Directory

1201 CE

Constance, duchess of Brittany, founds Villeneuve Abbey and gives it a charter. John, King of England, permits Jews to live freely in England and Normandy. Llywelyn the Great pays homage to John, King of England after Llywelyn has added Eifionydd and Llŷn to his kingdom of Gwynedd in north Wales.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • King John puts an embargo on wheat exported to Flanders, in an attempt to force an allegiance between the states. He also puts a levy of a fifteenth on the value of cargo exported to France and disallows the export of wool to France without a special license. The levies are enforced in each port by at least six men – including one churchman and one knight. John affirms that judgments made by the court of Westminster are as valid as those made "before the king himself or his chief justice".source

Conflict & Security

  • Battle of Stellau: Count Adolf III of Holstein is defeated by the Danish army under King Canute VI. Adolf retreats with his forces to Hamburg, where he is besieged and later captured by Duke Valdemar of Schleswig.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • Spring – A treaty is signed between the Crusade leaders and Venice. Doge Enrico Dandolo agrees to manufacture a fleet capable of transporting the Crusader army to the Levant, and to provide provisions for 33,500 men and 4,500 horses, for the price of 85,000 silver marks while Venice will also take half of whatever the expedition conquers. As part of this deal the Venetians will provide – at their own expense – sufficient ships to carry the Crusader forces, plus 50 galleys to defend it.source

Religion & Belief

  • March 25 – Constance, duchess of Brittany, founds Villeneuve Abbey and gives it a charter.source
  • Autumn – Prince Alexios Angelos, son of the deposed, blinded and imprisoned late Emperor Isaac II Angelos, escapes from Constantinople. He makes his way to Sicily and then Rome where he is turned away by Pope Innocent III. Next, Alexios travels to the court of his brother-in-law, Philip of Swabia, the King of Germany, who receives him well.source
  • Pope Innocent III recognizes Otto IV as the only legitimate ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, against his rival King, Philip of Swabia. In return, Otto promises to support the pope's interests in Italy.source
  • Northern Crusades: The town of Riga is chartered as a city by Albert of Buxhoeveden, bishop of Livonia, who has landed on the site with some 1,500 Crusaders earlier in the year.source

Technology & Infrastructure

  • April 10 – John, King of England, permits Jews to live freely in England and Normandy.source

Culture & Society

  • July 11 – Llywelyn the Great pays homage to John, King of England after Llywelyn has added Eifionydd and Llŷn to his kingdom of Gwynedd in north Wales.source

Births

  • February 18 – Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Persian scientist and writer (d. 1274)source
  • May 30 – Theobald I of Navarre ("the Troubadour"), French-born nobleman (d. 1253)source
  • August 9 – Arnold Fitz Thedmar, English chronicler and writer (d. 1274)source
  • October 9 – Robert de Sorbon, French monk and theologian (d. 1274)source
  • October 10 – Richard de Fournival, French philosopher (d. 1260)source
  • Diana degli Andalò (or d'Andalo), Italian nun and saint (d. 1236)source
  • Thomas of Cantimpré, Flemish priest and preacher (d. 1272)source
  • Eison, Japanese Buddhist scholar-monk and disciple (d. 1290)source
  • Uriyangkhadai, Mongol general and son of Subutai (d. 1272)source
  • Danylo Romanovych, ruler (knyaz) of Galicia–Volhynia (d. 1264)source
  • Agnes of the Palatinate, duchess of Bavaria (House of Guelf) (d. 1267)source

Deaths

  • March 1 – Shikishi, Japanese princess, poet and writer (b. 1149)source
  • March 21 – Absalon, Danish archbishop and statesman (b. 1128)source
  • April 7 – Baha al-Din Qaraqush, Egyptian regent and architectsource
  • April – Bohemond III ("the Stammerer"), prince of Antioch (b. 1148)source
  • May 24 – Count Theobald III of Champagne suddenly dies and is replaced by Boniface I, marquis of Montferrat, as leader of the Fourth Crusade. He travels to France, where he meets his chief colleagues at Soissons.source
  • May 24 – Theobald III, French nobleman and knight (b. 1179)source
  • June 16 – Ibn al-Jawzi, Arab historian and philologist (b. 1116)source
  • June 20 – Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, Persian historian (b. 1125)source
  • July 25 – Gruffydd ap Rhys II, Welsh prince of Deheubarthsource
  • July 31 – John Komnenos the Fat, Byzantine noblemansource
  • July – Agnes of Merania, queen consort of King Philip II of Francesource
  • August 20 – Gardolf of Hertbeke, bishop of Halberstadtsource
  • September 5 – Constance, duchess of Brittany (b. 1161)source
  • December 7 or 8 – Bolesław I the Tall, Duke of Wroclaw, Polish nobleman and knight (b. 1127)source