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Vasco de Gama is the first to sail around Africa and make it to India which establishes a sea route around Africa to India. Vasco de Gama traded with Africans in prosperous, advanced cities and his round trip was two years long.

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Hernan Cortes leads the Spanish Army and conquers the Aztec Empire. The downfall of the Aztecs was due to their lack of guns, germs, and steel. Due to this conquest, Spain becomes a world power, waves of conquests are sparked, and 95% of the Aztec population is decimated.

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The Portuguese are the first Europeans to arrive in Japan by accident. At first, the Portuguese were welcomed by the Japanese and were allowed to set up trading posts. This soon changed when their arrival sparked feelings of xenophobia from the Japanese.

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Bartolome De Las Casas, a Spanish missionary, publishes his book, Devestation of the Indies. His book is a first hand account that educates the King and Queen and other people people from Spain about the mistreatment of the indigenous peoples by Europeans in the colonies.

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Portuguese navigator and explorer Bartolomeu Dias is first to make it to the "Cape of Good Hope". Dias trades for gold and silver and sends messages of goodwill and gifts to the indigenous people here.

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Abu Akbar, regarded as one of the greatest rulers of all time, begins his reign as the Mughal Emperor at only thirteen years old. Akbar created unity within the empire by tolerating all religions, allowing Hindus to regulate themselves through their own laws and institutions, and ending the discriminatory tax against Muslims, Jizya. In addition, Akbar proclaimed a new religion known as "Godism" which was a jumble of Islamic, Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist teaching with Abu Akbar as a deity.

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The Tokugawa family takes control over Japan after 100 years of instability within the government. The Tokugawa family re-unifies the country and this period becomes known as "The Great Peace".

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The Closed Country Policy or the Sakoku is implemented in Japan. This policy forbids Japanese people from leaving the country and forces all Europeans except the Dutch to leave Japan. The Sakoku completely isolates Japan and prevents Japan from advancing.

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The Ming Dynasty falls and the Manchus take over. The Ming invited the Manchus over the Great Wall during a peasant rebellion because they needed help, and the Manchus took advantage of the Ming and captured Beijing. This is a turning point for China as the Manchus impose new culture and policies on China.

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The building of the Taj Mahal finally comes to an end after about 17 years of construction. The Taj Mahal was a white marble mausoleum built by order of Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife who died in childbirth. (“Taj Mahal”) The Taj Mahal is significant as it represents an architectural achievement of the Mughal Empire.

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“Taj Mahal.” Ministry of Culture, https://www.indiaculture.gov.in/taj-mahal. Accessed 3 February 2025.