Fifteenth Century

Streyer emphasizes that although Columbus' voyage was important to history, it was not the only important voyage that was going on. For instance, in the fifteenth century, Islam spread in Southeast Asia, civil war among Japanese warlords broke out, the rise of Hindu state of Vijayanagara in southern India, the European renaissance was happening, and African states such as Ethiopia, Kongo, Bennin, and Zimbabwe flourished. Also, Chinese maritime voyages were taking place. Not only was Europe experiencing a renaissance but some say that China was as well. In the Ming dynasty, seminal thinkers began to arise and spread their philosophies. An example of this is the philosophy of Confucian. In addition, important writers and artists were responsible for challenging old fashioned thought.