1202
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Pope Innocent III gives command of a Fourth Crusade to Boniface III, count of Montferrat, who gains support from Venice's doge Enrico Dandolo, now 94. The doge has abstained from earlier crusades because the Arabs are Venice's best customers, but he now sees potential for profit and agrees to provide ships for a maritime attack on Egypt provided that he receive 85,000 marks plus half of all booty. The crusaders gather at Venice but cannot raise the 85,000 marks. Dandolo finally agrees to transport them on condition that they first sack Zara on the Dalmatian coast, despite the fact that Zara is a Christian town held by the king of Hungary.
The crusaders sack Zara in November and are joined by Alexius, son of the deposed Byzantine emperor Isaac II Angelus (see 1201). Western Europe has for centuries envied the wealth and luxury of the Byzantine Empire while deploring its excesses; taking advantage of their cupidity, Alexius makes large promises to the crusaders and persuades many of them to follow him to Constantinople and overthrow the usurper Alexius III (see 1203).
France's Philippe II Augustus confiscates Aquitaine, Anjou, and Poitu and gives these fiefs of England's John Lackland to John's nephew Arthur of Brittany. John's troops triumph over French forces at Mirabeau and young Arthur vanishes at Rouen, possibly murdered by order of John to block him from claiming the English throne.
Norway's Sverrir Sigurdsson dies at Bergen March 9 at age 52 (approximate) after a 25-year reign in which he has expanded the power of the monarchy, limited the privileges of the church, but stirred up civil revolts that will not be suppressed for another 15 years. His son succeeds to the throne and will reign until 1204 as Haakon III Sveresson.
Denmark's Canute VI dies at age 39 after a 20-year reign in which he has conquered Pomerania and personally led a crusade to Estonia. His 32-year-old brother succeeds him and will reign until his death in 1241 as Valdemar II, expanding Danish influence along the Baltic (see Norway, 1204).
Poland's high duke Mieszko III dies March 13 at age 75 (approximate), having been ousted in 1177 by a revolt of the country's landowners, restored in 1190, ousted again, and restored late in 1198 or early 1199. He is succeeded by Wladyslaw III Laskonogi, who will reign until 1207.
Ghiyas-ud-Din, sultan of Ghur, dies after a 29-year reign in which he and his younger brother Muizz-ud-Din Muhammad have extended Ghurid rule from Multan in Sind to Gaur in Bengal.
The Book of the Abacus (Liber Abaci) by Italian traveler-mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci (Leonardo da Pisa), 27, introduces Europe to Arabic numerals from North Africa and the zero from India (see 1000), making calculation much easier than with Roman numerals.
The papal bull Venerabilem asserts the Vatican's right to pass upon the fitness of any candidate elected to rule the Holy Roman Empire and to review disputed or irregular elections (see 1338).
Pope Innocent III excommunicates the Fourth Crusade following the sack of Zara.
Court jesters make their first appearance in European courts.
England enacts her first laws to regulate the price of bread and limit the amount of profit a baker may earn (see 1266).
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