Late Summer – Emperor
Manuel I (Komnenos) sends an embassy to
Egypt to demand
tribute, and threatens the country with war when they refuse to pay it. The Byzantine fleet under Admiral
Andronikos Kontostephanos sets out from the
Hellespont; 60 war galleys are sent to
Palestine with money for "the knights of
Jerusalem". Andronikos with the rest of the fleet sails to
Cyprus, at which he defeats a patrolling squadron of 6 Fatimid ships.[1]
Europe
Spring –
Gerald the Fearless, Portuguese warrior and knight, receives the support of King
Afonso I (the Great). The Almohad caliph,
Abu Yaqub Yusuf, manages to broker an alliance with King
Ferdinand II against Afonso. The allies manage to besiege
Badajoz, and finally take both Afonso and Gerald prisoner.[2]
During the Swedish power struggle,
Boleslaw is killed, but his brother
Kol continues as ruler of
Östergötland (until
1173), in opposition to King
Knut I (Eriksson) of
Sweden.
February 4 –
1169 Sicily earthquake: An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of around 7 strikes the eastern coast of
Sicily, causing an estimated 15,000 deaths.
Spring – A Zangid expedition under General
Shirkuh accompanied by his nephew
Saladin invades Egypt. King
Amalric I of Jerusalem orders his fleet to return to
Acre and retreats with the Crusaders back to Palestine.
January 8 – Shirkuh enters
Cairo, leaving the Zangid army encamped outside the city. He goes to the palace, where the 18-year-old Fatimid caliph
Al-Adid welcomes him with ceremonial gifts and promised money.[6]
January 18 –
Shawar, Fatimid vizier and de facto ruler, is invited to join Shirkuh on a
pilgrimage to the tomb of
Al-Shafi'i. Underway he and his escort are taken prisoner; on orders from Al-Adid, Shawar is decapitated.[7]
March 23 – Shirkuh dies from over-eating after a 2-month reign.[8] He is succeeded by Saladin, who is appointed chief vizier of the
Fatimid Caliphate. He takes over as commander of
Nur al-Din's forces in Egypt.[9]
Summer – Saladin invites his brother
Turan-Shah to join him in Cairo. He brings his family and retinue with him but also a substantial army provided by Nur al-Din. Turan-Shah is welcomed by Al-Adid as a friend.[10]
August 21–
23 – At the
Battle of the Blacks, Saladin crushes a rebellion by Sudanese forces (50,000 men) of the Fatimid army, along with a number of Egyptian emirs and commoners. He never again has to face a military uprising from Cairo.[11]
Winter – Saladin supported by reinforcements from Nur al-din, defeats a Crusader-Byzantine force under Amalric I near
Damietta. During the 3-month siege, the Crusaders are forced to retreat to Palestine.[12]
By topic
Art and Science
Eleanor of Aquitaine leaves the English court of Henry II, to establish her own court in
Poitiers. It will become known as a center of
courtly love. Richard I accompanies his mother and is made heir to
Aquitaine.
^Picard, Christophe (2000). Le Portugal musulman, VIIIe-XIIIe siècle: L'Occident d'al-Andalus sous domination islamique. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose. p. 110.
ISBN2-7068-1398-9.
^Warren, W. L. (1961). King John. University of California Press. p. 37.
^Makk, Ferenc (1989). The Árpáds and the Comneni: Political Relations between Hungary and Byzantium in the 12th century (Translated by György Novák). Akadémiai Kiadó. pp. 105–106.
ISBN963-05-5268-X.
^Moody, T. W.; Martin, F. X., eds. (1967). The Course of Irish History. Cork: Mercier Press. p. 370.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, p. 311.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, pp. 311–312.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, p. 312.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
Late Summer – Emperor
Manuel I (Komnenos) sends an embassy to
Egypt to demand
tribute, and threatens the country with war when they refuse to pay it. The Byzantine fleet under Admiral
Andronikos Kontostephanos sets out from the
Hellespont; 60 war galleys are sent to
Palestine with money for "the knights of
Jerusalem". Andronikos with the rest of the fleet sails to
Cyprus, at which he defeats a patrolling squadron of 6 Fatimid ships.[1]
Europe
Spring –
Gerald the Fearless, Portuguese warrior and knight, receives the support of King
Afonso I (the Great). The Almohad caliph,
Abu Yaqub Yusuf, manages to broker an alliance with King
Ferdinand II against Afonso. The allies manage to besiege
Badajoz, and finally take both Afonso and Gerald prisoner.[2]
During the Swedish power struggle,
Boleslaw is killed, but his brother
Kol continues as ruler of
Östergötland (until
1173), in opposition to King
Knut I (Eriksson) of
Sweden.
February 4 –
1169 Sicily earthquake: An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of around 7 strikes the eastern coast of
Sicily, causing an estimated 15,000 deaths.
Spring – A Zangid expedition under General
Shirkuh accompanied by his nephew
Saladin invades Egypt. King
Amalric I of Jerusalem orders his fleet to return to
Acre and retreats with the Crusaders back to Palestine.
January 8 – Shirkuh enters
Cairo, leaving the Zangid army encamped outside the city. He goes to the palace, where the 18-year-old Fatimid caliph
Al-Adid welcomes him with ceremonial gifts and promised money.[6]
January 18 –
Shawar, Fatimid vizier and de facto ruler, is invited to join Shirkuh on a
pilgrimage to the tomb of
Al-Shafi'i. Underway he and his escort are taken prisoner; on orders from Al-Adid, Shawar is decapitated.[7]
March 23 – Shirkuh dies from over-eating after a 2-month reign.[8] He is succeeded by Saladin, who is appointed chief vizier of the
Fatimid Caliphate. He takes over as commander of
Nur al-Din's forces in Egypt.[9]
Summer – Saladin invites his brother
Turan-Shah to join him in Cairo. He brings his family and retinue with him but also a substantial army provided by Nur al-Din. Turan-Shah is welcomed by Al-Adid as a friend.[10]
August 21–
23 – At the
Battle of the Blacks, Saladin crushes a rebellion by Sudanese forces (50,000 men) of the Fatimid army, along with a number of Egyptian emirs and commoners. He never again has to face a military uprising from Cairo.[11]
Winter – Saladin supported by reinforcements from Nur al-din, defeats a Crusader-Byzantine force under Amalric I near
Damietta. During the 3-month siege, the Crusaders are forced to retreat to Palestine.[12]
By topic
Art and Science
Eleanor of Aquitaine leaves the English court of Henry II, to establish her own court in
Poitiers. It will become known as a center of
courtly love. Richard I accompanies his mother and is made heir to
Aquitaine.
^Picard, Christophe (2000). Le Portugal musulman, VIIIe-XIIIe siècle: L'Occident d'al-Andalus sous domination islamique. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose. p. 110.
ISBN2-7068-1398-9.
^Warren, W. L. (1961). King John. University of California Press. p. 37.
^Makk, Ferenc (1989). The Árpáds and the Comneni: Political Relations between Hungary and Byzantium in the 12th century (Translated by György Novák). Akadémiai Kiadó. pp. 105–106.
ISBN963-05-5268-X.
^Moody, T. W.; Martin, F. X., eds. (1967). The Course of Irish History. Cork: Mercier Press. p. 370.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, p. 311.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, pp. 311–312.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, p. 312.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.