By place Europe • A third
Almoravid expedition is launched in
Al-Andalus, designed to finally subdue the
Taifa's Kingdoms. The cities of
Córdoba,
Seville,
Granada,
Málaga,
Almería and
Ronda fall to the troops of Sultan
Yusuf ibn Tashfin. • King
Stephen II of Croatia becomes involved in an open conflict between factions of the
Croatian nobility, who reassert their traditional rights in their own counties. •
November 3 – King
William Rufus of England tries to take advantage of the unrest in Normandy and take it from his brother
Robert Curthose. Though he wins over several Norman nobles to his side, his
plot to capture the capital city of Rouen fails.
Middle East •
Hassan-i Sabbah founds the
Nizari Ismaili state after taking control of the
Alamut Castle and organising the military group called the
Order of Assassins.
Africa •
Béjaïa (or Bugia) becomes the capital of the
Hammadid dynasty in modern-day
Algeria. It becomes an important port and centre of culture.
By topic Arts and Culture •
Troubadours begin playing in western
Aquitaine (
Poitou and
Saintonge) and
Gascony (approximate date).
Science and Technology •
Qin Guan,
Chinese poet of the
Song dynasty, writes the
Can Shu (Book of
Sericulture), which describes a
silk-reeling machine that has the world's oldest known
mechanical belt drive. == Births ==