1188
Maimonides completes the Mishneh Torah
The Cordoba-born Jewish philosopher, now settled in Cairo, finished the fourteen-book Hebrew code of Jewish law that he hoped would allow any educated Jew to look up an answer without consulting the entire Talmud. Its clarity and scope made it immediately controversial and indispensable. Rabbis debated whether Maimonides's systematic approach simplified or distorted the rich argumentative tradition of the Talmud, a controversy that continues to this day.
Saladin Tithe levied in England
Henry II, belatedly taking the cross, imposed a tax of a tenth on the income and movable goods of all his subjects to fund a crusade. It was the first income tax in English history and a template for subsequent royal fund-raising, deeply unpopular from the start. The tithe demonstrated that the English crown's administrative machinery was sophisticated enough to assess and collect a nationwide tax on personal wealth.
Cortes of Leon meets
King Alfonso IX of Leon convened an assembly at the cloister of San Isidoro that included townsmen alongside nobles and clergy. Scholars have argued this is the earliest European parliament to include elected commoner representatives, though its powers were consultative. The inclusion of urban delegates reflected the growing economic and military importance of Leonese towns, whose militias and tax revenues had become essential to the kingdom's defense.
Gerald of Wales preaches the crusade
Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury and the chronicler Gerald of Wales rode a Lent-long preaching tour through Wales, recruiting about three thousand men to take the cross. Gerald's diary of the trip became the Itinerarium Cambriae, one of the best descriptive texts of any medieval region. His account preserves details of Welsh geography, customs, and church politics that no other source records, making it indispensable to historians of medieval Wales.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1188?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1188. The most significant is Maimonides completes the Mishneh Torah: The Cordoba-born Jewish philosopher, now settled in Cairo, finished the fourteen-book Hebrew code of Jewish law that he hoped would allow any educated Jew…
What era was 1188 part of?
1188 falls within the High Middle Ages (1000-1300). Crusades, cathedrals, and the slow waking of Europe.
Which regions saw notable events in 1188?
The curated events from 1188 span Africa and Europe.