By place Europe •
March 2 –
Charles the Good, count of
Flanders, is murdered by a band of knights while praying in church; he leaves no children. King
Louis VI of France appoints
William Clito (son of
Robert Curthose) as new ruler. But the Flemish towns of
Bruges,
Ghent,
Saint-Omer and
Ypres recognize (with English financial support)
Thierry of Alsace as rival count. • Spring – The forces of
Alfonso VII of León and Castile begin the
Siege of Guimarães, which will end in their withdrawal. • Summer – King
Roger II of Sicily claims the
Hauteville possessions in
Italy as well the overlordship of
Capua. However, a coalition of Norman noblemen in
Apulia and Calabria resist (supported by
Pope Honorius II) against Sicilian rule. The same year, Roger regains control over
Malta after a rebellion. Roger II also establishes a pact with the maritime Republic of
Savona to guarantee the security of the
Mediterranean Sea, probably following an
Almoravid raid against the Sicilian realm. •
December 18 –
Conrad III (with support of the
imperial cities,
Swabia and
Austria) is elected and crowned as
anti-king of
Germany at
Nuremberg.
England • King
Henry I of England arranges the marriage of his daughter
Matilda (the widow of
Emperor Henry V) to the 14-year-old
Geoffrey of Anjou (son of Count
Fulk V). This is done to ensure an alliance between
England and
Anjou, and to prevent Fulk allying with Louis VI. Henry has the English nobles swear
allegiance to Matilda as the rightful heir to the throne. Upon his death, her cousin
Stephen of Blois crosses the channel and usurps her throne, becoming the
King of England. She wages a lengthy civil war known as
the Anarchy, which lasts from 1135–1154.
Levant •
Imad ad-Din Zengi, a Turkish military leader, becomes governor (
atabeg) of
Mosul. He seizes the cities of
Nisibin,
Sinjar and
Harran in the
Jazira Region (Northern
Mesopotamia).
Asia •
January 9 –
Jin–Song Wars: Jurchen forces sack the Chinese capital of
Kaifeng of the
Northern Song dynasty during the
Jingkang incident. They capture
Emperor Qinzong, along with his father,
Huizong, and members of the
House of Zhao. •
June 12 – Qinzong's younger brother, the 20-year-old
Gaozong, re-establishes the Song dynasty (as the Southern Song dynasty) in Lin'an (modern-day
Hangzhou) and is proclaimed emperor.
By topic Religion • The
Kalyan minaret (as part of the
Po-i-Kalyan mosque complex) is completed in
Bukhara (modern
Uzbekistan). == Births ==