only because they happened at about the same time in different places. A timeline shows time, not always a link.

Why do so many big events crowd into the 1400s?

Printing, new ships and new trade routes made change faster. See the four pillars on the 15th-century block.

Is 1500 in the 15th or 16th century?

15th. Move the slider to 1500 and then 1501 and watch the readout change.

How is India on this timeline?

Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498 and Babur began Mughal rule in 1526. Look at the 15th and 16th century blocks.

Ordering periods in time

A timeline is a line of years. Earlier events sit on the left and later ones on the right. It helps us answer two questions: what came first? and what was happening at the same time?

A century is 100 years. The 14th century means the years 1301 to 1400. Quick rule: take the hundreds of (year โˆ’ 1) and add 1. So 1347 โ†’ 13 + 1 = 14th century, and 1400 โ†’ 13 + 1 = 14th century too.

Historians also use c. (circa) which means about. "c. 1300" means around 1300, not exactly.

Big periods have names. Historians call the years from about 1300 to 1600 in Europe the time of the Renaissance (rebirth of learning), and the years before it the Middle Ages. These names are labels made later; people living then did not use them.

The 14th and 15th centuries

1300s

In Europe feudal society faced a crisis: bad harvests and then the Black Death (1347โ€“50) killed a very large part of the population. In China the Ming dynasty began (1368). Italian cities such as Florence and Venice were growing rich through trade.

1400s

Printing with movable metal type spread from Germany (Gutenberg, 1450s). The Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople (1453). Sailors from Portugal and Spain found new sea routes: Columbus reached the Americas (1492) and Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in India (1498).

The 16th and 17th centuries

1500s

Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation (1517). In India, Babur founded Mughal rule after the battle of Panipat (1526). Copernicus said the Earth moves round the Sun (1543). Spanish and Portuguese empires grew in the Americas.

1600s

The English (1600) and Dutch (1602) East India Companies were formed to trade with Asia. Galileo studied the sky with a telescope (1609). Isaac Newton published his laws of motion and gravity (1687). Science was changing how people saw the world.

Try it: make your own timeline

Take a long strip of paper. Mark 1300 at the left end and 1700 at the right end, with a line every 100 years. Write the ten dates from this lesson on small slips and stick them in the right place. Then check with the slider in the 3D. Which two events happened within 10 years of each other?

Key formulas and definitions

Worked examples

1. In which century is the year 1498?

1498 โˆ’ 1 = 1497. Hundreds = 14. 14 + 1 = 15. So 1498 is in the 15th century.

2. Which century is the year 1600 in?

1600 โˆ’ 1 = 1599. Hundreds = 15. 15 + 1 = 16. So 1600 is the last year of the 16th century (1501โ€“1600).

3. Put in order: Newton's law, Luther's protest, Black Death, Columbus.

Black Death (1347) โ†’ Columbus (1492) โ†’ Luther (1517) โ†’ Newton (1687).

4. How many years passed between Vasco da Gama reaching Calicut and the English East India Company being formed?

1600 โˆ’ 1498 = 102 years.

Common mistakes

Practice quiz

1. The 15th century covers the years:
2. The Black Death struck Europe in:
3. Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in:
4. Which happened first?
5. 'c.' before a date means:

Practice: answer these yourself

Type or choose your answer, then press Check. Use a hint if you are stuck; the full solution appears after you answer.

Frequently asked questions

What is Timeline III in Class 11 History?

It is the dated overview for the section 'Changing Traditions' covering about 1300 to 1700, listing key events in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

How do I find the century of a year quickly?

Subtract 1, take the hundreds and add 1. Example: 1543 โ†’ 1542 โ†’ 15 โ†’ 16th century.

Which chapters come after this timeline?

The Three Orders (feudal society) and Changing Cultural Traditions (Renaissance, Reformation, science and exploration).

Where this is taught

CBSE (India)Class 11Changing Traditions

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