The Dark and Light Ages
S. A. M. Adshead
The term ‘dark ages’ is familiar enough in connection with the period 500 to 1000. However, as applied world history, it suffers from Europocentrism, even West-Europocentrism. For China, Islam and Eastern Europe, these, far being dark ages, were ages of maximum light. In Emperor Hsüan-tsung, 712-756, under whom T’ang institutions culture reached their height Chinese empire its greatest extent, was actually known ming-huang, emperor Islam, reign Caliph Haroun al-Rashid, 789-809, generally regarded apogee early Islamdom. Basil II Bulgaroctonus, 963-1023, recovered not only Bulgaria but also Antioch Armenia, besides strengthening control southern Italy effecting conversion Rus 988. Against these achievements, darkness Western successive failures Goths, Merovingians Carolingians, which seems anomalous. Yet there one common feature history Eurasia between If antiquity had been age classics, what followed scripture exegesis. To languages classics words philosophers now added Word revelation: Bible Tradition, Koran hadith, sutra sastra, t’ung fu, Gita Vedanta.
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