ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

**The 13th Century**
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### Overview

The 13th century is the period from January 1, 1201 to December 31, 1300 according to the Gregorian calendar. It is also known as the "Century of the Castles" and was part of the Middle Ages.

### Major Events and Developments

#### Mongol Empire and Conquests

The 13th century saw the rise of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan, who unified the Mongol nomadic tribes in 1206. His empire would go on to become the largest contiguous empire in history. After Genghis Khan's death, his empire was divided among his sons, who continued their conquests.

* **Batu Khan** managed to occupy Russia, Bulgaria, and Eastern European territories.
* **Ogedei Khan** completed the occupation of all Chinese and Korean territory.
* **Hulagu Khan** invaded Khwarazm, Persia, and entered Baghdad.

#### Crusades and European Politics

The 13th century also saw the continuation of the Crusades. The Fourth Crusade (1202-1204) targeted Constantinople instead of Egypt and resulted in the looting of the city and the establishment of the Latin Empire, which lasted for 60 years before being recaptured by the Byzantines.

* **Normandy** fell into the hands of King Philip Augustus in 1204.
* The second battle of Adrianopolis took place between the Bulgarians and the newly created Latin Empire in 1205, where King Balduin I was captured.

#### Asian Conquests

The Delhi Sultanate conquered much of the Indian subcontinent during this period.