Around 1492
The history of mankind in these 5,000 years can be divided into several epochs. But the most decisive incident that put critical breakpoint is the discovery of the New World by Columbus in 1492.
However, the adventure of Columbus was preceded by great voyages by Zheng He (1371–1433), explorer and diplomat of China's Ming Dynasty. Zheng commanded expeditionary voyages to Southeast Asia,South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. In his first voyage, Zheng led more than 60 ships, one of which was 137 meters long, carrying 28,000 crews.
Nonetheless, China could not or would not conquer the world. On the other hand, in the West the last remnant of the ancient glory of Romans vanished, namely the Fall of Constantinople, heralding the coming of something new. But what was it?
1405–1433: Zheng He of China sails through the Indian Ocean to India, Arabia, and East Africa to spread China's influence and sovereignty.
1453: The Fall of Constantinople marks the end of the Byzantine Empire and the death of the last Roman Emperor Constantine XI and the beginning of the Growth of the Ottoman Empire.
1467–1615: The Sengoku period is one of civil war in Japan.
1481: Spanish Inquisition begins in practice with the first auto-da-fé.
1488: Portuguese Navigator Bartolomeu Dias sails around the Cape of Good Hope.
1492: Jews expelled from Spain.
1492: Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas from Spain.
1494: Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas and agree to divide the World outside of Europe between themselves.
1499: Ottoman fleet defeats Venetians at the Battle of Zonchio.
1500: Islam becomes Indonesia's dominant religion.
1502: First reported African slaves in The New World
1503: Spain defeats France at the Battle of Cerignola. Considered to be the first battle in history won by gunpowder small arms.
1503: Leonardo da Vinci begins painting the Mona Lisa and completes it three or four years later.
1503: Nostradamus was born on either December 14, or December 21.
1506: Christopher Columbus dies in Valladolid, Spain.
1509: The Portuguese king sends Diogo Lopes de Sequeira to find Malacca, the eastern terminus of Asian trade.
1512: Copernicus writes Commentariolus, and moves the sun to the center of the solar system.
1517: The Protestant Reformation begins when Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses in Saxony.
1519: Leonardo da Vinci dies of natural causes on May 2.
1521: Philippines encountered by Ferdinand Magellan. He was later killed in battle in central Philippines in the same year.
1521: Martin Luther translated the Gospels into German.
1526: Mughal Empire, founded by Babur, rules India until 1857.
1531–32: The Church of England breaks away from the Roman Catholic Church and recognizes King Henry VIII as the head of the Church.
1532: Francisco Pizarro leads the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.
1534: Jacques Cartier claims Quebec for France.
1534: The Ottomans capture Baghdad.
1536: John Calvin launches Protestant Reformation movement.
1538: Spanish–Venetian fleet is defeated by the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Preveza.
1541: Amazon River is encountered and explored by Francisco de Orellana.
1543: Copernicus publishes his theory that the Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun.
1543: The Nanban trade period begins after Portuguese traders make contact with Japan.
1548: The Ming Dynasty government of China issues a decree banning all foreign trade and closes down all seaports along the coast; these Hai jin laws came during the Wokou wars with Japanese pirates.
1551: North African pirates enslave the entire population of the Maltese island Gozo, between 5,000 and 6,000, sending them to Libya.
1552: Russia conquers the Khanate of Kazan.
1557: The Portuguese settle in Macau.
1558–1603: The Elizabethan era is considered the height of the English Renaissance.
This epoch of 100 years from the middle of the 15th century to the middle of the 16th century is very important. It is not only because Columbus (advanced geographical/political expansion), da Vinci (advanced art), Martin Luther (advanced religious movement), and Copernicus (advanced science) all lived and played remarkable roles in this period, but also because the world came to be under aggressive influences of Europe.
Indeed, at the beginning of this epoch China could have occupied so many territories from South East Asia to West Asia and Africa. But at the end of this epoch, China started to isolate itself from the global trend. Japan also encountered Europeans in later years in this period, but in a century it would also decide to close the nation against Europeans with an exception to the Dutch.
The most important question is whether this expansion of the European civilization to other regions of the world is blessed by God or not. And how much could Christianity be justification for their expansion. Or was it necessary evil for Christianity to spread to the whole world?
We have to carefully check the above chronological table, again.
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Luk 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
Luk 5:6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
Luk 5:7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.