1173 CE

Bolesław IV the Curly, High Duke of Poland, dies after a 27-year reign. He is succeeded by his half-brother Mieszko III the Old, and as duke of Sandomierz in Lesser Poland by Casimir II the Just. Henry the Young King withdraws to the French court, marking the beginning of the Revolt of 1173–1174, a dispute between King Henry II, his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and three of their sons over the territories they control. Eleanor is placed under de facto house arrest. William the Lion, King of Scotland, invades the North of England in support of the rebellion. The construction of a campanile, which will become the Leaning Tower of Pisa, begins.

In the 1170s, the 12th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • The Qiandao era ends and the Chunxi era begins during the reign of Emperor Xiao Zong of the Song dynasty.source

Conflict & Security

  • March – Henry the Young King withdraws to the French court, marking the beginning of the Revolt of 1173–1174, a dispute between King Henry II, his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and three of their sons over the territories they control. Eleanor is placed under de facto house arrest. William the Lion, King of Scotland, invades the North of England in support of the rebellion.source
  • 17 October – Revolt of 1173–74: Battle of Fornham – Flemish mercenaries under rebel leader Robert de Beaumont, Earl of Leicester, are defeated at a ford in East Anglia by the English royalists under Lord Richard de Lucy.source
  • Pro-Fatimid rising in Upper Egypt led by Kanz al-Dawla, governor of Aswan, is crushed by Saladin's brother Al-Adil.source
  • Knut Eriksson (King Canute I of Sweden) extends his rule after the death of co-ruler Kol – which includes also Östergötland. He becomes the unopposed sole-ruler of Sweden with the support of jarl Birger Brosa.source
  • Sinhalese king Parakramabahu I "the Great" gains a decisive victory by invading the Chola Empire as an ally of the Pandyas, capturing Tondi and Pasi regions.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • Summer – Saladin leads an expeditionary army against the Bedouin tribes in Oultrejordain to secure a route between Egypt and Syria. He raids the region at Kerak Castle.source

Religion & Belief

  • February 21 – Thomas Becket is canonized by Pope Alexander III. His tomb in Canterbury Cathedral becomes a shrine and a popular pilgrimage destination.source
  • Abu Yaqub Yusuf, caliph of the Almohad Caliphate, re-populates the western Andalusian city of Beja. But it is rapidly abandoned, a sign of the quick demographic weakening of the Muslims in the peninsula.source
  • Approximate date – Peter Waldo, French spiritual leader, is converted to Christianity and founds the Waldensians.source
  • Pedro Gudestéiz resigns the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela after some controversy.source
  • Traditional date – The Great Mosque of al-Nuri, Mosul, is completed to the orders of Nur al-Din Zengi.source

Economy & Finance

  • Approximate date – King Béla III of Hungary invites Cistercian and Premonstratensian monks to Hungary. They introduce advanced agricultural methods in the realm.source

Technology & Infrastructure

  • August 8 – The construction of a campanile, which will become the Leaning Tower of Pisa, begins.source

Science & Discovery

  • Algebraic chess notation is first recorded.source

Culture & Society

  • Mael Sechlainn meic Domnaill Ua Mael Sechlainn becomes first Lord of Clonlonan King of MeathIrelandsource

Births

  • May 21 – Shinran, founder of Jōdo Shinshū (Shin Buddhism) (died 1263)source
  • October 31 – Kujō Ninshi, Japanese empress (died 1239)source
  • December 23 – Louis I, duke of Bavaria (died 1231)source
  • Approximate date – Llywelyn ab Iorwerth ("the Great"), Welsh king of Gwynedd (died 1240)source
  • Diya' al-Din al-Maqdisi, Arab Sunni scholar (died 1245)source
  • Louis IV, Count of Chiny ("the Young"), French nobleman (died 1226)source
  • Tankei, Japanese Buddhist sculptor (died 1256)source
  • Kolbeinn Tumason, Icelandic chieftain (died 1208)source
  • Frederick I, count of Berg-Altena (died 1198)source
  • Rostislav II, Grand Prince of Kiev (died 1214)source
  • Walter Devereux, Anglo-Norman nobleman (died 1197)source

Deaths

  • January 5 – Bolesław IV the Curly, duke of Polandsource
  • January 5 – Bolesław IV the Curly, High Duke of Poland, dies after a 27-year reign. He is succeeded by his half-brother Mieszko III the Old, and as duke of Sandomierz in Lesser Poland by Casimir II the Just.source
  • February 10 – Muiredach Ua Cobthaig, Irish bishopsource
  • March 10 – Richard of Saint Victor, Scottish theologiansource
  • May 25 – Euphrosyne of Polotsk, Belarusian granddaughtersource
  • August 9 – Najm ad-Din Ayyub, father of Saladinsource
  • August 13 – Nerses IV, Catholicos of Armenia (born 1102)source
  • September 23 – Fujiwara no Ikushi, Japanese empress consort (born 1146)source
  • October 15 – Petronilla, queen regnant of Aragon (born 1136)source
  • November 7 – Uijong, Korean ruler Goryeo (born 1127)source
  • Benjamin of Tudela, Spanish Jewish traveler (born 1130)source
  • Hemachandra, Indian poet and polymath (born 1088)source
  • Roger de Clare, 2nd Earl of Hertford, English nobleman (born 1116)source
  • Rajaraja II, Indian ruler of the Chola dynastysource
  • Aedh mac Óenghusa and the Clann-Aedha conducted a foray (raid) in the territory known as the Great Third of Armagh; Aedh was killed within three months of this action.Irelandsource
  • Mael-Ísu Mac-in-Baird, bishop of Cluain-ferta of St. BrenainnIrelandsource
  • Cinaeth Ua Róna, bishop of Glenn-da-lochaIrelandsource