1070
Seljuks take Jerusalem from Fatimids
Turkish forces from Alp Arslan's empire captured Jerusalem from its Fatimid rulers, imposing heavier tolls on Christian pilgrims from the west. The stories of harassment that filtered back to Europe would become part of the grievance package Pope Urban II would assemble at Clermont twenty-five years later. The loss of Jerusalem's revenue was a blow to the already weakening Fatimid state in Egypt.
Temple of Literature Founded in Hanoi
Emperor Ly Thanh Tong ordered the construction of the Van Mieu - the Temple of Literature - in Thang Long, dedicating it to Confucius and the scholarly tradition. Six years later his successor would establish within its grounds Vietnam's first national university, the Quoc Tu Giam. The temple complex, with its courtyards of stelae honoring examination graduates, would endure for nearly a millennium as the physical embodiment of Vietnamese reverence for learning.
Lanfranc becomes Archbishop of Canterbury
The Lombard scholar and abbot of Caen, William the Conqueror's trusted adviser, was enthroned at Canterbury and began reforming the English church wholesale: replacing Anglo-Saxon bishops with Normans, moving sees to fortified towns, and aligning the kingdom with the papal reform movement led from Rome. His reorganization was so thorough that the institutional framework he imposed survived essentially intact for four hundred years.
Kulottunga I Unifies Chola and Chalukya Lines
Kulottunga I, a Chalukya prince by blood and a Chola king by seizure, consolidated his hold over the merged dynasty and began a reign that would last half a century. He reorganized provincial administration, revived maritime trade with Southeast Asia, and - in a gesture of confident sovereignty - abolished the tribute payments that Chola kings had long extracted from Sri Lanka. The Later Chola period had begun.
Almoravid Marrakesh Grows from Camp to Capital
What had begun as a military encampment in the Haouz plain beneath the Atlas Mountains was becoming a genuine city. Yusuf ibn Tashfin laid out Marrakesh's first permanent structures - mosques, markets, fortified walls of red pisé clay - establishing the architectural palette that would define the city for a millennium. Its position commanded both the mountain passes to the Sahara and the fertile agricultural plains of Morocco's interior.
Hereward the Wake raids Peterborough
The Anglo-Saxon outlaw, joined by a Danish raiding fleet, sacked the wealthy monastery of Peterborough before the arrival of its new Norman abbot. He retreated to the fenland marshes around Ely, where he would hold out for another year against William's army in the last real Anglo-Saxon resistance. His exploits passed quickly into legend, and medieval chroniclers transformed him into a Robin Hood figure of native defiance.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1070?
Saeculum lists 6 curated events from 1070. The most significant is Seljuks take Jerusalem from Fatimids: Turkish forces from Alp Arslan's empire captured Jerusalem from its Fatimid rulers, imposing heavier tolls on Christian pilgrims from the west.
What era was 1070 part of?
1070 falls within the High Middle Ages (1000-1300). Crusades, cathedrals, and the slow waking of Europe.
Which regions saw notable events in 1070?
The curated events from 1070 span Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, South Asia and Africa.