What were the successes and challenges of medieval Asia

There were several great successes of medieval Asia that took the world by surprise. Firstly the printing press was discovered in China and it did change the total outlook of the world. Algebra was also invented during this period in the Middle East by such scholars as Muhammad Al-Khwarizmi. The first novel named "The tale of genii" was written in Japan. Among the challenges faced, black plague was the major challenge that spread like fire in China and Middle East. The challenge of the Mongols were also faced by the people living in this area of Middle East.