By place Europe •
May – The Second
Parliament of Ravennika, convened by Emperor
Henry of Flanders, is held in the town of
Ravennika (in modern
Greece), in order to resolve the differences between the princes of
Frankish Greece, and the
Roman Catholic clergy of their domains. The assembled nobles and prelates conclude a
concordat, which recognizes the independence and immunity of all Church property in Frankish Greece from any feudal duties. •
July 18 –
Battle of Gestilren:
Sverker the Younger, the exiled former King of Sweden, is defeated and killed by the reigning King
Erik Knutsson. After the battle, Erik takes the Swedish throne and marries Princess
Rikissa of Denmark, daughter of the late King
Valdemar I of Denmark to improve the relations with
Denmark, which had supported King Sverker. •
November 18 – Emperor
Otto IV is excommunicated by
Pope Innocent III after he occupies
Apulia in southern
Italy. Otto annuls the
Concordat of Worms and demands from Innocent recognition of the imperial crown's right. A German civil war breaks out, and Otto prepares an invasion against
Frederick II, king of
Sicily. •
November 21 – Eric X is crowned – which is the first known coronation of a Swedish king. He strengthens his relationship with his brother-in-law, King
Valdemar II of Denmark ("the Conqueror"). Shortly after, Valdemar conquers Danzig (modern-day
Gdańsk) on the
Baltic coast, and
Eastern Pomerania from the Slavonic
Wends. •
November 22 –
Siege of Termes: The
Castle of Termes falls to
Simon de Montfort during the
Albigensian Crusade. •
Battle of Ümera: Estonian forces defeat the Crusaders of the
Livonian Brothers of the Sword. The Estonians pursue the fleeing Crusaders and according to the
Livonian Chronicle some of the prisoners are burned alive, while others have crosses carved on their backs with swords before being executed as well.
England • The
Papal Interdict of 1208 remains in force. • King
John extends his taxes and raises £100,000 from church property as an extraordinary fiscal levy; the operation is described as an “inestimable and incomparable exaction” by contemporary sources. •
November 1 – John orders that
Jews across the country have to pay a
tallage, a sum of money to the king. Those who do not pay are arrested and imprisoned. Many Jews are executed or leave the country.
Levant •
September 14 – The 18-year-old
Maria of Montferrat marries the French nobleman
John of Brienne, who brings a dowry of 40,000 silver pounds (from King
Philip II and Pope Innocent III). On
October 3, the couple is crowned as King and Queen of
Jerusalem in the Crusader
Cathedral of Tyre (modern
Lebanon).
Asia •
Jochi, Mongol leader and eldest son of
Genghis Khan, begins a campaign against the
Kyrgyz. Meanwhile, Emperor
Xiang Zong of
Western Xia agrees to submit to Mongol rule, he gives his daughter, Chaka, in marriage to Genghis and pays him a tribute of camels, falcons, and textiles. •
December 12 –
Emperor Tsuchimikado abdicates the throne in favor of his younger brother,
Juntoku, after a 12-year reign. He is the second son of the former
Emperor Go-Toba and becomes the 84th
emperor of Japan.
By topic Art and Culture • 1210–
1211 – Shazi creates the
Pen Box, from
Persia (
Iran) or
Afghanistan (it is now kept at
Freer Gallery of Art,
Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, D.C.). •
Gottfried von Strassburg writes his epic poem
Tristan (approximate date).
Astronomy •
September 24 –
Venus occults
Jupiter (the last such occurrence until
1570).
Religion •
Pope Innocent III allows the formation of the mendicant order of
Francis of Assisi, to begin the
Order of Friars Minor. • The church of
St Helen's Bishopsgate in the
City of London is founded, as a priory of
Benedictine nuns. == Births ==