Precursors

Islamic World

622

Prophet Muhammad's emigration (hijra) from Mecca to Medina

632

Prophet Muhammad dies

638

Caliph 'Umar takes Jerusalem

661-750

Dynasty of Omayyads (Ummayads)

700

Islam controls whole of coast of Northern Africa (Byzantine loses control of Egypt and Syria)

711

Islamic forces invade Spain

by 731

Islamic forces conquered most of Spain

mid-8th century

earlier unity begins to fail

750

'Abbasids replace Omayyad caliphs

750-1258

Caliphate of the 'Abbasids

755

Emirate of Omayyads of Cordova founded

868-905

Tulunids rule in Egypt (still nominally under 'Abbasids)

869

Caliphate of Cordova founded

in ninth century

Islam conquers Sicily

969

Emperor Nikephoros Phokas of Byzantine seizes Antioch in Syria from 'Abbasids

969

Fatimids, a Shi'ite dynasty, seize Egypt.

969-1071

Fatimid dynasty rule in Egypt; Fatimids try to take Syria and Palestine from 'Abbasids until 1060s & 1070s when driven out of Syria by Turks

1002

al-Mansur, grand vizier of Cordoba dies

1009

Al-Hakim, caliph of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine, begins persecuting Jews and Christians, destroys church of the Holy Sepulchre. This ends the previous peace in Palestine

1021

al-Hakim disappears

1031

Disintegration of Omayyad Cordova Caliphate into small kingdoms, making it easier for Christians to continue to retake Spain

mid-11th century

Turks migrate from central Asia to Middle East, "reunification of eastern Muslim domains shifted the ...balance...in favour of the east" (20)

1040s

Turks under Tughrul conquer Persia and invade Armenia and Iraq

1055

Seldjuk Turks capture Baghdad

1059

Seldjuk Turks under Toghrul Beg (Sunnite, of Persia) savages "Armenian town of Sebastea, in Byzantine territory" (37)

1063

Toghrul Beg dies, "nephew, Alp-Arslan, intensified the raids on Armenia" (40)

1067

Turks secure Armenia, further raids into Byzantine territory

1070

Seldjuk Turks take Jerusalem from the Fatimid dynasty

1071

Emperor Romanus IV tries to recapture Armenia. Defeated by Alp-Arslan at Battle of Manzikert (Malazgerd) on August 19. Seldjuks found Sultanate of Rum in Asia Minor

1085

Antioch (northern Syria) conquered by Turks

1085

Toledo captured by Castile under Alfonso VI

1096

start of the First Crusade





Christian World

by early 8th century

Christians lost Palestine, North Africa, Syria, and much of Spain to Muslims

700

Islam controls whole of coast of Northern Africa (Byzantine loses control of Egypt and Syria)

969

Emperor Nikephoros Phokas of Byzantine seizes Tarsus and Antioch (Antakya) in Syria from 'Abbasids

1016

Normans begin conquest of Southern Italy (Erbstösser 206)

1016

Pisa conquers Sardinia

1031

Pisa establishes trading colony in Bono in North Africa

by 11th century

"theological differences had emerged between the western Christians...and those of the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire" (20)

11th century

Gregorian Reform makes claims for increased papal authority

late 1040s on

"reforming clerics...dominated the papacy" (20)

1040-71

Robert Guiscard conquers southern Italy from Byzantine

1054

Pope Leo IX excommunicates Byzantine patriarch Michael Cerularius; schism of Christian Church into Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches

1061-91

Christians retake parts of Sicily

by 1063

Roger of Calabria has captured Troina & defeated Muslims at Cerami

1072

Robert Guiscard & brother Roger captured Palermo (capital of Sicily)

1091

Noto, last Muslim stronghold, conquered by Roger

1065-99

Christians retake parts of Spain

1085

Alfonso VI (Castile and Leon) captures Toledo

1094

El Cid (Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar) captures Valencia

1073-85

Pope Gregory VII's reign. Promotes Gregorian Reform; has holy war with Henry IV, the Holy Roman Emperor

1074

due to Turkish advances, Pope Gregory VII offers to lead up to 50,000 to help Byzantine, hints may continue to Jerusalem

end of 11th century

monks in southern France claim to find a call for an army to fight al-Hakim (caliph of Egypt) by Pope Sergius IV (1004-12)

1078

Emperor Michael VII Ducas of Byzantine forced to abdicate, anarchy in the Byzantine empire

1081

Robert Guiscard mounts a campaign against Byzantine empire (May), defeats army (October 18) at Durazzo commanded by Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus

1081-1118

Alexius I emperor of Byzantium

1082

Robert returns to Italy due to rebellion of Apulian barons (encouraged by Alexius)

1084

Robert launches second campaign against Byzantium

1085

Robert dies at Cephalonia

1085

Christians retake Toledo in Spain

March 12, 1088-1099

Urban II pope

March 1095

Alexius Comnenus asks Pope Urban II for help against the Turks

November 26, 1095

Pope Urban calls for the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont

1096

start of the First Crusade




 

Mainly from Chronicles of the Crusades: Eye-Witness Accounts of the Wars Between Christianity and Islam, editor Elizabeth Hallam. Published by Weiderfeld and Nicolson in London 1989.

Other sources:

The Crusades: A Short History by Jonathan Riley-Smith. Published by Yale University Press in New Haven 1987.

The Crusades by Martin Erbstösser. Published by David and Charles, Brunel House, UK, 1978. (especially, the Appendix p. 206-7)

The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf, translated by Jon Rothschild. Published by Al Saqi Books, distributed by Zed Books, 1984.