text:
1187

Year 1187 (MCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Byzantine Empire

 * Spring – Emperor Isaac II (Angelos) sends a Byzantine expeditionary force under Alexios Branas to suppress the Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion – but Alexios revolts against Isaac and is proclaimed emperor in Andrianople. He musters troops and advances on Constantinople in an attempt to seize it. However, Alexios is unable to bypass the city defenses and is defeated by the imperial forces led by Conrad of Montferrat, the emperor's brother-in-law. On the battlefield, Alexios is beheaded by Conrad's supporting footsoldiers and the rebel army flees the field.
 * Siege of Lovech: Byzantine forces under Isaac II besiege the fortress city of Lovech in north-central Bulgaria. After a three-month siege, Isaac is forced to accept a truce by recognizing the joint-rule of Peter II and Ivan Asen I as emperor's (or tsar) over the territory, leading to the creation of the Second Bulgarian Empire (until 1396).

Levant

 * Spring – The Crusaders under Raynald of Châtillon attack a large Muslim caravan, including members of Saladin's family, journeying from Cairo. Raynald takes the merchants, and their families with all their possessions to his castle of Kerak. Saladin demands the release of the prisoners and compensation for their losses. This is refused by Raynald, who pays no attention to his order.
 * March 13 – Saladin leaves Damascus with his Muslim forces, and sends letters to neighboring countries, asking for volunteers for a forthcoming jihad ("Holy War"). A week later his younger brother Al-Adil, governor of Egypt, leads his forces out of Cairo towards Syria. Meanwhile, Saladin leaves an army under his 18-year-old son Al-Afdal at Busra, to keep watch on the 'Pilgrim road'.
 * April – King Guy of Lusignan summons his vassals and marches north to Nazareth, to reduce Galilee to submission.
 * April 29 – A delegation under Balian of Ibelin is sent to Tiberias, to reconcile with Raymond III, prince of Galilee. After Easter, a second delegation (supported by the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller) is sent to Tripoli, but the situation remains unchanged.
 * May 1 – Battle of Cresson: A Muslim reconnaissance force (some 7,000 men ) under Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri, defeats a small Crusader army near Nazareth. Only Gerard de Ridefort, commander of the Crusaders, and a handful of knights escape death or capture. The Muslims scatter and kill the Christian foot-soldiers (some 400 men) before pillaging the countryside.
 * June 26 – Saladin regroups his Muslim forces and marches towards the Jordan River. His army numbers around 30,000 men and is divided into three columns. The following day Saladin encamps on the Golan Heights, in a marshy area near Lake Tiberias. Raiding parties are sent across the Jordan to ravage Christian territory between Nazareth, Tiberias, and Mount Tabor.
 * June 30 – Saladin sends a contingent to block Tiberias and challenges the Crusaders by moving his main camp closer to Saffuriya – some 10 km west of Lake Tiberias. On July 1, he sends scouts to monitor an alternative road on his northern flank that connects Saffuriya and Tiberias. The following day he attacks Tiberias with a part of his forces, including siege equipment.
 * July 2–3 – Saladin besieges Tiberias. The defenders, and Countess Eschiva II (wife of Raymond III) retreat to the citadel and sends messengers urging Guy of Lusignan to send help. Meanwhile, Guy and Raymond hold a war council to debate what should be done. Persuaded by Gerard de Ridefort and Raynald of Châtillon, Guy orders to march to the rescue of Tiberias.
 * July 4 – Battle of Hattin: Saladin defeats the Crusader army (some 20,000 men) under Guy of Lusignan at the Horns of Hattin. Guy is captured along with many nobles and knights, among them, Raynald of Châtillon. The latter is executed by Saladin himself. The Crusader States have no reserves to defend the castles and fortified settlements against Saladin's forces.
 * July 14 – Conrad of Montferrat, an Italian nobleman, arrives in Tyre which ends the surrender negotiations with Saladin. He finds the remnants of the Crusader army (after the battle of Hattin) and makes the Tyrians swear loyalty to him. Reginald of Sidon and several other nobles give their support, Reginald goes to refortify his own castle of Beaufort on the Litani River.
 * Summer – Saladin begins a campaign that paves the way for further Muslim inroads into Christian territory. Al-Adil invades Palestine with the Egyptian army, and captures the strategic castle of Mirabel (Majdal Yaba). By mid-September, Saladin has captured the cities of Acre, Jaffa, Gaza and Ascalon (blockaded by the Egyptian fleet), along with some 50 Crusader castles.
 * September 20–October 2 – Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem, after the Crusaders led by Balian of Ibelin surrender the 'Holy City'. The take-over of the city is relatively peaceful; Saladin agrees to let the Muslims and Christians leave the city, taking with them their goods. Balian joins his wife Maria Komnene and family, in the County of Tripoli.

Europe

 * Summer – Pillage of Sigtuna: A fleet of Karelians enters Lake Malar and ravages the coast. The marauders burn Sigtuna and kill Archbishop Johannes at Almarestäket in Sweden.
 * Genoa takes Bonifacio (in Corsica) from Pisa. Pope Gregory VIII reconciles the differences between the states so that both may be used to expedite shipments to the Holy Land.

Britain

 * November – Richard of Poitou, son of King Henry II, take the Cross to help capture Jerusalem from the Muslims. He empties his coffers for the mission and makes a deal with King William the Lion of Scotland, giving him full feudal autonomy in return for cash.

Africa

 * Almohad forces under Caliph Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur reconquer the city of Gabès (modern Tunisia) from the Almoravid pretender, Ali Banu Ghaniya.

Asia

 * November 9 – Retired-Emperor Gao Zong dies at the age of 80, having abdicated 58 years ago (see 1129) after a reign in which he reestablished the Southern Song Dynasty (until 1279).

Economy

 * Orio Mastropiero, doge of Venice, secures loans from the Venetian nobility to finance the siege of Zadar. Pledging the income from the Salt Office becomes a staple of the city's finance.

Religion

 * October 20 – Pope Urban III dies after a 2½-year pontificate at Ferrara. He is succeeded by Gregory VIII as the 173rd pope of the Catholic Church.
 * October – Josias, archbishop of Tyre, arrives in Rome and informs the Papal Court of the disaster of the Christian slaughter at Hattin by Saladin.
 * October 29 – Gregory VIII issues the bull Audita tremendi, proposing the Third Crusade and negotiates with Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa).
 * December 17 – Gregory VIII dies after holding the papacy for only 57 days. He is succeeded by Clement III as the 174th pope of Rome.

Births

 * February 23 – Peter I (Pedro), count of Urgell (d. 1258)
 * March 29 – Arthur I (or Arzhur), duke of Brittany (d. 1203)
 * July 29 – Ibn Abi'l-Dam, Syrian historian and judge (d. 1244)
 * September 5 – Louis VIII (the Lion), French king (d. 1226)
 * Ela of Salisbury, 3rd countess of Salisbury (d. 1261)
 * Gundisalvus of Amarante, Portuguese priest (d. 1259)
 * Hassan III, ruler of the Nizari Ismaili State (d. 1221)
 * Ibn 'Adlan, Ayyubid cryptologist and poet (d. 1268)
 * Koga Michiteru, Japanese nobleman and poet (d. 1248)
 * Liu Kezhuang, Chinese poet and literary critic (d. 1269)
 * Peter I (Mauclerc), duke and regent of Brittany (d. 1250)
 * Vladimir IV (Rurikovich), Kievan Grand Prince (d. 1239)

Deaths

 * February 18 – Gilbert Foliot, bishop of London (b. 1110)
 * March 18 – Bogusław I, duke of Pomerania (b. 1130)
 * May 1 – Roger de Moulins, French Grand Master
 * May 6 – Ruben III (or Roupen), Armenian ruler (b. 1145)
 * July 4 – Raynald of Châtillon, prince of Antioch (b. 1125)
 * October 1 – Yaroslav Osmomysl, Galician prince (b. 1135)
 * October 20 – Urban III, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1120)
 * November 9 – Gao Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1107)
 * November 10 – Guðrøðr Óláfsson, Norse king of Dublin
 * November 30 – Fujiwara no Hidehira, Japanese nobleman
 * December 17 – Gregory VIII, pope of the Catholic Church
 * Abu-l-Hasan Ali ibn Ruburtayr, Catalan mercenary general
 * Alexios Branas, Byzantine nobleman and usurper
 * Clarembald of Arras, French theologian and writer
 * Gerard of Cremona, Italian translator and writer (b. 1114)
 * Guecellone II, Italian nobleman (House of Da Camino)
 * Raymond III, crusader and count of Tripoli (b. 1140)
 * Robert of St. Albans, English nobleman and knight
 * Rodrigo Álvarez, Galician nobleman and crusader

title: 1187


text:
1188

Year 1188 (MCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Europe

 * January 22 – King Ferdinand II dies after returning from a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. He is succeeded by his 16-year-old son Alfonso IX, who becomes ruler of León and Galicia. He convenes representatives of the nobility, clergy and towns at the Basilica of San Isidoro the Cortes of León. These Corteses are considered to be the first parliament in Europe.
 * Spring – King Henry II and Philip II (Augustus) meet at Le Mans, with Archbishop Josias (or Joscius) in attendance. Both kings agree to peace terms, and to contribute to a joint Crusade. It is decided to raise a new tax to pay for the expedition. This tax, known as the Saladin Tithe, is imposed on the people of England and France to raise funds for the Third Crusade.
 * March 27 – Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) holds a Diet at Mainz and takes the Cross, followed by his 21-year-old son, Frederick IV, and other German nobles. He sends a delegation to present an ultimatum to Saladin in Syria on May 26. With demands to withdraw his Muslim forces from Palestina and to return the True Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
 * November – Richard of Poitou, son of Henry II, allies himself with Philip II and pays him homage. He promises to concede his rights to both Normandy and Anjou. Henry is overpowered by Richard's supporters, who chase him from Le Mans to Angers. They force him to accept peace by conceding to all demands, including the recognition of Richard as his successor.
 * The Cutting of the Elm: A meeting of Henry II and Philip II in the field at Gisors, in Normandy. It marks the Franco-Norman peace negotiations, following the Fall of Jerusalem (see 1187).

Levant

 * Spring – Siege of Tyre: Muslim forces under Saladin withdraw from Tyre after a 1½-month siege. For the Crusaders, the city-port becomes a strategic rallying point for the Christian revival during the Third Crusade.
 * May 14 – Saladin begins a campaign and marches north but finds Tripoli too strong to be besieged. He decides to take other Crusader fortifications and signs an 8-month truce with Prince Bohemond III of Antioch.
 * May – Saladin besieges the Hospitaller fortress of Krak des Chevaliers, in Syria. Seeing that the castle is too well defended, instead he decides to march on the Castle of Margat, which he also fails to capture.
 * July – Saladin marches through the Buqaia, and occupies Jabala and Lattakieh. From Lattakieh he turns inland and, after a few days of fierce fighting, takes Sahyun Castle (called Castle of Saladin) on July 29.
 * September 4 – King Guy of Lusignan is released by Saladin after Ascalon is forced to surrender. Guy and his wife, Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem, seek refuge in Tyre, which is defended by Conrad of Montferrat.

England

 * Spring – Henry II institutes legal reforms that give the Crown more control over the administration of justice. He orders Newgate Prison be built in London.
 * Archdeacon Giraldus Cambrensis and Archbishop Baldwin of Forde travel through Wales, attempting to recruit men for the Third Crusade.

Births

 * March 4 – Blanche of Castile, queen and regent of France (d. 1252)
 * March 24 – Ferdinand (or Ferrand), count of Flanders (d. 1233)
 * November 26 – Yuri II of Vladimir, Kievan Grand Prince (d. 1238)
 * Albert IV (the Wise), German nobleman and knight (d. 1239)
 * Matilda I, countess of Nevers, Auxerre and Tonnerre (d. 1257)
 * Si Inthrathit, Thai founder of the Sukhothai Kingdom (d. 1270)

Deaths

 * January 22 – Ferdinand II, king of León and Galicia (b. 1137)
 * January 26 – Eysteinn Erlendsson, Norwegian archbishop
 * 1188 – Death of Seljuki Khatun
 * October 11 – Robert I (the Great), count of Dreux (b. 1123)
 * November 4 – Theobald of Ostia, French abbot and bishop
 * November 17 – Usama ibn Munqidh, Arabian poet and knight (b. 1095)
 * December 14 – Berthold I, margrave of Istria and Carniola
 * December 22 – Richard of Ilchester, bishop of Winchester
 * Aoife MacMurrough (or Eva), princess of Leinster (b. 1145)
 * Guigo II, prior of the Grande Chatreuse
 * Hugh the Chaplain, bishop of Cell Rigmonaid (St. Andrews)
 * Roger de Mowbray, English nobleman and knight (b. 1120)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: 1188


text:
1202

Year 1202 (MCCII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Fourth Crusade

 * April – May – The bulk of the Crusader army gathers at Venice, although with far smaller numbers than expected: about 12,000 men (4–5,000 knights and 8,000 soldiers) instead of 33,500 men. Several contingents decide to make their own way to the Holy Land by different routes. A Crusader fleet, sailing from Flanders, carrying supplies for the Counts Baldwin IX and his brother Henry of Flanders, winters in Marseilles, but is slowed by adverse weather. Later it sails on to the Middle East, along with other contingents from southern France.
 * Summer – The Crusader army, encamped on the island of San Niccolo di Lido, between the Venetian Lagoon and the Adriatic Sea, is threatened by Doge Enrico Dandolo to keep them interned, unless full payment is made as agreed (see 1201). As the Crusaders wait on the Lido for men to arrive, they also use up food supplies that Venice has agreed to supply. Dandolo faces a financial catastrophe, who has halted its commerce for a year's time, to prepare the expedition. The Crusader lords can offer Dandolo only 51,000 silver marks.
 * September 8 – Enrico Dandolo takes the cross and agrees to lead a Venetian force, which, in an outburst of Crusading enthusiasm, reaches some 21,000 men – the largest contingent of the Fourth Crusade. He proclaims the debts will be wiped, if the Crusaders take the 'rebel' Dalmatian city of Zadar, who has pledged its loyalty to Emeric, king of Hungary and Croatia. The Zadar proposal causes disquiet in the Crusader ranks – but it also upset Pope Innocent III who threatens to excommunicate those who attack Zadar.
 * September – Prince Alexios Angelos sends representatives from Verona to the Crusader leaders in Venice, he promises to submit the Greek Orthodox Church to papal obedience and to provide the Crusade with 200,000 silver marks, together with provisions for a year. Alexios also will contribute 10,000 mounted soldiers to the expedition. In return he wants the Crusade to overthrow his uncle, the Byzantine emperor Alexios III (Angelos).
 * November 10–24 – Siege of Zadar: The Crusaders under Boniface of Montferrat besiege and conquer Zadar in Dalmatia. Despite letters from Innocent III forbidding such an action, and threatening excommunication. The leading citizens of Zadar hang banners of crosses along the outer walls, professing their Catholic faith. Nevertheless, the Crusaders breach and sack the city, killing many.
 * Winter – Innocent III excommunicates the Crusader army, along with the Venetians, who winter at Zadar. Many Crusaders, including some senior men, either abandon the Fourth Crusade or make their own way to the Holy Land. However, the majority remain in Zadar, where the army receives some welcomed reinforcements. During the winter, negotiations continue with Alexios Angelos.

Europe

 * Spring – King Philip II (Augustus) summons King John (Lackland) to Paris to answer his charges against the Lusignans. On April 28, failing to attend Philip's court, John is declared to be a 'rebel' and to have forfeited the areas of Aquitaine, Poitou and Anjou. Philip tries to mediate the political problems between John and the Lusignans (who are charged with treason) but this is ignored by John. The lands are given to Arthur of Brittany. Philip supports Arthur's claim to the English throne and betrothes his 4-year-old daughter Marie.
 * August 1 – Battle of Mirebeau: Arthur of Brittany, supported by the Lusignans, lays siege to Mirebeau Castle trapping Eleanor of Aquitaine inside. John launches a rescue mission to free his mother, and with a mercenary army defeats the Breton-Lusignan forces. Arthur is captured by William de Braose and is handed over to John who imprisons him in the Château de Falaise in Normandy. Many other important knights are captured and shipped to England (where John treats them badly and keeps them as prisoners in dungeons).
 * July 27 – Battle of Basian: Seljuk forces (some 150,000 men) under Suleiman II of Rûm advance toward the Georgian border and are met by a 65,000-strong army led by King David Soslan, husband of Queen Tamar of Georgia at Basian. The Georgians assail the enemy's camp and in a pitched battle, the Seljuk forces are overwhelmed and defeated. The loss of the sultan's banner (while Suleiman himself is wounded), results in panic within the Seljuk ranks. The victory at Basian secures the Georgian preeminence in the region.
 * The Livonian Brothers of the Sword is founded by Bishop Albert of Riga, this to support the Livonian Crusade against the inhabitants in Medieval Livonia.
 * Danish forces make a Crusade to Finland, which is led by Anders Sunesen, archbishop of Lund, and his brother.
 * The Almohad fleet expels the Banu Ghaniya from the Balearic Islands.

Middle East

 * May 20 – An earthquake shakes the Levant from Egypt to northern Iraq, causing severe damage in Palestine, Lebanon and western Syria, including the fortifications of the Crusader cities of Acre, Jaffa and Tyre.

Religion

 * Spring – Pope Innocent III reasserts his right to evaluate and crown the Holy Roman Emperor, in a letter to Berthold V, duke of Zähringen.
 * Rueda Abbey is founded by Cistercians at Sástago, in the Kingdom of Aragon (modern Spain).

Births

 * Alfonso of Molina, prince of León and Castile (d. 1272)
 * Boniface II (the Giant), king of Thessalonica (d. 1253)
 * Enni, Japanese Buddhist monk and teacher (d. 1280)
 * Kunigunde of Hohenstaufen, queen of Bohemia (d. 1248)
 * Margaret of Constantinople, countess of Flanders (d. 1280)
 * Matilda II of Boulogne, queen consort of Portugal (d. 1259)
 * Mōri Suemitsu, Japanese nobleman and samurai (d. 1247)
 * Qin Jiushao, Chinese mathematician and writer (d. 1261)
 * Shi Tianze, Chinese general and prime minister (d. 1275)

Deaths

 * January 9 – Birger Brosa, Swedish nobleman and knight
 * January 12 – Fujiwara no Tashi, Japanese empress (b. 1140)
 * March 9 – Sverre Sigurdsson (or Sverrir), king of Norway
 * March 13 – Mieszko III (the Old), duke of Poland (b. 1126)
 * March 30 – Joachim of Fiore, Italian theologian (b. 1135)
 * April 5 – Geoffrey III (or IV), French nobleman and knight
 * May 7 – Hamelin de Warenne, Norman nobleman (b. 1130)
 * May 10 – Mu'adzam Shah of Kedah, Malaysian sultan
 * June 16 – Aymer (or Adhemar), count of Angoulême
 * August 8 – Simon I, German nobleman and knight
 * August 10 – Ulrich II, German nobleman and knight
 * November 12 – Canute VI, king of Denmark (b. 1163)
 * December 3 – Conrad of Querfurt, German bishop
 * Alain de Lille, French theologian and writer (b. 1128)
 * Albert of Chiatina, Italian archpriest and saint (b. 1135)
 * André de Chauvigny (or Andrew), French knight (b. 1150)
 * Bernard of Fézensaguet, French nobleman (b. 1155)
 * Blondel de Nesle (or Jean I), French trouvère (b. 1155)
 * Eugenius of Palermo, Italian admiral and poet (b. 1130)
 * Geoffroy de Donjon, French Grand Master and knight
 * Hammad al-Harrani, Ayyubid scholar, poet and traveler
 * Jakuren, Japanese Buddhist priest and poet (b. 1139)
 * Kojijū, Japanese noblewoman and waka poet (b. 1121)
 * Minamoto no Yoshishige, Japanese samurai (b. 1135)
 * Roger de Beaumont, English chancellor and bishop
 * William of the White Hands, French cardinal (b. 1135)

title: 1202


text:
1209

Year 1209 (MCCIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Europe

 * May – The First Parliament of Ravennika, convened by Emperor Henry of Flanders, is held in the town of Ravennika in Greece, in an attempt to resolve the rebellion of the Lombard nobles of the Kingdom of Thessalonica. Henry pardons Lord Amédée Pofey (or Buffois), and reinvests with his fief, while the other nobles persist in their rebellion, and keep to their castles. After receiving imperial recognition, Geoffrey I of Villehardouin becomes Henry's vassal, thereby subordinating Achaea directly to Constantinople.
 * June – Treaty of Sapienza: The Republic of Venice recognizes the possession of the Peloponnese by Geoffrey I of Villehardouin – and keeps only the fortresses of Modon and Coron. Venice also acquires an exemption of her merchants from all tariffs, and the right to establish "a church, a market and a court" in every city of Achaea.
 * July 22 – Massacre at Béziers: The Crusader army, led by Simon de Monfort, arrives in the Languedoc area, and makes camp at Béziers, to start a siege. The citizens, believing that their city walls are impregnable, harass the Crusaders, by sending a group of soldiers (supported by armed civilians) to launch a sortie against the enemy camp. When they are forced to retreat, the Crusaders storm the walls (which are not properly manned), and enter the gate, sacking and killing some 20,000 Cathars and Catholics alike.

 * August 15 – Simon de Montfort takes Carcassonne, after negotiating the city's surrender with Raymond Roger (or Raimond), viscount of Béziers and Albi. He is imprisoned and dies in mysterious circumstances 3 months later in his own dungeon. The Cathars are allowed to leave and expelled with nothing more than their clothes.

Britain

 * November – Against the backdrop of a continuing Papal interdict, King John (Lackland) is ex-communicated by Pope Innocent III. Despite the ex-communication, John will continue to make amends to the Church – including giving alms to the poor whenever he defiles a holy day by hunting during it. He feeds 100 paupers to make up for when he "went into the woods on the feast of St. Mary Magdalen", and three years from now, he will feast 450 paupers "because the king went to take cranes, and he took nine, for each of which he feasted fifty paupers."
 * Black Monday, Dublin: A group of 500 recently arrived settlers from Bristol are massacred by warriors of the Irish O'Byrne clan. The group (accompanied by women and children) leaves the safety of the walled city of Dublin to celebrate Easter Monday near a wood at Ranelagh, and are attacked without warning. Although a relatively obscure event in history, it is commemorated by a mustering of the Mayor, Sheriffs, and soldiers on the day, as a challenge to the native tribes for centuries afterwards.
 * London Bridge is completed by a stone-arched structure. On the bridge are houses built; this is for paying the maintenance, though it has to be supplemented by other rents and by tolls.

Asia

 * Spring – The Mongols led by Genghis Khan begin their first invasion against the Western Xia state (or Xi Xia). They push up along the Yellow River, capturing several garrisons and defeating an imperial army. The Mongols besiege the capital Zhongxing – which holds a well-fortified garrison of some 70,000 men (hastily reinforced with another 50,000). Genghis lacks the proper equipment and experience to take the city. In October, an attempt to flood the city by diverting the Yellow River is disastrous and floods the Mongol camp, forcing the Mongols to withdraw.
 * Tamar the Great, queen of Georgia, raids Eastern Anatolia and seizes Kars. She leads a liberational war in southern Armenia.

Education

 * In England an exodus of scholars from Oxford leads to the foundation of Cambridge University (approximate date).

Markets

 * King Philip II (Augustus) grants a "conduit" to merchants, going to the Champagne fairs (a trade fair organized in different towns of the County of Champagne), guaranteeing the safety of their travel – as any attempt made against them – is now to be considered a crime of lèse-majesté (an offense against the king). The decision increases again the appeal of the fairs, to merchants from Italy and the Low Countries.
 * In Tuscany the banking firm known as the Gran Tavola (Great Table) is formed; most of the partners are members of the Bonsignori family.

Religion

 * February 24 – The Franciscan Order is founded by the Italian priest Francis of Assisi. He and 11 of his followers journey to Rome where he receives approval of his rule from Pope Innocent III. Franciscan friars can not own any possessions of any kind. They wander and preach among the people, helping the poor and the sick. They support themselves by working and by begging for food, but they are forbidden to accept money either for work or as alms. The Franciscans work at first in Umbria and then in the rest of Italy. The impact of these street preachers and especially of their founder is immense, so that within 10 years they number some 5,000 followers.
 * October 21 – Innocent III crowns Otto IV as emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in St. Peter's Basilica at Rome.

Births

 * January 5 – Richard of Cornwall, English nobleman (d. 1272)
 * January 11 – Möngke Khan, Mongol emperor (khagan) (d. 1259)
 * June 25 – Fujiwara no Shunshi, Japanese empress (d. 1233)
 * September 8 – Sancho II (the Pious), king of Portugal (d. 1248)
 * December 7 – Vasilko Konstantinovich, Kievan prince (d. 1238)
 * Bettisia Gozzadini, Italian female scholar and jurist (d. 1261)
 * Choe Hang, Korean general and dictator (d. 1257)
 * Gilbert of Preston, English Chief Justice (d. 1274)
 * Haji Bektash Veli, Persian philosopher (d. 1271)
 * Kuniko (or Hoshi), Japanese empress (d. 1283)
 * Roger Bigod, English nobleman and knight (d. 1270)
 * Shang Ting, Chinese calligrapher and poet (d. 1288)
 * Valdemar III (the Young), king of Denmark (d. 1231)
 * Walter Marshal, English nobleman and knight (d. 1245)
 * Xu Heng, Chinese official and philosopher (d. 1281)

Deaths

 * January 10 – William of Donjeon, French archbishop (b. 1140)
 * January 13 – Matilda of Saxony, German noblewoman (b. 1172)
 * March 7 – Otto VIII, count palatine of Bavaria (approximate date)
 * April 2 – Elisabeth of Greater Poland, Polish princess (b. 1152)
 * May 16 – Ji Gong (or Daoji), Chinese Buddhist monk (b. 1130)
 * September 12 – Fujiwara no Kinshi, Japanese empress (b. 1134)
 * November 10 – Raymond Roger, French nobleman (b. 1185)
 * November 12 – Phillipe de Plessis, French Grand Master (b. 1165)
 * Albrecht von Johansdorf, German minnesänger (approximate date)
 * Alfonso II (Berenguer), Spanish nobleman and knight (b. 1180)
 * Arnold of Altena, German nobleman and knight (b. 1166)
 * Berenguier de Palazol (or Palou), Spanish troubadour
 * Gaucelm Faidit, French troubadour (approximate date)
 * John of Hexham, English monk and chronicler (b. 1160)
 * Lu You, Chinese historian, poet and writer (b. 1125)
 * Margaret of Sweden, queen consort of Norway (b. 1155)
 * Nizami Ganjavi, Persian mystic poet and writer (b. 1141)
 * Petrus Riga, French priest and poet (approximate date)
 * Rigord, French monk and chronicler (approximate date)
 * Ruzbihan Baqli, Persian Sufi master and poet (b. 1128)
 * Walter Map, English diplomat and historian (b. 1140)

title: 1209


text:
1215

Year 1215 (MCCXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Europe

 * January 8 – Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester, is elected lord of Languedoc in a council at Montpellier (Southern France), after his campaign against the Cathar heretics during the Albigensian Crusade. The Crusaders capture Château de Castelnaud-la-Chapelle and enter Toulouse; the town pays an indemnity of 30,000 marks and is gifted to Montfort.
 * March 4 – King John of England ("Lackland"), hoping to gain the support of Pope Innocent III against the Barons, takes the oath to go on Crusade. By doing so, Innocent declares John to be his vassal and claims ownership of the whole kingdom (with political protection under church law). On April 1, Innocent sends a letter to the Barons, asking them to halt their actions against John.
 * May 5 – Robert Fitzwalter is elected by the Barons as their general, with the title of "Marshal of the Army of God and Holy Church". He solemnly renounces his homage to John of England and begins to siege Northampton Castle. While this fails, Robert consolidates his forces. He turns to Prince Louis of France, son and heir apparent of King Philip II for support.
 * May 17 – The gates to London are opened by supporters of the rebellious Barons. The houses of Jews are targeted for ransacking and burning. The rebels, under Robert Fitzwalter, call for the English nobles still on the side of King John to join them, and repair the walls. The Tower of London, held by John's supporters, is too well defended to fall into the hands of the rebels.
 * June 15 – A large number of barons, led by Stephen Langton, archbishop of Canterbury, meet King John of England on an island in the Thames at Runnymede. They force John to sign Magna Carta, a document that grants liberties to the "free men" – the Barons, the church and the towns. He is subjected to the rule of law, by confirming the status of trial by jury, on June 19.
 * Summer – Emperor Otto IV is excommunicated and forced to abdicate as ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. The German nobles, supported by Innocent III, again elect the 20-year-old Frederick II as King of the Romans who is crowned in Aachen, on July 25. The same day, Frederick takes the Cross and promises to go on Crusade.
 * August – King John of England rejects Magna Carta and writes to Innocent III – asking him to cancel the charter on grounds that he signed it against his will. At the same time, John continues to build up his mercenary army.
 * August 24 – Pope Innocent III annuls Magna Carta, freeing King John from its limitations. He annuls the charter on the grounds that John signed it because he is forced and that the document is illegal.
 * November 11–30 – The Fourth Council of the Lateran (or "Great Council") convened by Innocent III ends at Rome and approves the papal proposal for a Fifth Crusade in Palestine. The Pope promulgates a canon against clerical participation in trial by ordeal, replacing it by compurgation.
 * September 13 – King John of England seeks help from Innocent III in his fight against the Barons. In a letter, written while staying at Dover Castle, he states that the defense of England is the responsibility of God and the Pope.
 * October – The Barons offer the English crown to Louis of France and invite him to England. King John England confiscates the Barons' land and besieges Rochester Castle; the garrison is starved out and surrenders to him.
 * December – First Barons' War: King John of England campaigns successfully in the Midlands and captures Nottingham Castle, on December 24. King Alexander II of Scotland joins the Barons and invades Northern England.

Asia

 * June 1 – Mongol conquest of Jin China: After the long Battle of Zhongdu, the Mongol forces capture Zhongdu (modern-day Beijing). Meanwhile, Genghis Khan has decamped to the edge of the grasslands and is on his way back to the Kherlen River. Without his restraining influence, the Mongols run wild. They devastate and ransack the city, killing thousands. The royal palace goes up in flames, and a part of the capital burns for a month.
 * King Kalinga Magha, from Kalinga Province in India, lands in Sri Lanka with a force of 24,000 men, to capture the city of Polonnaruwa and depose its king, Parakrama Pandya.

Art and Science

 * 1215–1216 – The Macy Jug, from Iran, is made. It is now kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Births

 * September 23 – Kublai Khan, Mongol emperor (d. 1294)
 * Agnes of Merania, German noblewoman (d. 1263)
 * Beatrice d'Este, queen consort of Hungary (d. 1245)
 * Catherine Sunesdotter, queen of Sweden (d. 1252)
 * Celestine V, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1296)
 * David VII (or David Ulugh), king of Georgia (d. 1270)
 * Eleanor of England, countess of Leicester (d. 1275)
 * Henry II, prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben (d. 1266)
 * Henry III, Margrave of Meissen ("the Illustrious"), German nobleman (d. 1288)
 * Ibn Kammuna, Arab Jewish philosopher (d. 1284)
 * John I, French nobleman and knight (d. 1249)
 * John XXI, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1277)
 * John of Ibelin, count of Jaffa and Ascalon (d. 1266)
 * Maria of Antioch-Armenia, lady of Toron (d. 1257)
 * Mécia Lopes de Haro, queen of Portugal (d. 1270)
 * Otto III, Margrave of Brandenburg ("the Pious"), German nobleman (d. 1267)
 * Robert Kilwardby, archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1279)
 * Roger de Leybourne, English landowner (d. 1271)

Deaths

 * February 3 (or February 4) – Eustace, bishop of Ely
 * February 6 – Hōjō Tokimasa, Japanese nobleman (b. 1138)
 * June 9 – Manegold of Berg, German abbot and bishop
 * August 1 – Eisai, Japanese Buddhist priest (b. 1141)
 * September 1 – Otto I, bishop of Utrecht (b. 1194)
 * November 5 – Philip de Valognes, Norman nobleman
 * November 17 – Giles de Braose, bishop of Hereford
 * December 21 – Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Walid, Arab theologian
 * Ali ibn Abi Bakr al-Harawi, Persian traveller and explorer
 * Bertran de Born, French nobleman, poet and troubadour
 * Esclarmonde of Foix, French noblewoman and Cathar
 * Giraut de Bornelh (or de Borneil), French troubadour
 * Jacopino della Scala, Italian merchant and politician
 * Manfred II (del Vasto), marquis of Saluzzo (b. 1140)
 * Sicard of Cremona, Italian bishop and writer (b. 1155)
 * Theodore Apsevdis, Byzantine painter (b. 1150)

title: 1215


text:
1180s

The 1180s was a decade of the Julian Calendar which began on January 1, 1180, and ended on December 31, 1189.

title: 1180s


text:
1190s

The 1190s was a decade of the Julian Calendar which began on January 1, 1190, and ended on December 31, 1199.

title: 1190s


text:
1110s

The 1110s was a decade of the Julian Calendar which began on January 1, 1110, and ended on December 31, 1119.

Significant people

 * Pope Paschal II
 * Al-Mustazhir caliph of Baghdad
 * Muhammad Tapar Seljuk sultan

title: 1110s


text:
1297

Year 1297 (MCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Europe

 * January 8 – Guelph forces led by the Genoese leader François Grimaldi (il Malizia) storm and capture the Rock of Monaco. François disguised as a Franciscan friar gains entry to the city and opens the gates for his soldiers. He seizes the castle with his stepson Rainier I, an event that is commemorated on the coat of arms of Monaco. Rainier becomes the first sovereign ruler of the House of Grimaldi in Monaco; he rules initially until 1301, but the family will be ruling there into the 21st century.
 * Treaty of Alcañices: Kings Denis of Portugal ("the Poet King") and 11-year-old Ferdinand IV of Castile ("the Summoned") (under the guidance of his mother, Queen-Regent Maria de Molina) sign a treaty between Portugal and Castile, which establishes an alliance of friendship and mutual defense, leading to a peace of 40 years between the two kingdoms.
 * August 20 – Battle of Furnes: French forces under Robert II defeat the Flemings at Veurne. During the battle, Robert's son Philip of Artois is gravely wounded and dies a year later of his wounds.

British Isles

 * April 14 – King Edward I of England makes an appeal outside Westminster Hall for support for the war against France. He apologizes for the high tax demands he has previously levied. Edward asks the Barons (some 1,500 knights) to swear allegiance to his 12-year-old son, Prince Edward of Caernarfon. Aware of the dangers of the opposition to his power, Edward appears before a large crowd and receives total loyalty.
 * May – William Wallace, Scottish rebel leader, leads an uprising against the English at Lanark and kills Sheriff William Hesselrig. He joins with William Douglas the Hardy, the first Scottish nobleman in rebellion – combining forces at Sanquhar, Durisdeer and Scone Abbey (known as the Raid on Scone) in June. Later, Wallace captures the English treasury at Scone to finance the rebellion against Edward I of England.
 * Summer – Edward I of England orders a punitive expedition against the rebellious Scots. At Roxburgh, an army of some 9,000 men (including 2,000 cavalry) led by John de Warenne is assembled. Meanwhile, William Wallace leaves the forest of Selkirk with reinforcements and turns his attention north of the River Forth.
 * July – In Scotland, a group of nobles forms a confederacy (organized by Robert Wishart, bishop of Glasgow), but are defeated by English troops at Irvine. An agreement of submission to Edward I of England is signed by the future Scottish king Robert the Bruce and other Scottish leaders.
 * August 22 – Edward I of England leads an expedition to Flanders. He moves with an army (some 8,000 men) supported by 800 knights to Ghent and makes the city his base of operations in Flanders.
 * September 11 – Battle of Stirling Bridge: Scottish forces (some 6,000 men) led by Andrew Moray and William Wallace defeat an English army under John de Warenne at Stirling on the Forth.
 * October–November – Scottish forces led by William Wallace begin raids in Northumberland and Cumberland. During a ceremony at Selkirk, Wallace is knighted and appointed Guardian of Scotland. (Contradicts First Scottish War of Independence that cites William Wallace as having been made a knight and Guardian of Scotland in March, 1298)
 * Winter – Edward I of England accepts a truce proposed by King Philip IV of France ("the Fair") and leaves Flanders. He returns to London and prepares a campaign against William Wallace in Scotland.

Religion

 * May 3 – Stefano Colonna, Italian chief magistrate and papal official, captures the treasure of the tomb of Caecilia Metella near Rome, which is sent by the rival Caetani family to Pope Boniface VIII.
 * July 11 – King Louis IX of France (died 1270) is canonized by Boniface VIII. Louis a devout Christian of the Catholic Church, banned during his reign prostitution, gambling, blasphemy and judicial duels.
 * Boniface VIII attempts to end the rivalry between Genoa and Pisa over the Tyrrhenian islands of Sardinia and Corsica, naming King James II of Aragon ("the Just") as regent of the islands.
 * A Portuguese Water Dog is first described in a monk's report of a drowning sailor, who has been pulled from the sea by a dog.

Births

 * March 25
 * Andronikos III Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1341)
 * Arnošt of Pardubice, Czech archbishop and advisor (d. 1364)
 * July 8 – Tarabya I of Sagaing, Burmese ruler (Myinsaing Kingdom) (d. 1339)
 * August 14 – Hanazono, Japanese emperor and poet (d. 1348)
 * Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Othman, Marinid ruler of Morocco (d. 1351)
 * Bernardo Canaccio, Italian nobleman, poet and writer (d. 1360)
 * Charles II, Count of Alençon ("Magnanimous"), French nobleman and knight (d. 1346)
 * Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, German nobleman and prince (House of Welf) (d. 1361)
 * Ingeborg Eriksdottir, Norwegian princess and co-regent (d. 1357)
 * Isabella of Sabran, Spanish noblewoman and princess (d. 1315)
 * Kęstutis, Grand Duke of Lithuania (House of Gediminids) (d. 1382)
 * Mary de Monthermer (or MacDuff), English noblewoman (d. 1371)
 * Thomas Wake, 2nd Baron Wake of Liddell, English nobleman, governor and knight (d. 1349)
 * Yanagiwara Sukeakira, Japanese nobleman (kugyō) (d. 1353)

Deaths

 * January 23 – Florent of Hainaut, Latin prince of Achaea (b. 1255)
 * February 22 – Margaret of Cortona, Italian nun and saint (b. 1247)
 * April 7 – Siegfried II of Westerburg, German nobleman and archbishop (b. 1258)
 * May 21 – Judith of Habsburg, Bohemian queen consort (b. 1271)
 * June 11 – Jeguk (Jangmok), Korean princess and queen consort (b. 1259)
 * June 27 – Bérard de Got, French cardinal, bishop and diplomat
 * August 13 – Gertrude of Aldenberg, German noblewoman (b. 1227)
 * August 14 – Frederick III, Burgrave of Nuremberg, German nobleman and knight (b. 1220)
 * August 16 – John II, Byzantine emperor of Trebizond (b. 1262)
 * August 18 – Simon de Beaulieu, French nobleman and bishop
 * August 19 – Louis of Toulouse, Neapolitan archbishop (b. 1274)
 * August 20 – William Fraser, Scottish monk, chancellor and bishop
 * September 11 – Hugh de Cressingham, English advisor and knight
 * November 21 – Roger de Mowbray, English nobleman (b. 1254)
 * December 28 – Hugh Aycelin, French priest and cardinal (b. 1230)
 * Andrew Moray (or de Moray), Scottish nobleman and rebel leader
 * Hesso, Margrave of Baden-Baden, German nobleman, co-ruler and knight (b. 1268)
 * Louis of Brienne, French nobleman and knight (County of Brienne)
 * Muktabai (or Mukta), Indian religious leader and mystic (b. 1279)
 * Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas, Latin ruler (despot) of Epirus
 * Radulphus de Canaberiis, French nobleman, teacher and canon
 * Richard FitzJohn, English nobleman, judge, constable and knight
 * Roger de Montalt, Norman nobleman and rebel leader (b. 1265)

title: 1297


text:
1220

Year 1220 (MCCXX) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Fifth Crusade

 * July – The Crusaders, led by the Knights Hospitaller, raid Burlus, located in the Nile Delta in Egypt. The town is pillaged, but the knights are ambushed on their return, and several Hospitallers, including Grand Master Guérin de Montaigu, are captured. Meanwhile, Sultan Al-Kamil sends an Egyptian squadron down the Rosetta branch of the Nile. It sails to Cyprus, where it finds a Crusader fleet lying off Limassol. During the attack, they sink and capture all the ships, taking many thousands of prisoners.
 * Summer – The Crusader army is trapped by a Nile flood at Damietta. Cardinal Pelagius sends a Venetian squadron to intercept the Egyptian fleet, and attacks the harbours of Rosetta and Alexandria, but to no effect. Lack of money prevents Pelagius from building a sufficient number of ships, and the papal treasury can not spare him anymore. In September more of the Crusaders return home.

Mongol Empire

 * Spring – The Mongol army (some 100,000 men) led by Genghis Khan crosses the Kyzylkum Desert – a freezing sand-and-tussock wilderness of some 450 kilometers – towards Bukhara. Meanwhile, Muhammad II, ruler of the Khwarazmian Empire, prepares a strong defense around his capital Samarkand. In February, Genghis approaches Bukhara, which is defended by a garrison of some 20,000 men, and begins the Siege of Bukhara. The city leaders open the gates to the Mongols, but Turkish forces who defend the city's citadel hold out for another twelve days. In a speech at the city's Friday Mosque, Genghis declares "I am the punishment of God."
 * March – Mongol forces led by Genghis Khan besiege Samarkand, the city is defended by some 40,000 men, including a brigade of 20 war elephants. On the third day, the garrison launches a counter-attack, the defenders sent out their elephants, which panic, turn and trample their own men before escaping onto the open plain. Muhammad II attempts to relieve Samarkand twice but is driven back. After a week, the remainder of the garrison surrenders. The city's inhabitants, numbering some 100,000 are enslaved or slaughtered.
 * Summer – Muhammad II flees westwards across northern Iran, hoping to find safety in the rugged and isolated region of Mazandaran on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. He is pursued by 20,000 Mongol forces led by Subutai and Jebe (the Arrow). Abandoned by the remnants of his panic-stricken troops, Muhammad seeks shelter on a small island near Astara. There he dies of pleurisy some weeks later. He is succeeded by his son Jalal al-Din Mangburni, who is forced to flee to India after the Mongol invasion (see 1219).
 * Autumn – Genghis Khan moves against the wealthy city of Urgench. He is joined by his eldest son Jochi, now conqueror of half a dozen lesser towns who attacks it from the north. Despite a stout defense, the city is taken after a 5-months siege. The Mongols have to fight for Urgench street by street, razing many houses. Jochi is given the right to loot the city for himself, but prefers to negotiate with the locals to avoid property damage. This is refused by Genghis, who removes Jochi from command and appoints Ögedei instead.
 * November – Genghis Khan dispatches his youngest son Tolui, at the head of an army (around 50,000 men), into the Khwarazmian province of Khorasan. His forces also include 300 catapults, 700 mangonels to discharge pots filled with naphtha, 4,000 storming-ladders, and 2,500 sacks of earth for filling up moats. Among the first cities to fall is Termez (captured after a two-day siege) and later Balkh.

United Kingdom

 * Spring – King Henry III makes large alterations to the Tower of London including new curtain walls, an improved water-filled ditch, and a water gate, so that he can enter the castle directly from the Thames.
 * May 17 – The 12-year-old Henry III is crowned at Westminster Abbey. He is reminded of his duties as king to maintain peace, defend the rights of the English crown, and the barons swear an oath of fealty.
 * Llywelyn the Great, Welsh prince of Gwynedd, begins raiding Pembrokeshire to retake land that he accuses William Marshal (the Younger) of stealing. This also includes Wiston Castle.

Europe

 * April 26 – King Frederick II confirms rights of independence to the German bishops (the Confoederatio cum principibus ecclesiasticis) in an attempt to secure the election of his 9-year-old son, Henry VII as King of Germany.
 * August 8 – Battle of Lihula: Estonian forces encircle the Lihula stronghold, occupied by an invading Swedish Crusader army. The Swedish troops along with Karl the Deaf try to make their way out, but they are killed.
 * November 22 – Frederick II is crowned Holy Roman Emperor at Rome by Pope Honorius III. He makes Sicily an absolute monarchy and adopts Palermo as its principal seat.
 * Dordrecht is granted city rights by William I, Count of Holland, making it the oldest city in present-day Netherlands.
 * Polish forces under Konrad I drive out the heathen Prussians, from the Masovian territory of Chełmno Land.

Levant

 * Summer – Raymond-Roupen, prince of Antioch, invades Armenian Cilicia, together with his mother, Alice, and establishes himself at Tarsus. There he waits for help from the Knights Hospitaller. Constantine of Baberon, a powerful Armenian nobleman and regent for Queen Isabella, marches with his forces to the Tarsus stronghold.

Religion

 * Gothic architecture becomes increasingly popular in Europe:
 * The rebuilding of Cathedral of Chartres, which had been destroyed by a fire in 1194, is completed.
 * Early part of Toulouse Cathedral is completed.
 * The rebuilding of Amiens Cathedral begins.
 * The rebuilding of Oxford Cathedral begins.
 * The building of Salisbury Cathedral begins.
 * The rebuilding of York Minster begins.

Education

 * In France the medical school of the University of Montpellier is granted its first statutes by the German cardinal-bishop Conrad of Urach.

Births

 * March 7 – Giacomo Bianconi, Italian priest (d. 1301)
 * April 1 – Go-Saga, Japanese emperor (d. 1272)
 * April 16 – Ambrose of Sienna, Italian missionary (d. 1286)
 * November 11 – Alphonse II, count of Poitiers (d. 1271)
 * Adolf VII, German nobleman and knight (d. 1259)
 * Bertold of Regensburg, German preacher (d. 1272)
 * Bonagiunta Orbicciani, Italian judge and poet (d. 1290)
 * Brunetto Latini, Italian notary and philosopher (d. 1294)
 * Campanus of Novara, Italian astronomer (d. 1296)
 * Elisenda de Sant Climent, Catalan slave (d. 1275)
 * Frederick III, burgrave of Nuremberg (d. 1297)
 * Gerard of Abbeville, French theologian (d. 1272)
 * Guido Guerra V, Italian knight and politician (d. 1272)
 * Hillel ben Samuel, Italian philosopher (d. 1295)
 * Hugh III, French nobleman and knight (d. 1266)
 * James Audley, English chief governor (d. 1272)
 * Joan, French noblewoman and co-ruler (d. 1271)
 * Joan of Dammartin, French noblewoman (d. 1279)
 * Margaret of Bar, countess of Luxembourg (d. 1275)
 * Mieszko II (the Fat), duke of Kalisz-Wieluń (d. 1246)
 * Mohammad Rohani, Afghan religious leader (d. 1305)
 * Robert de Vere, English nobleman and knight (d. 1296)
 * Roger Bacon, English philosopher and writer (d. 1292)
 * Tanhum of Jerusalem, Israeli lexicographer (d. 1291)
 * Walram II, German nobleman and knight (d. 1276)
 * Walter Branscombe, bishop of Exeter (d. 1280)

Deaths

 * January 23 – Bogislaw II, duke of Pomerania (b. 1177)
 * February 17 – Theobald I, German nobleman (b. 1191)
 * February 25 – Albert II, margrave of Brandenburg (b. 1177)
 * March 11 – Isabel de Clare, English noblewoman (b. 1172)
 * April 15 – Adolf of Altena, archbishop of Cologne (b. 1157)
 * May 5 – Angelus of Jerusalem, Israeli priest (b.1185)
 * May 8 – Richeza of Denmark, queen of Sweden (b. 1180)
 * June 1 – Henry de Bohun, 1st Earl of Hereford (b. 1176)
 * August 8 – Karl the Deaf, Swedish nobleman
 * November 2 – Radulf II, Scottish monk and abbot
 * November 3
 * Adelaide II, German noblewoman and abbess
 * Urraca of Castile, queen of Portugal (b. 1186)
 * Agnes of France (or Anna), Byzantine empress (b. 1171)
 * Alys of France (or Alice), daughter of Louis VII (b. 1160)
 * Attar of Nishapur, Persian poet and theoretician (b. 1145)
 * Hugues IV de Berzé, French knight and poet (b. 1155)
 * Ibn al-Tuwayr, Egyptian official and historian (b. 1130)
 * Jean de Gisors, Norman nobleman and knight (b. 1133)
 * Michael Choniates, Byzantine cleric and writer (b. 1140)
 * Muhammad II, Khwarezmid viceroy and ruler (b. 1169)
 * Philip of Oldcoates, English nobleman and official
 * Ralph of Saint Omer (or Tiberias), prince of Galilee
 * Robert de Berkeley, English nobleman and knight
 * Robert of Burgate, English landowner and knight
 * Stephanie of Armenia (or Rita), Armenian princess
 * Veera Ballala II, Indian ruler of the Hoysala Empire
 * Zhao Xun, Chinese prince and calligrapher (b. 1192)

title: 1220


text:
1223

Year 1223 (MCCXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

January–March

 * January 4 – Germanus II takes office as Patriarch of Constantinople, leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, after moving the patriarchate's capital 56 mi from Constantinople (now Istanbul) to Nicaea (now Iznik in Turkey), as the guest of John III Doukas Vatatzes, Emperor of Nicaea.
 * January 18
 * Rusudan becomes the new Queen of Georgia after her brother, King George IV, dies of injuries received four months earlier in the Battle of Khunan against the Mongols.
 * After a failed attempt on December 28, the Mongol General Muqali leads a second attack on the Chinese fortress of Fengxiang and fails.
 * January 29 – Battle of Viljandi: During a church service, the Sakalians attack the Germans inside the stronghold of Viljandi Castle. The Estonian forces kill members of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and many merchants.
 * February 2 – Ireland enjoys its first dry day in almost five months, as rains that had started on September 14 halt by the celebration of the Purification of St. Mary, as noted by The Annals of Loch Se.
 * February 6 – Dispatched by Genghis Khan, the Mongol General Muqali makes a third and final attempt to capture Fengxiang, but fails again, ending the Mongol attempts.
 * March 23 – At a meeting in Ferentino at the imperial villa of the Papal States, Pope Honorius III hosts a meeting with the newly-widowed Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor; John I, King of Jerusalem; Patriarch Raoul of Mérencourt; and papal legate Pelagius Galvani to prepare for the Sixth Crusade by European Christians against the Muslims of the Middle East. Frederick agrees to lead the crusade in return for being able to marry John's daughter, Yolande of Brienne.
 * March 25 – Sancho II "the Pious" becomes the new King of Portugal upon the death of his father, King Afonso II "the Fat".

April–June

 * April 13 – Pope Honorius III issues a papal bull relaxing the strict rules that had applied to monks of the Valliscaulian Order.
 * April 14 – On the island of Sri Lanka, King Chodaganga Deva lands at Trincomalee on the Tamil New Year's Day (the 1st of Chittirai of Shaka era year 1145) and makes a large donation to fund the Hindu Koneswaram Temple. The event is commemorated in an inscription in the Sanskrit language in the temple.
 * May 7 – Henry I, Count of Schwerin, kidnaps the King of Denmark, Valdemar II and the king's 14-year-old son, Valdemar the Young, after landing with a group of soldiers on the island of Lyø, where King Valdemar had been hunting. King Valdemar will be held captive for three years until Easter Sunday of 1226, and released after payment of 44,000 silver marks and the surrendering of lands taken 20 years earlier in Holstein.
 * May 15 – The Russian army gathers on the island of Khortytsia, later to become a famous Cossack base, at the mouth of the Dnieper River, next to modern-day Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine). The main Polovtsian forces led by Köten Khan, join the Russians here, which consist entirely of mounted archers. Compared to this, some 20,000–25,000 Mongols assemble and build a defensive encampment on the high ground, probably on the northern slopes of the Mohila Bel'mak hills, located near the Konka River.
 * May 16 – Mstislav Mstislavich leads a small detachment of his own men, and some Polovtsians to the far bank of the Dnieper River – where they attack a part of the Mongol advance guard. The Mongols promptly fleeing into the steppes. Mstislavich pursues them and captures their commander named Gemyabek or Hamabek who seeks refuge behind a wooden fence surrounding a Polovtsian burial site. The captive's fate is sealed when the Polovtsians ask Mstislavich to hand him over – to execute.
 * May 17 – Daniel of Galicia leads a reconnaissance in force east of the Dnieper River, using a bridge of boats. He defeats a Mongol detachment, who abandons their herds and local prisoners. Following these successful sorties, the entire Russian and Polovtsian armies start a 9 day march towards the main Mongol army. Numerous carts move across the steppes, loaded with mail, heavy armour, as well as shields, protected by Russian cavalry. The Mongol forces retreat towards the Kalka River.
 * May 31 – Battle of the Kalka River: The Russian cavalry successfully attacks the Mongol vanguard and crosses the Kalka River in what is now Ukraine. The Polovtsian and Volhynian cavalry led by Daniel of Galicia form the Russian vanguard. Meanwhile, the army of Kiev waits on the western side of the Kalka River. The Russians fail to co-ordinate their attacks, they advance in separate formations and become divided by the Kalka River. In the afternoon, the Russian army collapses under continuous Mongol attacks.
 * June 16 – The Mongol General Subutai withdraws eastward after the victory at the Battle of the Kalka River, after General Jebe has died.

July–September

 * July 14 – Philip Augustus, King of France dies of a fever while traveling to Paris. He is succeeded by his son, who takes the name of Louis "the Lion", who takes the name King Louis VIII.
 * August 6 – The coronation of King Louis VIII of France takes place at the Reims Cathedral.
 * August 10 – The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, whose followers are called the Mercedarians, is legally constituted in Barcelona by King Jaime I of Aragon. It will receive papal approval 12 years later.
 * Pope Honorius III gives his legate to France, Conrad d'Urach, free authority to negotiate a peace with Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, in France.
 * September 29 – King Jaime I of Aragon halts the minting of new coins for the next seven years in order to prevent the devaluation of the kingdom's medium of exchange.

October–December

 * October 8 – At Montgomery in Wales, King Henry III of England reaches a peaceful settlement with Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, the powerful ruler of the semi-independent Principality of Gwynedd, following a mediation by Ranulf de Blondeville, the Earl of Chester.
 * October 20 – Otto I, Duke of Merania, issues five charters for lavish donations to religious communities.
 * November 1 – King Louis VIII of France issues an ordinance prohibiting the kingdom's officials from registering debts owed to Jewish moneylenders, and limiting the lenders to a recovery of the principal amount owed, without interest.
 * November 29 – Pope Honorius III approves the Franciscan Rule (also called "Regula Bullata"). The rule sets regulations for discipline, preaching, and entering the order for Franciscan friars.
 * December 24 – Father Francis of Assisi (Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone), founder of the Order of the Franciscans with in the Roman Catholic Church, begins the tradition of celebrating Christmas with a nativity scene. Having received permission from Pope Honorius III, Francis arranges for a display in a cave near the Italian city of Greccio, with the representation of the events associated with the birth of Jesus Christ as described in the Gospel of Matthew and in the Gospel of Luke, using real people and animals.

Mongol Empire

 * Spring – The Polovtsian army assembles on the Terek River lowlands and are joined by Alan, Circassian, and Don Kipchak/Cuman forces. The Mongol army crosses the Caucasus Mountains, but is trapped in the narrow mountain passes. The Mongol generals Subutai and Jebe (the Arrow) send an embassy to the Polovtsians and convince them to break their alliance with the Caucasian peoples. The Mongol cavalry invades the Caucasus region and devastates the local villages, seizing slaves, cattle and horses.
 * The Mongol army invades Polovtsian territory and defeats the Polovtsians in a great battle near the Don River. Several Polovtsian leaders are killed – while the remainder flees westwards, across the Dnieper River, to seek support by various Russian princes. Steppe lands east of the Dnieper fall under Mongol control, Subutai and Jebe raise the wealthy city of Astrakhan on the Volga River. Subutai now parts his forces, he moves south to the Crimea (or Tauric Peninsula), while Jebe travels towards the Dnieper.
 * Mongol forces capture the nominally Genoese trading outpost of Sudak, probably with the tacit approval of neighbouring rival Venetian outposts in the Crimea. Subutai promises to destroy any non-Venetian colonies in the area. In return, the Venetians provide Subutai with information about the kingdoms in Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, Köten Khan, Cuman/Kipchak chieftain of the Polovtsians, convinces Prince Mstislav Mstislavich of Galicia to form an alliance, and informs him of his plight against the Mongols.
 * February – A council of Russian princes summons at Kiev; several princes are convinced by Köten Khan to assemble an allied army to drive the Mongols back. During the first half of March, Russian princes return to their principalities and begin to raise forces for the forthcoming campaign. The alliance has a combined force of some 60,000 men, mainly cavalry. Subutai unites his army with Jebe, and sends ambassadors to the Kievan Rus' princes, to tell them to stay out of the conflict as it didn't involve them.
 * April – The Russian princes lead their separate armies from different parts of Russia, to assemble 60 kilometres downriver from Kiev. There are three main groups of princes taking part in the campaign; the Kievan army is represented by Grand Prince Mstislav Romanovich (the Old). The second group are the Chernigov and Smolensk armies under Prince Mstislav II. The third group is the Galician-Volhynian army under Mstislav Mstislavich with his son-in-law Daniel of Galicia, leaving from northern Ukraine.
 * The Mongol leaders Subutai and Jebe receive news that Jochi, who camps north of the Caspian Sea, will not be able to provide the expected reinforcements due to Jochi's reported illness or suspected refusal to obey his father Genghis Khan's orders. Subutai sends an embassy to the Russian princes, to offer peace and perhaps attempt to break the Russian alliance with the Polovtsians. But the Mongol ambassadors are executed – a task eagerly carried out by Köten Khan's followers, by the end of April.
 * Late April – The Russian and Polovtsian armies march down the west bank of the Dnieper River. Within a few days of the march beginning, a second group of Mongol ambassadors appear in the Russian camp and again offer peace. When their offers are rebuffed, the ambassadors are allowed to leave unharmed. Meanwhile, Russian forces from Galicia arrive by boat or cart-loads of equipment and food, along the Black Sea coast and up the Dnieper River, screened by Mongol forces on the east bank.
 * Late May – The Mongol army under Subutai and Jebe establishes a defensive position on the Kalka River. Increasing disagreements amongst the Russian princes, about the wisdom of continuing to pursue the Mongols deeper into the steppes. By the end of May, the allied forces reach the banks of the Kalka River. The Polovtsian vanguard is way ahead of the rest of the Russian army, which gives them a triumphant feeling. Meanwhile, Subutai and Jebe set up a trap against the Russian forces.
 * June – Mstislav Mstislavich escapes back to the Dnieper River with the remnants of his Galician army. Mstislav Romanovich (the Old) surrenders and is executed. According to sources, he and other Russian nobles are slowly suffocated to death during a Mongol 'drunken feast', they are tied up and laid flat on the ground beneath what is described as a wooden 'bridge' (or platform), on which Subutai, Jebe and their officers feast. This is revenge for killing the Mongol ambassadors.
 * Battle of Samara Bend: A Volga-Bulgarian army under Ghabdula Chelbir defeats the Mongols, probably led by Subutai, Jebe and Jochi. The Bulgars retreat during the battle but the Mongols pursue them. Then the main Bulgar forces ambush the Mongols. Subutai and Jebe retreat their forces near the city of Sarai (future capital of the Golden Horde), not far from where the Volga River empties into the Caspian Sea.
 * Autumn – Mongol forces under Jochi, Subutai and Jebe attack and defeat the Qangl Turks (eastern Kipchaks or Wild Polovtsians), killing their ruler. During the winter, they continue eastwards across the Great Steppe. Jebe (possibly poisoned) suddenly dies of a fever near the Imil River.

Europe

 * Livonian Crusade: The Estonians revolt against the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and Denmark, and for a brief period reconquer all of their strongholds except for Tallinn.

Asia

 * Spring – The Mongol army led by Muqali (or Mukhali) strikes into Shaanxi Province, attacking Chang'an while Genghis khan is invading the Khwarazmian Empire. The garrison (some 200,000 men) in Chang'an is too strong and Muqali is forced to pillage Feng County. During the campaign, Muqali becomes seriously ill and dies, while his forces are consolidating their position on both sides of the Yellow River.

Births

 * January 25 – Maud de Lacy, English noblewoman (d. 1289)
 * Baibars, Mamluk sultan of Egypt and Syria (d. 1277)
 * Eleanor of Provence, queen of England (d. 1291)
 * Frederick of Castile, Spanish nobleman (d. 1277)
 * Guido I da Montefeltro, Italian nobleman (d. 1298)
 * Hugh le Despencer, English nobleman (d. 1265)
 * Ibn Abd al-Zahir, Egyptian historian (d. 1293)
 * Ichijō Sanetsune, Japanese nobleman (d. 1284)
 * John Fitzalan II, English nobleman (d. 1267)
 * Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, prince of Wales (d. 1282)
 * Michael VIII (Palaiologos), Byzantine emperor (d. 1282)
 * Mugai Nyodai, Japanese Zen Master (d. 1298)
 * Stefan Uroš I (the Great), king of Serbia (d. 1277)

Deaths

 * March 8 – Wincenty Kadłubek, bishop of Kraków (b. 1150)
 * March 25 – Afonso II (the Fat), king of Portugal (b. 1185)
 * May 31 – Mstislav Svyatoslavich, Kievan prince (b. 1168)
 * June 4 – Hugh of Beaulieu, English abbot and bishop
 * July 7 – Ibn Qudamah, Umayyad theologian (b. 1147)
 * July 8 – Konoe Motomichi, Japanese nobleman (b. 1160)
 * July 14 – Philip II (Augustus), king of France (b. 1165)
 * Alamanda de Castelnau, French troubadour and writer
 * Fernán Gutiérrez de Castro, Spanish nobleman (b. 1180)
 * Gerald of Wales, Norman archdeacon and writer (b. 1146)
 * Gille Brigte of Strathearn, Scottish nobleman (b. 1150)
 * Henry I (the Elder), German nobleman and knight (b. 1158)
 * Ibn Tumlus, Andalusian scholar and physician (b. 1164)
 * Jebe (the Arrow), Mongol general (approximate date)
 * Mstislav Romanovich (the Old), Grand Prince of Kiev
 * Muqali (or Mukhulai), Mongol military leader (b. 1170)
 * Sancho (or Sanche), Aragonese nobleman (b. 1161)
 * Unkei, Japanese Buddhist monk and sculptor (b. 1150)
 * William de Cornhill, English archdeacon and bishop
 * Ye Shi, Chinese philosopher and politician (b. 1150)

title: 1223


text:
1224

Year 1224 (MCCXXIV) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

January – March

 * January 14 – Emperor Xuan Zong of the Chinese Jurchen-led Jin Dynasty dies after a 10-year reign. He is succeeded by his 25-year-old son, Ai Zong, who conquers more Song territory during the Jin–Song Wars.
 * February 20 – Jacopo Tiepolo, Doge of the Republic of Venice since 1229, reaches an agreement in his capacity as Podestà, with Robert I, Emperor of Constantinople Latin Emperor, for favorable treatment for the Venetians in the Empire.
 * February – King Ferdinand III (the Saint) announces his intention to resume the Reconquista against the realm of the Almohad Caliphate. Caliph Yusuf II al-Mustansir dies and is succeeded by Abu Muhammad al-Wahid, but in Al-Andalus, two competing pretenders also claim their rights to the throne: Abu Muhammad Ibn al-Mansur al-Adil in Seville and Abu Muhammad abu Abdallah al-Bayyasi in Córdoba. The chronic political instability on the Almohad site allows Ferdinand to begin his campaign victoriously in October, with the capture of Quesada in Spain.
 * March 1 – Pope Honorius III sends a letter to the Roman Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem, Francisco Clemente Pérez Capera, notifying him that the armies and navies of the Holy Roman Empire, the Teutonic Knights and the Kingdom of Sicily will be departing soon to begin the Sixth Crusade to recapture Jerusalem from the Arab rulers.

April – June

 * April 23 – William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, one of the enforcers of the Magna Carta, marries Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester, the nine-year old daughter of the late King John of England and sister of King Henry III, in order to strengthen the Marshal family's connection with the House of Plantagenet.
 * May 5 – King Louis VIII (the Lion) declares war on King Henry III of England. He allies himself with Hugh X of Lusignan and invades first Poitou and then Northern Gascony. The English forces in Poitou are under-strength and lack support from the Poitevin nobles; as a result, the province quickly falls into French hands by the end of June.
 * June 5 – The University of Naples is founded by Emperor Frederick II. Frederick's main purpose is to create an institution of higher learning that will put an end to the predominance of the universities of northern Italy, most notably these of Bologna and Padua, which are considered either too independent or under the strong influence of Pope Honorius III.
 * June 20 – The siege of Bedford Castle by King Henry III of England begins.

July – September

 * July 16 – (28th day of 6th month of Gennin 1); Hōjō Yoshitoki becomes the new regent (shikken) for the Kamakura shogunate in Japan after the death of his father, Hōjō Yoshitoki.
 * August 15 – The garrison at Bedford Castle, belonging to Falkes de Bréauté, surrenders to Henry III after a two month siege that ends after the castle has been undermined by a fire and fallen. After the garrison surrenders, the defenders are all hanged by order of the king. Falkes is allowed to leave the country but loses all his possessions. Bedford Castle is badly damaged as a result.
 * September 14 – Francis of Assisi, while praying on the mountain of La Verna during a 40-day fast, has a vision, as a result of which he receives the stigmata. Brother Leo, who is with Francis at the time, leaves a clear and simple account of this event, the first definite account of the phenomenon of stigmata.
 * September 17 – Emperor Ning Zong of the Chinese Song Dynasty dies at Hangzhou, possibly from poisoning, after a 30-year reign. He is succeeded by his relative, Li Zong, as all of Ning Zong's children have died.
 * September – Abdallah al-Adil (the Just), governor in Al-Andalus, challenges the Almohad throne and captures Seville. He marches to Marrakesh to confront Abu Muhammad al-Wahid. Abdallah seizes the royal palace and deposes Muhammad al-Wahid, who is strangled to death.

October – December

 * October – Lý Huệ Tông, Emperor of Vietnam, cedes the throne to his second daughter, the Princess Chiêu Thánh, who becomes the Empress Regnant Lý Chiêu Hoàng. Trần Thủ Độ then arranges a marriage between the Empress and Trần Cảnh, the 8-year-old son of Trần Thừa, and ends the rule of the overthrow Lý Dynasty by making the Empress pass the throne to Trần Cảnh the following year.
 * November 24 – Representatives of King Louis VIII of France and Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor sign a treaty at Catania, providing that neither of the monarchs would harbor rebels from the other.
 * December – Theodore Komnenos (Doukas), ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, captures Thessaloniki – beginning the de facto Byzantine Empire of Thessalonica. Later, Theodore Komnenos was crowned Byzantine emperor but is not recognized as such by the rest of the Greek or Latin population.

Byzantine Empire

 * Spring – Battle of Poimanenon: Byzantine forces under Emperor John III (Doukas Vatatzes', ruler of Nicaea, defeat the Latin army under the brothers Alexios Laskaris and Isaac Laskaris. They begin a revolt and decide to aid the request of Emperor Robert I of Courtenay. The two armies meet at Poimanenon, south of Cyzicus in Mysia, near Lake Kuş ("Bird Lake"). In the ensuing battle, John III achieves a decisive victory; among the captives taken are the two Laskaris brothers, who are blinded. The victory opens the way for the recovery by the Byzantines of most of the Latin possessions in Asia Minor.

Europe

 * Livonian Crusade: The Livonian Brothers of the Sword defeat the Estonians and reconquer the captured strongholds on the Estonian mainland. With the surrender of the Tartu stronghold, only the islands of Saaremaa and Muhu remain under Estonian control.
 * Spring – Falkes de Bréauté, English high sheriff and a rival of Henry III, refuses to relinquish his castles and starts a rebellion. Cardinal Stephen Langton and forces under Hubert de Burgh deal with Falkes and the castles are handed over. Falkes is found guilty of 16 counts of Wrongful Disseisin, he and his brother William are excommunicated by Langton.

Asia

 * Spring – The Mongol army led by Subutai and Jochi cross the steppes of modern Kazakhstan, and returns to the horde of Genghis Khan on the Irtysh River. At a great kurultai or gathering of chiefs, Subutai reports on the Western campaign. Jochi submits to Genghis and his supposed 'insubordination' (see 1220) is forgiven. As a result of the Mongol invasion in 1219–1223, Kazakhstan and Central Asia become part of the Mongol Empire.

Births

 * March 5 – Kinga of Poland, high duchess of Poland (d. 1292)
 * March 20 – Sophie of Thuringia, duchess of Brabant (d. 1275)
 * June 14 – Matilda of Brabant, countess of Artois (d. 1288)
 * Alice de Lusignan, countess of Surrey (d. 1256)
 * Elena of Bulgaria, empress of Nicaea (d. 1258)
 * Herman I, German nobleman and knight (d. 1290)
 * Hōjō Tsunetoki, Japanese regent (shikken) (d. 1246)
 * Isabelle of France, French princess and nun (d. 1270)
 * Jean de Joinville, French historian and writer (d. 1317)
 * Kanezawa Sanetoki, Japanese nobleman (d. 1276)
 * Margery de Burgh, Norman noblewoman (d. 1252)
 * Maud de Braose, English noblewoman (d. 1301)
 * Pribislaw I, German nobleman and knight (d. 1275)
 * Teruko, Japanese princess and empress (d. 1262)
 * Theobald Butler, Norman chief governor (d. 1248)
 * William II, French nobleman and knight (d. 1251)

Deaths

 * January 14 – Xuan Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1163)
 * March 24 – Conrad III, German cleric and bishop (b. 1165)
 * March 27 – William of Sainte-Mère-Église, Norman bishop
 * April 14 – Matilda of Dendermonde, Flemish noblewoman
 * April 30 – Bernard II, German nobleman and knight (b. 1140)
 * July 1 – Hōjō Yoshitoki, Japanese regent (shikken) (b. 1163)
 * July 24 – Christina the Astonishing, Flemish saint (b. 1150)
 * August 15 – Marie of France, duchess of Brabant (b. 1198)
 * September 17 – Ning Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1168)
 * Abu Muhammad al-Wahid, ruler of the Almohad Caliphate
 * Cathal Crobdearg Ua Conchobair, king of Connacht (b. 1153)
 * Durand of Huesca, Spanish monk and theologian (b. 1160)
 * Judah ben Isaac Messer, French Jewish rabbi (b. 1166)
 * Liu Songnian, Chinese landscape painter (b. 1174)
 * Máel Muire Ó Connaig, Irish bishop of Kilmacduagh
 * Raoul of Mérencourt, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem
 * Simon Rochfort (or de Rupeforti), English bishop
 * Thomas I, Hungarian chancellor and archbishop
 * William d'Aubigny, English nobleman and knight
 * William de Mowbray, English nobleman and knight
 * Xia Gui, Chinese landscape painter
 * Yusuf II al-Mustansir, ruler of the Almohad Caliphate

title: 1224


text:
1226

Year 1226 (MCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Europe

 * June – King Louis VIII (the Lion) leads a Crusade against the Cathars (Albigensians) and Raymond VII, count of Toulouse. The Crusaders capture the cities of Béziers, Carcassonne, Beaucaire and Marseille. Louis forces Languedoc into submission, and reasserts his authority upon the autonomous municipalities of his estates. Most cities have to accept the authority of Ramon Berenguer IV, count of Provence, but Marseille and Nice rebel.
 * Siege of Avignon: Crusader forces under Louis VIII besiege Avignon. They dig trenches facing the city walls – which are connected on both sides of the Rhône with pontoon bridges. On August 8, Louis launches an assault led by Count Guy II of Saint-Pol, but the attackers are repulsed. After negotiations, the consuls agree to pay an indemnity of 6,000 marks. On September 9, the gates are opened and Louis enters the city without violence.
 * November 8 – Louis VIII dies of dysentery at Château de Montpensier during his return from the Albigensian Crusade. He is succeeded by his 12-year-old son Louis IX (the Saint), who becomes king of France. His mother, Queen Blanche of Castile, rules the kingdom as regent during his minority. She has Louis crowned at Reims Cathedral on November 29, and forces the rebellious southern French nobles to swear allegiance to him.
 * The Teutonic Knights undertake a new Crusade, attempting to subdue the pagan Prussians, who occupy a part of the Baltic coast. They are invited to Poland by High Duke Konrad I, a grandson of Bolesław III (Wrymouth). Their task is to defend Masovia against raids of the Prussians. After defeating them, the German knights set up their own state, which they named after the pagan people they have all but annihilated – Prussia.
 * King Sancho II (the Pious) launches an offensive against the Almohad Caliphate during the Reconquista, and takes the city of Elvas.
 * Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson is overthrown as ruler of the Kingdom of the Isles, and is replaced by his half-brother, Olaf the Black.

Mongol Empire

 * Summer – Genghis Khan starts a campaign against the Tanguts, punishing the vassal kingdom of Western Xia (or Xi Xia) for not contributing to the Mongol invasions. He assembles a large force (some 100,000 men), and lays siege to Liangzhou, second-largest city in Western Xia, which surrenders without resistance. In the autumn, Genghis crosses the Helan Mountains, and in November he lays siege to Lingwu. Meanwhile, Emperor Xian Zong dies and is succeeded by his nephew Mo (or Li Xian).

Middle East

 * March 9 – Khwarezmian forces under Sultan Jalal al-Din Mangburni capture Tbilisi, capital of the Kingdom of Georgia, killing many of its Christian inhabitants.

Asia

 * October 30 – Trần Thủ Độ, head of the Trần dynasty of Vietnam, forces Lý Huệ Tông, last emperor of the Lý dynasty, to commit suicide.

Art and Culture

 * Brother Robert writes the Old Norse Saga Af Tristram ok Ísodd, one of the rare fully surviving versions of the legend of Tristan and Iseult.

Astronomy

 * March 4 – Just before dawn, a great conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter occurs.

Religion

 * March 26 – Emperor Frederick II issues the Golden Bull of Rimini, in which he grants Teutonic Knights the right to all of the lands they will get during the mission in Prussia; he also considers himself a senior of the Teutonic Order and Poland, as well as the universal ruler of Christian Europe.
 * September 11 – The Catholic Church practice of eucharistic adoration among lay people formally begins in Avignon, Provence.
 * The Carmelite Order is approved by Pope Honorius III in the bull Ut vivendi normam.

Births

 * April 16 – Mugaku Sogen, Chinese monk and adviser (d. 1286)
 * June 21 – Bolesłaus V (the Chaste), Polish nobleman (d. 1279)
 * November 2 – Isabella de Clare, English noblewoman (d. 1264)
 * Amato Ronconi, Italian nobleman, monk and hermit (d. 1292)
 * Angelo da Foligno (or Conti), Italian cleric and priest (d. 1312)
 * Ata-Malik Juvayni, Persian governor and historian (d. 1283)
 * Bai Renfu (or Bai Pu), Chinese poet and playwright (d. 1306)
 * Bar Hebraeus, Syrian scholar, historian and bishop (d. 1286)
 * Blanche of Navarre (or Champagne), duchess of Brittany (d. 1283)
 * Charles I, French nobleman and son of Louis VIII (d. 1285)
 * Dietrich VI, German nobleman and knight (d. 1275)
 * Gertrude of Austria, Austrian noblewoman (d. 1288)
 * Herman VI, German nobleman and knight (d. 1250)
 * Maria of Brabant, German noblewoman (d. 1256)
 * Ulrich I (the Founder), German nobleman (d. 1265)

Deaths

 * March 7 – William Longespée, English nobleman and knight (b. 1176)
 * May 2 – Amaury I de Craon, French nobleman and knight (b. 1170)
 * May 10 – Beatrice d'Este, Italian Benedictine nun and saint (b. 1192)
 * June 5 – Henry Borwin II (or Burwy), German nobleman (b. 1170)
 * July 2 – Waleran III (or Walram), duke of Limburg (b. 1165)
 * July 11 – Al-Zahir, caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate (b. 1175)
 * August 8 – Guy II of Saint Pol, French nobleman and knight
 * September 9 – Rudolf von Güttingen, Swiss abbot and bishop
 * September 16 – Pandulf Verraccio, Italian bishop and politician
 * October 3 – Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order
 * October 7 – Louis IV (the Young), French nobleman (b. 1173)
 * October 22 – Renaud II (or de Forez), French archbishop
 * November 8 – Louis VIII (the Lion), king of France (b. 1187)
 * November 15 – Frederick of Isenberg, German nobleman
 * December 18 – Benedict of Sausetun, bishop of Rochester
 * Aed mac Donn Ó Sochlachain, Irish musician and writer
 * Bernart Arnaut d'Armagnac (or Arnaud), French troubadour
 * Eleanor of Aragon, Spanish princess and countess (b. 1182)
 * Falkes de Bréauté, Norman nobleman and High Sheriff
 * Joseph ben Judah of Ceuta, Spanish physician and poet
 * Roger de Montbegon, English nobleman and landowner
 * Shen Zong, Chinese emperor of Western Xia (b. 1163)
 * William Brewer, English nobleman and High Sheriff
 * Xian Zong, Chinese emperor of Western Xia (b. 1181)

title: 1226


text:
1229

Year 1229 (MCCXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Sixth Crusade

 * February 18 – Treaty of Jaffa: Emperor Frederick II signs a 10-year truce together with Sultan Al-Kamil and his representatives; he manages to regain many parts of the Holy Land through political negotiation, rather than by resorting to military force or directly confronting the Muslim army. Frederick's achievements, including the control of Jerusalem (without the Temple Mount) and Bethlehem, with a corridor running through Lydda to the sea of Jaffa, as well as Nazareth and western Galilee, including Montfort Castle and Toron, and the remaining Muslim districts around Sidon. All Muslims are to be allowed the right of entry in Jerusalem and freedom of worship.
 * March 17 – Frederick II enters Jerusalem, escorted by German and Italian troops. Of the Military Orders only the Teutonic Knights are represented and some clergy. He receives the formal surrender of the city by Al-Kamil's governor (or Qadi), who hands him the keys of Jerusalem. The procession then passes through streets to the old building of the Hospital (or the Muristan), where Frederick takes up his residence in the Christian Quarter.
 * March 18 – Frederick II crowns himself as King of Jerusalem in an impromptu ceremony in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After the ceremony, he proceeds to the palace of the Hospitallers – where he holds a council to discuss the defense of Jerusalem. Frederick orders the Tower of David and the Gate of St. Stephen are to be repaired at once and he hands over the royal residence attached to the Tower of David to the Teutonic Order.
 * May 1 – Frederick II departs from Acre, while he and his suite pass down the "Street of the Butchers" to the harbour, the people crowd out of the doors, and pelts him with entrails and dung. Meanwhile, Odo of Montbéliard (or Eudes), commander of the Crusader army, and John of Ibelin, lord of Beirut, are left behind to quell the unrest in Palestine.
 * May – Frederick II arrives at Cyprus, where he attends the wedding proxy of the 12-year-old King Henry I (the Fat) to Alice of Montferrat – whose father is one of his staunch supporters in Italy. On June 10, Frederick lands at Brindisi, where the papal army under his father-in-law John of Brienne has invaded the Italian territories in Campania.
 * Autumn – Frederick II recovers the lost Italian territories and tries to condemn the leading rebel barons, but avoids crossing the frontiers of the Papal States. Meanwhile, a first serious raid on Jerusalem is made by a mass of unorganized Beduins and plunderers of pilgrims. An advance guard encouraged the Christians to expel the Muslims.

Europe

 * March 6 – University of Paris strike: Students begin to riot, after a dispute over a bill with a tavern proprietor. Queen Blanche of Castile demands retribution, and allows the city guard to punish the student rioters. She puts an economic strain upon the student quarter of Paris (the Latin Quarter), where Latin is commonly heard in the streets.
 * April 12 – Treaty of Paris: Count Raymond VII is forced to sign a peace treaty (also known as the "Treaty of Meaux"). This brings the Albigensian Crusade to an end. Raymond regains his feudal rights but has to swear his allegiance to King Louis IX (the Saint). The fortifications, such as these of Avignon and Toulouse, are dismantled.
 * September 5 – A Catalan-Aragonese expeditionary army under King James I (the Conqueror) embarks with 155 ships, 1,500 knights and 15,000 men from Tarragona, Salou, and Cambrils, in southern Catalonia. He sets sail to conquer Majorca. On December 31, James finally conquers the island from the Almohad ruler, Abu Yahya.
 * November 28 – Battle of Olustra: Eric XI (the Lisp and Lame) is defeated and deposed as king of Sweden by Canute II (the Tall), who proclaims himself the new ruler.

England

 * October 13 – King Henry III calls for an army to be assembled at Portsmouth to be transported to Normandy to regain lost territories from the French. A large army of knights turns up ready to go but not enough ships have been provided. Henry blames Hubert de Burgh for the fiasco and in his rage will have killed him if Ranulf of Chester has not intervened. This marks the beginning of the rift between Henry and Hubert de Burgh. Meanwhile, the expedition is postponed until mid-1230.

Levant

 * June – Emir Al-Ashraf Musa captures Damascus and acknowledges the supremacy of his elder brother Al-Kamil. His other brother, An-Nasir Dawud, is compensated with the lordship of Al-Karak in the Transjordan region.

Africa

 * Abu Zakariya Yahya expands his influence by conquering the cities of Constantine and Béjaïa (modern Algeria). He becomes the founder and first ruler of the Hafsid Dynasty in Ifriqiya.

Asia

 * September 13 – Ögedei Khan, the third son of Genghis Khan is proclaimed "Great Khan" of the Mongol Empire, at a Kurultai council.

Religion

 * The Catholic Church permanently establishes the Inquisition, in the charge of the Dominican Order in Rome.
 * The University of Toulouse is founded in France. Raymond VII is forced to finance the teaching of theology.

Births

 * April 13 – Louis II (the Strict), German nobleman (d. 1294)
 * Al-Ashraf Musa, Ayyubid prince (emir) and ruler (d. 1263)
 * Beatrice of Provence, queen consort of Sicily (d. 1267)
 * Kujō Tadaie, Japanese nobleman and regent (d. 1275)
 * Oberto D'Oria, Italian nobleman and admiral (d. 1306)

Deaths

 * January 17 – Albert of Buxhoeven, bishop of Riga (b. 1165)
 * February 8 – Ali ibn Hanzala, Arab imam and theologian
 * February 14 – Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, ruler of the Isles
 * March 13 – Blanche of Navarre, countess and regent of Champagne
 * June 24 – Walter III (or de Brisebarre), lord of Caesarea
 * August 21 – Iwo Odrowąż, Polish bishop and statesman
 * September – Guillem II de Montcada, Spanish nobleman and knight
 * October 10 – Henry de Beaumont, English nobleman
 * October 22 – Gerard III, Dutch nobleman and knight
 * October 26 – Fulk of Pavia, Italian prelate and bishop
 * November 14 – Martin of Pattishall, English chief justice
 * December 25 – Herman II of Lippe, German nobleman and knight (b. 1175)
 * unknown date – Yaqut al-Hamawi, Arab geographer and writer (b. 1179)

title: 1229


text:
1232

Year 1232 (MCCXXXII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Europe

 * June 15 – Battle of Agridi: The Cypriot army under King Henry I ("the Fat") defeats the Lombard forces of Emperor Frederick II. After the battle, John of Beirut (supported by funds from Henry), hires 13 Genoese war-galleys to aid in the siege of Kyrenia.
 * July 16 – Muhammad I is elected as ruler of the Taifa of Arjona. He revolts against Ibn Hud, the independent ruler of Al-Andalus, and takes control of the city, beginning the foundation of the Nasrid dynasty.

England

 * July 29 – King Henry III dismisses his justiciar (chief justice minister) and regent Hubert de Burgh, and replaces him with the Frenchmen Peter des Roches and Peter de Rivaux, thereby irritating his barons.
 * Peter de Rivaux, nephew of Peter des Roches, is made Lord Treasurer of Henry III's household and keeper of the king's wardrobe. This moves him into an important position for controlling the king's affairs.
 * The Domus Conversorum ("House of the Converts"), a building and institution in London for Jewish converts to Christianity, is established by Henry III.

Africa

 * The Almohad army besieges the city of Ceuta, where Abu Musa, rebellious brother of Caliph Idris al-Ma'mun, has received shelter and the support of the population. The Genoese rent a part of their fleet to the rebels, who successfully resist the forces of the caliph. The consequences of this revolt are threefold: the city becomes de facto independent from the Almohads, but its reliance on the Italian maritime powers increases, and the Trans-Saharan trade routes begin to shift eastward, due to the local turmoil.

Mongol Empire

 * February 9 – Battle of Sanfengshan: The Mongol army (some 50,000 warriors) defeats the Chinese Jin forces near Yuzhou. General Subutai successfully wipes out the last field army of the Jin dynasty – therefore sealing its fate of falling to the Mongol Empire. During the encounter, also called the Battle of the Three-Peak Mountain, Emperor Aizong of Jin orders the Jin army (some 150,000 men) to intercept the Mongols. The Jin soldiers are constantly harassed by small groups of Mongol cavalry on the way. When they arrive at Sanfeng Mountain, the Jin army is hungry and exhausted by heavy snowfall. The Jin forces are quickly defeated by the Mongols and flee in all directions.
 * April 8 – Mongol–Jin War: The Mongol army led by Ögedei Khan and his brother Tolui begins the siege of Kaifeng, capital of the Chinese Jin dynasty. During the summer, the Jurchens try to end the siege by negotiating a peace treaty, but the assassination of a Mongol embassy makes further talks impossible. While the negotiations are going on, a plague is devastating the population of the city. In the meantime, supplies stored at Kaifeng are running out, and several residents of the city are executed on the suspicion that they are traitors.
 * June – Mongol invasion of Korea: Choe Woo, Korean military dictator of Goryeo, orders against the pleas of King Gojong and his senior officials, the royal court, and most of Songdo's population to be moved to Ganghwa Island. Woo starts the construction of strong defenses on Ganghwa Island, which becomes a fortress. The government orders the common people to flee the countryside and take refuge in major cities, mountain citadels, or nearby islands. The Mongols occupy much of northern Korea, but fail to capture Ganghwa Island.
 * December 16 – Battle of Cheoin: Korean forces defeat a Mongol attack at Cheoin (modern-day Yongin). The Mongol Empire concludes a peace treaty with Goryeo and withdraws its forces.

Japan

 * November 17 – Emperor Go-Horikawa abdicates in favor of his 1-year-old son, Shijō, after an 11-year reign. Because he is very young, most of the actual leadership is held by his relatives.

Literature

 * The original set of woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana is destroyed by fire during the Second Mongol invasion of Korea.

Markets

 * The northern French city of Troyes issues its first recorded life annuities, confirming the trend of consolidation of local public debts initiated in 1218, by the neighboring city of Reims.

Religion

 * May 30 – Anthony of Padua is canonized by Pope Gregory IX at Spoleto, less than a year after his death. He becomes the patron saint of lost items.
 * August – Gregory IX is forced to remain in his summer residence at Anagni by Lombard forces from Rome.
 * October 29 – Gregory IX orders the Stedinger Crusade to be proclaimed in northern Germany.

Births

 * March 9 – Chen Wenlong, Chinese scholar-general (d. 1277)
 * November 10 – Haakon the Young, king of Norway (d. 1257)
 * unknown date – Manfred, king of Sicily (House of Hohenstaufen) (d. 1266)
 * probable – Bernard Saisset, French nobleman and bishop (d. 1314)

Deaths

 * January 28 – Peire de Montagut, French Grand Master
 * February 21 – Myōe, Japanese Buddhist monk (b. 1173)
 * April 10 – Rudolf II, Count of Habsburg ("the Kind"), German nobleman
 * June 7 – Wawrzyniec (bishop of Wrocław) (or Lawrence), Polish bishop
 * July 18 – John de Braose, English nobleman and knight
 * August 24 – Ralph of Bristol, English cleric and bishop
 * October 11 – Gebhard I of Plain, German bishop (b. 1170)
 * October 15 – Albert I of Käfernburg, German archbishop
 * October 17 – Idris al-Ma'mun, ruler of the Almohad Caliphate
 * October 26 – Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, English nobleman (b. 1170)
 * December 31 – Patrick I, Earl of Dunbar, Scottish nobleman and knight (b. 1152)
 * Marianus II of Torres, Sardinian Judge of Logudoro

title: 1232


text:
1234

Year 1234 (MCCXXXIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (full calendar displayed in the link) of the Julian calendar.

Europe

 * King Canute II of Sweden ("the Tall") dies after a five-year reign. His rival, Eric XI ("the Lisp and Lame"), returns as ruler of Sweden (possibly after a civil war between the two of them). It is also possible that Canute dies of natural causes, and Eric peacefully then returns as king.
 * King Andrew II of Hungary proclaims his son, Coloman of Galicia, as ruler (or ban) of Bosnia, who passes it on to Prijezda, a cousin of Matej Ninoslav, despite Matej being the legitimate ruler.
 * Reconquista: King Sancho II of Portugal conquers the cities of Aljustrel and Mértola from the Moors.

Mongol Empire

 * February 9 – Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty: The Mongol army led by Ögedei Khan captures the Jin capital at Caizhou, after the two-month Siege of Caizhou). Emperor Aizong of Jin abdicates the throne to Wanyan Chenglin, a descendant of the Jin imperial clan. After the Mongol and Song forces have breached the city walls, Aizong tries to escape, but commits suicide to avoid being captured. This marks the end of the Jin dynasty (1115–1234) ('Great Jin') in China.

Africa

 * The Manden region rises against the Kaniaga Kingdom. This is the beginning of a process that will lead to the rise of the Mali Empire.

Religion

 * November – Pope Gregory IX proclaims war on the city of Rome after a local revolt forces him into exile. He issues the papal bull Rachel suum videns, calling for a new crusade to the Holy Land.
 * Lund Cathedral in Sweden is heavily damaged in a catastrophic fire. Large donations are made to the church, to rebuild the cathedral.

Births

 * February 27 – Abaqa Khan, Mongol ruler of the Ilkhanate (d. 1282)
 * Christina of Norway, Infanta of Castile, princess (d. 1262)
 * Kaliman I, emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria (d. 1246)
 * Conrad of Ascoli, Italian friar and missionary (d. 1289)
 * Ippen (or Zuien), Japanese Buddhist monk (d. 1289)
 * Manuel of Castile, Spanish prince (infante) (d. 1283)
 * Margaret of Holland, Dutch noblewoman (d. 1276)
 * Ou Shizi, Chinese Confucian scholar (d. 1324)

Deaths

 * January 7 – Robert of Auvergne, bishop of Clermont
 * February 9
 * Aizong of Jin, Chinese emperor (b. 1198)
 * Mo of Jin (or Hudun), Chinese emperor
 * April 7 – Sancho VII ("the Strong"), king of Navarre
 * April 16 – Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, English nobleman (b. 1191)
 * May 7 – Otto I, Duke of Merania, German nobleman and knight (b. 1180)
 * June 18 – Chūkyō, emperor (tennō) of Japan (b. 1218)
 * July 19 – Floris IV, Count of Holland, Dutch nobleman and knight (b. 1210)
 * July 29 – William Pinchon, French prelate and bishop
 * August 7 – Hugh Foliot, bishop of Hereford (b. 1155)
 * August 31 – Go-Horikawa, emperor of Japan (b. 1212)
 * September 6 – Milo of Nanteuil, bishop of Beauvais
 * September 26 – Eudes II, Lord of Ham, French nobleman
 * November 8 – Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad, Arab historian (b. 1145)
 * Abu Muhammad Salih al-Majiri, Almohad Sufi leader (b. 1155)
 * Alan of Galloway, Scottish nobleman
 * Canute II ("the Tall"), king of Sweden (House of Folkung)
 * Dalfi d'Alvernha, Count of Clermont and Montferrand, French nobleman, troubador and patron of the arts (b. c. 1150)
 * Helen of Galloway, Scottish noblewoman and heiress
 * Hugh de Neville, English Chief Forester and sheriff
 * Ibn al-Farid, Arab poet, writer and philosopher (b. 1181)
 * Minamoto no Ienaga, Japanese waka poet (b. 1170)
 * Nasir ad-Din Mahmud II, Zengid ruler
 * Pacificus, Italian-born friar and poet
 * Renard II of Dampierre-en-Astenois (or Renaud), French nobleman and knight
 * Rhys Gryg (Rhys ap Rhys), Welsh prince of Deheubarth
 * Robert III, Count of Dreux ("Gasteblé"), French nobleman (b. 1185)
 * Shihab al-Din 'Umar al-Suhrawardi, Persian Sufi scholar (b. 1145)
 * William of Andres, French abbot and historian
 * Zhang Yuansu, Chinese physician and writer

title: 1234