were there any middle age super powers?

[Optimus Marcus Ulpius Traianus]

In between AD 800-1500 were there any super powers because i can think of powerful nations but no real super powers

[D.B. Cooper]

The Mongols, off the top of my head.

[Carpathian Wolf]

France, Roman Empire (in the east). Those seem to be the big ones.

[D.B. Cooper]

So, are superpowers nations that are powerful in their region (Europe, Asia, etc.), or truly global powers?

[bushbush]

i think only regional superpowers cuz different parts of the world weren't exactly connected closely yet. In east asia there was always the chinese empire dominating.

[il padrino]

the papacy

[War&Politics]

I'm not sure if the term superpower can be applied to any nation before 1945. The term was after all invented to describe the world after World War II where the world was dominated by two superpowers: The USA and the USSR. However, I sense that there is an increasing use of the term applied retroactively to empires like the British Empire, so maybe it is possible. That said, the term will still mean a power that projects power on a truly global level. I certainly can't think of any Medieval kingdom or empire that can qualify. But then I'm not expert on that period!

[D.B. Cooper]

Any nations in India worth mentioning?

[bushbush]

Any nations in India worth mentioning?

• Gupta Empire • 280–550 • Pala Empire • 750–1174 • Chalukya Dynasty • 543–753 • Rashtrakuta • 753–982 • Western Chalukya Empire • 973–1189 • Yadava Empire • 850–1334 Hoysala Empire 1040–1346 Kakatiya Empire 1083–1323

[Arjun]

Any nations in India worth mentioning?

There were many Indian dynasties and empires during this era, the most notable being the Chola Empire. Its hayday was from between 900Ad to 1200 Ad, Even though they existed as a nation from at least 3rd century BC.

Chola Empire
Chola Navy
Chola Military

It was the only South Asian power to expand into South East Asia.




They had the most powerful navy in the Indian ocean and used it to spread their empire, West to the maldives, south to Ceylon and east to the South East Asian islands. Most of the Indian influence in that region can be traced back to their era. Just like the Romans used to call the Mediterranean sea "Roman Lake", the Cholas called the South East Asian waters the Chola lake. They were the first to use Huge Ocean-Going Katamarans as warships and were quick to adopt the continuous-flamethrower invented by the Chinese even though their ships have been using a form of flamethrower from around the 9th century ad. Interestingly enough, the modern English word "Katamaran" comes from the Chola name for their ships "kattumaram";

Their reign is still looked upon as the Golden Era of South Asia, which led to a flowering of the Arts and architecture. The Cholas were also fastidious record keepers, and their bronze-plate records have survived to this day.Their ships traded as far east as China and as far west as Greece and Rome. The Cholans have been called by some historians as the "Athenians of India"



The Cholas left a lasting legacy. Their patronage of Tamil literature and their zeal in building temples have resulted in some great works of Tamil literature and architecture.The Chola kings were avid builders and envisioned the temples in their kingdoms not only as places of worship but also as centres of economic activity.They pioneered a centralised form of government and established a disciplined bureaucracy.

[Optimus Marcus Ulpius Traianus]

seems to me alot of power resided in the east and although europe had powerful nations nothing i would consider super power

[Bovril]

In 800 Charelmagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor, and was pretty powerful. That's as close to you'll get to a superpower in Western Christendom during the period.

The Abbasid Caliphate has not been mentioned yet. It probably qulalifies better than almost any other political entitiy in this period.

As has been mentioned, the term superpower get less and less meaningfull the further back in time you go.

[Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh]

Indeed, the pre-HRE, what is now, in hindsight, called the Frankish or Carolingian Empire to discern A) from the Old Roman Empire, B) The Eastern Roman Empire and C) the Holy Roman Empire that came about after the throne was vacant and Otto the Great took it, was probably the closest thing to a European/Meditterranean superpower in the Medieval period. Perhaps the Ottomans, but they were a bit later, no?

Definitely the Papacy held a great deal of power. Whilst not the most militarily secure, it held political sway with almost all of Christendom and the Levant.

[clandestino]

Real mediaeval superpowers with influence in most of the known world ( Europe, Asia, north Africa ) were only Mulim Caliphate, in one brief period, and Mongols at their peak. As for Europe it would be Byzantium during most of the period and Germany and France at some moments.

[neoptolemos]

Eastern Roman Empire in 5th-6th and 9th-10th-11th cents,
HRE
France
Ayyubids
Almohads
Ottoman empire
Inca empire
Aztec empire

the list that came in my mind spontaneously

[IronBrig4]

Definitely China. That time period saw the Tang, Sung, Yuan, and Ming dynasties.

Until about 1800, China and India accounted for two-thirds of the world's production. Aside from Baghdad and Constantinople, all the world's metropolises were in those two civilizations. There's something to be said for two civilizations that produced nearly all the goods the West desperately wanted. For hundreds of years, Western innovation was geared towards finding ways to purchase said goods without going through the Turkish, Arab, and Persian middlemen.

[Xerrop]

Definitely China. That time period saw the Tang, Sung, Yuan, and Ming dynasties.

But like any other Indian, Near Eastern or European empire - they were no superpower having influence on a large part of the world - their influence was limited to the neighbouring regions: the steppe, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and Central Asia.

Until about 1800, China and India accounted for two-thirds of the world's production. Aside from Baghdad and Constantinople, all the world's metropolises were in those two civilizations.

There were also Paris or Cordoba having 200.000 inhabitants in the middle ages, or Angkor with an estimated population of 1.000.000 people in the 12./13. century

Except of course China, India, and said Mongol Empire above.

India? - there was never an strong Empire uniting all of India in the questioned timeframe - only the Guptas before the middle ages and the Mughals after the middle ages controlled large parts and therefore dominated indian politics, economy and society.

[Babur]

But like any other Indian, Near Eastern or European empire - they were no superpower having influence on a large part of the world - their influence was limited to the neighbouring regions: the steppe, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and Central Asia.

uh no? the Mongol Empire's influenced reached as far west as Eastern Europe and as far east as Korea now that is a large part of the world,certainly more than the Roman empire of classical times.

India? - there was never an strong Empire uniting all of India in the questioned timeframe - only the Guptas before the middle ages and the Mughals after the middle ages controlled large parts and therefore dominated indian politics, economy and society.

you know very little about Indian history then,the Delhi Sultanate united much of India and that was in the 14th Century which was during the Middle Ages .

[Xerrop]

you know very little about Indian history then,the Delhi Sultanate united much of India and that was in the 14th Century which was during the Middle Ages .

But whole Southern India remained independant with hinduistic rulers. And the Delhi Sultanate had often to deal with civil wars, revolts of vassalls and so on. Not really a strong superpower in my opinion. And far away from controlling whole India.

[bushbush]

Definitely China. That time period saw the Tang, Sung, Yuan, and Ming dynasties.

Until about 1800, China and India accounted for two-thirds of the world's production. Aside from Baghdad and Constantinople, all the world's metropolises were in those two civilizations. There's something to be said for two civilizations that produced nearly all the goods the West desperately wanted. For hundreds of years, Western innovation was geared towards finding ways to purchase said goods without going through the Turkish, Arab, and Persian middlemen.

absolutely right, in an age where the world was really consisted of several different rather isolated areas, these giant empires were the superpowers of their own spheres.