1135
Maimonides born at Cordoba
In the Almoravid capital of al-Andalus, a Jewish boy was born who would flee the Almohad persecution, settle in Cairo, serve as physician to Saladin's household, and write a Hebrew code of Jewish law and an Arabic Guide for the Perplexed that remain foundational texts. His philosophical reconciliation of Aristotelian reason with biblical revelation would influence Thomas Aquinas and the entire trajectory of medieval Christian theology.
Death of Henry I and the Anarchy begins
The English king died in Normandy from a surfeit of lampreys, leaving no surviving legitimate son. His nephew Stephen of Blois raced across the Channel and seized the throne before Empress Matilda could react. Nineteen years of baronial civil war followed, during which, chroniclers said, Christ and his saints slept.
Kamo no Chomei born
The future author of the Hojoki, one of the most celebrated essays in Japanese literature, was born into a low-ranking Shinto priest's family in Kyoto. He would spend his last years as a hermit in a ten-foot-square hut and write a Buddhist meditation on the transience of the capital. His account of fire, earthquake, famine, and political chaos in Kyoto remains one of the most vivid descriptions of urban disaster in medieval literature.
Almoravid empire begins to crumble
In the wake of Almohad victories in the south, the governors of Valencia and Murcia declared independence from Marrakech. The Almoravid empire, which twenty years earlier had stretched from Ghana to Zaragoza, began to come apart in both Iberia and North Africa at once. Local strongmen carved out petty states called second taifas, recapitulating the fragmentation that the Almoravids had originally crossed the strait to prevent.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1135?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1135. The most significant is Maimonides born at Cordoba: In the Almoravid capital of al-Andalus, a Jewish boy was born who would flee the Almohad persecution, settle in Cairo, serve as physician to Saladin's…
What era was 1135 part of?
1135 falls within the High Middle Ages (1000-1300). Crusades, cathedrals, and the slow waking of Europe.
Which regions saw notable events in 1135?
The curated events from 1135 span Africa, Europe and East Asia.