By place Europe •
March 31 –
Bernard of Clairvaux, commissioned by Pope
Eugene III, preaches the
Second Crusade at
Vézelay, in
Burgundy. King
Louis VII of France and his wife, Queen
Eleanor of Aquitaine, take up the cross. In a repeat of the events of
1096, Crusaders attack and massacre Jewish communities along the
Rhine. Encouraged by his success, Bernard undertakes a tour in Burgundy,
Lorraine and
Flanders – preaching the Crusade as he goes. •
Eric III of Denmark abdicates as king, retiring to
St. Canute's Abbey, Odense, where he dies on August 27, in his mid-20s.
Canute V is elected to succeed him in
Jutland and
Sweyn III in
Zealand. •
Władysław II ("the Exiled"), High Duke of
Poland, suffers a defeat against the coalition forces under his brother
Bolesław IV ("the Curly"). Władysław and his family escape across the border to
Bohemia and later seek refuge in
Germany. Bolesław captures
Silesia and the
Senioral territories, and becomes the new ruler of
Greater Poland. • The
Republic of Genoa raids the Muslim-held
Balearic Islands. The
Republic of Pisa protests officially – seeing the islands as rightfully theirs. The Genoese then proceed to lay siege to
Almería, in vain. • The Republic of Genoa reaches a commercial agreement with
Ramon Berenguer IV, count of
Barcelona, granting privileges to merchants of both nations in the
Catalan and
Ligurian ports.
Seljuk Empire •
Eldiguz, Seljuk ruler (
atabeg) of
Azerbaijan, founds the
Eldiguzid Dynasty and establishes an independent state within the
Seljuk Empire.
Africa • Summer – King
Roger II launches a full scale invasion into
North Africa, seizing lands from Emir
Abu'l-Hasan al-Hasan ibn Ali in what is now parts of
Algeria,
Tunisia and
Libya – thereby opening up more of the mercantile wealth of the Muslim world to Sicilian merchants. On
June 18,
George of Antioch conquers
Tripoli and establishes more Sicilian authority. • The
Almohad caliph
Abd al-Mu'min conquers most of
Morocco from the
Almoravids.
By topic Climate • A rainy year causes the harvest to fail in
Europe; one of the worst
famines of the century ensues.
Religion •
March 1 – Eugene III reissues the bull
Quantum praedecessores, originally issued in December
1145), proclaiming the Second Crusade. == Births ==