The Black Death outside of Europe

[_BuRjaCi_]

When people talk about the plague they always focus on Europe.
I was wondering how the Arab world or Asia faired?

It’s hard to believe that a disease, which killed a third of a continents population would have left the rest of the world untouched.

And since the plague erupted several times in the following centuries why didn’t the Native Americans suffer from it like they did from other European diseases?

The only mention of non-Europeans I can remember are the Mongols (who used their dead comrades as an early biological weapon).

[lord of the mark]

Re: The Black Death outside of Europe

Originally posted by _BuRjaCi_
When people talk about the plague they always focus on Europe.
I was wondering how the Arab world or Asia faired?

It’s hard to believe that a disease, which killed a third of a continents population would have left the rest of the world untouched.

And since the plague erupted several times in the following centuries why didn’t the Native Americans suffer from it like they did from other European diseases?

The only mention of non-Europeans I can remember are the Mongols (who used their dead comrades as an early biological weapon).

Huge numbers were killed in the ME and in China. Just about as high as in Europe, IIUC.

bub plague wasnt like Smallpox, etc, that were always around. It burst out at certain times, and then burnt out quickly. all outbreaks after 1400 were local, IIUC. Just at it never causeed an epidemic among native americans, I dont think bub pl ever caused an epidemic among the white settlers either. So the issue was getting across to the new world at a time of massive outbread, rather than indian immunity.

Eventually it did show up = plague is endemic to rodent populations in the southwest US, IIUC. But by that time the indian pop was pretty thin on the ground.

BTw, someone wrote an alt history about a plague that only killed europeans, leaving a world dominated by the muslims and Chinese. Years of Rice and Salt, I believe.

[Dr Strangelove]

I seem to recall reading that the great plague took some 30 million lives in both China and India.

[LordShiva]

Re: Re: The Black Death outside of Europe

Originally posted by lord of the mark
BTw, someone wrote an alt history about a plague that only killed europeans, leaving a world dominated by the muslims and Chinese. Years of Rice and Salt, I believe.

That was a Civ3 scenario too

[Eli]

BTw, someone wrote an alt history about a plague that only killed europeans, leaving a world dominated by the muslims and Chinese. Years of Rice and Salt, I believe.

Yes. By Kim Stanley Robinson of the RGB Mars fame. A good book, although he could've skipped half of the buddhist religious babble.

[Verto]

Re: The Black Death outside of Europe

Originally posted by _BuRjaCi_
When people talk about the plague they always focus on Europe.
I was wondering how the Arab world or Asia faired?

It’s hard to believe that a disease, which killed a third of a continents population would have left the rest of the world untouched.

And since the plague erupted several times in the following centuries why didn’t the Native Americans suffer from it like they did from other European diseases?

The only mention of non-Europeans I can remember are the Mongols (who used their dead comrades as an early biological weapon).

From the Wiki article on "Black Death":

Almost simultaneous epidemics occurred across large portions of Asia and the Middle East during the same period, indicating that the European outbreak was actually part of a multi-regional pandemic. Including Middle Eastern lands, India and China, the Black Death killed at least 75 million people. The same disease is thought to have returned to Europe every generation with varying degrees of intensity and fatality until the 1700s. Notable later outbreaks include the Italian Plague of 1629-1631, the Great Plague of London (1665–1666), the Great Plague of Vienna (1679), the Great Plague of Marseilles in 1720–1722 and the 1771 plague in Moscow. There is some controversy over the identity of the disease, but in its virulent form the disease appears to have disappeared from Europe in the 18th century. Bubonic plague survives in other parts of the world (Central and Oriental Africa, Madagascar, Asia, some parts of South America) and was responsible for a pandemic in the early 20th century.[citation neede

You can read the rest of the article, but the short of it is yes, you are correct. The Plague hit Asia/ME as hard as it did Europe.

[Beta]

Originally posted by Eli

BTw, someone wrote an alt history about a plague that only killed europeans, leaving a world dominated by the muslims and Chinese. Years of Rice and Salt, I believe.

Yes. By Kim Stanley Robinson of the RGB Mars fame. A good book, although he could've skipped half of the buddhist religious babble.

My thoughts on the book as well Eli.

btw - hello after a number of years. Trust you are doing well.

[Eli]

Hi Beta, how's life?

It's been years indeed. I remember quitting Vox before starting Uni and now I'm about to finish it.

[Zkribbler]

IIRC, the Black Death first made its appearance in Europe when the Mongols were beseiging a city in Greece and began hurling their own dead over the walls. These guys had died from the Plague.

[_BuRjaCi_]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
IIRC, the Black Death first made its appearance in Europe when the Mongols were beseiging a city in Greece and began hurling their own dead over the walls. These guys had died from the Plague.

If you check my first post you will see I already mentioned that.

[Zkribbler]

You hinted at it.
But you left off the "Greek city" part
and also the "hurling the dead guys over the wall" part, which to me is the funniest incident in the entire Black Plague. --Although the "Ring-Around-the-Rosie" musical version of it is also quite amusing.

[Richelieu]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
IIRC, the Black Death first made its appearance in Europe when the Mongols were beseiging a city in Greece and began hurling their own dead over the walls. These guys had died from the Plague.

The Mongols knew how to party!

[Tingkai]

I had a university prof who said the plague likely originated in the Chinese province of Yunnan where it was picked up by the Mongols when they invaded the area in southern China.

The plague routinely hit Hong Kong before WWII.

In my ex-girlfriend's neighborhood is a metal plaque that proudly states that a 100 years ago, some of the worst plagues in Hong Kong started there. The plaque has done wonders for real estate values.

[Ecthy]

In the deep dark middle ages people would even catapult living prisoners over the walls of besieged cities . Quite demoralizing I presume.