Directory

1167 CE

Battle of Al-Babein: A second Zangid army (some 12,000 men) under General Shirkuh and his nephew Saladin marches towards Egypt, but is met by the combined Crusader-Fatimid forces led by King Amalric of Jerusalem. After skirmishing down the Nile, the Crusaders are defeated near Giza and forced to retreat to Cairo. Oath of Pontida: Supported by Pope Alexander III, the Lombard League is founded, a military alliance between the municipalities of Milan, Lodi, Ferrara, Piacenza and Parma, against the German invading forces of Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) in Northern Italy. The League (with other Italian cities) openly challenges Frederick's claim to power (Honor Imperii). King Charles VII (Sverkersson) is murdered at Visingsö by supporters of Canute I (son of Eric IX), who proclaims himself king of Sweden. However, Charles's half-brothers Boleslaw and Kol Sverkerson proclaim themselves rulers of Östergötland, in opposition to Canute, which leads to fights for the power in Sweden (until 1173).

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Taira no Kiyomori becomes the first samurai to be appointed Daijo Daijin, chief minister of the government of Japan.source
  • Diarmaid mac Murchadha (or Dermot), former king of Leinster, returns to Ireland with an advance party of Flemings under Richard fitz Godbert de Roche.source

Conflict & Security

  • March 18 – Battle of Al-Babein: A second Zangid army (some 12,000 men) under General Shirkuh and his nephew Saladin marches towards Egypt, but is met by the combined Crusader-Fatimid forces led by King Amalric of Jerusalem. After skirmishing down the Nile, the Crusaders are defeated near Giza and forced to retreat to Cairo.source
  • April 7 – Oath of Pontida: Supported by Pope Alexander III, the Lombard League is founded, a military alliance between the municipalities of Milan, Lodi, Ferrara, Piacenza and Parma, against the German invading forces of Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) in Northern Italy. The League (with other Italian cities) openly challenges Frederick's claim to power (Honor Imperii).source
  • May 29 – Battle of Monte Porzio: The army of the Commune of Rome is defeated by German forces under Frederick I and the local princes; Alexander III leaves Rome. Frederick proceeds to Rome, where he is crowned by Antipope Paschal III for the second time. A sudden outbreak of pestilence kills many of his advisors and knights.source
  • May–June – Saladin leads the defence of Alexandria against the Crusader-Fatimid forces. He takes command over the garrison (plus some 1,000 cavalry), and the army's sick and wounded.source
  • July 8 – Battle of Sirmium: Byzantine forces (15,000 men) under General Andronikos Kontostephanos defeat the Hungarians at Sirmium. Emperor Manuel I (Komnenos) consolidates his control over the western Balkans.source
  • August 4 – Amalric I accepts a peace treaty and enters Alexandria at the head of the Crusader army. Saladin and his troops are escorted out with full military honours, and retreats to Syria.source
  • Probable date – Battle of Pantina: The Byzantines intervene on behalf of Grand Prince Tihomir of Serbia against his rebellious brother, Prince Stefan Nemanja, who defeats the Byzantine forces and becomes Grand Župan of Serbia.source

Religion & Belief

  • Absalon, Danish archbishop and statesman, leads the first synod at Lund. He is granted land around the city of "Havn" (modern-day Copenhagen) and fortifies the coastal defence against the Wends.source

Crime & Justice

  • April 12 – King Charles VII (Sverkersson) is murdered at Visingsö by supporters of Canute I (son of Eric IX), who proclaims himself king of Sweden. However, Charles's half-brothers Boleslaw and Kol Sverkerson proclaim themselves rulers of Östergötland, in opposition to Canute, which leads to fights for the power in Sweden (until 1173).source

Culture & Society

  • King Henry II prohibits English students from attending the University of Paris; many settle at the University of Oxford.source

Births

  • February – Frederick VI, duke of Swabia (d. 1191)source
  • Warin II (the Younger), Norman knight (d. 1218)source
  • Anders Sunesen, archbishop of Lund (d. 1228)source
  • William I, count of Holland (Low Countries) (d. 1222)source

Deaths

  • January 12 – Aelred of Rievaulx, English abbot (b. 1110)source
  • February 27 – Robert of Melun, bishop of Hereford (b. 1100)source
  • April 12 – Charles VII (Sverkersson), king of Sweden (b. 1130)source
  • July 13 – Xia (Shenfu), Chinese empress consort (b. 1136)source
  • August 14 – Rainald of Dassel, German archbishop (b. 1120)source
  • August 17 – Nicolò Politi, Italian monk and hermit (b. 1117)source
  • August 22 – Relindis of Hohenburg, French abbesssource
  • August – Frederick I claims imperial authority over Bohemia, Greater Poland and Hungary. He installs his 3-year-old son Frederick V as duke of Swabia, after Frederick's cousin, Frederick IV, dies of disease at Rome.source
  • Basava, Indian philosopher and statesman (b. 1105)source
  • Abraham ibn Ezra, Spanish philosopher (approximate date)source
  • Raymond I (or Raimond), French noblemansource
  • Christian I (the Quarrelsome), count of Oldenburgsource
  • Alaungsithu, Burmese king of the Pagan Dynasty (b. 1090)source
  • Henry I, count of Nassau (epidemic)source