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Seshat: Global History Databank

✓ the most current and comprehensive body of knowledge about human history
✓ collects what is currently known about the social and political organization of human societies over time
✓ offers the means to study the past through well-established scientific techniques
✓ founded in 2011 and thriving ever since

Seshat

General Variables

26

variables

in categories: Identity and Location, Temporal Bounds, Language, Religion, Supra-cultural relations
8861

datapoints

Alternative Name (Identity and Location)

Polity Peak Years (Temporal Bounds)

Polity Capital (Identity and Location)

Polity Language (Language)

Polity Religion (Religion)

Degree of Centralization (Temporal Bounds)

Succeeding Entity (Supra-cultural relations)

Relationship to Preceding Entity (Supra-cultural relations)

and 18 more... for 532 Polities

Social Complexity Variables

77

variables

in categories: Social Scale, Hierarchical Complexity, Professions, Bureaucracy Characteristics, Law, Specialized Buildings: polity owned, Transport Infrastructure, Special-purpose Sites, Information
20691

datapoints

Polity Territory (Social Scale)

Polity Population (Social Scale)

Settlement Hierarchy (Hierarchical Complexity)

Irrigation System (Specialized Buildings: polity owned)

Merit Promotion (Bureaucracy Characteristics)

Formal Legal Code (Law)

Road (Transport Infrastructure)

Postal Station (Information / Postal System)

and 69 more... for 510 Polities

Warfare Variables

49

variables

in categories: Fortifications, Military use of Metals, Projectiles, Handheld weapons, Animals used in warfare, Armor, Naval technology
17533

datapoints

Bronze (Military use of Metals)

Javelin (Projectiles)

Battle Axe (Handheld Weapons)

Sword (Handheld Weapons)

Horse (Animals used in warfare)

Small Vessels (canoes, etc) (Naval technology)

Shield (Armor)

Wooden Palisade (Fortifications)

and 41 more... for 375 Polities

Human Sacrifice

The deliberate and ritualized killing of a person to please or placate supernatural entities (including gods, spirits, and ancestors) or gain other supernatural benefits.
357

datapoints

was Present: 1778 CE 1803 CE in Kingdom of Hawaii - Kamehameha Period

was Absent: 900 BCE 744 BCE in Elam I

was Present: 745 CE 840 CE in Uigur Khaganate

was Present: 2016 BCE 1721 BCE in Egypt - Middle Kingdom

was Absent: 1454 CE 1517 CE in Yemen - Tahirid Dynasty

was Unknown: 3500 BCE 2001 BCE in Sarazm

was Absent: 1734 CE 1883 CE in Orokaiva - Pre-Colonial

was Absent: 1185 CE 1333 CE in Kamakura Shogunate

and 349 more... coded for 323 Polities

CrisisDB

Power Transitions

  absent     present     inferred absent     inferred present     suspected unknown     unknown are coded for:
OT Overturn
PA Predecessor Assassination
IE Intra-Elite
MR Military Revolt
PU Popular Uprising
SR Separatist Rebellion
EV External Invasion
EF External Inteference
3449

transitions

500 CE 507 CE in Gupta Empire: Budha-Gupta Vainya-Gupta OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

396 CE 403 CE in Western Jin: An of Jin (Sima Dezong, Jìn Ān Dì) Huan Xuan OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

1815 CE 1848 CE in Kwararafa: Zikeenya Agbu Manu I

1745 CE 1777 CE in Electorate of Bavaria: Maximilian III Joseph Charles Theodore OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

1692 CE 1701 CE in Akan - Pre-Ashanti: Ntim Gyakari end of our polity OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

962 CE 973 CE in Pala Empire: Rajyapala Gopala III OV PA IE MR PU SR EV

745 BCE 727 BCE in Neo-Assyrian Empire: Tiglath-Pileser III Shalmaneser V OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

- in Magadha - Nanda Dynasty: Pandugati Bhutapala OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

and 3441 more... coded for 259 Polities

Crisis Consequences

Crisis periods are defined as periods of turmoil within a polity duration. We measure this turmoil by:
  1. tracking known destabilizing events such as major revolts, civil violence, and institutional reform; and
  2. following established scholarship which identifies such crisis periods
169

cases

  absent     present     inferred absent     inferred present     suspected unknown     unknown are coded for:
PD Population Decline
PC Population Collapse
EP Epidemic
DM Elite Downward Mobility
EX Elite Extermination
UP Uprising
RV Revolution
SR Successful Revolution
CW Civil War
C+ Lasted a Century +
FR Fragmentation
CL Capital Loss
EC External Conquest
RA Ruler Assassination
RD Ruler Depose
CC Constitution Change
LC Labor Change
UL Unfree Labor Change
SF Suffrage
PG Public Goods Change
RC Religion Change

877 CE 888 CE in Carolingian Empire II: Fragmentation of Carlingian Rule: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

1819 CE 1820 CE in Kingdom of Hawaii - Kamehameha Period: Contact Period: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

1516 CE 1517 CE in Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate III: Fall of the Burji dynasty: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

700 BCE 500 BCE in Oaxaca - Rosario: Increased violent conflict and social differentiation during Rosario phase: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

509 BCE in Roman Kingdom: Foundation of the Roman Republic: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV SR CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

1140 BCE 1030 BCE in Phoenician Empire: Phoenecian Cities Conflicts: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

500 CE 600 CE in Classic Basin of Mexico: Crisis at Teotihuacan: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

1060 CE 1072 CE in Fatimid Caliphate: Fatimid Civil War: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

and 161 more... coded for 153 Polities

🇺🇸 US Political Violence Database

✓ coded for Date, Type, Subtype(s), Location(s), Fatalities, etc
1903

cases

March 1, 1906 lynching (race) in Tennessee (TN), Chattanooga: 1 was killed. Source(s):   Paul A. Gilje, Riots In The United States

May 1, 1900 riot (labor) in Missouri (MO), St. Louis: 3 were killed. Source(s):   Paul A. Gilje, Riots In The United States

Dec. 1, 1929 riot (prison) in New York (NY), Auburn: 8 were killed. Source(s):   Hartford Daily Courant Or The Hartford Courant

Jan. 1, 1868 lynching (race, section) in Tennessee (TN), Maury: 1 was killed. Source(s):   Paul A. Gilje, Riots In The United States

Jan. 1, 1894 riot (labor) in Idaho (ID), Coeur d'Alene: 1 was killed. Source(s):   Paul A. Gilje, Riots In The United States

April 1, 1921 riot (race) in Florida (FL), Winter Haven: 1 was killed. Source(s):   Paul A. Gilje, Riots In The United States

Jan. 1, 1890 assassination (political) in Washington (WA), Washington, D.C., District of Columbia: 1 was killed. Source(s):

Nov. 1, 1978 assassination (political) in California (CA), San Francisco: 2 were killed. Source(s):   Wikipedia

and 1895 more...

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