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A moment in history

Who ruled the world in 1248?

12 thrones active across 12 rulers, a snapshot of the 13th century.

1248 was a violent year, dominated by crusades and warfare. King Sancho II of Portugal died in exile in January, deposed after years of civil war. In the Mongol Empire, Great Khan Güyük led an army westward under the pretext of a regional inspection while his cousin Batu Khan of the Golden Horde marched east to meet him; a bloody civil war was narrowly avoided when Güyük died suddenly in April, either from natural causes or violence, depending on the source. In August, Louis IX of France set sail from Marseilles on the Seventh Crusade. On the Iberian peninsula, Ferdinand III of Castile recaptured Seville from the Almohads after a 16-month siege, ending more than five centuries of Islamic rule in the city and expelling its Muslim population.
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Explore who held power in each world throne this year.

Chronicle

Key events of 1248

  • 4 JanDeath of Sancho II of Portugal in exile at Toledo
  • 18 FebBattle of Parma; Emperor Frederick II defeated by the Lombard League
  • 20 AprDeath of Güyük Khan, Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
  • 26 AprSainte-Chapelle consecrated in Paris
  • 12 AugLouis IX leaves Paris on the Seventh Crusade
  • 15 AugFoundation stone of Cologne Cathedral laid
  • 25 AugLouis IX sails from Marseilles for the East
  • 17 SepLouis IX arrives at Limassol, Cyprus
  • 23 NovSeville surrenders to Ferdinand III of Castile after a 16-month siege
  • 24 NovMont Granier landslide in the Alps
  • 1 DecWilliam of Villehardouin captures Monemvasia, last Byzantine outpost in the Peloponnese
  • 15 DecMongol embassy reaches Louis IX in Cyprus

From the library

Go deeper on 1248

Histories tied to the people, places, and turning points that defined this year across the world.

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