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Sweden's former king Sverker II Karlsson is killed in battle at Gestilren, Västergötland, July 17 at age 50, having lost his throne 2 years ago.
Georgia's Queen Tamara has her revenge upon the emir of Ardabil, taking him by surprise, killing him along with 12,000 of his people, and carrying off thousands as slaves (see 1209). Her troops conduct daring raids into northern Persia, returning with booty from Marand in Azerbaijan, Tabriz, and Kazvin to her capital at Tiflis.
The Muslim ruler of Delhi Kuth-ud-Din Aibak (Qutb-ud-Din Aybak) dies from injuries sustained while playing polo (see 1206), but his son-in-law and ablest general Iltutmish will succeed him beginning next year, establish the independence of the Delhi sultanate, and rule until 1236; the slave dynasty founded by Kuth-ud-Din Aibakwill will rule until 1266 and be followed by five other slave dynasties that will rule until 1526 (see 1236).
The Albigensian crusader Simon de Montfort has the eyes of about 99 men gouged out in early April, their noses and upper lips are sliced off. Each man holds the shoulder of the man ahead of him, and the procession is headed by a man left with a single eye so that he may lead them from the town of Bram to the town of Cabaret in southern France (see 1209). Cabaret has become a center of resistance to Montfort, its angry young men have come to the defense of the Cathars, ambushed the French occupation forces, and retaken about 40 of the many castles that surrendered last year to the crusaders; Montfort arrives at the clifftop town of Minerve June 15, and his carpenters erect a huge catapult. The town is nearly demolished, its 140 "heretic" Cathars are ordered either to renounce their faith or be burned. Three women choose to live, and the others are burned at the stake July 22. Montfort then lays siege to hilltop castle of Termes high in the Corbières, and it surrenders in November (see 1211; politics, 1213).
Pope Innocent III excommunicates the Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV November 18 but Otto proceeds to complete his conquest of southern Italy. The emperor's excommunication coalesces opposition by German princes, who enjoy the support of France's Philippe II Augustus, and Otto will be deposed late next year (see 1212).
Poetry: Tristan und Isolde by German poet Gottfried von Strassburg, who will die with his epic incomplete.
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