15 events · 15 nations
1300s
11 records
Africa
- GNQ
Equatorial Guinea · Peoples & Migration · pre-colonial era
Fang and Ndowe of Río Muni
The Fang, a large Bantu people, settled the forests of the mainland enclave of Río Muni, while Ndowe and related coastal peoples — later grouped as Playeros — occupied the shoreline and mediated trade with the interior.
Peoples of the island and the mainland
Sources: History of Equatorial Guinea (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Equatorial Guinea (Encyclopedia.com) · Equatorial Guinea — Background Note (U.S. Department of State)
- ERI
- GMB
Gambia · Politics & Power · c. 13th–14th centuries
Mandinka kingdoms of the river
Mandinka warriors and traders founded small states along both banks of the Gambia, including Niumi (Barra), Niani and Wuli, which controlled river trade and important inland routes.
The Mali Empire and the Mandinka kingdoms
Sources: History of the Gambia (Wikipedia) · Kingdom of Niumi (Wikipedia) · The Gambia (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- GHA
Ghana · Economy & Trade · c. 13th–16th centuries
Gold links the forest to the Sahel
Akan gold dust, traded north through Begho to Djenné and Timbuktu by Wangara merchants, made the forest states wealthy and laid the economic foundations for later kingdoms.
The Akan forest states and the gold trade
Sources: Bono people / Bono State (Wikipedia) · Ghana (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- CIV
Ivory Coast · Peoples & Migration · 14th century onward
Dyula merchants found northern trading towns
Mandé-speaking Muslim merchants, the Dyula, established trading and Islamic centres such as Kong, Bondoukou, Bouna, and Begho, linking the rainforest to the markets of the Sahel.
The northern savannas, the Dyula, and the Empire of Kong
Sources: History of Ivory Coast (Wikipedia) · Kong Empire (Wikipedia) · Korhogo (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- MOZ
Mozambique · Economy & Trade · 14th–15th century
Kilwa controls the Sofala gold trade
The sultanate of Kilwa dominates the export of interior gold through Sofala, drawing wealth from the Zimbabwe and Mutapa goldfields into the wider Islamic world.
The Swahili Coast and the Gold of Sofala
Sources: Sofala (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Sofala (Wikipedia)
- NGA
Nigeria · Formation · c. 13th–17th centuries
Flourishing of Benin and Oyo
The Edo kingdom of Benin and the Yoruba empire of Oyo rose as major forest powers, Benin renowned for its court art and Oyo for the cavalry empire of its Alaafin.
The great precolonial kingdoms: Kanem-Bornu, Hausa, Oyo and Benin
Sources: Oyo empire (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Benin Bronzes (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Nigeria (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SOM
Somalia · Politics & Power · c. 13th–17th century
The Ajuran Sultanate
The Ajuran empire dominates southern Somalia and the Horn, controlling the Shabelle and Jubba river systems, building wells and fortifications and resisting Oromo and Portuguese incursions before fragmenting in the late 17th century.
The Ajuran, Geledi and Majeerteen Sultanates
Sources: The Sultanates of Somalia (Lumen Learning, Early World Civilizations) · History of Somalia (Wikipedia)
- TZA
Tanzania · Economy & Trade · 13th–15th centuries
Kilwa dominates the gold trade
Controlling the gold exported through Sofala, Kilwa reaches its peak of wealth, minting coins and building the Great Mosque, the largest in the region.
Bantu Settlers and the Swahili Coast
Sources: Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · Kilwa Kisiwani (Wikipedia) · Kilwa, the abandoned East African city that controlled the medieval gold trade (National Geographic)
Asia
- NPL
Nepal · Culture & Ideas · Malla era
The Durbar squares and Newar art
Malla patronage produces the palace squares, pagoda temples and stupas later recognised as the seven monument zones of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site.
The Malla City-States and the Valley of Art
Sources: Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
Oceania
- NZL
New Zealand · Peoples & Migration · c. 1300 CE
Polynesian voyagers settle Aotearoa
The ancestors of the Māori reached New Zealand from East Polynesia in great voyaging canoes around 1300 CE, making it one of the last large landmasses on Earth to be permanently settled.
The Polynesian voyage and the making of the Māori world
Sources: Pacific voyaging and discovery (NZ History (Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture and Heritage)) · Māori arrival and settlement (Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand) · New Zealand (country) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- BEL
Belgium · War & Rupture · 11 Jul 1302
Battle of the Golden Spurs
A Flemish town militia, mostly craft guildsmen, destroyed a French army of knights near Courtrai, collecting the golden spurs of the slain nobles and asserting the independence of the Flemish towns.
The Medieval Low Countries: Flanders, Brabant and the Cloth Towns
Sources: Battle of the Golden Spurs (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Belgium: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- CZE
Czechia · Politics & Power
End of the Premyslid dynasty
The murder of Wenceslas III extinguished the male line of the Premyslids; after a brief contest the Bohemian crown passed to the House of Luxembourg, the dynasty of Charles IV.
The Golden Age of Bohemia under Charles IV
Sources: Czechoslovak history (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- LUX
Luxembourg · Politics & Power
Henry of Luxembourg elected King of the Romans
Count Henry, head of the House of Luxembourg, was elected King of the Romans, opening the dynasty's rise to the imperial throne of the Holy Roman Empire.
Siegfried's Rock and the County of Luxembourg
Sources: The history of the Nassau dynasty (Cour grand-ducale (Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg)) · History of the city of Luxembourg (Luxembourg City Tourist Office)
1 record
Europe
- VAT
Vatican City · Religion · 1309–1377
The Avignon papacy
The popes moved their residence to Avignon in France, where seven popes ruled for nearly seventy years away from Rome.
The Rise of Temporal Power and the Papal States
Sources: Avignon papacy (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
5 events · 5 nations
1310s
1 record
Europe
- LUX
Luxembourg · Politics & Power
John the Blind becomes King of Bohemia
John of Luxembourg, son of Henry VII, became king of Bohemia in 1310 and count of Luxembourg in 1313, a renowned warrior-prince later celebrated as a national hero of Luxembourg.
The House of Luxembourg and the Imperial Duchy
Sources: The history of the Nassau dynasty (Cour grand-ducale (Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg)) · History of the city of Luxembourg (Luxembourg City Tourist Office)
1 record
Africa
- ETH
Ethiopia · Culture & Ideas · c. 1314–1322
Compilation of the Kebra Nagast
The national epic the Kebra Nagast is set down in Ge'ez, codifying the Solomonic descent of Ethiopia's emperors and the tradition of the Ark of the Covenant at Aksum.
The Zagwe Kings, Lalibela and the Solomonic Restoration
Sources: Solomonic Descent in Ethiopian History (World History Encyclopedia)
1 record
Europe
- CHE
Switzerland · War & Rupture · 15 Nov 1315
Battle of Morgarten
Men of Schwyz and Uri ambushed and destroyed a Habsburg army of knights under Duke Leopold I at Morgarten, the first great victory of the Confederation and a celebrated triumph of foot soldiers over mounted nobility.
The Oath of the Forest Cantons and the Old Swiss Confederacy
Sources: Battle of Morgarten (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- LTU
Lithuania · Politics & Power · c. 1316–1341
Reign of Gediminas and the Gediminid dynasty
Gediminas consolidated the grand duchy, founded the dynasty that bears his name and began the expansion that carried Lithuanian power deep into the lands of the former Kievan Rus.
The Pagan Kingdom and the Rise of the Grand Duchy
Sources: Gediminas (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Africa
- SDN
Sudan · Politics & Power · 14th century
Decline of Makuria
Under Mamluk pressure and Arab settlement, the Christian kingdom of Makuria fragments and its capital at Dongola is lost.
The Christian Kingdoms of Nubia
Sources: Nubia (Christian kingdoms: Nobatia, Makuria, Alodia) (Wikipedia)
8 events · 7 nations
1320s
1 record
Europe
- KOS
Kosovo · Religion · 1321 / mid-14th c.
Gracanica and Visoki Decani built
The monastery of Gracanica was founded in 1321 and Visoki Decani built in the mid-14th century for King Stefan Decanski; with other churches they form the UNESCO Medieval Monuments in Kosovo, later placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Medieval Serbian Heartland and the Battle of Kosovo
Sources: Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (World Heritage List, no. 724) (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · Medieval Monuments in Kosovo: State of Conservation (List of World Heritage in Danger since 2006) (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
1 record
Europe
- BIH
Bosnia and Herzegovina · Politics & Power · 1322–1353
Stjepan Kotromanić expands Bosnia
Ban Stjepan Kotromanić of the Kotromanić dynasty enlarged Bosnia southward, incorporating the principality of Hum, the territory later known as Herzegovina.
Medieval Bosnia: Banate, Kingdom and the Bosnian Church
Sources: Kotromanić dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Bosnia and Herzegovina: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
2 records
Europe
- FIN
Finland · Politics & Power
Treaty of Noteborg
The peace of Noteborg fixed an approximate frontier between the Swedish and Russian spheres in Karelia, assigning Finland to Sweden's orbit and splitting the Karelians between Catholic west and Orthodox east.
The Finnic Peoples and Six Centuries as Part of Sweden
Sources: Main outlines of Finnish history (thisisFINLAND (Finland Promotion Board)) · Finland: Finland under Swedish rule (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- LTU
Lithuania · Formation
Vilnius founded by Gediminas
The capital Vilnius is first recorded in Grand Duke Gediminas's letters of 1323, in which he invited merchants, craftsmen and clergy from across Europe to settle freely in his expanding realm.
The Pagan Kingdom and the Rise of the Grand Duchy
Sources: Gediminas (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · The Precepts of Grand Duke Gediminas to Vilnius and Lithuania (National Museum, Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania)
2 records
Africa
- GIN
Guinea · Economy & Trade
Mansa Musa's pilgrimage makes Mali's gold legendary
Under Mansa Musa, the Mali Empire — embracing the Mande lands of the upper Niger — reaches its height and becomes renowned abroad for the wealth of its rulers.
The Mande Heartland and the Sahelian Empires
Sources: Mali Empire (EBSCO Research Starters) · Guinea — History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- MLI
Mali · Religion
Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca
Mansa Musa journeys to Mecca with a vast retinue and quantities of gold so great his almsgiving is said to have disrupted Egypt's gold prices, spreading Mali's fame abroad.
The Mali Empire
Sources: Mansa Mūsā's Pilgrimage to Mecca (EBSCO Research Starters) · The Mali Empire (National Geographic Education) · History of the Mali Empire (Wikipedia)
2 records
Africa
- MLI
Mali · Culture & Ideas · 14th century
Timbuktu and Djenné flourish
Under Mali's mansas the Niger cities grow into major centres of trans-Saharan trade and Islamic scholarship, attracting merchants and scholars.
The Mali Empire
Sources: Timbuktu — World Heritage Centre (UNESCO) · The Mali Empire (National Geographic Education)
North America
- MEX
Mexico · Formation · 1325 CE
Founding of Tenochtitlan
The Mexica establish their capital on an island in Lake Texcoco, the site of present-day Mexico City.
The Mexica (Aztec) Empire
Sources: Aztec Civilization (National Geographic Education) · Aztec (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
10 events · 10 nations
1330s
1 record
Europe
- ROU
3 records
Africa
- KEN
Kenya · Religion
Ibn Battuta visits Mombasa
The traveller Ibn Battuta describes Mombasa and Kilwa as prosperous, pious Muslim trading towns, attesting to the wealth of the medieval Swahili coast.
Migrations and the Swahili Coast
Sources: History of Kenya (Wikipedia) · Swahili coast (Wikipedia)
- SOM
Somalia · Culture & Ideas
Ibn Battuta visits Mogadishu
The traveller Ibn Battuta describes Mogadishu as a large, prosperous Muslim trading city, attesting to the wealth of the Benadir coast in the medieval Indian Ocean world.
Islam, the Coastal City-States and the Adal Sultanate
Sources: History of Somalia (Wikipedia) · Somali maritime history (Wikipedia)
- TZA
Tanzania · Religion
Ibn Battuta visits Kilwa
The traveller Ibn Battuta describes Kilwa as a prosperous, devout and beautifully built Muslim city, attesting to the wealth of the medieval Swahili coast.
Bantu Settlers and the Swahili Coast
Sources: Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · Kilwa Kisiwani (Wikipedia)
1 record
Africa
- DJI
Djibouti · War & Rupture · c. 1332
Ifat broken by Ethiopia; rise of Adal
The Ethiopian emperor Amda Seyon defeats Ifat; the Sultanate of Adal succeeds it as the leading Muslim power contesting the Christian highlands.
The Afar, the Issa and the Muslim Sultanates
Sources: History of Djibouti (Wikipedia) · Djibouti (country and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- POL
Poland · Politics & Power · 1333–1370
Reign of Casimir III the Great
The last Piast king reformed the law, founded the University of Krakow in 1364, expanded the kingdom and welcomed Jewish settlers, leaving Poland prosperous and consolidated.
The Piast and Jagiellonian Kingdom
Sources: Casimir III the Great (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Poland: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
2 records
Africa
- SEN
Senegal · Politics & Power · c. 1335
Guelowar dynasty in Sine and Saloum
The Gelwaar lineage establishes matrilineal monarchy over the Serer kingdoms of Sine and Saloum, ruling under the title Maad.
The Jolof Empire and Its Successor Kingdoms
Sources: Guelowar dynasty (Wikipedia)
Europe
- SVN
Slovenia · Politics & Power
Habsburgs acquire Carniola and Carinthia
Carinthia and Carniola passed to the Habsburg dynasty, which already held Styria, bringing nearly all the Slovene lands under the rule that would last about six centuries.
The Habsburg Duchies and the Birth of Written Slovene
Sources: Slovenia: The Middle Ages (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Slovenia (Government of Slovenia (gov.si))
1 record
Europe
- FRA
France · War & Rupture
Hundred Years' War begins
A dynastic struggle with England that would last until 1453 and forge French identity.
The Medieval & Early-Modern Kingdom
Sources: Hundred Years' War (Encyclopædia Britannica)
1 record
Asia
- JPN
Japan · Politics & Power · 1338 CE
Ashikaga Takauji founds the Muromachi shogunate
Takauji establishes the second shogunate, ruling from Kyoto's Muromachi district and presiding over a brilliant if unstable cultural era.
Kamakura and Muromachi: The Age of the Shogun
Sources: Muromachi period (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
12 events · 11 nations
1340s
1 record
Europe
- UKR
Ukraine · Politics & Power · 14th century
Rus' lands pass to Lithuania and Poland
Following the collapse of Galicia-Volhynia, most of the former Rus' lands were absorbed by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, while Galicia in the west passed to the Kingdom of Poland.
Between Lithuania, Poland and the Steppe
Sources: History of Ukraine (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
2 records
Asia
- BGD
Bangladesh · Formation
Iliyas Shah founds the Bengal Sultanate
Shamsuddin Iliyas Shah unifies Bengal's principalities and establishes the independent Iliyas Shahi Sultanate at Lakhnauti, beginning more than two centuries of sovereign Muslim rule.
The Bengal Sultanate and the Spread of Islam
Sources: Iliyas Shah (Banglapedia (Asiatic Society of Bangladesh))
Europe
- LIE
Liechtenstein · Formation · c. 1342
The county of Vaduz takes shape
A separate county of Vaduz emerged in the fourteenth century in the upper Rhine valley, alongside the smaller lordship of Schellenberg, both small and often impoverished holdings within the Holy Roman Empire.
The Lordships of the Rhine and the Distant House of Liechtenstein
Sources: Liechtenstein: History (Alpine, Principality, Sovereignty) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · How the Principality of Liechtenstein came into being (Swiss National Museum (Blog))
1 record
Europe
- EST
Estonia · War & Rupture · 1343–1345
St George's Night Uprising
Estonian peasants rose against their German and Danish overlords in a great revolt that was suppressed; in its wake Denmark sold its Estonian lands to the Teutonic Order in 1346.
The Ancient Estonians and the Northern Crusades
Sources: Estonia: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Ancient Estonia and the Kunda culture (Klaipeda University, Archaeologia Baltica (peer-reviewed journal))
4 records
Europe
- LUX
Luxembourg · War & Rupture · 26 Aug 1346
Death of John the Blind at Crecy
Blind in his final years, John of Luxembourg insisted on joining the fighting and was killed at the Battle of Crecy on the side of France, becoming an emblematic figure of Luxembourg's chivalric past.
The House of Luxembourg and the Imperial Duchy
Sources: History of the city of Luxembourg (Luxembourg City Tourist Office) · The history of the Nassau dynasty (Cour grand-ducale (Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg))
- MCO
Monaco · Politics & Power
Purchase of Menton
Charles I Grimaldi, regarded as the founder of the principality, enlarged the Grimaldi domain by purchasing the lordship of Menton, which remained Monégasque until 1861.
The Genoese Fortress and the Coming of the Grimaldi
Sources: Monaco (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SRB
Serbia · Politics & Power · Apr 1346
Imperial coronation of Stefan Dušan
Having expanded the realm across the southern Balkans, Stefan Dušan was crowned 'Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks' and raised the church of Peć to a patriarchate, the high point of medieval Serbia.
The Medieval Serbian State under the Nemanjić Dynasty
Sources: Stefan Dušan (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Nemanjić Dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SRB
Serbia · Religion · from 1346
Patriarchate of Peć
Elevated under Dušan, the patriarchate of Peć became the spiritual heart of the Serbs; its medieval churches in Kosovo survive as UNESCO World Heritage monuments of the Serbian Orthodox tradition.
The Battle of Kosovo and the Ottoman Conquest
Sources: Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
2 records
Europe
- CZE
Czechia · Culture & Ideas
Foundation of Charles University
Charles IV founded the university in Prague that bears his name, the first university in central Europe, endowed with the same rights and liberties as the universities of Paris and Bologna.
The Golden Age of Bohemia under Charles IV
Sources: Charles University (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Historic Centre of Prague (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
- GBR
United Kingdom · Catastrophe · 1348–1349
The Black Death reaches England
The plague pandemic killed a large proportion of England's population within a few years, devastating communities and accelerating long-term changes in labour and society.
The Norman Conquest and medieval England
Sources: The British Library: history and collections (The British Library)
2 records
Europe
- MDA
Moldova · Formation · c. 1349
Founding of the Principality of Moldavia
Vlach migrants from Maramures established a principality east of the Carpathians; its independence is traditionally attributed to the voivode Bogdan I, making Moldavia the second Romanian principality.
The Principality of Moldavia and the Golden Age of Stephen the Great
Sources: Moldavia (historical principality) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Moldova: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- NOR
Norway · Catastrophe
The Black Death reaches Norway
Plague arrived by ship at Bergen and spread through the country, killing about half the population and devastating the native aristocracy and clergy, a turning point in Norwegian history.
The Black Death, the Kalmar Union and the Danish Centuries
Sources: Kalmarunionen (Store norske leksikon) · Norway: The Treaty of Kiel (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
14 events · 12 nations
1350s
4 records
Africa
- SEN
Senegal · Formation · mid-14th c.
Rise of the Jolof Empire
A Wolof confederation unites provinces between the Senegal and Gambia rivers, drawing tribute and trade across the western savanna.
The Jolof Empire and Its Successor Kingdoms
Sources: Wolof Empire (World History Encyclopedia) · Jolof kingdom (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Asia
- IDN
Indonesia · Politics & Power · 1350–1389
Majapahit's golden age under Hayam Wuruk
Under King Hayam Wuruk and his prime minister Gajah Mada, Majapahit reaches its height, projecting power and trade across much of the archipelago.
Early Peoples and the Hindu-Buddhist Kingdoms: Srivijaya and Majapahit
Sources: Majapahit empire (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- NOR
Norway · Economy & Trade · c. 1350
The Hanseatic Kontor at Bryggen
German merchants of the Hanseatic League established their trading office at Bryggen in Bergen, which became Norway's foremost town and a hub of northern commerce for some four centuries, until 1754.
The Christian Kingdom, St Olaf and Hanseatic Bergen
Sources: Bryggen i Bergen (Store norske leksikon) · Bryggen (World Heritage List) (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
Oceania
- NZL
New Zealand · Culture & Ideas · 14th–15th centuries
The Māori world takes shape
Settlers adapted to a temperate land and developed the distinct Māori culture of iwi and hapū, organised by whakapapa and rangatira and expressed through carving, weaving, and the working of pounamu.
The Polynesian voyage and the making of the Māori world
Sources: Māori arrival and settlement (Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand) · New Zealand (country) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Asia
- THA
Thailand · Formation
Foundation of Ayutthaya
King Ramathibodi I founds Ayutthaya at the meeting of three rivers, beginning a kingdom that would dominate the Chao Phraya basin for over four centuries.
The Kingdom of Ayutthaya
Sources: Thailand (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Historic City of Ayutthaya (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
2 records
Asia
- LAO
Laos · Formation · 1353 CE
Fa Ngum founds Lan Xang
Fa Ngum unifies the Lao principalities of the Mekong by conquest and proclaims the kingdom of Lan Xang, the "million elephants," with its capital at Muang Swa (Luang Prabang).
The Kingdom of Lan Xang
Sources: Fa Ngum (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Lan Xang (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- LAO
Laos · Religion · from the mid-14th century
Theravada Buddhism established
During Fa Ngum's reign Theravada Buddhism of the Sinhalese school is introduced into the Lao kingdom, likely from Cambodia, becoming the foundational religion of Laos.
The Kingdom of Lan Xang
Sources: Fa Ngum (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Lan Xang (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- LUX
Luxembourg · Politics & Power
Luxembourg raised to a duchy
Emperor Charles IV of the House of Luxembourg elevated the County of Luxembourg to the rank of a duchy, entrusting it to his half-brother Wenceslaus as its first duke.
The House of Luxembourg and the Imperial Duchy
Sources: History of the city of Luxembourg (Luxembourg City Tourist Office) · The history of the Nassau dynasty (Cour grand-ducale (Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg))
3 records
Europe
- CZE
Czechia · Politics & Power
Charles IV crowned Holy Roman Emperor
Already king of Bohemia, Charles was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome in 1355, making Prague the principal residence of the Empire and the centre of European politics and culture.
The Golden Age of Bohemia under Charles IV
Sources: Charles IV, Holy Roman emperor (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- MCO
Monaco · Politics & Power
Purchase of Roquebrune
The Grimaldi added the lordship of Roquebrune to their possessions, completing the territory that, with Monaco and Menton, would define the principality for five centuries.
The Genoese Fortress and the Coming of the Grimaldi
Sources: Monaco (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SRB
Serbia · Politics & Power
Death of Dušan and the empire's collapse
The death of Stefan Dušan in 1355 led to the rapid disintegration of the Serbian Empire into rival principalities, leaving the Balkans divided as the Ottomans advanced.
The Battle of Kosovo and the Ottoman Conquest
Sources: Stefan Dušan (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Serbia: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- MNE
Montenegro · Formation · 1356–1421
Principality of Zeta under the Balsic
After the fall of the Serbian Empire an independent Zeta emerged, ruled by the House of Balsic and then from 1431 by the House of Crnojevic, under whom the name Montenegro came into use.
Duklja, Zeta and the Coming of the Name Montenegro
Sources: Montenegro: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Montenegro History (Duklja and Zeta) (FamilySearch)
1 record
Europe
- CZE
Czechia · Culture & Ideas
Building of Charles Bridge and Gothic Prague
Charles IV laid the foundation of the stone bridge over the Vltava and advanced St Vitus Cathedral and the New Town, creating the Gothic core of Prague later recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Golden Age of Bohemia under Charles IV
Sources: Historic Centre of Prague (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · Charles IV, Holy Roman emperor (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- ROU
5 events · 4 nations
1360s
1 record
Asia
- BRN
Brunei · Religion · c. 1363 (traditional)
Conversion to Islam and the first sultan
Awang Alak Betatar embraces Islam, takes the title Sultan Muhammad Shah, and becomes the first sultan of Brunei, refounding the state as an Islamic sultanate.
The Coming of Islam and the Birth of the Sultanate
Sources: History of Brunei (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Brunei (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- SVN
Slovenia · Politics & Power
Carniola raised to a duchy
Carniola was elevated to the status of a duchy, consolidating the core territorial unit of the Slovene lands, with Ljubljana as its principal city.
The Habsburg Duchies and the Birth of Written Slovene
Sources: Slovenia: The Middle Ages (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Ljubljana (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
3 records
Asia
- BRN
Brunei · Formation · 14th century
Founding of the ruling dynasty
The line descended from Muhammad Shah, later the House of Bolkiah, establishes itself as Brunei's royal house, beginning a continuous monarchy that endures to the present.
The Coming of Islam and the Birth of the Sultanate
Sources: History of Brunei (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Country Facts: Brunei Darussalam (Permanent Mission of Brunei Darussalam to the United Nations)
- CHN
China · Formation · 1368 CE
Ming dynasty restores Han rule
Zhu Yuanzhang overthrows the Yuan and founds the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), which rebuilds the Great Wall in stone, constructs the Forbidden City, and revives Han Chinese imperial governance.
Empires of Conquest and Restoration: Yuan, Ming, Qing
Sources: China (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Yuan Dynasty (World History Encyclopedia)
- MNG
Mongolia · War & Rupture
Fall of the Yuan and retreat to the steppe
The Chinese rebel Zhu Yuanzhang overthrows the Yuan and founds the Ming dynasty; the last Mongol emperor flees north into the steppes, ending Mongol rule over China.
The Great Empire: Karakorum, Kublai, and the Yuan
Sources: Kublai Khan (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Mongol empire (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
8 events · 7 nations
1370s
3 records
Asia
- IRN
Iran · Politics & Power · 1370 CE
Timur and the Timurid era
Timur (Tamerlane) conquers the lands of the former Ilkhanate, founding the Timurid empire whose courts become celebrated centres of Persianate art and learning.
Turkic and Mongol Rule and the Safavids
Sources: Ilkhanate (World History Encyclopedia)
- TJK
Tajikistan · Culture & Ideas · 1370 CE
Timur makes Samarkand his capital
The conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) builds a Timurid empire centred on Samarkand, whose courts become renowned centres of Persianate art, science and architecture.
Turkic, Mongol and Bukharan Rule
Sources: History of Tajikistan (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- UZB
Uzbekistan · Formation · c. 1370 CE
Timur takes power and makes Samarkand his capital
Timur (Tamerlane) seizes control of Transoxiana and makes Samarkand the capital of an empire reaching from Anatolia to India, adorning it as the cultural heart of Central Asia.
The Mongol Storm and the Empire of Timur
Sources: Timur — Biography, Conquests, Empire & Facts (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Samarkand — Uzbekistan, Map, History & Facts (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- MKD
North Macedonia · War & Rupture · late 14th c.
Ottoman conquest of the region
Ottoman forces conquered Macedonia in the late fourteenth century, beginning roughly five centuries of Ottoman rule during which the region's name lapsed as an administrative term.
Ottoman Rule and the Macedonian Question
Sources: Macedonia (region, Europe): Map, History & Facts (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · North Macedonia: History (Ancient, Ottoman, Yugoslav) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Asia
- ARM
Armenia · War & Rupture
Fall of Cilician Armenia
The Mamluks of Egypt conquered the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, extinguishing the last independent medieval Armenian state.
Bagratid Ani and Cilician Armenia
Sources: Little Armenia (Cilician Armenia) (Encyclopædia Britannica)
2 records
Europe
- BIH
Bosnia and Herzegovina · Formation
Coronation of Tvrtko I
Tvrtko I was crowned king, raising Bosnia from a banate to a kingdom; under him it reached the Dalmatian coast and became, briefly, the most powerful state in the western Balkans.
Medieval Bosnia: Banate, Kingdom and the Bosnian Church
Sources: Kotromanić dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Bosnia and Herzegovina: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- VAT
Vatican City · Religion · 17 Jan 1377
Gregory XI returns the papacy to Rome
Pope Gregory XI brought the papacy back to Rome from Avignon, against French opposition, ending the Avignon period.
The Rise of Temporal Power and the Papal States
Sources: Gregory XI (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Avignon papacy (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- VAT
Vatican City · Religion · 1378–1417
The Western Schism
Rival popes in Rome and Avignon divided the Church for four decades until the Council of Constance restored a single papacy in 1417.
The Rise of Temporal Power and the Papal States
Sources: Avignon papacy (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
13 events · 12 nations
1380s
1 record
Africa
- TCD
Chad · War & Rupture · c. 1380s
Sayfawa flee Kanem for Bornu
Pressed by the Bulala, the Sayfawa abandoned Njimi and re-established the state in Bornu, west of Lake Chad, later founding the capital Ngazargamu.
Kanem and Kanem-Bornu
Sources: Kanem-Bornu Empire (Wikipedia)
1 record
Europe
- BEL
Belgium · Politics & Power
Flanders passes to Burgundy
On the death of the last count, the County of Flanders was inherited by Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, beginning the gathering of the Low Countries under a single dynasty.
The Medieval Low Countries: Flanders, Brabant and the Cloth Towns
Sources: Belgium: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
2 records
Europe
- LTU
Lithuania · Politics & Power
Union of Krewo
Grand Duke Jogaila agreed to marry Queen Jadwiga of Poland, convert to Christianity and unite the two realms; baptised as Wladyslaw II Jagiello, he founded the Jagiellonian dynasty.
Union with Poland, Christianization and the Age of Vytautas
Sources: Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Union of Lublin (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- POL
Poland · Politics & Power
Union of Krewo and the Jagiellonian dynasty
The agreement at Krewo arranged the marriage of Queen Jadwiga to Jogaila of Lithuania, who was baptised as Wladyslaw II Jagiello, joining Poland and Lithuania under a new dynasty.
The Piast and Jagiellonian Kingdom
Sources: Poland: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Union of Lublin (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
2 records
Asia
- GEO
Georgia · War & Rupture · 1386–1403
Invasions of Timur
The armies of Timur (Tamerlane) repeatedly devastated Georgia, accelerating the breakup of the kingdom into rival principalities amid Mongol and Turkic pressure.
Fragmentation, Foreign Pressure and Russian Annexation
Sources: History of Georgia (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Georgia: Turkish and Persian domination (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- CHE
Switzerland · War & Rupture · 9 Jul 1386
Battle of Sempach
The Confederates routed a Habsburg army at Sempach and killed Duke Leopold III of Austria, breaking Habsburg power in the region and confirming the Confederacy as a serious military force.
The Oath of the Forest Cantons and the Old Swiss Confederacy
Sources: Battle of Morgarten (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Switzerland: The Swiss Confederation during the Late Middle Ages (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
2 records
Europe
- DNK
Denmark · Politics & Power · 1387–1412
The rule of Margaret I
Margaret I governed Denmark, Norway and Sweden as their effective ruler from the late 1380s until her death in 1412, the architect and guarantor of the Kalmar Union.
The Medieval Kingdom and the Kalmar Union
Sources: Margaret I, queen of Scandinavia (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Denmark: Margaret I and the Kalmar Union (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- LTU
Lithuania · Religion
Christianization of Lithuania
A bishopric was founded at Vilnius and Lithuania, the last major pagan state in Europe, formally accepted Latin Christianity following the union with Poland.
Union with Poland, Christianization and the Age of Vytautas
Sources: Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- ALB
Albania · War & Rupture
Ottoman invasion of Albania
The Ottoman Turks invaded Albania in 1388 and, over the following decades, brought most of the divided and contested country under their control, largely completing the conquest by about 1430.
Medieval Albania, the Ottoman Conquest and Skanderbeg
Sources: History of Albania (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Albania: Medieval Culture and Illyrian Tribes (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
4 records
Asia
- KAZ
Kazakhstan · Religion · 1389–1405
Timur builds the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
At Yasi (Turkestan) Timur orders a monumental mausoleum over the tomb of the Sufi master Khoja Ahmed Yasawi; left unfinished at Timur's death in 1405, it became a masterpiece of Timurid architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.
The Mongol Conquest and the Golden Horde
Sources: Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · History of Kazakhstan (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- TUR
Türkiye · War & Rupture · 15 June 1389
Battle of Kosovo
Ottoman forces under Murad I defeated a Serbian-led coalition at Kosovo, cementing Ottoman dominance in the Balkans even as Murad died on the field.
The Rise of the Seljuks and Ottomans
Sources: Ottoman Empire (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Europe
- KOS
Kosovo · War & Rupture · 28 Jun 1389
The Battle of Kosovo
At Kosovo Polje, the Field of Blackbirds, the Serbian prince Lazar and his allies fought the Ottoman sultan Murad I; both rulers died and the Ottoman victory led to the eventual subjugation of Serbia.
The Medieval Serbian Heartland and the Battle of Kosovo
Sources: Battle of Kosovo (1389) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · The Battle of Kosovo, 1389 (History Today)
- SRB
Serbia · War & Rupture · 28 Jun 1389
The Battle of Kosovo
On the Field of Blackbirds the army of Prince Lazar fought the Ottoman sultan Murad I; both leaders were killed and Serbian resistance was broken, making Kosovo the central event of national memory.
The Battle of Kosovo and the Ottoman Conquest
Sources: Battle of Kosovo (1389) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
15 events · 12 nations
1390s
1 record
Africa
- COD
DR Congo · Formation · c. 1390
Kingdom of Kongo founded
Lukeni lua Nimi establishes the kingdom of Kongo on the lower Congo River, ruling from Mbanza Kongo.
Kongo & the Savanna Kingdoms
Sources: Kongo (historical kingdom, Africa) (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Kingdom of Kongo (Wikipedia)
5 records
Asia
- PRK
North Korea · Formation · 1392 CE
Joseon dynasty founded
Yi Seong-gye founds the long-lived Joseon dynasty, which adopts Neo-Confucianism and under King Sejong creates the hangul alphabet.
Shared Korean Heritage
Sources: Joseon dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Korea (history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- KOR
South Korea · Politics & Power · 1392 CE
Fall of Goryeo
Weakened by factionalism and Mongol decline, Goryeo is overthrown by the general Yi Seong-gye, who founds the Joseon dynasty.
Unified Silla and Goryeo
Sources: Joseon dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Korea (history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- KOR
South Korea · Formation · 1392 CE
Joseon dynasty founded
Yi Seong-gye establishes the Joseon dynasty, adopts Neo-Confucianism as state ideology, and soon moves the capital to Hanyang (Seoul).
The Joseon Dynasty
Sources: Joseon dynasty (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Korea (history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- BLR
Belarus · Politics & Power · 14th c.
Belarusian lands within the Grand Duchy
Over the 150 years after the Mongol invasion the Grand Duchy of Lithuania expanded to absorb the Belarusian lands, whose Ruthenian (Old Belarusian) tongue became the chancery language of the state.
Heart of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Sources: Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Belarus (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- LTU
Lithuania · Politics & Power · 1392–1430
Reign of Vytautas the Great
Vytautas consolidated the Grand Duchy and extended its borders to the Black Sea, making Lithuania one of the largest states in Europe at the height of its power.
Union with Poland, Christianization and the Age of Vytautas
Sources: Vytautas the Great (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Europe
- BGR
Bulgaria · War & Rupture
Fall of Tarnovo to the Ottomans
The Ottoman army captured the Bulgarian capital of Tarnovo, breaking the heart of the Second Empire as the Ottomans absorbed the Bulgarian lands.
The Second Bulgarian Empire and the Ottoman Conquest
Sources: History of Bulgaria (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria) · Bulgaria: Ottoman rule, National Revival and the end of the 19th century (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1 record
Africa
- CMR
Cameroon · Formation · late 14th century
Founding of the Bamum kingdom
The Bamum dynasty was founded by Nshare Yen, who established Foumban as the capital of a Grassfields kingdom that grew through conquest and diplomacy.
Grassfields kingdoms, the Douala coast and the Fulani north
Sources: Kingdom of Bamum (Wikipedia) · Bamum (people and kingdom) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
3 records
Europe
- AND
Andorra · Politics & Power · 14th century
Self-government within divided lordship
Because neither co-prince could rule alone, Andorrans gained latitude to govern their own valleys, developing assemblies of the parishes that prefigured a national council.
The Paréage of 1278 and the Making of the Co-Principality
Sources: Andorra: History, Facts & Points of Interest (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Six centuries of the Consell General (La Casa de la Vall (Consell General d'Andorra))
- BGR
Bulgaria · Politics & Power · 1396–1878
Nearly five centuries of Ottoman rule
Bulgaria was governed for almost five hundred years as an Ottoman province, its medieval state destroyed but its language and identity preserved chiefly through the Orthodox Church and its monasteries.
Ottoman Rule and the National Revival
Sources: Bulgaria: Ottoman rule, National Revival and the end of the 19th century (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Bulgaria (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria)
- BGR
Bulgaria · War & Rupture
Ottoman conquest completed
With the subjection of the last Bulgarian territories by 1396, the Second Bulgarian Empire ended and Bulgaria passed under Ottoman rule that would last nearly five centuries.
The Second Bulgarian Empire and the Ottoman Conquest
Sources: About Bulgaria: History (Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria (gov.bg)) · History of Bulgaria (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria) · Bulgaria: Ottoman rule, National Revival and the end of the 19th century (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
3 records
Europe
- DNK
Denmark · Formation
The Kalmar Union
At Kalmar the magnates of Denmark, Norway and Sweden crowned Erik of Pomerania as common king under the regency of Margaret I, uniting the three Scandinavian kingdoms in a single monarchy.
The Medieval Kingdom and the Kalmar Union
Sources: Kalmar Union (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Margaret I, queen of Scandinavia (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- NOR
Norway · Politics & Power
The Kalmar Union
Under Queen Margaret I of Denmark, Denmark, Norway and Sweden were united in the Kalmar Union, with Erik of Pomerania crowned common king; Norway became the weakest of the three partners.
The Black Death, the Kalmar Union and the Danish Centuries
Sources: Kalmarunionen (Store norske leksikon)
- SWE
Sweden · Politics & Power · Jun 1397
Formation of the Kalmar Union
Queen Margaret united Denmark, Norway and Sweden under one monarch, her grandnephew Erik of Pomerania, creating a Scandinavian union intended to resist German power but soon dominated by Denmark.
The Kalmar Union, the Bloodbath and the War of Liberation
Sources: Kalmar Union (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Queen Margaret and the Union of Kalmar (Swedish History Museum (Historiska museet))
1 record
Asia
- UZB
Uzbekistan · Culture & Ideas · 1399–1404 CE
The Bibi-Khanym mosque and Timurid Samarkand
Timur summons artisans from across his conquests to build the monumental Bibi-Khanym mosque and other masterpieces, making Samarkand one of the great cities of the medieval world.
The Mongol Storm and the Empire of Timur
Sources: Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures — World Heritage List (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · Timur — Biography, Conquests, Empire & Facts (Encyclopaedia Britannica)