1342
Ibn Battuta reaches the court of Muhammad bin Tughluq
The Moroccan traveler, after years on the road crossing deserts and mountain passes, was appointed qadi of Delhi by the eccentric and dangerous sultan. He served eight years on a generous salary and constant edge of execution, watching the sultan's moods swing between scholarly generosity and sadistic cruelty, before escaping the court by accepting a diplomatic mission to Yuan China.
Stefan Dušan takes Serres from Byzantium
Exploiting the Byzantine civil war between John V Palaiologos and John Kantakouzenos, the Serbian king pushed his frontier deep into Macedonia, seizing fortress after fortress from a distracted empire. Within four years he would control Thessaly, Epirus, and most of Albania, governing one of the largest states of fourteenth-century Europe.
Pope Clement VI buys Avignon outright
The new pope, a polished Limousin nobleman who loved luxury and learning, purchased the city of Avignon from Joanna I of Naples for eighty thousand gold florins. The papacy now owned its exile. Clement immediately began an expansion of the palace and turned Avignon into the most lavish court in fourteenth-century Europe.
Hamburg joins the Hanseatic expansion
The northern German port league, founded informally decades earlier, formalized relations with the Baltic trading cities of Lubeck, Rostock, and Danzig. Hamburg's access to North Sea routes complemented the League's Baltic dominance, creating a commercial network spanning two seas. The Hansa would dominate Baltic trade for two centuries, building kontors at Bergen, Bruges, London, and Novgorod.
Want 1342 in context? Print the whole 14th century as a one-sheet timeline chart.
Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1342?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1342. The most significant is Ibn Battuta reaches the court of Muhammad bin Tughluq: The Moroccan traveler, after years on the road crossing deserts and mountain passes, was appointed qadi of Delhi by the eccentric and dangerous sultan.
What era was 1342 part of?
1342 falls within the Late Middle Ages (1301-1500). Plague, papal schism, and the seeds of nation-states.
Which regions saw notable events in 1342?
The curated events from 1342 span South Asia and Europe.