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# The World in 1500 ## Europe As the world neared the 1500s, old institutions and political systems gave way to new ones. The decline of the Mongol Empire, which controlled much of Eurasia for centuries, and the rise of the Islamic Ottoman Empire reshaped human history. The Ottomans disrupted tra...

# The World in 1500 ## Europe As the world neared the 1500s, old institutions and political systems gave way to new ones. The decline of the Mongol Empire, which controlled much of Eurasia for centuries, and the rise of the Islamic Ottoman Empire reshaped human history. The Ottomans disrupted trade, especially the lucrative spice routes to Asia. Europeans responded by turning to maritime exploration to find new sea routes to Asia. In 1492, Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean, initiating a five-century exchange between the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. This "Columbian Exchange" circulated people, diseases, plants, goods, and ideas. Europe in 1500 consisted of many competitive states, many of which still exist. (though borders and compositions have changed). ### Feudal Society in Medieval Europe Europe's chronic instability, coupled with a stratified, hierarchical social structure, frequently fostered disunity. The monarch held the most power, but nobles acted as both extensions and checks on royal power. Nobles owned much of the land and wealth, and often served the monarch through military service. Below the nobles were merchants, craftsmen, and artisans—some of whom became wealthy. Peasants, who worked noble lands, formed the lowest stratum of European society. Their freedom of movement was severely limited, regardless of whether they were sharecroppers or serfs. ### The Church The Church, particularly the Catholic Church in Rome, held significant wealth, power, and influence in European society, competing with monarchs and emperors. For centuries, monarchs attempted to control religious matters and divert religious taxes away from Rome. A split from the Catholic Church in the fourth century led to the Eastern Orthodox Church becoming the dominant religion in Central Europe, Africa, and parts of the Middle East. ### 16th Century European Costumes  **Figure 1: 16th Century European Costumes**. *A grayscale image of multiple people wearing different 16th Century clothing in Europe. A description of the images could be added here.* **Caption:** *Costume 16th Century Europe*, by Brockhaus, iStock.com/W6. Standard license.