CatastropheThe 13th century

Catastrophe in the 13th century

Every event in the Terralore archive tagged catastrophe — plague, famine, earthquake and other disasters, narrowed to the 13th century — 2 of them, drawn from 2 nations, running from 1221 to 1287. Each entry keeps the sources it was verified against and links back to the chronicle it came from.

Events
2
Nations
2
Earliest
1221
Latest
1287
Asia
1
Europe
1

Every entry below is the same record, with the same sources, as the one on its nation’s chronicle.

  1. Asia

    Turkmenistan

    Mongol destruction of Merv

    A Mongol army under Tolui, son of Genghis Khan, besieged Merv during the conquest of the Khwarazmian Empire and massacred its population, ending the city's age as a great metropolis of the Islamic world.

    Era: Merv: Silk Road City and Seljuk Capital

    Sources: State Historical and Cultural Park 'Ancient Merv' · UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Mongol empire · Encyclopædia Britannica

  2. Europe

    Netherlands

    St. Lucia's flood

    A catastrophic North Sea storm surge drowns tens of thousands and reshapes the coastline, helping form the Zuiderzee and underlining the delta's perpetual struggle with water.

    Era: The Low Countries: Romans, Frisians and Medieval Counties

    Sources: Netherlands · Encyclopaedia Britannica