Welcome to

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

Objects

47

Seshat Regions

West Africa (Africa)

Southern Europe (Europe)

East Africa (Africa)

Central Europe (Europe)

Anatolia-Caucasus (Southwest Asia)

Western Europe (Europe)

Iran (Southwest Asia)

North China (East Asia)

and 39 more... in 10 Macro Regions.

863

Polities

Lohara Dynasty (in: North India) 1003 CE 1255 CE

Zayyanid Berber Kingdom (in: Sahel) 1235 CE 1509 CE

Classical Crete (in: Southeastern Europe) 500 BCE 323 BCE

Hmong - Early Chinese (in: South China) 1895 CE 1941 CE

Nara Kingdom (in: Northeast Asia) 710 CE 794 CE

Polish Kingdom - Piast Dynasty (in: Central Europe) 963 CE 1138 CE

Dali Kingdom (in: Mainland) 937 CE 1253 CE

Chalukyas of Badami (in: Central India) 543 CE 753 CE

and 855 more... in 47 Seshat Regions.

Seshat

General Variables

26

variables

in categories: Identity and Location, Temporal Bounds, Language, Religion, Supra-cultural relations
8864

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
24853

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 615 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 Absent: 1199 BCE 1100 BCE in Elam - Shutrukid Period

was Absent: 300 CE 551 CE in Rouran Khaganate

was Present: 1650 BCE 1501 BCE in Hatti - Old Kingdom

was Absent: 250 CE 1049 CE in Neguanje

was Absent: 974 CE 1055 CE in Chalukyas of Kalyani

was Present: 2900 BCE 2687 BCE in Egypt - Dynasty II

was Present: 900 BCE 701 BCE in Hallstatt B2-3

was Absent: 378 CE 525 CE in Himyar II

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

1598 CE 1600 CE in Japan - Azuchi-Momoyama: Toyotomi Hideyori Tokugawa Ieyasu OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

1212 CE 1215 CE in Polonnaruwa: Parakrama Pandyan Kalinga Magha OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

1502 CE 1520 CE in Aztec Empire: Moctezuma II Cuauhtémoc OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

1327 CE 1353 CE in Late Angkor: Jayavarmaparamesvara Hou-eul-na OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

1848 CE 1850 CE in Kingdom of Jolof: Birayamb Aram Xureja Biram Penda Kumba Ngwii OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

803 CE 827 CE in Medang Kingdom: Warak Gula OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

1521 CE 1567 CE in Great Ming: Jiajing Emperor (Chia Ching, Sheh Tsung, Zhu Houcong) Longqing Emperor (Zhu Zaiji , Lung Ch’ing, Mu Tsung) OV PA IE MR PU SR EV EF

1347 CE 1360 CE in Jaffna: Segarajasekaran IV Pararajasekaran IV 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

1887 CE 1898 CE in Kingdom of Hawaii - Post-Kamehameha Period: Overthrow of Kingdom of Hawai'i: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

225 CE in Satavahana Empire: Fall of the Satavahana Empire: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

755 CE 763 CE in Tang Dynasty I: An Lushan Rebellion: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

1236 CE 1242 CE in Kievan Rus: Disintegration of the Kievan Rus: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

1200 CE in Khwarezmid Empire: Tekish dies: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

1280 CE 1322 CE in Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate I: Mongol invasions and rebellions in Mamluk Egypt: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

1000 CE 1056 CE in Icelandic Commonwealth: Conversion to Christianity: PD PC EP DM EX UP RV CW C+ FR CL EC RA RD CC LC UL SF PG RC

1748 CE 1803 CE in Mughal Empire: Fragmentation of the Mughal Empire: 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

Dec. 1, 1906 riot (race) in Mississippi (MS), Kemper: 18 were killed. Source(s):   Paul A. Gilje, Riots In The United States

May 1, 1867 riot (section) in Alabama (AL), Mobile: 2 were killed. Source(s):   Paul A. Gilje, Riots In The United States

July 1, 1919 riot (labor) in Illinois (IL), Argos: 2 were killed. Source(s):   Paul A. Gilje, Riots In The United States

June 1, 1897 lynching (race) in Ohio (OH), Urbana: 1 was killed. Source(s):   Paul A. Gilje, Riots In The United States

May 1, 1918 lynching (race) in Georgia (GA), Barnesville: 1 was killed. Source(s):   Paul A. Gilje, Riots In The United States

April 3, 2009 terrorism (political) in New York (NY), Binghamton: 14 were killed. Source(s):   The New York Times

June 1, 2014 terrorism (school) in Oregon (OR), Troutdale: 2 were killed. Source(s):   Fox News

Oct. 1, 1908 riot (race) in Kentucky (KY), Hickman: 5 were killed. Source(s):   Paul A. Gilje, Riots In The United States, Vanderwood

and 1895 more...

Copyright © 2024, Seshat: Global History Databank.
Stay in touch with us: