Douglas
August 30th, 2005, 05:37 AM
The POD for this timeline is that the historical Black Plague which wreaked so much havoc on Europe in OTL happens 500 years earlier.
844 AD
Somewhere on the vast steppes of Asia, a microscopic organism named Yersinia pestis began its unintelligent, inhuman, massive slaughter of man in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
The horrific disease which became known to later historians as the "Black Plague" was first carried to the civilized world by the rampant tribe of barbarians known as the Uighur. Driven from their lands in Mongolia by the Kirghiz, the Uighur roared down upon the Buddhist kingdom of Tufan, famous for its impregnable fortress of Lhasa. Within a matter of months this once mighty kingdom was utterly devastated, its entire government brought down by the constant attacks of the Uighur and the bubonic plague. Although the Uighur now turned east to attempt to conquer the mighty Tang Empire, the Black Death was on its way to the Near East via the Silk Road...
845 AD
One by one, the great cities of the East astride the Silk Road were gutted by the horrific intensity of the Black Plague. In Baghdad alone it is said to have killed almost 250,000 people. The Islamic world, once at the forefront of culture and technology, was crushed back down to equality with the European kingdoms within a few months. By the fall of this year, the people of the mighty city of Constantinople were suffering from the bubonic plague.
846 AD
The horror of the Black Death finally reached Europe in this year: Italy, southern France, and the flowering Ommyad Caliphate of Spain were all ravaged by the disease, which claimed among others, Pope Sergius II and Emir Abd ar-Rahman II of Cordoba.
847-850 AD
Over the next three years, Europe was hit by the most devastating plague ever experienced in its history. It is unknown for sure, but it is estimated that 40-50% of Europe's population died in the space of three years. The kingdoms of Charlemagne's divided empire crumbled into warring factions. The temporary era of Carolingian glory was obviously over.
850-900 AD
The next fifty years marked a remarkable change in European history. After the Plague had burned itself out, many peasants moved to cities to find a different life, swelling urban populations. Feudal lords attempted to force serfs to do more labor, to make up for the massive loss in production caused by so many deaths. Instead, Europe was wracked by wave after wave of catastrophic peasant revolts. Rulers were forced to give more rights to their people.
Comments and (constructive) criticism welcome!
844 AD
Somewhere on the vast steppes of Asia, a microscopic organism named Yersinia pestis began its unintelligent, inhuman, massive slaughter of man in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
The horrific disease which became known to later historians as the "Black Plague" was first carried to the civilized world by the rampant tribe of barbarians known as the Uighur. Driven from their lands in Mongolia by the Kirghiz, the Uighur roared down upon the Buddhist kingdom of Tufan, famous for its impregnable fortress of Lhasa. Within a matter of months this once mighty kingdom was utterly devastated, its entire government brought down by the constant attacks of the Uighur and the bubonic plague. Although the Uighur now turned east to attempt to conquer the mighty Tang Empire, the Black Death was on its way to the Near East via the Silk Road...
845 AD
One by one, the great cities of the East astride the Silk Road were gutted by the horrific intensity of the Black Plague. In Baghdad alone it is said to have killed almost 250,000 people. The Islamic world, once at the forefront of culture and technology, was crushed back down to equality with the European kingdoms within a few months. By the fall of this year, the people of the mighty city of Constantinople were suffering from the bubonic plague.
846 AD
The horror of the Black Death finally reached Europe in this year: Italy, southern France, and the flowering Ommyad Caliphate of Spain were all ravaged by the disease, which claimed among others, Pope Sergius II and Emir Abd ar-Rahman II of Cordoba.
847-850 AD
Over the next three years, Europe was hit by the most devastating plague ever experienced in its history. It is unknown for sure, but it is estimated that 40-50% of Europe's population died in the space of three years. The kingdoms of Charlemagne's divided empire crumbled into warring factions. The temporary era of Carolingian glory was obviously over.
850-900 AD
The next fifty years marked a remarkable change in European history. After the Plague had burned itself out, many peasants moved to cities to find a different life, swelling urban populations. Feudal lords attempted to force serfs to do more labor, to make up for the massive loss in production caused by so many deaths. Instead, Europe was wracked by wave after wave of catastrophic peasant revolts. Rulers were forced to give more rights to their people.
Comments and (constructive) criticism welcome!