The Second millenium

[Vince]

Well, let's try 1034.

The Byzantine Empress and her peasant lover assassinate the Emperor. They immediately summon the Patriarch, bribe him with fifty pounds of gold, and he marries them on the spot and crowns Michael IV as the new Byzantine Emperor. Fearing that the Empress Zoe might also assassinate him, he has her imprisoned in the palace and lets his incompetent brother rule the Empire. Michael dies seven years later.

Taking advantage of the collapse of Moslem Spain into a variety of small kingdoms, the Catholics begin expanding southward.

The Italian city-state of Pisa captures Hippo on northern Africa, but has to abandon it after one year.

 

[Vince]

It's 1035 AD!

Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, Norway, and part of Sweden, dies. He is buried in Winchester, which was capital of England at the time. Within ten years, all of Canute’s sons (and his one daughter) have died, and his empire collapses. Cnut's youngest son, Harold Harefoot, becomes King of England. With Norway in rebellion and preparing to invade Denmark, Harold's brothers are unable to prevent his coronation.

Harthacnut, the rightful heir to the Viking throne, becomes King of Denmark.

Pisa launches a naval attack on Moslem pirates off Italy's southeastern coast.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 1036!

The Zirid Moslems, who rule Africa's north-central coast, invade Sicily. They capture Palermo, the capital, but are unable to take the entire island.

Harold Harefoot is determined to hold the English throne, and his half-brothers, all of whom have a better claim, are determined as well. His half-brother Alfred leads a revolt, is captured, blinded by his captors, and dies shortly afterwards.

Later Suzaku (Honest, that's his name) begins his nine year reign as Emperor of Japan. He has five Empresses, stays out of trouble, and is buried in a humble tomb.

According to the Zen Buddhists, they began when Buddha held up a white flower and said nothing. This year, the story appears in writing for the first known time.

 

[Vince]

And the year 1037 just rolled in.

The Great Seljuk Empire begins. Founded by Turkish Muslims, it imports many Turks into the area that will someday be Turkey. It spreads rapidly, dominating much of central Asia before splitting into rival kingdoms. Defeating the first Crusade, it is then devastated by the second, which establishes Crusader States in its former territories. Continuing to collapse with civil war, its last territory is seized by the Mongols around 1260.

Catholic Spain seizes the entire Moslem province of Leon.

George Maniakes was a brilliant Byzantine general who didn't know how to get along with people. Leading an army of Byzantines, Norwegians, and Norsemen, he invades Sicily. He nearly retakes the island, but he is recalled because he antagonizes al his allies into deserting him. Learning from his methods, however, the Normans later invade Sicily themselves.

 

[Claudya]

I love this thread, please keep going!

Assuming you continue to post one year every day it will get extremely interesting on July 14 2015 when you will start predicting the future.

 

[Vince]

Thank you, Claudya.

And now, welcome to 1038.

Versailles, a small French village, first appears in writing. Today it is a city of 85,000 inhabitants.

Zaragoza, one of the larger Moslem kingdoms in Spain, has a revolution. The rebels seize the nation and rule until the kingdom collapses in 1110.

The Liao Dynasty, which borders northern China and still claimed to be the real China, suffers a major revolt, as Western Xia secedes. The new nation remains independent for nearly two centuries before being conquered by Mongolia.

Stephen I, the first King of Hungary, dies. He was a ferocious warrior who expanded Hungary's border, forcing the nation to turn Catholic. When a relative tried to seize the throne, Stephen had his eyes gouged out and hot lead poured into his ears. But he kept the nation free of civil war, was very popular among the people, and was made a Catholic saint a few decades after his death. In 1945, his crown was sent to the US for safekeeping from the Communists, and it was later voluntarily returned.

 

[Vince]

You're just in time for 1039!

HRE Conrad II dies, and his son Henry IV becomes the new Emperor. With a lot of political experience as King of Germany, he begins by touring his realm, gaining support. But Bohemia invades Poland without his permission (Bohemia was part of the HRE, while Poland had seceded), and Henry assembles an army to invade Bohemia next year.

Yosheii, the great Samurai warrior, is born. Along with his son, whom he had trained, he becomes one of Japan's great military leaders and an inspiration to future generations of Samurai. If you have a long memory, you might remember that the Samurai eventually became a warrior class with their own nobility.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 1040!

HRE Henry IV invades Bohemia (which is part of the HRE) and suffers a massive defeat. But he signs a peace treaty getting Bohemia and their Hungarian allies to quit raiding the HRE.

The Ghaznavid Empire had been expanding through southwest Asia and northern India. Fearing the Turks, who were raiding their territories, the Ghaznavids attacked with a 50,000 man army. Using cavalry, the Turks harassed them so successfully that their 20,000 man army won a major victory.

No, it's not the way Shakespeare told it, but Macbeth kills Duncan and becomes King of Scotland. Considered a kind and just ruler by contemporary historians, he is killed 17 years later in a battle with English invaders.

In northern Germany, a Benedictine abbey starts brewing beer, and they've never stopped. Although it is now government-owned, it is the oldest brewery in the world that is still in operation.

 

[Vince]

1041 just zoomed in!

Harthacnut, King of Denmark, completes a successful invasion of England, has his half-brother Harold Harefoot's body dug up and beheaded, and throws it away. It is later retrieved and buried. Worcester rebels, however, refusing to pay the new taxes.

In China, Bi Sheng, a commoner, invents the world’s first movable type printer. Previous printers had the entire page carved into one piece, but now the letters could be re-arranged. But the new printer uses porcelain letters and they are not suitable for long-term use.

In northern Africa, the Moslem Zirid Dynasty voluntarily submits to the Moslem Empire without rejoining.

Michael the Caulker begins his four-month reign as Byzantine Emperor. He quickly deposes his various regents, including his adoptive mother (the Empress who made him Emperor). She arrests and executes him in response.

 

[Vince]

Let's look at 1042.

Abbad II begins his successful 27 year reign over Seville, the break-away kingdom in Moslem Spain. A brilliant, treacherous murderer, he intelligently murders off enemies who present a threat, keeping their skulls as souvenirs. He wages war against neighboring Moslem city-states, weakening them and thus helping the Catholic princes of northern Spain. During his last six years, he is forced to pay tribute to two rival Moslem city-states.

Former Byzantine Empress Zoe and her sister Theodora seize the throne and rule as co-Empresses. But they can't get along, so Zoe looks over her choices and marries Constantine IX two months later, making him Emperor. Ruling for thirteen energetic years, Constantine starts out by getting rid of allies of the former Emperor. Bad move, as George Maniakes, the brilliant general who had prevented disaster on the eastern front, rebels when he is fired. Declaring himself Emperor, he gathers his troops from southern Italy, invades the Balkans, and heads for Constantinople. Fortunately for the Byzantines, rival Moslems in northern Africa invade Morocco, keeping Sicily and southern Italy safe.

After conquering England and killing his rivals, Harthacnut dies. Edward the Confessor, son of Aethelred the Unready, is made King by the nobility. Honest, energetic, and incompetent, he will rule for 24 years as his royal power steadily declines.

 

[Vince]

And now it is the year 1043!

Nri is a tiny kingdom on Africa's west coast. With no military, it survives until absorbed by the British in 1911. This year, they choose their first king, who rules peacefully for fifteen years.

China introduces The Minor Reforms into its government, but the whole reformation only lasts two years.

Last year, General George Maniakes had rebelled when the Byzantine Emperor fired him. He meets the Byzantines on his way to Constantinople, they kill him, and his rebellion ends.

The Seljuk Turks are on the move once again, this time seizing Persia.

On Halloween night, Venus passes in front of Jupiter. Nothing happens, though.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 1044!

China publishes “The Collection of the Most Important Military Techniques.” It contains the earliest recorded recipe for gunpowder, describes the double-piston flame thrower, catapult-equipped warships, and other equipment.

Anawrahta Minsaw founds the nation of Burma. He is crowned King of Pagan in northern Burma, and for the next 34 years conquers everything he can get his hands on. His reformation of local Buddhism and government becomes the basis of Burmese culture.

In September, Pope Benedict IX, a legend of wickedness, is driven out of Rome and replaced by Pope Sylvester III in January of the next year.

 

[Vince]

1045 is a big year for the Popes...all of them. Leading an army, Pope Benedict IX re-seizes the city of Rome, driving Pope Sylvester III back to his former city, where he resumes being bishop while still claiming to be Pope. A Church court later fires him and exiles him to a monastery, but being the Pope, he ignores them and remains as a bishop.

A pious man, Pope Benedict’s godfather buys the Papacy from him and becomes Pope Gregory VI. Reigning for a year and a half over a bankrupt Papacy, Gregory fights hard to reform the Catholic Church. His two competing Popes both control parts of the city of Rome, and Pope Gregory uses letters, influence, politics, and military force to keep order. When German Emperor Henry II brought an army to restore order, Pope Gregory went to him and agreed to call a Church Council. On trial for purchasing sacred office, Pope Gregory freely admitted his guilt, but insisted that under the circumstances it was the right thing to do. To prevent further warfare, he voluntarily resigned and was sentenced to life imprisonment in a monastery.

Reizei II becomes Emperor of Japan. Reigning for 23 years, he puts down a rebellion known as "The Nine Years War."

 

[Vince]

And now it is 1046.

A Catholic Church Council gets rid of all three Popes and makes Clement II the new Pope on Christmas Day. A tough-minded German bishop, he straightens out a lot of the chaos in the Catholic Church, keeping his bishopric over Bamberg, Germany in addition to being Bishop of Rome.

Gerald Segretos was an Italian who served as bishop of Budapest, Hungary. He played a major role in converting the nation to Catholicism. This year, Andras leads a pagan revolt and kill him, the King, and other leaders and successfully seizes the throne. Forty years later, Gerald is declared a saint and is the patron saint of Hungary. And Andras? Having seized the throne, he leaves the Catholics alone.

Fearing bankruptcy, the Chinese government begins producing more iron, thus averting disaster.

Munjong begins his 37 year reign as King of Korea. He increases the authority of the King over local rulers, puts civilians in charge of the military, and expands his borders northward.

 

[Vince]

Oh, thank Heaven, it's 1047!

Tough, competent, and honest, Pope Clement II dies of lead poisoning in December. It is not known whether he was murdered or if the lead had been used as medicine. The evil Pope Benedict IX then re-seizes the Papacy.

William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, defeats a rebel alliance and effectively becomes their King.

The Viking Empire continues to fall apart. Harold the Hard Ruler becomes King of Norway, but Denmark and England ignore his claim to be their ruler as well.

Sweyne II becomes King of Denmark. Courageous in battle but not too smart, he does manage to father twenty children from his three wives; five of them later become King of Denmark. He keeps getting defeated by the Norwegians, but he holds on to Denmark by making deals with the Church and other allies.

Leo Tornikios, a Byzantine general, proclaims himself Emperor and attacks Constantinople. Defeated after a four-day siege, he attacks another city and is defeated. His followers flee, he is captured, and on Christmas Day he is blinded by the Byzantines.

 

[Vince]

Will life be great in 1048?

Emperor Henry III appoints another honest German bishop as Pope Damasus. German troops had to forcibly expel Pope Benedict IX and place Damasus on the throne, but he dies of malaria 23 days later.

In north Africa, Ifriqiya rebels against the Fatimid Empire and stays independent for another century.

It's a bad year for the Vikings. With their empire falling apart, Vikings raid England, but are defeated. King Edward the Confessor then goes after them with an English fleet, blockading them in Flanders. A flat, fertile, densely populated area in northern Belgium, at that time Flanders included parts of the northern Netherlands and northern France as well.

A combined Byzantine-Georgian army of 50,000 men attacks a large army of Moslem Slejuk Turks and fights to a tie. The Turks escape with a huge amount of loot and captives, leaving vast damage behind them.

 

[Vince]

We can offer Thanksgiving that 1049 is here.

The Banu Hilal invasions begin. Angry because north African Moslems had seceded from the Moslem Empire, Egypt sends waves of nomads into the area. They war against the Moslems already there, and they turn farmland into desert waste that has not recovered to this day.

China completes the Iron Pagoda. Built of fireproof bricks that look like iron from a distance, the 186 foot tall spire replaced a similar wooden pagoda that had burned down. Almost 1,000 years later, it is still in good condition.

Pisa, the Italian city-state, continues its war against Moslem pirates, They capture Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, and it remains part of Italy today.

To be continued...

 

[Vince]

What's that you say? You've never heard of Pope Leo IX?

A powerful German aristocrat who also rules part of central Italy, Leo IX begins his five year reign as Pope in 1049. Ruthlessly honest, he is acclaimed Pope by the Emperor, the clergy, and the people. He forbad all simony (selling of Church offices) strengthened the Order of Cluny (which had fought hard for reformation), re-instated celibacy for the clergy, and rooted out all the corruption he could find.

And then he did something really bizarre. The devoutly Catholic Normans had invaded southern Italy, which was part of the Byzantine Empire. Ignoring Norman pleas to negotiate, Leo personally led an army against them and was soundly defeated. But when the vanquished Pope went to meet the victors, they received him with honor, holding him prisoner until he recognized their claims to two captured cities.

Returning to Rome, Leo sent an embassy to negotiate with the Patriarch of Constantinople. Carrying the forged “Donation of Constantine,” which declared the Pope to be the head of the entire Catholic Church, the ambassador did not know that Pope Leo died before the embassy reached Constantinople. When the Patriarch rejected the Pope’s claims, the ambassador excommunicated him; the Patriarch excommunicated the ambassador, and the Catholic Church permanently split into two.

We'll be talking a lot more about Pope Leo IX in the next few posts.

 

[Vince]

Things get nifty in the year 1050.

About this time, the Samurai become an important force in Japan. Developing centuries earlier as attendants to the nobility, they had learned martial skills in order to protect their masters. There were various blendings with the nobility, however, and eventually a warrior class of nobles emerged. By the twelfth century, the Samurai actually comprised over 9% of the Japanese population.

And about this time, Yiddish develops. It is a Jewish language that combines French, Italian, and Hebrew words.

And, during this time, the Hawaiians are settling on the leeward (away from the wind) sides of their islands. The first Polynesians who arrived settled towards the wind, getting more rain for their farms, as the mountainous islands blocked a lot of rainfall on the leeward sides. But with few wars, the Hawaiian population is increasing and they have to start using less valuable land.

Norway sacks Hedeby, a major trading port in southern Denmark that is their largest city. Today it is part of Germany. And Sweden invades Finland. So you can see that the Viking Empire has ended.

Edmund the Old begins his ten year reign as King of Sweden. He is most noted for his unsuccessful attempt to keep the Swedish Church free of the German Church, appointing his own bishop. Eventually, he and the bishop were forced to give in.

 

[jasoncran]

Things get nifty in the year 1050.

About this time, the Samurai become an important force in Japan. Developing centuries earlier as attendants to the nobility, they had learned martial skills in order to protect their masters. There were various blendings with the nobility, however, and eventually a warrior class of nobles emerged. By the twelfth century, the Samurai actually comprised over 9% of the Japanese population.

And about this time, Yiddish develops. It is a Jewish language that combines French, Italian, and Hebrew words.

And, during this time, the Hawaiians are settling on the leeward (away from the wind) sides of their islands. The first Polynesians who arrived settled towards the wind, getting more rain for their farms, as the mountainous islands blocked a lot of rainfall on the leeward sides. But with few wars, the Hawaiian population is increasing and they have to start using less valuable land.

Norway sacks Hedeby, a major trading port in southern Denmark that is their largest city. Today it is part of Germany. And Sweden invades Finland. So you can see that the Viking Empire has ended.

Edmund the Old begins his ten year reign as King of Sweden. He is most noted for his unsuccessful attempt to keep the Swedish Church free of the German Church, appointing his own bishop. Eventually, he and the bishop were forced to give in.

yiddish is found only in ashkanazum jewry. and even then its not all of them speak it.yiddish has german words.ie mensch and gelt. man and money.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiddish_language