1063
Nizam al-Mulk becomes Seljuk vizier
The Persian statesman began his three-decade career running the Seljuk empire for Alp Arslan and then Malik Shah. His Siyasatnama, a book of statecraft studded with historical anecdotes, would become the classic Persian manual of government. He founded madrasas from Baghdad to Merv to train loyal Sunni officials. His administrative genius held together an empire that stretched from the Mediterranean to the borders of India.
Madrasa system spreads under Nizam al-Mulk
The Persian vizier founded state-sponsored theological colleges in Baghdad, Nishapur, and other major cities to train a loyal Sunni bureaucracy. The Nizamiyya schools reshaped Islamic scholarship by formalizing curricula and providing stipends for students. They became the model for Islamic higher education down to modern times, and their emphasis on systematic study influenced the founding of European universities in the following century.
Pisa begins its cathedral
With Sicilian loot filling the treasury, the Pisan republic began construction of its great cathedral beside the baptistery and the leaning campanile that would follow a century later. Buscheto designed a five-nave Romanesque basilica faced in polished marble. The Field of Miracles was at last taking form. The cathedral's Islamic-inspired arches reflected the cosmopolitan influences that Pisa's Mediterranean trading network brought home.
Khmer Empire Suppresses Cham Revolt on Its Eastern Frontier
Udayadityavarman II's generals put down a series of uprisings along the Khmer empire's eastern marches, where Cham populations resisted Angkorian authority. The campaigns revealed both the empire's military reach and the inherent fragility of ruling diverse peoples across the dense forests of mainland Southeast Asia. Control depended on local intermediaries whose loyalty lasted only as long as the threat of Angkorian elephants and spears.
Qarakhanid Scholar Yusuf Composes Kutadgu Bilig
At the Qarakhanid court in Kashgar, the scholar Yusuf Khass Hajib completed the Kutadgu Bilig - 'Wisdom of Royal Glory' - a 6,500-couplet poem in Turkic that served as a mirror for princes. Written in the Uyghur script, it was the first major literary work in any Turkic language, blending Islamic ethics with Central Asian statecraft into a manual for just governance. The poem proved that Turkic could carry philosophical weight as capably as Arabic or Persian.
Want 1063 in context? Print the whole 11th century as a one-sheet timeline chart.
Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1063?
Saeculum lists 5 curated events from 1063. The most significant is Nizam al-Mulk becomes Seljuk vizier: The Persian statesman began his three-decade career running the Seljuk empire for Alp Arslan and then Malik Shah.
What era was 1063 part of?
1063 falls within the High Middle Ages (1000-1300). Crusades, cathedrals, and the slow waking of Europe.
Which regions saw notable events in 1063?
The curated events from 1063 span Central Asia, Middle East, Europe and Southeast Asia.