Year 1212: A Notable Year in History
Year 1212 (MCCXII) was a significant leap year, commencing on a Sunday in the Julian calendar.
Key Events
By Place
England
On July 10, the Great Fire devastated London, obliterating much of the city and claiming over 3,000 lives. A contemporary account recounts: “An awful fire broke out on the Southwark side of London Bridge; while it was raging, a fire broke out at the other end also and so hemmed in the numerous crowds who had assembled to help the distressed. The sufferers, to avoid the flames, threw themselves over the bridge into boats and barges; but many of these sunk, the people crowding into them.”
During this tumultuous time, King John of England seized the revenue of all prelates appointed by bishops who had abandoned him due to his excommunication. However, he maintained a cordial relationship with churchmen who supported him, including Abbot Sampson, who bequeathed his jewels to the king.
Europe
In the spring, after the fall of Argos, the Crusaders completed their conquest of the Morea in southern Greece. The cities of Nauplia and Argos were granted to Othon de la Roche, a nobleman from Burgundy, as a fief, along with an income of 400 hyperpyron from Corinth.
On July 16, the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa marked a decisive victory for the Christian forces led by King Alfonso VIII of Castile against the Almohad army, numbering around 30,000 men, under Caliph Muhammad al-Nasir. This victory significantly boosted the Reconquista, yet left the Kingdom of Castile in a precarious financial state, as the treasury struggled to pay the numerous soldiers.
This year also saw the organization of the Children’s Crusade, likely consisting of two separate movements led by shepherd boys, neither of which successfully embarked for the Holy Land. Both groups endured considerable hardship. Early in the spring, a boy named Nicholas led a group from the Rhineland, crossing the Alps into Italy, arriving in Genoa with approximately 7,000 children by August. Nicholas sought a meeting with Pope Innocent III.
In June, a 12-year-old named Stephen of Cloyes led a larger group across France to Vendôme, amassing a following of over 30,000, although most returned home after reaching Marseille.
On December 9, Frederick II was crowned King of the Germans at Mainz, though his authority remained tenuous, recognized primarily in southern Germany. His rival, Otto IV, continued to hold imperial power in the north despite his excommunication.
This year also witnessed the rapid expansion of the Teutonic Order, which constructed Bran Castle in modern-day Romania, establishing fortified positions along trade routes. Their swift growth in Hungary sparked jealousy and suspicion among local nobility and clergy.
A catastrophic storm surge in northern Holland tragically claimed approximately 60,000 lives.
Asia
In the autumn, Genghis Khan launched an invasion into Jin territory, besieging Datong. During the assault, he suffered an arrow wound to his knee and ordered a retreat for rest.
By Topic
Literature
The year saw the work of Kamo no Chōmei, a renowned Japanese poet and essayist, as he penned the Hōjōki, a significant piece of classical Japanese prose.
Religion
In this period, the contemplative Order of Poor Clares was founded by Clare of Assisi (approximate date). The Papal Interdict of 1208, imposed on England and Wales by Innocent III, remained in effect.
Births
- March 22 – Go-Horikawa, emperor of Japan (d. 1234)
- May 6 – Constance, margravine of Meissen (d. 1243)
- July 9 – Muiz ud-Din Bahram, Indian ruler (d. 1242)
- Abu al-Hasan al-Shushtari, Andalusian poet (d. 1269)
- Farinata degli Uberti, Italian military leader (d. 1264)
- Ibn Sahl of Seville, Almohad poet and writer (d. 1251)
- Isabella II, queen and regent of Jerusalem (d. 1228)
- Malatesta da Verucchio, Italian nobleman (d. 1312)
- Maria of Chernigov, Kievan Rus’ princess (d. 1271)
- Yolande of Dreux, French noblewoman (d. 1248)
- Zita (or Sitha), Italian maid and saint (d. 1272)
Deaths
- February 2 – Bernhard III, German nobleman (b. 1140)
- February 29 – Hōnen, Japanese Buddhist reformer (b. 1133)
- April 6 – Bertram of Metz (or Berthold), German bishop
- April 15 – Vsevolod III, Grand Prince of Kiev (b. 1154)
- May 24 – Dagmar of Bohemia, queen of Denmark
- July 15 – John I (or Johann), German archbishop
- July 16 – William de Brus, Scottish lord of Annandale
- August 11 – Beatrice, Holy Roman Empress (b. 1198)
- August 26 – Michael IV, patriarch of Constantinople
- September 19 – Henry fitz Ailwin, Lord Mayor of London
- October 9 – Philip I of Namur (“the Noble”), Flemish nobleman
- October 25 – John Comyn, English archbishop (b. 1150)
- November 4 – Felix of Valois, French hermit (b. 1127)
- November – Azzo VI of Este (or Azzolino), Italian nobleman (b. 1170)
- December 5 – Dirk van Are, bishop and lord of Utrecht
- December 12 – Geoffrey, Anglo-Norman archbishop of York and Chancellor of England (b. 1152)
- December 14 – Matilda de Bailleul, Flemish abbess
Notable figures who passed away this year include:
- Abu al-Abbas al-Jarawi, Moroccan poet and writer
- Anna Komnene Angelina, Nicene empress (b. 1176)
- Baldwin of Béthune, French nobleman and knight
- David Komnenos, emperor of Trebizond (b. 1184)
- Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud, ruler of the Ghurid Empire
- Guillem de Cabestany, Spanish troubadour (b. 1162)
- Henry de Longchamp, English High Sheriff (b. 1150)
- Maria of Montferrat, queen of Jerusalem (b. 1192)
- Peter de Preaux, Norman nobleman and knight
- Robert of Auxerre, French chronicler and writer
- Robert of Shrewsbury, English cleric and bishop
- Walter of Montbéliard, constable of Jerusalem