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).
In the 1160s, the 12th century.
Geopolitics & Diplomacy
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
- August – Diarmait Mac Murchada, exiled King of Leinster, returns from Wales with a force of Flemings under Richard fitz Godbert de Roche of Rhos (the first Anglo-Norman knight to land in Ireland) and retakes control of the Uí Ceinnselaig, presaging the Norman invasion of Ireland, but fails to take Waterford.Irelandsource
- 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
- The army of the "Commune of Rome", called the "greatest army which Rome had sent into the field in centuries" was defeated by the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and the local princes of Tusculum and Albano.Italysource
- Battle of Monte Porzio - The Battle of Monte Porzio or Battle of Tusculum was fought on 29 May 1167, Whit Sunday, between the Holy Roman Empire and the city of Rome between a small hill outside the city of Tusculum and the city walls, at a place called "Prataporci", about 15 miles southeast of Rome. In the historical book Chronica Universalis, Sicardo wrote about the site of battle:...apud Montem Portium.Italysource
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
- Completion of Derbforgaill's Nun's Church at Clonmacnoise by Conchobar ua Cellaig, king of the Uí Maine, to replace a wooden oratory.Irelandsource
- Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn, High King of Ireland, presides over an assembly of laity and clergy of Leath Cuinn at Áth Buide Tlachtga (Athboy); marches to Armagh; divides Tír Eoghain between Niall Mac Lochlainn and Áed Ua Néill; and (at about this date) holds an Óenach Tailten.Irelandsource
Health & Medicine
- 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
Culture & Society
- King Henry II prohibits English students from attending the University of Paris; many settle at the University of Oxford.source
Births
Deaths
- January 12 – Aelred of Rievaulx, English abbot (born 1110)source
- February 27 – Robert of Melun, bishop of Hereford (born 1100)source
- 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
- April 12 – Charles VII (Sverkersson), king of Sweden (born 1130)source
- July 13 – Xia (Shenfu), Chinese empress consort (born 1136)source
- August 14 – Rainald of Dassel, German archbishop (born 1120)source
- August 17 – Nicolò Politi, Italian monk and hermit (born 1117)source
- August 22 – Relindis of Hohenburg, French abbesssource
- September 10 – Matilda, Holy Roman Empress (born 1102)source
- Basava, Indian philosopher and statesman (born 1105)source
- Abraham ibn Ezra, Spanish philosopher (approximate date)source
- Raymond I (or Raimond), French noblemansource
- Alaungsithu, Burmese king of the Pagan Dynasty (born 1090)source
- Euphrosyne of Polotsk, Kievan princess (born 1104)source
- Toirdelbhach MacDiarmaida Ó Briain, King of Thomond; he is succeeded by his son Muirchertach.Irelandsource
- The Barnwells arrived in Ireland with Strongbow in 1167 and had settled in Berehaven in Munster.Irelandsource
- Rainald of Dassel (1120–1167) - archbishop of Cologne, archchancellor of ItalyItalysource
- Avraham Ibn Ezra (c.1093–1167) - poetItalysource