Eastern Hemisphere at the beginning of the 12th century
The12th century is the period from1101 to1200 in accordance with theJulian calendar. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of theHigh Middle Ages and overlaps with what is often called the"'Golden Age' of theCistercians". TheGolden Age of Islam experienced significant development, particularly inIslamic Spain.
1101: In July, theTreaty of Alton is signed betweenHenry I of England and his older brotherRobert, Duke of Normandy in which Robert agrees to recognize Henry as king of England in exchange for a yearly stipend and other concessions. The agreement temporarily ends a crisis in the succession of the Anglo-Norman kings.
1111: On April 14, duringHenry V's first expedition to Rome, he is crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
1113: Paramavishnulok is crowned as KingSuryavarman II inCambodia. He expands theKhmer Empire and buildsAngkor Wat during the first half of the century. He establishes diplomatic relations with China.
1115: The Georgian army occupiesRustavi in the war with the Muslims.
1115: In Java, King Kamesvara of Kadiri ascends to the throne.Janggala ceases to exist and comes under Kadiri domination, highly possible under royal marriage. During his reign, Mpu Dharmaja writes KakawinSmaradahana, a eulogy for the king which become the inspiration for thePanji cycle tales, which spread across Southeast Asia.[1]
1116: The Byzantine army defeats the Turks at Philomelion.
1116: Death of doñaJimena Díaz, governor of Valencia from 1099 to 1102.
c.1119: TheKnights Templar are founded to protect Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem.
A Black and White Photo of the 12th century Cuenca Cathedral (built from 1182 to 1270) inCuenca, Spain
1120: On January 16, the Council ofNablus, a council of ecclesiastic and secular lords in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, establishes the first written laws for the kingdom.
1122: TheBattle of Beroia (Modern-day Stara Zagora, Bulgaria) results in the disappearance of thePechenegs Turkish tribe as an independent force.
1122: On September 23, theConcordat of Worms (Pactum Calixtinum) is drawn up between EmperorHenry V and PopeCalixtus II bringing an end to the first phase of thepower struggle between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.
1130: On March 26,Sigurd I of Norway dies. A golden era of 95 years comes to an end for Norway as civil wars between the members ofHarald Fairhair's family line rage for the remainder of the century.
1132: TheSouthern Song dynasty establishes China's first permanent standing navy, although China had a long naval history prior. The main admiral's office is at the port ofDinghai.
1132–1183: the Chinese navy increases from a mere 3,000 to 52,000 marine soldiers stationed in 20 different squadrons. During this time, hundreds of treadmill-operatedpaddle wheel craft are assembled for the navy to fight the Jin dynasty in the north.
1141: TheTreaty of Shaoxing ends the conflict between theJin dynasty andSouthern Song dynasty, legally establishing the boundaries of the two countries and forcing the Song dynasty to renounce all claims to its former territories north of the Huai River. The treaty reduces the Southern Song into a quasi-tributary state of the Jurchen Jin dynasty.
1147: On October 25, the four-month-longSiege of Lisbon successfully brings the city under definitive Portuguese control, expelling the Moorish overlords.
1153: The Treaty of Wallingford, ends the civil war betweenEmpress Matilda and her cousinKing Stephen of England fought over the English crown. Stephen acknowledges Matilda's sonHenry of Anjou as heir.
1153: The First Treaty of Constance is signed betweenEmperor Frederick I andPope Eugene III, by the terms of which, the emperor is to prevent any action byManuel I Comnenus to reestablish the Byzantine Empire on Italian soil and to assist the pope against his enemies in revolt in Rome.
1156: On June 18, theTreaty of Benevento is entered into by PopeAdrian IV and the Norman Kingdom of Sicily. After years of turbulent relations, the popes finally settles down to peace with the Hauteville kings. The kingship ofWilliam I is recognized over all Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, Campania, and Capua. The tribute to the pope of 600schifati agreed upon byRoger II in 1139 atMignano is affirmed and another 400shift is added for the new lands.
1161:Kilij Arslan II, Sultan ofRum, makes peace with the Byzantine Empire, recognizing the emperor's primacy.
1161: In the siege ofAni, troops from theKingdom of Georgia take control over the city, only to have it sold for the second time to theShaddadids, a Kurdish dynasty.
1170: TheTreaty of Sahagún is signed byAlfonso VIII of Castile andAlfonso II of Aragon. Based on the terms of the accord, Alfonso VIII agrees to provide Alfonso II with three hostages, to be used as tribute payments owed by Ibn Mardanīš of Valencia and Murcia.
1174: On July 12,William I of Scotland is captured by the English in theBattle of Alnwick. He accepts the feudal overlordship of the English crown and pays ceremonial allegiance at York.
1176: On May 29,Frederick Barbarossa's forces are defeated in theBattle of Legnano by theLombard League which results in the emperor's acknowledgment of the pope's sovereignty over the Papal States and Alexander acknowledging the emperor's overlordship of the imperial Church.
1176: On September 17, TheBattle of Myriokephalon (Myriocephalum; Turkish: Miryakefalon Savaşı) is fought between theByzantine Empire and theSeljuk Turks inPhrygia. It is a serious reversal for the Byzantine forces and will be the final, unsuccessful, effort by the Byzantines to recover the interior ofAnatolia from the Seljuk Turks.
1177: TheTreaty or Peace of Venice is signed by the papacy and its allies, andFrederick I, Holy Roman Emperor. The Norman Kingdom of Sicily also participates in negotiations and the treaty thereby determines the political course of all of Italy for the next several years.
1178: Chinese writer Zhou Qufei, aGuangzhou customs officer, writes of an island far west in the Indian Ocean (possiblyMadagascar), from where people with skin "as black as lacquer" and with frizzy hair were captured and purchased as slaves by Arab merchants.
1185: The cathedral school (Katedralskolan) inLund, Sweden, is founded. The school is the oldest in northern Europe and one of the oldest in all of Europe.
1190: On June 10, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa drowns in the River Salef, leaving the Crusader army under the command of the rivalsPhilip II of France andRichard I of England, which ultimately leads to the dissolution of the army.
1191: Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI attacked the Kingdom of Sicily from May to August but fails and withdrawn, with Empress Constance captured (released 1192).
1192: In June, theTreaty of Ramla is signed by Saladin and Richard Lionheart. Under the terms of the agreement, Jerusalem will remain under Muslim control. However, the city will be open to Christian pilgrims. The Latin Kingdom is reduced to a coastal strip that extends from Tyre to Jaffa.
1192:Minamoto no Yoritomo is appointedSei-i Taishōgun, "barbarian-subduing great general",shōgun for short, the first military dictator to bear this title.
1198: The brethren of the Crusader hospital in Acre are raised to a military order of knights, theTeutonic Knights, formally known as the Order of the Knights of the Hospital of St. Mary of the Teutons in Jerusalem.
Middle English begins to develop, and literacy begins to spread outside the Church throughout Europe.[6] In addition, churchmen are increasingly willing to take on secular roles. By the end of the century, at least a third of England's bishops also act as royal judges in secular matters.[7]
By the end of the century, both theCapetian dynasty and theHouse of Anjou are relying primarily onmercenaries in their militaries. Paid soldiers are available year-round, unlike knights who expected certain periods off to maintain theirmanor lifestyles.[8]
