XII century

The 12th century d. C. (twelfth century AD) or XII century and. c. (twelfth century of the Common Era) began on January 1, 1101 and ended on December 31, 1200. It is called the «Century of Feudalism».

Global map (except America) around 1100.

Global map (except America) around 1200.

In the 12th century religious society was the axis on which the most important events in Europe revolved. The Second Crusade and the Third Crusade took place. The second crusade was a failure and the third was relatively successful by taking the cities of San Juan de Acre and Jaffa and the island of Cyprus under crusader power. The third also stands out for being the confrontation between three of the greatest military geniuses of the Middle Ages, Richard I, known as Richard the Lionheart, Frederick Barbarossa, founder of the Holy Roman Empire and Saladin, great Saracen chieftain. Peace came in 1192, when Richard and Saladin agreed that Jerusalem would remain under Muslim control, although Christian pilgrims would be allowed free access.

In China, under the Song dynasty, an invasion of Jurchens caused a north-south political schism. The Khmer Empire of Cambodia flourished during this century, while the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt was dominated by the Ayyubid dynasty. Following the expansions of the Ghaznavids and the Ghurid Empire, Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent took place at the turn of the century.

Relevant events

Wars and Politics

• 1102: King Coloman of Hungary unifies the countries of Hungary and Croatia in the so-called
  
  Kingdom of Hungary.
• 1108: by the Treaty of Devol, Antioch becomes a vassal state of the Byzantine Empire.
• 1109: Beltrán de Tolosa captures Tripoli County.
• 1111: King Henry V marches to Rome where he is crowned emperor by the pope.
• 1113: King Suryavarman II of Cambodia expands the Khmer Empire and restores diplomatic relations with China.
• 1118: King Alfonso I of Aragon, called the Batallador, reconquers the city and taifa kingdom of Zaragoza to the Muslim invaders established on the Iberian peninsula.
• 1118: the French knight Hugo de Payns (Champaña-Ardenas), who had participated in the First Crusade (1096-1099) in which Jerusalem was liberated, founded along with eight other knights the Order of the Temple, a religious order whose purpose was the custody of the Pilgrims and the keeping of the dangerous paths leading to the places of Pilgrimation. They called it the Order of the Poor Soldiers of Christ.
• 1120: The son of Henry I of England died in a naval accident, creating a crisis of succession by the crown of England.
• 1122: In the battle of Beroia, Emperor John II Comneno crushes the Pechenegos and these are wiped out from the map.
• 1122: King David IV delivers Tiphlis out of the hands of the Selyucids.
• 1125: The Crusaders defeat the Selyúcidas in the battle of Azaz.
• 1127: The Song dynasty of China loses control of northern Manchuria in favor of the Yunchen people.
• 1130: Rogelio II is crowned king of Sicily.
• 1135: King Alfonso VII of Leon is crowned Imperator totius Hispaniae (Emperador de todo España).
• 1139: The Portuguese defeat the Moors in the battle of Ourique.
• 1141: The conflict between the Jin dynasty and the Song dynasty ends.
• 1143: The Treaty of Zamora, signed by Alfonso I of Portugal and Alfonso VII of León, recognizes the independence of Portugal.
• 1145-1148: the Second Crusade occurs.
• 1151: the Treaty of Tudilén, between King Alfonso VII of León and Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona, is signed.
• 1153: By the Treaty of Wallingford, King Stephen of England recognizes the son of his wife, Henry of Anjou, and appoints him his heir.
• 1154: He is crowned King Henry II of England, the Plantagenet dynasty begins.
• 1158: the Sahagun Treaty is signed between the kings Fernando II of León and Sancho III of Castile.
• 1162: Birth of Gengis Kan.
• 1169: The Normans invade Ireland.
• 1170: the Sahagun Treaty is signed between the Kings Alfonso VIII of Castile and Alfonso II of Aragon.
• 1171: Saladin deposes the last Fatimid caliph, beginning the Ayyubid dynasty.
• 1173: Conversion of Pedro Valdo, considered the founder of the Valdense movement, which arises from the movement of the Poor of Lyons.
• 1176: the Selyúcidas defeat the Byzantines in the battle of Miriocephalo.
• 1176: Federico I Barbarroja faced the Lombard League in the northern region of Milan in the Battle of Legnano.
• 1177: the Peace of Venice between the papacy and King Federico I Barbarroja is signed.
• 1179: the Treaty of Cazola was signed between the kings Alfonso II of Aragon and Alfonso VIII of Castile.
• 1180-1185: Genpei Wars in Japan occur.
• 1182: there are revolts in Constantinople that end up in a massacre of Latinos, Andronic I Comneno co-emperador is proclaimed.
• 1183: the Peace of Constance is established between the German emperor Federico I Barbarroja and the Lombard League.
• 1185: The Byzantine Emperor Andronic I Comneno is brutally executed, being succeeded by Isaac II Angelo, ending the Comneno dynasty.
• 1187: Saladin decisively defeats the Crusaders in the battle of Hattin.
• 1188: Alfonso IX de León summons the Courts of León with the representatives of the cities. Considering the oldest documentary testimony of European parliamentarism.
• 1189-1192: the Third Crusade explodes in a new attempt by the Christian kingdoms to recover the Holy Land from the hands of the Muslims.
• 1191: Ricardo Corazón de León beats Saladin in the battle of Arsuf.
• 1192: The Catalan Courts are convened with the participation of civil representatives.
• 1192: Conrado de Montferrato is elected king of Jerusalem, only to be killed a few days later.
• 1192: the crusaders of King Ricardo I take the city of Jaffa.
• 1192: the Treaty of Ramla between Ricardo and Saladin is signed; Jerusalem remains under Muslim control but access to Christian pilgrims is permitted.
• 1200: Toltec culture collapses.

Disasters

• 1138: there is an earthquake in the city of Aleppo that devastates northern Syria.

Religion

• 1103: King David IV of Georgia calls for a council to organize the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church.
• 1113-1150: the construction of the temple of Angkor Wat ends in modern Cambodia.
• 1122: The Worms Concordat is organized, where the emperor Henry V and Pope Calixto II sign an agreement that ends the investiture Complaint.
• 1130-1138: a papal cisma occurs, between Pope Inocencio II against the Anacleto II antipape.
• 1139: The Second Council of Lateran is celebrated to treat the schism of the Antipapapapa Anacleto II.
• 1193: Pope Innocent III invites King Kaloyan of Bulgaria to join the Catholic Church.

Culture

Cathedral of Santa María and San Julián de Cuenca, Cuenca, Spain XII.

• 1104: the Arsenal of Venice begins to be built.
• 1106: The construction of the monastery of Gelati in Georgia is completed.
• 1142-1143: Robert de Ketton translates the Arabic Quran into Latin in the north of the Iberian peninsula.
• 1119: the Order of the Knights Templar is founded.
• 1185: The school-catedral of Lund, Sweden, is founded the oldest school in northern Europe.

Relevant people

Philip Augusto, king of France of the Capeto dynasty.

Temujin, also known as Gengis Kan.

• Adriano IV (1100-1159): Pope of Rome, the only pope of the history of English origin.
• Alfonso I of Portugal (1109-1185): first king of Portugal.
• Alfonso VII de León (1105-1157): Imperator totius Hispaniae (Emperador de todo España).
• Andronic I Comneno (1118-1185): Last Byzantine emperor of the Comneno dynasty.
• Arthur I of Brittany (1187-1203): Duke of Brittany and suitor to the throne of England.
• Averroes (1126-1198): a physician and philosopher from Andalusia.
• Balduino I of Jerusalem (?-1118): leader of the First Crusade and first king of Jerusalem.
• Balduin IV of Jerusalem (1161-1185): King of Jerusalem, nicknamed «The Leper».
• Bernardo de Clairvaux (1090-1153): French cistern monk.
• Bhaskara II (1114-1185): Hindu mathematician and astronomer.
• Calixto II (1050-1124): Pope of Rome, called the First Council of Lateran.
• Coloman of Hungary (1070-1116): King of Hungary and Croatia.
• David I of Scotland (1083-1153): holy and king of Scotland.
• David IV of Georgia (1073-1125): King of Georgia, expelled the Sepulsed Turks from his country.
• Elredo de Rieval (1110-1167): English theologian and writer, Cistercian monk.
• Henry I of England (1068/1069-1135): King of England, son of William the Conqueror.
• Henry II of England (1133-1189): King of England and first king of the Plantagenet dynasty.
• Esteban Nemanja (1113-1199): Governor of Serbia, founder of the Nemanjić dynasty.
• Eustatius of Thessalonica (1110-1198): holy and writer, Archbishop of Thessalonica.
• Federico I Barbarroja (1122-1190): Emperor of the Holy German Roman Empire.
• Philip Augustus (1165-1223): King of France.
• Felix de Valois (1127-1212): saint and founder of the order of the Most Holy Trinity.
• Francis of Assisi (1182-1226): holy, founder of the order of the Franciscans.
• Gengis Kan (1162-1227): founder of the Mongol Empire.
• William I of Scotland (1142/1143-1214): King of Scotland, second longest reign of Scotland.
• Hildegarda de Bingen (1098-1179): Abbotesa, mystic, medical, teacher and German writer.
• Inocencio III (1161-1216): Pope of Rome, called the Fourth Council of Lateran.
• Isaac II Angelo (1156-1204): Byzantine emperor, founder of the dynasty of the Angels.
• John II Comneno (1087-1143): Byzantine emperor, considered the best emperor of the Comneno dynasty.
• Juan de Mata (1150-1213): French saint, co-founder of the Trinitarian Order.
• Kaloyan of Bulgaria (1168/1169-1207): King of Bulgaria.
• Leonor de Aquitaine (1122-1204): duchess of Aquitaine, queen consort of France and England.
• Louis VII of France (1120-1180): King of France, father of Philip Augustus.
• Maimonides (1135-1204): physician, philosopher and Hebrew theologian of Andalusian origin.
• Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147-1199): founder of the Kamakura shogunate.
• Omar Jayam (1048-1131): Persian mathematician, poet and astronomer.
• Pedro Abelardo (1079-1142): French philosopher....
• Pedro Nolasco (1189-1245): Spanish friar, founder of the Order of Merced.
• Pedro Valdo (1140 ? - 1217) itinerant preacher, one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reform. He promoted the Christian movement of the poor of Lyon, also known as Valdenses.
• Raimundo de Fitero (?-1163): holy, founder of the Order of Calatrava.
• Richard I of England (1157-1199): King of England. Known with the nickname Ricardo Corazón de León.
• Roberto II of Normandy (1051/1054-1134): Duke of Normandy and pretender to the throne of England.
• Rogelio II of Sicily (1095-1154): King of Sicily and Duke of Apulia.
• Saladin (1138-1193): Sultan of Egypt and Syria, famous for fighting the Crusaders.
• Sava de Serbia (1175/1176-1235/1236): holy and first Archbishop of Serbia.
• Suryavarman II (?-1145/1150): King of the Jemer Empire, under his reign the temple of Angkor Wat was built.
• Thomas Becket (1118-1170): holy and martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury.
• Urraca I de León (1081-1126): the first head of the history of Spain.
• Valdemar I the Great (1131-1182): King of Denmark.
• Vladimir II Monomac (1053-1125): Prince of Kiev.
• Zhu Xi (1130-1200): Chinese scholar and philosopher.