1716
Yoshimune Becomes Shogun
A younger son of a cadet branch, Tokugawa Yoshimune inherited a bankrupt shogunate and imposed an austerity program. He lifted the ban on Western books in Chinese translation, allowing Dutch learning to seep in. Rice markets, samurai stipends, and fire brigades all received his attention. Edo remembered him as the reformer.
Leibniz Dies in Hanover
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, co-inventor of calculus, philosopher of possible worlds, and tireless correspondent with half of learned Europe, died alone in Hanover. No one from the court attended his funeral. Newton, his great rival, said nothing publicly. The man who had invented binary arithmetic and dreamed of a universal language was buried without ceremony.
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu in Istanbul
The wife of the new British ambassador arrived in the Ottoman capital and began writing letters home describing the Turkish baths, the harems, the poetry, and the Circassian practice of inoculating children against smallpox by introducing pus from a mild case. She would bring the technique back to England and use it on her own son.
Battle of Petrovaradin
Prince Eugene of Savoy, outnumbered two to one, destroyed an Ottoman army beneath the walls of the Danubian fortress. The grand vizier was killed. Austria began its deepest penetration yet into the Balkans. Eugene, Italian-born, French-reared, the greatest general of his age, had come fully into his powers. His subsequent capture of Belgrade cemented Habsburg dominance over the region for a generation.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1716?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1716. The most significant is Yoshimune Becomes Shogun: A younger son of a cadet branch, Tokugawa Yoshimune inherited a bankrupt shogunate and imposed an austerity program.
What era was 1716 part of?
1716 falls within the Enlightenment (1651-1800). Reason, revolution, and the first global wars.
Which regions saw notable events in 1716?
The curated events from 1716 span East Asia, Europe and Middle East.