6thcentury

The 6th century, spanning 501–600 CE, was a transitional era linking Late Antiquity to the early medieval period. Across Eurasia, power centers shifted as empires contended for dominance while new political formations emerged along regional lines. Trade networks such as the Silk Road continued to integrate regions from the Mediterranean to East Asia, facilitating cultural and technological exchange.

In the Byzantine Empire, Justinian I pursued reconquest and legal reform, from 527 to 565, and oversaw the compilation of the Corpus Juris Civilis. The empire faced the devastating Plague of Justinian (begun 541) and internal religious and political tensions, including the Nika riots of 532. In Italy, the Lombards moved into the peninsula in 568, establishing a lasting kingdom, while Byzantium regained portions of the peninsula earlier in the century. In the east, the Sassanian Empire challenged Byzantine power with periodic wars under rulers such as Khosrow I.

In China, the era was marked by division between northern and southern dynasties, culminating in the eventual rise of the Sui dynasty near its end. The Indian subcontinent saw regional kingdoms flourish as the Gupta Empire faded, while scholars such as Aryabhata contributed to astronomy and mathematics during the period.

Religious life continued to shape the century: Christianity spread and organized in the Byzantine world and in parts of Europe, while Christian communities persisted or emerged across Africa and Asia. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jain traditions remained influential in the Indian subcontinent, and religious institutions continued to play central roles in urban and rural life.