Century overview
The world in the 14th century
1301 – 1400. 155 events across 8 regions. Below, the century’s most significant events by region — what each part of the world was doing during the same stretch of time.
Europe
Showing 6 of 90 events from this century
- Beginning of the Renaissance
The Renaissance was a European cultural movement spanning roughly from the 14th to the 17th century. Originating in Italy, it later spread across Europe. The movement was characterized by a revival of classical Greek and Roman literature, philosophy, and art, emphasizing humanism, the value of the individual, and reason, while challenging medieval traditions and the authority of the Church. Florence was a key early center.
- Outbreak of the Hundred Years' War
In 1337, a prolonged conflict known as the Hundred Years' War broke out between England and France over territorial disputes and a claim to the French throne. The war, intermittent over more than a century, ended with a French victory and the recovery of most English-held territories on the continent.
- The Black Death
The Black Death was a plague pandemic that ravaged Europe from 1346 to 1353, marking the start of the second plague pandemic. Originating in Asia, its massive spread was triggered in 1347 during the Mongol siege of Caffa. The pandemic caused the death of an estimated 30% to 60% of Europe's population, with worldwide fatalities ranging from 75 to 200 million, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in human history and profoundly impacting European history.
- Construction of St. Barbara's Church
St. Barbara's Church began construction in Kutná Hora in the 14th century, driven by the town's silver mining prosperity. Dedicated to the patron saint of miners, St. Barbara, it is one of the most famous Gothic churches in Central Europe. Its construction reflects the impact of mining wealth on the city's religious architecture.
- Founding of the Royal Monastery of Saint Mary of Guadalupe
The Royal Monastery of Saint Mary of Guadalupe was founded in the 14th century in Guadalupe, Extremadura, Spain. It served as one of the finest and most important monasteries in Spain for over four centuries.
- Battle of the Golden Spurs
On 11 July 1302, the Battle of the Golden Spurs took place near Kortrijk in Flanders between the royal French army and rebellious Flemish forces, resulting in an unexpected Flemish victory. It was part of the Franco-Flemish War of 1297–1305. Today, the date is an official holiday for the Flemish Community in Belgium.
East Asia
Showing 6 of 31 events from this century
- Construction of the Xi'an City Wall
In the 14th century, the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming dynasty ordered the construction of the Xi'an city wall on the foundations of the Tang imperial city. Built to defend against the Northern Yuan, the wall later underwent numerous renovations, forming a complete defensive system with a circumference of about 13.7 km, surrounded by a moat. It is one of the best-preserved and largest ancient city walls in China.
- Founding of Daitoku-ji Temple
Daitoku-ji Temple was founded in Kyoto, Japan, as a Rinzai school Zen Buddhist temple with the sangō Ryūhōzan. Its founder was Shūhō Myōchō, also known as Daitō Kokushi. The complex later became one of the largest Zen temples in Kyoto, covering over 23 hectares with more than 20 sub-temples, and profoundly influenced Japanese culture, including the tea ceremony.
- Founding of Tenryū-ji Temple
Tenryū-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, was completed in 1345. Founded by Ashikaga Takauji to honor Emperor Go-Daigo, its first abbot was Musō Soseki. As the head temple of the Tenryū-ji branch of Rinzai Zen, it ranks first among Kyoto's Five Mountains.
- Red Turban Rebellion begins
The Red Turban Rebellion was a major uprising against the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty in China, named after the red headscarves worn by the rebels. It began in 1351 with the revolt led by Han Shantong and Liu Futong, leaders of a White Lotus sect, in Hebei and Anhui, and quickly spread. The rebellion lasted nearly two decades, weakening the Yuan state and contributing to its eventual collapse. Rebel factions fought among themselves as well as against Yuan forces. Zhu Yuanzhang joined in 1352, rose to prominence, and in 1368 founded the Ming dynasty.
- Construction of the Nanjing City Wall began
In 1368, after establishing Nanjing as his capital, the Hongwu Emperor initiated the construction of the massive City Wall of Nanjing to consolidate his rule and defend against pirates. The project took twenty-one years and some 200,000 laborers, resulting in an inner wall over 35 kilometers in circumference, one of the largest city walls ever built, parts of which survive well today.
- Implementation of the Haijin (Sea Ban) Policy
In the late 14th century, the Ming dynasty began implementing the Haijin (Sea Ban) policy, prohibiting private maritime trade to combat Wokou piracy and smuggling. This isolationist policy restricted foreign commerce. Although intended to stabilize society, it negatively impacted coastal economies, trade, fishing, diplomacy, and technological exchange, while piracy actually intensified.
North Africa
Showing 6 of 13 events from this century
- Founding of the Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan
In 1356, Mamluk Sultan Hasan commissioned a monumental mosque-madrasa complex in Cairo, completed in 1363. Located in Salah al-Din Square in the historic district, it was remarkable for its massive size and innovative architecture, housing four madrasas for the four Sunni schools of law. It remains one of Cairo's most impressive historic monuments and a key example of Bahri Mamluk architecture.
- Founding of Bou Inania Madrasa
In the mid-14th century, Marinid sultan Abu Inan Faris founded the Bou Inania Madrasa in Fez. The madrasa uniquely served also as a congregational mosque, and is considered a high point of Marinid and historic Moroccan architecture.
- Completion of the Madrasa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
The Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun oversaw the completion of a madrasa and mausoleum in Cairo. Construction was begun by the previous sultan, al-Adil Kitbugha, between 1294 and 1295. When al-Nasir Muhammad returned to the throne in 1299, he supervised the building until it was finished in 1303. The structure stands in the Bayn al-Qasrayn area of Islamic Cairo, next to the Qalawun complex and the later Madrasa of Sultan Barquq, serving as a significant religious and commemorative monument of the Mamluk period.
- Construction of the Medina of Tétouan
The Medina of Tétouan is the historic Islamic old town of Tétouan, a city in northern Morocco. Situated in the Martil Valley near the Strait of Gibraltar, the medina is characterized by traditional low white houses and is home to artisans such as weavers, jewelers, and furriers, with street vendors selling carpets to tourists.
- El-Mursi Abul Abbas Mosque
The El-Mursi Abul Abbas Mosque is located in the Anfoushi district of Alexandria, Egypt. It is the largest mosque in Alexandria, named after the 13th-century Sufi saint Abu'l Abbas al-Mursi, whose tomb—along with those of the Ashraf family—lies within.
- Establishment of Al-Attarine Madrasa
The Al-Attarine Madrasa, an Islamic school in Fez, Morocco, was built by the Marinid sultan Uthman II in the first half of the 1320s. It is located near the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and derives its name from the nearby spice and perfume market. Noted for its efficient use of limited space and rich decoration, it is considered among the finest examples of Marinid architecture.
West Asia
Showing 6 of 9 events from this century
- Foundation of Soltaniyeh
At the end of the 13th century, Ilkhanid ruler Arghun ordered the foundation of Soltaniyeh in northwestern Iran. The city later became the capital under Oljaytu in the early 14th century, and the construction of the renowned Oljaytu Mausoleum marked a milestone in Persian Islamic architecture.
- Battle of Bapheus
On 27 July 1302, Osman I led an Ottoman army against a Byzantine force under Georgios Mouzalon in Bithynia. The Ottomans won a decisive victory that consolidated the nascent Ottoman state and heralded the eventual Ottoman conquest of Byzantine Bithynia.
- Founding of the Grand Mosque of Bursa
In 1396, Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I commissioned the Grand Mosque of Bursa to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Nicopolis. Built between 1396 and 1399 and designed by architect Ali Neccar, the mosque features twenty domes and two minarets, becoming a landmark of early Ottoman architecture.
- Construction of the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes begins
In the early 14th century, the Knights Hospitaller began expanding a Byzantine fortress on Rhodes into the Palace of the Grand Master, serving as their headquarters, palace, and fortress. The palace, a rare example of Gothic architecture in Greece, later underwent Ottoman modifications, severe damage in an 1856 ammunition explosion, and extensive restoration under Italian rule in the early 20th century. It now houses a museum.
- Construction of the Medieval City of Rhodes Begins
In the 14th century, the Knights Hospitaller began transforming the city of Rhodes into a fortified stronghold, establishing the Medieval City. The upper town, with its Palace of the Grand Masters and Street of the Knights, became one of the finest Gothic urban ensembles.
- Construction of Monar Jonban
In the 14th century, a mosque and mausoleum was built in Isfahan, Iran, later known as Monar Jonban. The structure is noted for its two minarets that oscillate when one is shaken.
South Asia
Showing 6 of 6 events from this century
- Founding of Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya was founded around the 14th century in present-day central Thailand, later serving as the capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Its location succeeded an earlier Khmer settlement named Ayodhya, which had been established around the 9th century in an area already inhabited. The city later became a major Southeast Asian urban center and its ruins were inscribed as a World Heritage historical park in 1991.
- Founding of the Vijayanagara Empire
In 1336, the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I founded the Vijayanagara Empire (also known as the Karnata Empire) in southern India. A Hindu kingdom, it later became the dominant power in the region during the 14th to 16th centuries.
- Founding of Malacca City
Malacca City was founded in 1396 by Parameswara, a Sumatran prince who fled to the Malay Peninsula following the fall of the Srivijaya Empire. Located on the Strait of Malacca, the city later became a major trading entrepôt and the centre of the Malacca Sultanate.
- Founding of Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Site
In the 14th century, the archaeological site complex in Gujarat began to take shape. Located in Panchmahal district and centered on the historic city of Champaner, it includes a hill fortress at Pavagadh. The site contains palaces, mosques, temples, stepwells, and other structures dating from the 8th to the 14th centuries, as well as earlier chalcolithic remains. The Kalika Mata Temple atop the hill has long been an important Hindu pilgrimage shrine. The site is the only complete pre-Mughal Islamic city and was later inscribed as a World Heritage Site.
- Completion of the Alai Darwaza
In the early 14th century, Sultan Alauddin Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate built the Alai Darwaza as the southern gateway of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque in Mehrauli. The red sandstone structure is a square domed gatehouse with arched entrances and a single chamber, exemplifying early Islamic architecture in India.
- Wat Phra Sri Sanphet Becomes Royal Temple of Ayutthaya
Wat Phra Sri Sanphet was formally established as a temple within the Royal Palace grounds in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. Served as the holiest Buddhist temple of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, located south of the royal palace. Its layout later served as the model for Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok.
Central Asian steppe
Showing 3 of 3 events from this century
- Construction of the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi begins
In 1389, Timur commissioned the construction of the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan to replace an earlier 12th-century tomb of the Sufi poet Ahmed Yasawi. Work was halted upon Timur's death in 1405, leaving the mausoleum unfinished.
- Founding of the Timurid Empire
The Timurid Empire was founded in 1370 by the Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, with Samarkand as its center, establishing a Muslim state in Central Asia.
- Battle of the Kondurcha River
On June 18, 1391, the first major battle between Timur and Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde took place at the Kondurcha River. Tokhtamysh's cavalry attempted to flank Timur's army but failed; a sudden frontal assault by the Central Asian forces routed the Horde troops. Many escaped to fight again later. This battle opened the Tokhtamysh–Timur war.
North America
Showing 2 of 2 events from this century
- Construction of the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan
Sometime after 1325, the first Templo Mayor was built in Tenochtitlan, dedicated to the war god Huitzilopochtli and the rain god Tlaloc. It was rebuilt six times and became the religious center of the Aztec Empire. Destroyed by the Spanish in 1521, it was replaced by the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral.
- Founding of Tenochtitlan
The Aztecs founded the city of Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco, which later became the capital of the Aztec Empire. The exact date of founding is unclear; the year 1325 was later used for commemorative purposes.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Showing 1 of 1 events from this century
- Inscription of the Ruins of Loropéni as a World Heritage Site
Located in southern Burkina Faso, the Ruins of Loropéni are a medieval heritage site featuring the best-preserved stone fortress walls. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009, it became the country's first World Heritage site. The settlement prospered from the trans-Saharan gold trade, reaching its height between the 14th and 17th centuries and abandoned in the early 19th century.
Years in the 14th century
3 years in this century have enough records for a page of their own.