1125 CE

Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, dies of cancer in Utrecht after leading an expedition against King Louis VI ("the Fat") of France and then against the citizens of Worms. Having no legitimate children, Henry leaves his possessions to his nephew, Frederick II ("the One-Eyed"), duke of Swabia. At the Hoftag diet in Regensburg, Lothair, duke of Saxony, is elected King of Germany and crowned at Aachen on September 13. Al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi, the vizier of the Fatimid Caliphate, is dismissed and imprisoned by Caliph al-Amir. Jin–Song War: Emperor Taizong of the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty declares war on the Chinese Song dynasty – and orders his armies to invade Song territory. He sends the Western army to the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi province and the Eastern army to Bianjing (modern-day Kaifeng), the Song capital. The Song forces are not expecting an invasion and are caught off guard.

In the 1120s, the 12th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • The Republic of Venice pillages the islands of Rhodes, ravages Samos and Lesbos, and occupies Chios (controlled by the Byzantine Empire). The Republic of Florence sacks and conquers the neighboring independent republic of Fiesole in Italy.source

Conflict & Security

  • June 11 – Battle of Azaz: The Crusader states led by King Baldwin II of Jerusalem defeat the Seljuk forces at Azaz and raise the siege of the town. Baldwin mobilizes a force of 1,100 armoured knights (from Antioch, Edessa and Tripoli) and 2,000 foot-soldiers. The Crusaders capture the Seljuk camp and Baldwin takes enough loot to ransom the prisoners taken by the Seljuk Turks (including his 4-year-old daughter Ioveta and Joscelin II of Edessa who are taken hostage). Aq-Sunqur al-Bursuqi, governor (atabeg) of Mosul, withdraws to Aleppo and is forced to make a truce, leaving the frontier in northern Syria in peace for 18 months.source
  • November – Jin–Song War: Emperor Taizong of the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty declares war on the Chinese Song dynasty – and orders his armies to invade Song territory. He sends the Western army to the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi province and the Eastern army to Bianjing (modern-day Kaifeng), the Song capital. The Song forces are not expecting an invasion and are caught off guard.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • King Alfonso the Battler of Aragon and Navarre leads a Castellan raid in Andalusia (Southern Spain).source
  • The first fair in Portugal is created in Ponte de Lima; it is an early sign of commercialization and economic development.source
  • The Khamag Mongol, a Mongolic tribal confederation, begins to play an important role on the Mongolian Plateau. They occupy the fertile lands of the basins of the rivers Onon, Kherlen and Tuul in the Khentii Mountains.source

Religion & Belief

  • October 3 – Al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi, the vizier of the Fatimid Caliphate, is dismissed and imprisoned by Caliph al-Amir.source
  • Lothair II (supported by Pope Honorius II) asks Frederick II to restore to the crown the estates that he has inherited from Henry V. Frederick refuses, and by year's end a succession dispute breaks out between the House of Welf and the House of Hohenstaufen. The latter is led by Frederick and his brother Conrad III, duke of Franconia.source
  • Saracen pirates raid the city of Antibes in Provence and the Benedictine monastery of Saint Honorat on the Lérins Islands (French Riviera).source
  • A collection of Zen Buddhist koans is compiled, in the Chinese Blue Cliff Record.source
  • On 5 January 1125, the roof of the great stone church at Armagh was raised, having been without a complete roof for 130 years; the work was overseen by Ceallach, successor of Patrick.Irelandsource

Culture & Society

  • March 29 – Reading School is founded in Berkshire in England.source
  • King Henry I of England arranges a marriage between his nephew Stephen of Blois and the 20-year-old Matilda, daughter and heiress of Eustace III, count of Boulogne. This gives Stephen control of the County of Boulogne and also lands in England that have belonged to Eustace (who dies on his return from the Holy Land).source
  • Albert of Aix, German historian and writer, begins his Historia Hierosolymitanae expeditionis (approximate date).source

Births

  • October 17 – Lu You, Chinese poet and writer (died 1210)source
  • Bolesław IV (the Curly), duke of Poland (approximate date)source
  • Guigues V, count of Albon and Grenoble (approximate date)source
  • Reginald of Châtillon, French nobleman (died 1187)source
  • Baldwin of Forde, English archbishop (approximate date)source
  • Fernando Rodríguez de Castro, Spanish nobleman (died 1185)source
  • Otto II (the Rich), margrave of Meissen (died 1190)source
  • Abraham ben David, French rabbi (approximate date)source
  • Eystein II (Haraldsson), king of Norway (approximate date)source
  • Giovanni de Surdis Cacciafronte, Italian bishop (died 1184)source
  • William of Æbelholt, French churchman (died 1203)source
  • Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, Persian historian and writer (died 1201)source
  • Matilda of Savoy, queen consort of Portugal (died 1157)source
  • Chueang, Thai ruler of the Ngoenyang Kingdom (died 1192)source

Deaths

  • January 24 – David IV (the Builder), king of Georgia (born 1073)source
  • April 12 – Vladislaus I, duke of Bohemia (born 1065)source
  • May 19 – Vladimir II, Grand Prince of Kiev (born 1053)source
  • May 23 – Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (born 1086)source
  • May 23 – Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, dies of cancer in Utrecht after leading an expedition against King Louis VI ("the Fat") of France and then against the citizens of Worms. Having no legitimate children, Henry leaves his possessions to his nephew, Frederick II ("the One-Eyed"), duke of Swabia. At the Hoftag diet in Regensburg, Lothair, duke of Saxony, is elected King of Germany and crowned at Aachen on September 13.source
  • June 22 – Lambert of St-Bertin, French chroniclersource
  • September 14 – Constance, princess of Antioch (born 1078)source
  • September 27 – Richeza of Berg, duchess of Bohemiasource
  • October 21 – Cosmas of Prague, Bohemian chroniclersource
  • December 3 – Berengar II, German noblemansource
  • December 29 – Agnes I, abbess of Quedlinburgsource
  • King Inge the Younger of Sweden is murdered in Vreta Abbey at the instigation of Queen Ulvhild Håkansdotter after a 20-year reign. Her cousin Magnus Nielsen ("the Strong") becomes a ruler over Västergötland (until 1134).source
  • Robert de Mowbray, Norman Earl of Northumbriasource
  • Al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi, vizier of the Fatimid Caliphatesource
  • Cineidigh Ua Conaing, archinneach of Cill-DaluaIrelandsource
  • Mac Maeilesuthain, Chief LectorIrelandsource