Directory

1234 CE

Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty: The Mongol army led by Ögedei Khan captures the Jin capital at Caizhou, after the two-month Siege of Caizhou). Emperor Aizong of Jin abdicates the throne to Wanyan Chenglin, a descendant of the Jin imperial clan. After the Mongol and Song forces have breached the city walls, Aizong tries to escape, but commits suicide to avoid being captured. This marks the end of the Jin dynasty (1115–1234) ('Great Jin') in China. Pope Gregory IX proclaims war on the city of Rome after a local revolt forces him into exile. He issues the papal bull Rachel suum videns, calling for a new crusade to the Holy Land. Lund Cathedral in Sweden is heavily damaged in a catastrophic fire. Large donations are made to the church, to rebuild the cathedral.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • The Manden region rises against the Kaniaga Kingdom. This is the beginning of a process that will lead to the rise of the Mali Empire.source
  • King Andrew II of Hungary proclaims his son, Coloman of Galicia, as ruler (or ban) of Bosnia, who passes it on to Prijezda, a cousin of Matej Ninoslav, despite Matej being the legitimate ruler.source

Conflict & Security

  • February 9 – Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty: The Mongol army led by Ögedei Khan captures the Jin capital at Caizhou, after the two-month Siege of Caizhou). Emperor Aizong of Jin abdicates the throne to Wanyan Chenglin, a descendant of the Jin imperial clan. After the Mongol and Song forces have breached the city walls, Aizong tries to escape, but commits suicide to avoid being captured. This marks the end of the Jin dynasty (1115–1234) ('Great Jin') in China.source
  • Reconquista – King Sancho II of Portugal conquers the cities of Aljustrel and Mértola from the Moors.source

Religion & Belief

  • July 3 – Saint Dominic is canonized by Pope Gregory IX.source
  • November – Pope Gregory IX proclaims war on the city of Rome after a local revolt forces him into exile. He issues the papal bull Rachel suum videns, calling for a new crusade to the Holy Land.source
  • Lund Cathedral in Sweden is heavily damaged in a catastrophic fire. Large donations are made to the church, to rebuild the cathedral.source

Births

  • February 27 – Abaqa Khan, Mongol ruler of the Ilkhanate (d. 1282)source
  • Christina of Norway, Infanta of Castile, princess (d. 1262)source
  • Conrad of Ascoli, Italian friar and missionary (d. 1289)source
  • Margaret of Holland, Dutch noblewoman (d. 1276)source
  • Ippen (or Zuien), Japanese Buddhist monk (d. 1289)source
  • Manuel of Castile, Spanish prince (infante) (d. 1283)source
  • Ou Shizi, Chinese Confucian scholar (d. 1324)source
  • Kaliman I, emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria (d. 1246)source

Deaths

  • January 7 – Robert of Auvergne, bishop of Clermontsource
  • February 9 – Mo of Jin (or Hudun), Chinese emperorsource
  • February 9 – Aizong of Jin, Chinese emperor (b. 1198)source
  • April 7 – Sancho VII ("the Strong"), king of Navarresource
  • April 16 – Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, English nobleman (b. 1191)source
  • May 7 – Otto I, Duke of Merania, German nobleman and knight (b. 1180)source
  • June 18 – Chūkyō, emperor (tennō) of Japan (b. 1218)source
  • July 19 – Floris IV, Count of Holland, Dutch nobleman and knight (b. 1210)source
  • July 29 – William Pinchon, French prelate and bishopsource
  • August 7 – Hugh Foliot, bishop of Hereford (b. 1155)source
  • September 6 – Milo of Nanteuil, bishop of Beauvaissource
  • November 8 – Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad, Arab historian (b. 1145)source
  • King Canute II of Sweden ("the Tall") dies after a five-year reign, perhaps of natural causes. His rival, Eric XI ("the Lisp and Lame"), returns as ruler of Sweden (possibly after a civil war between the two of them).source
  • Alan of Galloway, Scottish noblemansource