1383
Portuguese crisis: John of Aviz defends Lisbon
With Castile invading to enforce its queen's claim, the Master of Aviz rallied Lisbon's merchants and lower nobility against the Spanish candidate. The siege of Lisbon and the Battle of Aljubarrota the following year would secure Portuguese independence and launch the Aviz dynasty that would one day build an oceanic empire.
Tamerlane conquers eastern Persia
Timur's armies swept through Sistan and Kerman, reducing ancient Persian cities to tributary status. Artisans were deported to Samarkand, irrigation works destroyed, towers of skulls erected at city gates as warnings to any who might resist. Persia's eastern provinces entered a generation of devastation from which some regions would not recover for centuries.
Tunis becomes a center of trans-Saharan learning
Hafsid Tunis in the late fourteenth century hosted scholars from Andalusia, Mali, and Egypt debating theology and jurisprudence in the shadow of the Zaytuna mosque. Ibn Khaldun himself, before his final move to Cairo, had studied and taught in the city's venerable institution, whose library attracted students from every Muslim Mediterranean shore.
Portuguese interregnum begins after Ferdinand I dies
The childless Portuguese king died, leaving his daughter Beatrice married to Castile's John I, who claimed the Portuguese throne through her. Lisboeta merchants and the master of Aviz, John, refused to be absorbed by Castile, rallying popular support against foreign rule. Their revolt would deliver Portugal's independence at Aljubarrota two years later and launch the Avis dynasty.
Norwich anchoress Julian born
In Norfolk a future mystic was born who would receive sixteen visions during a near-fatal illness in 1373 and spend her life as an anchoress writing on the love of God. Julian of Norwich's Revelations, composed in Middle English, are the first book known to be written by a woman in English.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1383?
Saeculum lists 5 curated events from 1383. The most significant is Portuguese crisis: John of Aviz defends Lisbon: With Castile invading to enforce its queen's claim, the Master of Aviz rallied Lisbon's merchants and lower nobility against the Spanish candidate.
What era was 1383 part of?
1383 falls within the Late Middle Ages (1301-1500). Plague, papal schism, and the seeds of nation-states.
Which regions saw notable events in 1383?
The curated events from 1383 span Europe, Central Asia and Africa.