Rethinking the Dark Ages: Islam, China, and Medieval Europe

CrashCourse

In this installment of Crash Course World History, John Green challenges the Eurocentric concept of the "Dark Ages," a period conventionally dated from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance. While admitting that Medieval Europe did experience a decline in trade, urbanization, and cultural output relative to the Roman Empire, the video argues that this darkness was local rather than global. Through rapid-fire humor and historical analysis, Green explains the structure of European feudalism—a decentralized system of lords, vassals, and peasants—and contrasts it with the thriving civilizations flourishing elsewhere during the same era. The video shifts focus to the Islamic Golden Age under the Umayyad and Abbasid Empires, highlighting Baghdad as a global center of learning where scholars preserved Greek philosophy and pioneered advancements in medicine, mathematics (algebra), and engineering. It also explores the achievements of the Tang and Song Dynasties in China, noting their inventions of gunpowder, paper money, and iron production techniques that far outpaced Europe. The narrative emphasizes how the Abbasid openness to foreign ideas and the meritocratic governance in China led to periods of immense prosperity and innovation. For educators, this video is an excellent tool for teaching comparative history and historiography. It helps students deconstruct historical labels and understand that history happens simultaneously across the globe. Teachers can use it to introduce the political mechanics of feudalism, the scientific contributions of the Islamic world, or the technological prowess of medieval China. The video serves as a perfect launchpad for discussions about how we name historical periods and the importance of looking beyond a single continent's narrative.