20 events · 19 nations
1200s
12 records
Africa
- GNQ
Equatorial Guinea · Peoples & Migration · from c. 13th century
Bubi settle Bioko
Bantu-speaking peoples, ancestors of the Bubi, are held to have crossed from the mainland to the island later called Fernando Pó (Bioko) in successive waves, settling an island that earlier held Neolithic populations and developing a distinct island society.
Peoples of the island and the mainland
Sources: History of Equatorial Guinea (Encyclopædia Britannica) · History of Equatorial Guinea (Wikipedia) · Equatorial Guinea (New World Encyclopedia)
- ETH
Ethiopia · Religion · late 12th–early 13th c.
Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela carved
King Lalibela commissions eleven monolithic churches cut from the rock to form a symbolic 'New Jerusalem', among the wonders of medieval Christian architecture.
The Zagwe Kings, Lalibela and the Solomonic Restoration
Sources: Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela — World Heritage Centre (UNESCO) · Zagwe dynasty (Wikipedia)
- MRT
Mauritania · Peoples & Migration · 13th–17th century
Beni Hassan Arab migration
Waves of Banu Maqil Arabs, including the Beni Hassan, migrate south into the western Sahara, spreading Hassaniya Arabic and gradually transforming the region's Berber society.
Arab Migration, the Char Bouba War and the Caravan Ksour
Sources: Beni Ḥassān (Wikipedia) · History of Mauritania (Wikipedia) · Mauritania (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- TGO
Togo · Peoples & Migration · by the 13th century
Ewe ancestors present in the region
By oral tradition and scholarly reconstruction, the ancestors of the Ewe had moved into the Togo–Ghana region from the east, settling around Tado and later the town of Notsé before their dispersal.
Peoples, migrations and the land
Sources: Exodus of the Ewe from Notsé (Wikipedia) · Togo (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Togo (Wikipedia)
Asia
- BTN
Bhutan · Religion · 12th century
Drukpa Kagyu tradition takes root
The Drukpa ('Dragon') Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism spreads into the southern valleys and becomes the dominant religious tradition, lending Bhutan its name Druk Yul, the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
Buddhism and the Valleys of the Thunder Dragon
Sources: Nepal and Bhutan: Country Studies (Federal Research Division, Library of Congress) · Bhutan — History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- GEO
Georgia · Culture & Ideas · c. 1200
Rustaveli's national epic
Shota Rustaveli composed 'The Knight in the Panther's Skin', the Georgian national epic, the supreme literary achievement of the golden age and a classic of world literature.
The Golden Age of David the Builder and Queen Tamar
Sources: Shota Rustaveli (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- NPL
Nepal · Politics & Power · c. 13th century
Malla dynasty rules the valley
The Mallas govern the Kathmandu Valley, codifying Hindu-influenced law and patronising the Newar temple architecture for which the valley becomes famous.
The Malla City-States and the Valley of Art
Sources: Malla era (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Nepal — History (Himalayas, Monarchy, Unification) (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- LKA
Sri Lanka · Peoples & Migration · 13th c. onward
Decline and the drift southward
Invasion, the breakdown of the dry-zone irrigation system and disease lead to the abandonment of the northern capitals and the migration of Sinhalese power toward the south-west and the Kandyan hills.
Polonnaruwa and the Move South
Sources: Sri Lanka: History (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Europe
- BEL
Belgium · Economy & Trade · 12th–14th c.
The Flemish cloth boom
Importing English wool, Bruges, Ghent and Ypres became among the richest cloth-producing cities in Europe, with Bruges the leading port and financial centre of the north.
The Medieval Low Countries: Flanders, Brabant and the Cloth Towns
Sources: Rise and Fall of the Medieval Flemish Cloth Industry (Discovering Belgium) · Belgium: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
North America
- SLV
El Salvador · Formation · c. 11th-12th century
Rise of Pipil Cuzcatlan
Nahua-speaking Pipil migrants establish the realm of Cuzcatlan, the Land of the Jewel, dominating the region west of the Lempa River with a society resembling that of the Aztecs.
The Pipil, the Maya, and the Land of the Jewel
Sources: Cuscatlan, historical region (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Pipil people (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- HND
South America
- BOL
Bolivia · Politics & Power · c. 12th-15th century
The Aymara lordships
After Tiwanaku's decline, Aymara-speaking kingdoms dominate the highlands around Lake Titicaca until the rise of the Inca.
Tiwanaku, the Aymara, and the Inca
Sources: Bolivia: Early period (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- LVA
Latvia · Formation
Foundation of Riga by Bishop Albert
Bishop Albert of Buxhoevden founded Riga at the mouth of the Daugava as the base for the German mission and conquest, the city that became the centre of crusader Livonia and a great Hanseatic port.
Baltic Tribes, the Northern Crusades and Terra Mariana
Sources: Latvia: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Historic Centre of Riga (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · History of the Port of Riga (Freeport of Riga Authority (rop.lv))
2 records
Europe
- EST
Estonia · Religion
Foundation of the Brothers of the Sword
Bishop Albert of Riga established the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, the military order that, with the Teutonic Knights and the Danes, drove the Northern Crusades into Estonia.
The Ancient Estonians and the Northern Crusades
Sources: Northern Crusades (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Livonian Crusades: Christianization of Estonia (History Maps)
- LVA
Latvia · Religion
Order of the Brothers of the Sword founded
With papal sanction Bishop Albert established the Order of the Brothers of the Sword to subjugate and convert the Baltic tribes, launching decades of crusading warfare in Livonia.
Baltic Tribes, the Northern Crusades and Terra Mariana
Sources: Latvia: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Latvia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia)
2 records
Asia
- BGD
Bangladesh · War & Rupture · c. 1204 CE
Turkish conquest ends Sena rule
The general Bakhtiyar Khalji conquers Bengal, ending the Hindu Sena dynasty and inaugurating centuries of Muslim rule in the delta.
Buddhist and Hindu Bengal: the Pala and Sena Dynasties
Sources: Islam, Bengal (Banglapedia (Asiatic Society of Bangladesh)) · History of Bangladesh (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Europe
- GRC
Greece · War & Rupture · 1204 CE
Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople
Crusaders captured and plundered Constantinople, fragmenting Byzantine territory, including parts of Greece, among Latin and Greek rulers and gravely weakening the empire.
Roman and Byzantine Greece
Sources: Byzantine Empire (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Greece (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
3 records
Asia
- IND
India · Politics & Power
Founding of the Delhi Sultanate
Qutb al-Din Aibak establishes independent rule at Delhi, beginning a 320-year succession of Islamic dynasties that reshape the politics and culture of northern India.
The Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire
Sources: Qutb ud-Din Aibak (Wikipedia) · Delhi Sultanate (Wikipedia)
- MNG
Mongolia · Formation
Temüjin proclaimed Chinggis Khan
An assembly of steppe leaders by the River Onon proclaims Temüjin as Chinggis Khan, 'Universal Ruler,' uniting the Mongol tribes into one nation governed by the Yassa law code, the founding act of the Mongol state.
Chinggis Khan and the Birth of the Mongol Nation
Sources: Genghis Khan (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Mongol empire (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Yasa (Mongol law) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- PAK
Pakistan · Politics & Power
Rise of the Delhi Sultanate
Muslim dynasties ruling from Delhi extend their dominion over the Indus plains, deepening the region's Islamic culture over three centuries.
Islam, the Sultans and the Mughals
Sources: Pakistan: A Country Study (Library of Congress, Federal Research Division)
14 events · 13 nations
1210s
1 record
Africa
- TCD
Chad · Politics & Power · c. 1210–1248
Zenith under Dunama Dibalemi
Mai Dunama Dibalemi brought Kanem to its peak, projecting power from the Fezzan to the southern savanna and deepening trade and diplomatic ties with North Africa and Egypt.
Kanem and Kanem-Bornu
Sources: Kanem-Bornu Empire (Wikipedia) · Mai Dunama Dibbalemi (EBSCO Research Starters)
3 records
Africa
- MAR
Morocco · War & Rupture
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
A Christian coalition decisively defeats the Almohads in Spain, beginning the dynasty's decline and reopening al-Andalus to the Reconquista.
The Berber Empires: Almoravids and Almohads
Sources: The Art of the Almoravid and Almohad Periods (ca. 1062–1269) (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) · North Africa: The Maghrib under the Almoravids and the Almohads (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- CZE
Czechia · Politics & Power
Golden Bull of Sicily and the Kingdom of Bohemia
The Golden Bull of Sicily, issued by Emperor Frederick II, confirmed the royal title of the Premyslid rulers as hereditary, formally raising Bohemia from a duchy to a kingdom within the Holy Roman Empire.
Great Moravia, Saint Wenceslas and the Premyslid Dukes
Sources: Otakar II (Kingdom of Bohemia) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- ESP
2 records
Europe
- MCO
Monaco · Formation · 10 June 1215
Genoa fortifies the Rock
Genoese Ghibellines under Fulco del Cassello began building a fortress of four towers on the Rock of Monaco, offering land and tax exemptions to draw settlers to the new stronghold.
The Genoese Fortress and the Coming of the Grimaldi
Sources: Monaco - Prince's Palace (Government of Monaco (gouv.mc)) · Monaco: 1215 to 1662 (GlobalSecurity.org) · Monaco (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- GBR
United Kingdom · Politics & Power · 15 June 1215
Magna Carta sealed at Runnymede
Rebel barons compelled King John to seal Magna Carta, asserting that the monarch was bound by law; though soon annulled, it became a lasting symbol of limits on royal power.
The Norman Conquest and medieval England
Sources: The British Library: history and collections (The British Library) · Magna Carta (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- SRB
Serbia · Politics & Power
Stefan the First-Crowned becomes king
Stefan Nemanjić obtained recognition as king, raising the grand principality of Raška to the rank of a kingdom and earning the name Prvovenčani, the 'First-Crowned'.
The Medieval Serbian State under the Nemanjić Dynasty
Sources: Stephen II Nemanja (Stefan the First-Crowned) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Nemanjić Dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- BGR
Bulgaria · Politics & Power · 1218–1241
Ivan Asen II and the Second Empire's apogee
Under Tsar Ivan Asen II Bulgaria reached its greatest extent and prosperity, dominating the Balkans and patronising an Orthodox cultural flowering centred on Tarnovo.
The Second Bulgarian Empire and the Ottoman Conquest
Sources: History of Bulgaria (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria)
6 records
Asia
- IRN
Iran · War & Rupture · 1219 CE
Mongol invasion of Iran
Genghis Khan's armies invade Iran, devastating its cities; his grandson Hulagu completes the conquest, taking Alamut in 1256 and destroying Baghdad in 1258, and founds the Ilkhanate.
Turkic and Mongol Rule and the Safavids
Sources: Ilkhanate (World History Encyclopedia) · Iran — The Mongol invasion (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- KAZ
Kazakhstan · War & Rupture · 1219–1221
Mongol conquest of the Syr Darya and Khwarezm
Provoked by the killing of his envoys at Otrar, Genghis Khan storms the Silk Road towns and overruns Khwarezm; Otrar falls after a months-long siege, and the steppe is absorbed into the Mongol empire.
The Mongol Conquest and the Golden Horde
Sources: History of Kazakhstan (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Golden Horde (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- MNG
Mongolia · War & Rupture
Conquest of the Khwarazmian empire
Mongol armies invade and destroy the powerful Khwarazmian empire of Central Asia, opening the way to Persia and the Russian steppe and demonstrating the reach of the new Mongol military.
Chinggis Khan and the Birth of the Mongol Nation
Sources: Genghis Khan (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Mongol empire (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- EST
Estonia · War & Rupture
Danish conquest and the founding of Tallinn
Danish crusaders defeated the northern Estonians and built a fortress on Toompea hill, giving rise to Tallinn (Reval); northern Estonia became a Danish duchy within Terra Mariana.
The Ancient Estonians and the Northern Crusades
Sources: Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · Estonia: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- KOS
Kosovo · Politics & Power · 13th c.
Nemanjic rule and the Serbian Church
The Nemanjic dynasty consolidated its hold over the region, which became a centre of the medieval Serbian state and of the autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church seated at the Patriarchate of Pec.
The Medieval Serbian Heartland and the Battle of Kosovo
Sources: History of Kosovo (ancient Dardania to the medieval period) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Kosovo: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SRB
Serbia · Religion
Autocephaly of the Serbian Orthodox Church
Saint Sava obtained from the patriarch at Nicaea the status of autocephalous archbishop, founding an independent Serbian church that bound religious and royal authority together.
The Medieval Serbian State under the Nemanjić Dynasty
Sources: Saint Sava (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
9 events · 9 nations
1220s
5 records
Africa
- ZAF
South Africa · Formation · c. 1220–1300
The kingdom of Mapungubwe
Near the Limpopo, Mapungubwe rose as southern Africa's first state-level society, trading gold and ivory to the Indian Ocean coast and producing famed gold artefacts before its decline around 1300.
Early peoples: San, Khoekhoe and the Bantu-speaking kingdoms
Sources: Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · South Africa (country, history and government) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Asia
- KGZ
Kyrgyzstan · War & Rupture · early 13th c.
Mongol conquest of Central Asia
The empire of Genghis Khan overran Central Asia, drawing the Kyrgyz lands into the Mongol world and, after the empire's division, into the Chagatai realm and its successor states.
The Silk Road, the Tian Shan and the Mongol Age
Sources: Kyrgyzstan: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Kyrgyzstan: A Country Study (in Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan: Country Studies) (U.S. Library of Congress, Federal Research Division)
- TJK
Tajikistan · War & Rupture · 1219–1221 CE
The Mongol conquest of Transoxania
Genghis Khan's armies sweep through Central Asia, sacking Bukhara and Samarkand, ushering in centuries of Mongol and Turko-Mongol rule over the Persian-speaking population.
Turkic, Mongol and Bukharan Rule
Sources: History of Tajikistan (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan: Country Studies (Federal Research Division, Library of Congress)
- UZB
Uzbekistan · War & Rupture · 1220 CE
Genghis Khan sacks Bukhara and Samarkand
The Mongol armies of Genghis Khan storm Transoxiana, destroying Bukhara and Samarkand in a devastation from which the oasis cities took generations to recover.
The Mongol Storm and the Empire of Timur
Sources: Samarkand — Uzbekistan, Map, History & Facts (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Genghis Khan (World History Encyclopedia)
Europe
- ISL
Iceland · War & Rupture · c. 1220–1262
The Age of the Sturlungs
Rivalry among a few powerful families, above all the Sturlungs, brought decades of feud, killing and burning, fatally weakening the Commonwealth's institutions of consensus.
Christianity, the Sagas and the Old Covenant
Sources: The Age of the Sturlungs (Medievalists.net) · Iceland: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Asia
- TKM
Turkmenistan · Catastrophe
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.
Merv: Silk Road City and Seljuk Capital
Sources: State Historical and Cultural Park 'Ancient Merv' (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · Mongol empire (Encyclopædia Britannica)
1 record
Asia
- BRN
Brunei · Economy & Trade · 13th century
Boni described as a wealthy maritime kingdom
A Chinese account portrays Boni as a prosperous state with a fleet to protect its trade in camphor, spices, and forest products drawn from the Bornean interior.
Early Borneo: Trade, Tribute, and the Rise of Po-ni
Sources: History of Brunei (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Asia
- MNG
Mongolia · Politics & Power
Death of Chinggis Khan
Chinggis Khan dies in August 1227 during a campaign against the Tangut Xixia kingdom, leaving an empire reaching from northern China to the Caspian Sea and a realm divided among his four sons.
Chinggis Khan and the Birth of the Mongol Nation
Sources: Genghis Khan (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Africa
- TUN
Tunisia · Economy & Trade · 1229–1574
Hafsid dynasty rules from Tunis
The Hafsids make Tunis a prosperous capital of trade and learning until the Ottoman conquest.
Islam, Kairouan & the Medieval Dynasties
Sources: History of Tunisia (Wikipedia) · The Great Mosque of Kairouan (Smarthistory)
9 events · 9 nations
1230s
1 record
Asia
- KOR
South Korea · War & Rupture · 1231 CE
Mongol invasions begin
Mongol armies invade Goryeo; after prolonged resistance from Ganghwa Island, Korea submits to Yuan overlordship for roughly a century.
Unified Silla and Goryeo
Sources: Koryo (Goryeo) dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Korea (history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
5 records
Africa
- GMB
Gambia · Formation · 13th century
Mali's reach extends to the Gambia
The Mali Empire expanded into the Gambia River valley in the thirteenth century, bringing the region within the Mande world and spreading Islam, trade and administration as Mandinka traders moved west.
The Mali Empire and the Mandinka kingdoms
Sources: The Gambia (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of the Gambia (Wikipedia) · Mali (historical empire of Africa) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- GIN
Guinea · Formation · c. 1235
Foundation of the Mali Empire on the upper Niger
Sundiata Keita unites the Malinké chiefdoms of the Manding heartland and founds the Mali Empire, with its capital at Niani on the upper Niger.
The Mande Heartland and the Sahelian Empires
Sources: Guinea — History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Mali Empire (EBSCO Research Starters) · Songhai Empire (World History Encyclopedia)
- GNB
Guinea-Bissau · Formation · 13th century
Mali's reach and the rise of Kaabu
The Mali Empire expanded west into the region, traditionally under Sundiata Keita's general Tiramakhan Traoré; the conquered lands became Kaabu (Gabu), a Mandinka province that would outlast Mali itself.
Kaabu and the peoples of the Rivers of Guinea
Sources: Kaabu (Wikipedia) · History of Guinea-Bissau (Wikipedia) · Guinea-Bissau (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- MLI
Mali · Formation · c. 1235
Battle of Kirina and the founding of Mali
Sundiata Keita defeats Sumanguru Kanté of the Soso, unifying the Malinke and establishing the Mali Empire with its capital at Niani.
The Mali Empire
Sources: Sundiata Keita — Biography, Facts, & Empire (Encyclopædia Britannica) · The Mali Empire (National Geographic Education) · History of the Mali Empire (Wikipedia)
Asia
- MNG
Mongolia · Politics & Power
Karakorum becomes the imperial capital
Great Khan Ögödei walls the city of Karakorum in the Orkhon valley and builds a palace there, establishing a fixed capital for the Mongol Empire on the Mongolian steppe.
The Great Empire: Karakorum, Kublai, and the Yuan
Sources: Karakorum (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape (World Heritage List) (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
2 records
Europe
- LVA
Latvia · War & Rupture
Absorption into the Teutonic Order
After heavy defeats the Sword Brothers were merged into the Teutonic Order as the autonomous Livonian Order; by this time the Latvian and Livonian tribal lands had largely been conquered and bound into Terra Mariana.
Baltic Tribes, the Northern Crusades and Terra Mariana
Sources: Latvia: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Latvia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia)
- RUS
Russia · War & Rupture · 1237-1240
Mongol invasion and the fall of Kiev
Batu Khan's Mongol army sacks the Rus' principalities, destroying Ryazan and Vladimir and storming Kiev in December 1240; the Russian lands become tributaries of the Golden Horde.
Kievan Rus' and the Mongol Yoke
Sources: Russia (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Batu Khan (Wikipedia)
1 record
Asia
- THA
Thailand · Formation
Founding of the Sukhothai kingdom
Tai chiefs cast off Khmer rule and establish Sukhothai in the upper Chao Phraya valley, traditionally counted as the first independent Thai kingdom.
Tai Origins and the Sukhothai Kingdom
Sources: Sukhothai kingdom (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
8 events · 8 nations
1240s
2 records
Europe
- BLR
Belarus · War & Rupture · 1237-1240
The Mongol invasion of Rus
The Mongol onslaught destroyed Kievan Rus and shattered the old federation of principalities; the western Belarusian lands, comparatively sheltered, were soon drawn into the orbit of rising Lithuania.
Polotsk and the Early East Slavs
Sources: History of Belarus (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- UKR
Ukraine · War & Rupture
Mongol sack of Kyiv
The Mongols of the Golden Horde stormed and destroyed Kyiv, ending its dominance and breaking the political unity of the Rus' lands.
Kievan Rus' and the Baptism of 988
Sources: Kyivan Rus (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Ukraine (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- HUN
Hungary · War & Rupture · 11 Apr 1241
Mongol invasion and the Battle of Mohi
The Mongols under Batu Khan destroyed King Béla IV's army at the Sajó River and ravaged Hungary for a year, leaving much of the kingdom in ruins before withdrawing in 1242.
The Magyar Conquest and the Christian Kingdom
Sources: Mongolian invasion (1241-1242) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Béla IV, king of Hungary (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Asia
- KAZ
Kazakhstan · Politics & Power · mid-13th century
The Golden Horde rules the western steppe
The lands of present-day Kazakhstan pass to the line of Jochi, forming the western wing of the Mongol empire known as the Golden Horde, where Turks outnumber Mongols and Islam becomes the prevailing faith.
The Mongol Conquest and the Golden Horde
Sources: Golden Horde (Encyclopædia Britannica) · History of Kazakhstan (Encyclopædia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- SMR
San Marino · Politics & Power
First Captains Regent
The republic adopted its signature institution, two Captains Regent serving jointly for six-month terms; since the late-thirteenth-century statute their office has alternated every six months without interruption.
The Commune, the Statutes and the Captains Regent
Sources: The Institutions of the Republic of San Marino (Consulate of San Marino to the UK) · History of San Marino (Visit San Marino (official tourism site))
1 record
Europe
- BEL
Belgium · Religion
Foundation of the beguinages
Communities of beguines, women living a religious life without taking monastic vows, established enclosed beguinages in the Flemish towns; thirteen survive as a UNESCO World Heritage site bearing witness to this medieval tradition.
The Medieval Low Countries: Flanders, Brabant and the Cloth Towns
Sources: Flemish Béguinages (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
1 record
Europe
- AUT
Austria · Politics & Power
End of the Babenberg line
Duke Frederick II 'the Quarrelsome' was killed fighting the Hungarians, leaving no male heir; the extinction of the Babenbergs left the duchy of Austria contested among neighbouring powers.
Ostarrîchi: The Babenberg March and Duchy
Sources: Ostarrîchi: Austria under the Babenbergs (Die Welt der Habsburger (The World of the Habsburgs))
1 record
Europe
- FIN
Finland · Religion · 13th century
Turku and the Christianization of Finland
Carried by the Swedish crusades, Latin Christianity spread through Finland; Turku (Abo), founded in the thirteenth century, became the principal town and episcopal seat of the eastern realm.
The Finnic Peoples and Six Centuries as Part of Sweden
Sources: Finland: Finland under Swedish rule (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Main outlines of Finnish history (thisisFINLAND (Finland Promotion Board))
10 events · 10 nations
1250s
4 records
Africa
- EGY
Egypt · Politics & Power · 1250 CE
Mamluks seize power
The slave-soldier Mamluks overthrow the last Ayyubid ruler and establish a sultanate that will govern Egypt and Syria for over two and a half centuries.
Islamic Egypt: Caliphs, Fatimids and Mamluks
Sources: Egypt: The Ayyubid dynasty (1171–1250) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- ZWE
Zimbabwe · Economy & Trade · 13th–14th century
Apex of the gold trade
At its height the city held perhaps 10,000–18,000 people and controlled a gold and ivory trade reaching the Swahili coast at Sofala and Kilwa; Chinese porcelain, Persian glass and a Kilwa coin have been excavated there.
Great Zimbabwe and the gold trade
Sources: Great Zimbabwe National Monument (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · Great Zimbabwe (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Great Zimbabwe (Wikipedia)
Asia
- SYR
Syria · Politics & Power · 1250 CE
Mamluk rule over Syria
The Mamluks supplant the Ayyubids and govern Syria from Egypt for over two centuries, halting the Mongols and presiding over a flourishing of trade and architecture in Damascus and Aleppo.
Saladin, the Mamluks and Ottoman Rule
Sources: Mamluk dynasty — rulers of Egypt and Syria (1250–1517) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
North America
- GRL
Greenland · Peoples & Migration · c. 1200–1300
Arrival of the Thule
The Thule people migrated eastward from Alaska with dog sleds, kayaks and whale-hunting technology, settling Greenland's coasts and becoming the direct ancestors of the modern Kalaallit (Greenlandic Inuit).
The First Peoples: Saqqaq, Dorset and Thule
Sources: Greenland: History (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Aasivissuit–Nipisat. Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
1 record
Asia
- KOR
South Korea · Religion · 1236-1251 CE
Tripitaka Koreana completed
Goryeo Buddhists carve the entire Buddhist canon onto more than 80,000 woodblocks as a prayer for deliverance from the Mongols, a printing landmark preserved at Haeinsa.
Unified Silla and Goryeo
Sources: Koryo (Goryeo) dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
2 records
Europe
- LTU
Lithuania · Formation
Coronation of Mindaugas
Having accepted baptism around 1251, Mindaugas was crowned King of Lithuania by authority of Pope Innocent IV, the only ruler ever crowned king of the country and the founder of the Lithuanian state.
The Pagan Kingdom and the Rise of the Grand Duchy
Sources: Mindaugas (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Coronation of Lithuania's King Mindaugas: fact, fiction and politics (LRT (Lithuanian National Radio and Television))
- SMR
San Marino · Politics & Power
The earliest Statutes
San Marino set down its first written statutes, with a fuller body of state law following by 1295, formalising the self-government of the mountain commune.
The Commune, the Statutes and the Captains Regent
Sources: History of San Marino (Visit San Marino (official tourism site))
2 records
Asia
- IRQ
Iraq · War & Rupture · 1258 CE
The Mongol sack of Baghdad
The Mongol forces of Hulagu Khan besiege and storm Baghdad, executing the last Abbasid caliph al-Musta'sim and destroying the city; the sack ends the Abbasid Caliphate and devastates the region.
Abbasid Baghdad and the Islamic Golden Age
Sources: Iraq — The later Abbasids (1152–1258) (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Iraq — History (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- VNM
Vietnam · War & Rupture · 1258, 1285 and 1288 CE
Tran defeat of the Mongol invasions
Under Tran Hung Dao the Tran dynasty repels three invasions by Kublai Khan's Mongols, climaxing in the 1288 victory at the Bach Dang River where the Mongol fleet is destroyed on hidden stakes.
Independent Dynasties: Ly, Tran, and Le
Sources: Tran dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Tran Hung Dao (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- BGR
Bulgaria · Culture & Ideas
The frescoes of the Boyana Church
The second-layer frescoes of the Boyana Church near Sofia, painted in 1259, rank among the masterpieces of medieval European art and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Second Bulgarian Empire and the Ottoman Conquest
Sources: Boyana Church (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
6 events · 5 nations
1260s
1 record
Africa
- EGY
Egypt · War & Rupture · 1260 CE
Battle of Ain Jalut
Mamluk forces defeat the Mongols at Ain Jalut in Palestine, halting their westward advance and securing Egypt as the bastion of the Islamic world.
Islamic Egypt: Caliphs, Fatimids and Mamluks
Sources: Egypt: The Ayyubid dynasty (1171–1250) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
North America
- GRL
Greenland · Politics & Power
Submission to the Norwegian crown
The Greenlanders accepted the sovereignty of the king of Norway, tying the colony to the Scandinavian crowns and, through later unions, ultimately to Denmark.
Erik the Red and the Norse Colony
Sources: Greenland: History (Encyclopædia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- ISL
Iceland · Politics & Power · 1262–1264
The Old Covenant (Gamli sáttmáli)
Worn down by civil strife and pressed by King Haakon IV, the Icelandic chieftains swore allegiance to the Norwegian crown, ending the independent Commonwealth and beginning centuries of foreign rule.
Christianity, the Sagas and the Old Covenant
Sources: The Age of the Sturlungs (Medievalists.net) · Iceland: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- LTU
Lithuania · Politics & Power
Assassination of Mindaugas and pagan reversion
Mindaugas was murdered amid noble rivalry; Lithuania abandoned the royal title and Christianity, returning to paganism and to rule by grand dukes for more than a century.
The Pagan Kingdom and the Rise of the Grand Duchy
Sources: Mindaugas (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
2 records
Africa
- MAR
Morocco · Politics & Power
Fall of the Almohads
The Marinids capture Marrakesh, ending Almohad rule and inaugurating a new Berber dynasty centred on Fez.
The Berber Empires: Almoravids and Almohads
Sources: Marinid dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- MAR
Morocco · Politics & Power
Marinids master Morocco from Fez
Having taken Fez in 1248 and Marrakesh in 1269, the Marinids rule Morocco from Fez, endowing the city with famous madrasas.
Marinids, Saadians and the Three Kings
Sources: Marinid dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
8 events · 8 nations
1270s
1 record
Africa
- ETH
Ethiopia · Formation
Solomonic dynasty restored
Yekuno Amlak overthrows the last Zagwe ruler and founds the Solomonic dynasty, which would rule Ethiopia almost continuously until 1974, claiming descent from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
The Zagwe Kings, Lalibela and the Solomonic Restoration
Sources: Solomonic Descent in Ethiopian History (World History Encyclopedia) · Ethiopia's Enduring Cultural Heritage (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
2 records
Asia
- CHN
China · War & Rupture · 1271 CE
Kublai Khan founds the Mongol Yuan dynasty
Kublai Khan declares the Yuan dynasty in 1271 and completes the conquest of the Song by 1279, ruling China from Dadu (Beijing) as the first foreign-led dynasty to govern all of China.
Empires of Conquest and Restoration: Yuan, Ming, Qing
Sources: Yuan dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Yuan Dynasty (World History Encyclopedia)
- MNG
Mongolia · Formation
Kublai Khan founds the Yuan dynasty
Chinggis Khan's grandson Kublai proclaims the Yuan dynasty in 1271 and completes the conquest of China by 1279, ruling all of China from Khanbaliq (Beijing) as its first non-Chinese sovereign.
The Great Empire: Karakorum, Kublai, and the Yuan
Sources: Kublai Khan (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Mongol empire (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
2 records
Asia
- JPN
Japan · War & Rupture · 1274 and 1281 CE
Mongol invasions repelled
Kublai Khan's Yuan forces twice attempt to invade Japan; both fleets are wrecked by typhoons later mythologized as the kamikaze, or divine winds.
Kamakura and Muromachi: The Age of the Shogun
Sources: Kamakura period (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Japan (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- NOR
Norway · Politics & Power · c. 1274
The national law of Magnus the Lawmender
King Magnus VI codified a national law for the whole kingdom, one of the most advanced legal codes in medieval Europe and a mark of the consolidated Christian monarchy.
The Christian Kingdom, St Olaf and Hanseatic Bergen
Sources: Norway: The Treaty of Kiel (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
2 records
Europe
- AND
Andorra · Formation · 8 Sep 1278
The first paréage
A feudal charter signed at Lleida ended the dispute between the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix by placing Andorra under their joint suzerainty, creating the co-principality.
The Paréage of 1278 and the Making of the Co-Principality
Sources: Andorra: History, Facts & Points of Interest (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Andorra: geography, history, and system of government (summary) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Andorra: Countries (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian)
- AUT
Austria · War & Rupture · 26 Aug 1278
Battle of the Marchfeld
Rudolf I of Habsburg defeated and killed the Bohemian king Ottokar II near Dürnkrut on the Marchfeld, seizing the Austrian lands; in 1282 he enfeoffed his sons with them, founding Habsburg rule in Austria.
The Rise of the Habsburgs and the Ottoman Wars
Sources: The Habsburgs take over Austria (Die Welt der Habsburger (The World of the Habsburgs))
1 record
Asia
- THA
Thailand · Politics & Power · c. 1279–1298
Reign of Ramkhamhaeng the Great
Sukhothai reaches its zenith under Ramkhamhaeng, who expands its reach, opens relations with China, and champions Theravada Buddhism.
Tai Origins and the Sukhothai Kingdom
Sources: Ramkhamhaeng (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Sukhothai kingdom (Encyclopædia Britannica)
10 events · 9 nations
1280s
1 record
Europe
- LVA
Latvia · Economy & Trade
Riga joins the Hanseatic League
Riga entered the Hanseatic League, the powerful association of northern European merchant towns, cementing its prosperity as the chief trading city between Russia and western Europe.
Baltic Tribes, the Northern Crusades and Terra Mariana
Sources: Historic Centre of Riga (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · History of Latvia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia)
2 records
Asia
- THA
Thailand · Culture & Ideas
Creation of the Thai script
King Ramkhamhaeng is traditionally credited with devising the Thai alphabet, recorded on a stone inscription dated 1292, the earliest known text in the Thai language.
Tai Origins and the Sukhothai Kingdom
Sources: Ramkhamhaeng (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Europe
- MLT
Malta · Politics & Power · 13th–15th century
Rule under Sicily and Aragon
As part of the Kingdom of Sicily, Malta passed through Norman, Swabian, Angevin and Aragonese hands, governed by feudal lords and a local council, until 1530.
Arabs, Normans and Medieval Malta
Sources: History of Malta (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
2 records
Africa
- DJI
Djibouti · Politics & Power · late 13th century
Sultanate of Ifat dominant on the routes
The Walashma-ruled Sultanate of Ifat, with Zeila as its principal port, commands the trade routes between the Ethiopian highlands and the Red Sea, spreading Muslim political power into the region.
The Afar, the Issa and the Muslim Sultanates
Sources: History of Djibouti (Wikipedia) · Djibouti (country and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- EST
Estonia · Economy & Trade
Reval joins the Hanseatic League
Tallinn, known as Reval, entered the Hanseatic League and grew into a wealthy port linking Russian trade to the markets of the Baltic and the North Sea.
Hanseatic Reval, Danish and Swedish Estonia
Sources: Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
1 record
2 records
Asia
- MMR
Myanmar · War & Rupture · 1287 CE
Mongol invasion and collapse
Armies of Kublai Khan's Mongol empire invade and shatter the kingdom; a further incursion in 1297 ends Bagan as a unifying power.
The Kingdom of Pagan (Bagan)
Sources: Pagan kingdom (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Myanmar (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- NLD
Netherlands · Catastrophe
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.
The Low Countries: Romans, Frisians and Medieval Counties
Sources: Netherlands (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- AND
Andorra · Formation
The second paréage
A second charter settled questions of justice and defence left open in 1278; together the two paréages formed Andorra's first basic law and constitutional foundation until 1993.
The Paréage of 1278 and the Making of the Co-Principality
Sources: Andorra: History, Facts & Points of Interest (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Andorra: Countries (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian)
1 record
Europe
- AND
Andorra · Politics & Power · from 1278
The questia tribute and neutrality
Andorra rendered a symbolic annual tribute, the questia, to each co-prince as an act of homage; the settlement was understood to recognise the valleys' neutrality.
The Paréage of 1278 and the Making of the Co-Principality
Sources: Andorra: History, Facts & Points of Interest (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Andorra: Member state (Council of Europe)
9 events · 8 nations
1290s
2 records
Asia
- PSE
Palestine · Politics & Power · 1291 CE
Mamluk rule established
The Mamluk sultanate of Egypt expelled the last Crusaders from the Levant and governed Palestine until the Ottoman conquest.
Islamic Palestine: Conquest, Caliphates, Crusades, and Mamluks
Sources: Palestine - region, history (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- CHE
Switzerland · Formation · Aug 1291
The Federal Charter of the forest cantons
Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden sealed a charter of mutual aid against outside lords, refusing foreign judges and pledging to keep the peace; later regarded as the founding act of the Swiss Confederation and its oldest constitutional document.
The Oath of the Forest Cantons and the Old Swiss Confederacy
Sources: The History of Switzerland (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (aboutswitzerland.eda.admin.ch)) · Switzerland: The Swiss Confederation during the Late Middle Ages (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
2 records
Asia
- BRN
Brunei · Politics & Power · late 13th-14th century
Tributary ties to Majapahit
Brunei comes under the cultural and political influence of the Hindu Javanese empire of Majapahit, to which it pays tribute, while maintaining its long-standing relationship with China.
Early Borneo: Trade, Tribute, and the Rise of Po-ni
Sources: History of Brunei (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Majapahit empire (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- IDN
Indonesia · Formation
Founding of the Majapahit empire
Raden Wijaya establishes Majapahit in eastern Java, which grows into the most powerful Hindu-Buddhist empire of the archipelago.
Early Peoples and the Hindu-Buddhist Kingdoms: Srivijaya and Majapahit
Sources: Majapahit empire (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Majapahit (Wikipedia)
1 record
Europe
- SMR
San Marino · Politics & Power · c. 1296
Self-government affirmed within papal Romagna
As the Papal States consolidated their hold over the surrounding Romagna, San Marino preserved its autonomy by diplomacy and the recognition of its rights, the strategy of survival that kept the commune free among far greater powers.
The Commune, the Statutes and the Captains Regent
Sources: History of San Marino (Visit San Marino (official tourism site)) · San Marino (Napoleon, Congress of Vienna, 1862 treaty) (New World Encyclopedia)
3 records
Asia
- IDN
Indonesia · Religion · late 13th c.
Islam takes root in northern Sumatra
The early Muslim sultanate of Samudera Pasai in northern Sumatra marks the establishment of Islam in the archipelago, spread by traders along the maritime routes.
The Spread of Islam and the Spice-Trade Sultanates
Sources: History of Indonesia (Islamic influence; Dutch rule) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Spread of Islam in Indonesia (Wikipedia)
Europe
- MCO
Monaco · Formation · 8 January 1297
Grimaldi seizes the Rock
François Grimaldi, called Malizia, took the fortress disguised as a Franciscan monk, beginning the Grimaldi presence in Monaco, an event commemorated by the armed monks of the princely coat of arms.
The Genoese Fortress and the Coming of the Grimaldi
Sources: Occupation of the Rocher by François Grimaldi (Government of Monaco (gouv.mc)) · Monaco - Prince's Palace (Government of Monaco (gouv.mc)) · Grimaldi family (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Monaco summary (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- PRT
Portugal · Politics & Power
Treaty of Alcanices
King Dinis and Ferdinand IV of Castile confirmed Portuguese possession of the Algarve and fixed the frontier, creating one of the oldest stable borders in Europe.
From County to Kingdom: Afonso Henriques and the Reconquista
Sources: Treaty of Alcanices (1297) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Dinis, king of Portugal (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Asia
- TUR
Türkiye · Formation · c. 1299
Foundation of the Ottoman emirate
Osman I, leader of a frontier emirate in north-western Anatolia, is traditionally regarded as founder of the Ottoman dynasty around 1299, giving his name to the empire.
The Rise of the Seljuks and Ottomans
Sources: Osman I (World History Encyclopedia) · Ottoman Empire (Encyclopædia Britannica)