12th century

The 12th century is the period from 1101 to 1200 in accordance with the Julian calendar. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages and is sometimes called the Age of the Cistercians. The Golden Age of Islam experienced a significant development, particularly in Islamic Spain.

In Song dynasty China an invasion by Jurchens caused a political schism of north and south. The

Khmer Empire

of Cambodia flourished during this century, while the

Fatimid

s of Egypt were overtaken by the

Ayyubid dynasty

. Following the expansions of the Ghaznavids and Ghurid Empire, the Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent took place at the end of the century.

Events

* China is under the Northern Song dynasty. Early in the century, Zhang Zeduan paints ''Along the River During the Qingming Festival''. It will later end up in the Palace Museum, Beijing.
* In southeast Asia, there is conflict between the

Khmer Empire

and the

Champa

.

Angkor Wat

is built under the Hindu king

Suryavarman II

. By the end of the century the Buddhist

Jayavarman VII

becomes the ruler.
* Japan is in its Heian period. The Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga is made and attributed to Toba Sōjō. It ends up at the Kōzan-ji,

Kyoto

.
* In Oceania, the Tuʻi Tonga Empire expands to a much greater area.
* Europe undergoes the Renaissance of the 12th century. The blast furnace for the smelting of cast iron is imported from China, appearing around Lapphyttan, Sweden, as early as 1150.
* Alexander Neckam is the first European to document the mariner's

compass

, first documented by Shen Kuo during the previous century.
* Christian humanism becomes a self-conscious philosophical tendency in Europe. Christianity is also introduced to

Estonia

, Finland, and

Karelia

.
* The first medieval universities are founded. Pierre Abelard teaches.
* Middle English begins to develop, and literacy begins to spread outside the Church throughout Europe. In addition, churchmen are increasingly willing to take on secular roles. By the end of the century, at least a third of England's bishops also act as royal judges in secular matters.
* The Ars antiqua period in the history of the

classical music

of Western Europe begins.
* The earliest recorded miracle play is performed in Dunstable, England.
* Gothic architecture and trouvère music begin in France.
* During the middle of the century, the

Cappella Palatina

is built in

Palermo

, Sicily, and the ''Madrid Skylitzes'' manuscript illustrates the ''Synopsis of Histories'' by John Skylitzes.
* Fire and plague insurance first become available in

Iceland

, and the first documented outbreaks of

influenza

there happens.
* The medieval state of

Serbia

is formed by

Stefan Nemanja

and then continued by the Nemanjić dynasty.
* By the end of the century, both the Capetian Dynasty and the House of Anjou are relying primarily on mercenaries in their militaries. Paid soldiers are available year-round, unlike knights who expected certain periods off to maintain their manor lifestyles.
* In India, Hoysala architecture reaches a peak.
* In the Middle East, the

icon

of Theotokos of Vladimir is painted probably in

Constantinople

. Everything but the faces will later be retouched, and the icon will go to the Tretyakov Gallery of Moscow.
* The

Georgian

poet

Shota Rustaveli

composes his epic poem ''

The Knight in the Panther's Skin

''.
*

Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi

founds his "school of illumination".
* In

North Africa

, the

kasbah

of

Marrakesh

is built, including the city gate

Bab Agnaou

and the Koutoubia mosque.
* In

sub-Saharan Africa

,

Kente cloth

is first woven.
* In

France

, the first piedfort coins in the history of

numismatics

were minted.
* The city of Tula burns down, marking the end of the Toltec Empire

Inventions, discoveries and introductions by year

* List of 12th-century inventions

* 1104: The Venice Arsenal of

Venice

, Italy, is founded. It employed some 16,000 people for the mass production of sailing ships in large

assembly line

s, hundreds of years before the Industrial Revolution.
* 1106: Finished building of

Gelati

.
* 1107: The Chinese engineer Wu Deren combines the mechanical

compass

vehicle of the south-pointing chariot with the distance-measuring

odometer

device.
*

1111

: The Chinese Donglin Academy is founded.
* 1165: The

Liuhe Pagoda

of

Hangzhou

, China, is built.
* 1170: The Christian notion of

Purgatory

is defined.
* 1185: First record of

windmills

.

Political events by year

1100s

*

1100

: On August 5,

Henry I

is crowned King of England.
*

1100

: On December 25, Baldwin of Boulogne is crowned as the first King of Jerusalem in the

Church of the Nativity

in Bethlehem.
*1101: In July, the Treaty of Alton is signed between

Henry I of England

and his older brother Robert, Duke of Normandy in which Robert agrees to recognize Henry as king of England in exchange for a yearly stipend and other concessions. The agreement temporarily ends a crisis in the succession of the Anglo-Norman kings.
* 1101– 1103: David the Builder takes over

Kakheti

and Hereti, (now parts of Georgia).
* 1102:

King Coloman

unites Hungary and

Croatia

under the Hungarian Crown.
* 1102: Muslims conquer Señorio de Valencia
* 1103- 1104: A church council is convened by King David the Builder in Urbnisi to reorganize the Georgian Orthodox Church.
* 1104: In the Battle of Ertsukhi, King David the Builder defeats an army of Seljuks.
* 1104: King Jayawarsa of Kadiri (on Java) ascends to the throne.
* 1106: Battle of Tinchebray
* 1107–

1111

: Sigurd I of Norway becomes the first Norwegian king to embark on a crusade to the Holy Land. He fights in Lisbon and on various Mediterranean isles, and helps the King of

Jerusalem

to take

Sidon

from the Muslims.
* 1108: By the Treaty of Devol, signed in September,

Bohemond I of Antioch

has to submit to the

Byzantine Empire

, becoming the vassal of Alexius I.
* 1109: On June 10, Bertrand of Toulouse captures the County of Tripoli (northern Lebanon/western Syria).
* 1109: In the Battle of Nakło, Boleslaus III Wrymouth defeats the Pomeranians (Slavic tribe), Pomeranians and re-establishes Polish access to the sea.
* 1109: On August 24, in the Battle of Hundsfeld, Boleslaus III Wrymouth defeats Emperor Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V of Germany and stops German expansion eastward.

1110s

*

1111

: On April 14, during Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V's first expedition to Rome, he is crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
* 1113: Paramavishnulok is crowned as King

Suryavarman II

in Cambodia. He expands the

Khmer Empire

and builds

Angkor Wat

during the first half of the century. He establishes diplomatic relations with China.
* 1115: The Georgian army occupies Rustavi in the war to free Georgia from the Muslims.
* 1115: In Java, King Kamesvara of Kadiri ascends to the throne. Janggala ceases to exist and comes under Kadiri domination, highly possible under royal marriage. During his reign Mpu Dharmaja writes Kakawin Smaradahana, a eulogy for the king which become the inspiration for the Panji (prince), Panji cycle tales, which spread across Southeast Asia.Soekmono, R, Drs., Pengantar Sejarah Kebudayaan Indonesia 2, 2nd ed. Penerbit Kanisius, Yogyakarta, 1973, 5th reprint edition in 1988 p.57
* 1116: The Byzantine army defeats the Turks at Philomelion.
* 1116: Death of doña Jimena Díaz, governor of Valencia since 1099 to 1102.
* c. 1119: The Knights Templar are founded to protect Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem.

1120s

* 1120: On January 16, the Council of Nablus, a council of ecclesiastic and secular lords in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, establishes the first written laws for the kingdom.
* 1120: On November 25, William Adelin, the only legitimate son of King

Henry I of England

, drowns in the ''White Ship'' Disaster, leading to a The Anarchy, succession crisis which will bring down the Norman dynasty, Norman monarchy of England.
* 1121: On August 12, in the Battle of Didgori, the greatest military victory in Georgian history, King David the Builder with 40,000 Georgians, 15,000 Kipchak people, Kipchak auxiliaries, 500 Alans, Alan mercenaries and 300 French Crusaders defeats a Great Seljuq Empire, Seljuk-led Muslim coalition army of 400,000.
* 1121: On December 25, Norbert of Xanten, St. Norbert and 29 companions make their solemn vows in Premontre, France, establishing the Premonstratensian Order.
* 1122: The Battle of Beroia (Modern-day Stara Zagora, Bulgaria) results in the disappearance of the Pechenegs Turkish tribe as an independent force.
* 1122: On September 23, the Concordat of Worms (''Pactum Calixtinum'') is drawn up between Emperor Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V and Pope Calixtus II bringing an end to the first phase of the power struggle between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.
* 1122: King David the Builder captures Tbilisi and declares it the capital city of Georgia (country), Georgia, ending 400 years of Arab rule.
* 1123: The Jin dynasty (1115–1234), Jurchen dynasty of China forces Goryeo, Koryo (now Korea) to recognize their suzerainty.
* 1124: In April or May, David I of Scotland, David I is crowned King of the Scots.
* 1125: On June 11, in the Battle of Azaz (1125), Battle of Azaz, the Crusader states, led by King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, defeat the Seljuk Turks.
* 1125: In November, the Jurchen people, Jurchens of the Jin dynasty (1115–1234), Jin dynasty declare war on the Song dynasty, beginning the Jurchen campaigns against the Song dynasty, Jin–Song wars.
* 1125: Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor, Lothair of Supplinburg, duke of Duchy of Saxony, Saxony, is elected Holy Roman Emperor instead of the nearest heir, Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick of Swabia, beginning the great struggle of Guelf and Ghibelline.
* 1127: The Song dynasty, Northern Song dynasty loses power over Chinese history, northern China to the Jin dynasty (1115–1234), Jin dynasty.
* 1128: On June 24, the Kingdom of Portugal gains independence from the Kingdom of León at the Battle of São Mamede; (recognised by Kingdom of León, León in 1143).

1130s

* 1130–1180: 50-year drought in the Southwestern United States, American Southwest.
* 1130–1138: Papal schism of 1130, Papal schism, Pope Innocent II vs. Antipope Anacletus II.
* 1130: On March 26, Sigurd I of Norway dies. A golden era of 95 years comes to an end for Norway as civil wars between the members of Harald Fairhair's family line rage for the remainder of the century.
* 1130: On Christmas Day, Roger II is crowned King of Sicily, the royal title being bestowed on him by Antipope Anacletus II.
* 1130: King Jayabaya of Kadiri ascends to the throne.
* 1132: The Southern Song dynasty establishes China's first permanent standing navy, although China had a long naval history prior. The main admiral's office is at the port of Dinghai.
* 1132–1183: the Chinese navy increases from a mere 3,000 marine soldiers to 52,000 marine soldiers stationed in 20 different squadrons. During this time, hundreds of treadmill-operated paddle steamer, paddle wheel craft are assembled for the navy, in order to fight the Jurchen's Jin dynasty in the north.
* 1135–1154: The Anarchy is a period of civil war in England.
* 1136: Suger begins rebuilding the Saint Denis Basilica, abbey church at St Denis north of Paris, which is regarded as the first major Gothic architecture, Gothic building.
* 1137: On July 22, the future King Louis VII of France marries Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eleanor, the Duchess of Aquitaine.
* 1138: On October 11, the 1138 Aleppo earthquake devastates much of northern Syria.
* 1139: in April, the Second Lateran Council ends the papal schism.
* 1139: On July 5, in the Treaty of Mignano, Pope Innocent II confirms Roger II as King of Sicily, Duke of Apulia, and Prince of Capua and invests him with his titles.
* 1139: On July 26, the Portuguese defeat the Almoravids led by Ali ibn Yusuf in the Battle of Ourique; Prince Afonso Henriques is acclaimed King of Portugal by his soldiers.

1140s

* 1140–1150: Collapse of the Ancestral Puebloans, Ancestral Puebloan culture at Chaco Canyon (modern-day New Mexico).
* 1141: The Treaty of Shaoxing ends the conflict between the Jin dynasty (1115-1234), Jin dynasty and Southern Song dynasty, legally establishing the boundaries of the two countries and forcing the Song dynasty to renounce all claims to its former territories north of the Huai River. The treaty reduces the Southern Song into a quasi-tributary state of the Jurchen Jin dynasty.
* 1143: Afonso Henriques is proclaimed King of Portugal by the cortes.
* 1143: The Treaty of Zamora recognizes Portuguese independence from the Kingdom of León. Portugal also recognizes the suzerainty of the pope.
* 1144: On December 24, Siege of Edessa (1144), Edessa falls to the Atabeg Zengi.
* 1145–1148: The Second Crusade is launched in response to the fall of the County of Edessa.
* 1147: On October 25, the four-month-long Siege of Lisbon successfully brings the city under definitive Portuguese control, expelling the Moorish overlords.
* 1147: A new Berber people, Berber dynasty, the Almohads, led by Emir Abd al-Mu'min, takes North Africa from the Almoravides and soon invades the Iberian Peninsula. The Almohads began as a religious movement to rid Islam of impurities.
* 1147: The Wendish Crusade against the Polabian Slavs (or "Wends") in what is now northern and eastern Germany.

1150s

* 1150: Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona marries Petronilla of Aragon, Petronilla, the Queen of Aragon.
* 1151: The Treaty of Tudilén (or Treaty of Tudején) is signed by Alfonso VII of León and Raymond Berengar IV, Count of Barcelona, recognising the Aragonese conquests south of the Júcar and the right to expand in and annex the Kingdom of Murcia.
* 1153: The Treaty of Wallingford (Treaty of Winchester, Treaty of Westminster), effectively ends the civil war between Empress Matilda and her cousin Stephen of England, King Stephen of England fought over the English crown. Stephen acknowledges Matilda's son Henry II of England, Henry of Anjou as his heir.
* 1153: The First Treaty of Constance is signed between Emperor Frederick I and Pope Eugene III, by the terms of which, the emperor is to prevent any action by Manuel I Comnenus to reestablish the Byzantine Empire on Italian soil and to assist the pope against his enemies in revolt in Rome.
* 1154: the Morocco, Moroccan-born Muslim geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi publishes his ''Geography''.
* 1154: On December 27, Henry II is crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.
* 1155: Pope Adrian IV grants overlordship of Ireland to Henry II of England in the papal bull, bull ''Laudabiliter''.
* 1156: On June 18, the Treaty of Benevento is entered into by Pope Adrian IV and the Norman Kingdom of Sicily. After years of turbulent relations, the popes finally settles down to a peace with the Hauteville kings. The kingship of William I of Sicily, William I is recognised over all Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, Campania, and Capua. The tribute to the pope of 600 ''schifati'' agreed upon by Roger II in 1139 at Treaty of Mignano, Mignano is affirmed and another 400 ''schifati'' is added for the new lands.
* 1158: The Treaty of Sahagún (1158), Treaty of Sahagún ends the war between Castile and León.

1160s

* 1161: the Song dynasty Chinese navy, employing gunpowder bombs launched from trebuchets, defeats the enormous Jin dynasty navy in the East China Sea in the Battle of Tangdao and on the Yangtze River in the Battle of Caishi.
* 1161: Kilij Arslan II, Sultan of Sultanate of Rum, Rum, makes peace with the Byzantine Empire, recognizing the emperor's primacy.

* 1161: In the siege of Ani, Georgia (country), Georgian troops take over control of city, only to have it sold for the second time to the Shaddadids, a Kurdish dynasty.
* 1162: Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire, is born as Temüjin.
* 1163: The Norwegian Law of Succession takes effect.
* 1168: King Valdemar I of Denmark conquers Cape Arkona, Arkona on the Island of Rügen, the strongest pagan fortress and temple in northern Europe.
* 1169: On May 1, the Norman invasion of Ireland begins. Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, Richard fitzGilbert de Clare ('Strongbow') makes an alliance with the exiled Irish chief, Diarmait Mac Murchada, Dermot MacMurrough, to help him recover his kingdom of Leinster.

1170s

* 1170: The Treaty of Sahagún (1170), Treaty of Sahagún is signed by Alfonso VIII of Castile and Alfonso II of Aragon. Based on the terms of the accord, Alfonso VIII agrees to give Alfonso II three hostages, to be used as tribute payments owed by Ibn Mardanīš of Valencia and Murcia.
* 1170: On December 29, Thomas Becket is murdered in Canterbury Cathedral.
* 1171: Saladin deposes the last

Fatimid

Caliph Al-'Āḍid and establishes the

Ayyubid dynasty

.
* 1171: On November 11, Henry II of England lands in Ireland to assert his claim as Lord of Ireland.
* 1174: On July 12, William I of Scotland is captured by the English in the Battle of Alnwick (1174), Battle of Alnwick. He accepts the feudal overlordship of the English crown and pays ceremonial allegiance at York.
* 1175: Hōnen, Hōnen Shōnin (Genkū) founds the Jodo shu, Jōdo shū (Pure Land) sect of Buddhism.
* 1175: The Treaty of Windsor (1175), Treaty of Windsor is signed by King Henry II of England and the High King of Ireland, Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair.
* 1176: On May 29, Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa's forces are defeated in the Battle of Legnano by the Lombard League which results in the emperor's acknowledgement of the pope's sovereignty over the Papal States and Alexander acknowledging the emperor's overlordship of the imperial Church.
* 1176: On September 17, The Battle of Myriokephalon (Myriocephalum; Turkish: Miryakefalon Savaşı) is fought between the

Byzantine Empire

and the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm, Seljuk Turks in Phrygia. It is a serious reversal for the Byzantine forces and will be the final, unsuccessful, effort by the Byzantines to recover the interior of Anatolia from the Seljuk Turks.
* 1177: The Treaty of Venice, Treaty or Peace of Venice is signed by the Papacy and its allies, and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor. The Norman Kingdom of Sicily also takes part in negotiations and the treaty thereby determines the political course of all Italy for the next several years.
* 1178: Chinese writer Zhou Qufei, a Guangzhou customs officer, writes of an island far west in the Indian Ocean (possibly Madagascar), from where people with skin "as black as lacquer" and with frizzy hair were captured and purchased as slaves by Arab merchants.
* 1179: The Treaty of Cazola (Cazorla) is signed by Alfonso II of Aragon and Alfonso VIII of Castile, dividing Andalusia into separate zones of conquest for the two kingdoms, so that the work of the Reconquista would not be stymied by internecine feuding.

1180s

* 1180: The Portuguese Navy defeats a Muslim fleet off the coast of Cape Espichel.
* 1180–1185: the Genpei War in Japan.
* 1182: revolt of the people of

Constantinople

against the Latins, whom they massacre, proclaiming Andronicus I Comnenus co-emperor.
* 1183: On January 25, the final Peace of Constance between Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, the pope, and the Lombard towns is signed, confirming the Peace of Venice of 1177.
* 1183: On September 24, Andronicus I Comnenus has his nephew Alexius II Comnenus strangled.
* 1184: On March 24, Queen Tamar, King of Georgia, accedes to the throne as sole ruler after reigning with her father, George III, for six years.
* 1184: Diet of Pentecost organised by Emperor Frederick I in Mainz
* 1185: The Uprising of Asen and Peter against the Byzantine Empire leads to the restoration of the Bulgarian Empire.
* 1185: Andronicus I Comnenus is deposed and, on September 12, executed as a result of the Normans, Norman massacre of the Greeks of Thessalonika.
* 1185: The cathedral school (Katedralskolan) in Lund, Sweden, is founded. The school is the oldest in northern Europe, and one of the oldest in all of Europe.
* 1185: Beginning in this year the Kamakura shogunate deprives the emperor of Japan of political power.

* 1186: On January 27, the future Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI marries Constance of Sicily, the heiress to the Sicilian throne.
* 1187: On July 4, in the Battle of Hattin, Saladin defeats the king of

Jerusalem

.
* 1187: In August, the Swedish royal and commercial center Sigtuna is attacked by raiders from

Karelia

, Couronia and/or Estonia.Enn Tarvel (2007)
''Sigtuna hukkumine.
Haridus, 2007 (7-8), p 38–41
* 1188: The Riah were introduced into the Jebala people, Habt and south of Tetouan by the Almohad caliph, Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, and Jochem and Acem were introduced in Chaouia (Morocco), Tamesna.
* 1189: On September 3, Richard I is crowned King of England at Westminster.
* 1189: On November 11, William II of Sicily dies and is succeeded by his illegitimate cousin Tancred, King of Sicily, Tancred, Count of Lecce instead of Constance.
* 1189–1192: The Third Crusade is an attempt by European leaders to wrest the Holy Land from Saladin.

1190s

* 1190: On June 10, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa drowns in the River Salef, leaving the Crusader army under the command of the rivals Philip II of France and Richard I of England, which ultimately leads to the dissolution of the army.
* 1191: Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI attacked Kingdom of Sicily from May to August but fails and withdraws, with Empress Constance captured (released 1192).
* 1191: On September 7, Saladin is defeated by Richard I of England at the Battle of Arsuf.
* 1192: In April, Isabella I of Jerusalem, Isabella I begins her reign as Christian Queen of

Jerusalem

* 1192: In the Battle of Jaffa (1192), Battle of Jaffa, King Richard the Lionheart defeats Saladin.
* 1192: In June, the Treaty of Ramla is signed by Saladin and Richard Lionheart. Under the terms of the agreement, Jerusalem will remain under Muslim control. However, the city will be open to Christian pilgrims. The Latin Kingdom is reduced to a coastal strip that extends from Tyre to Jaffa.
* 1192: Minamoto Yoritomo is appointed ''Sei-i Taishōgun'', "barbarian-subduing great general", ''shōgun'' for short, the first military dictator to bear this title.
* 1193: Nalanda, the great Indian Buddhist educational centre, is destroyed.
* 1193: Muhammad of Ghor, Sultan Shahābuddin Muhammad Ghori, establishes the first Muslim empire in India by defeating Prithviraj Chauhan
* 1193: the first known merchant guild is established.
* 1194: Emperor Henry VI conquers Kingdom of Sicily.
* 1195: On June 16, the struggle of Battle of Shamkor, Shamqori. Georgia (country), Georgian forces annihilate the army of Abu Baqar.
* 1198: The brethren of the Crusader hospital in Acre are raised to a military order of knights, the Teutonic Knights, formally known as the Order of the Knights of the Hospital of St. Mary of the Teutons in Jerusalem.
* 1199: Pope Innocent III writes to Kaloyan, inviting him to unite the Bulgarian Church with the Roman Catholic Church.

Significant people

Politics

* Adrian IV, pope
* Afonso I of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, first king of Portugal
* Alan IV, Duke of Brittany
* Alexander I of Scotland, king
* Alexius I Comnenus, emperor
* Alexius II Comnenus, emperor
* Alexius III Angelus, emperor
* Alfonso II of Aragon, king
* Alfonso VI of Castile, king
* Alfonso VII of Castile, king
* Alfonso VIII of Castile, king
* Andrei I Bogolyubsky, Prince of Suzdal
* Andronicus I Comnenus, emperor
* Arthur I, Duke of Brittany
* Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, king
* Béla II of Hungary
* Béla III of Hungary
* Bertha, Duchess of Brittany
* Bohemund I of Antioch, prince
* Boleslaus III Wrymouth, king of Poland
* Boleslav IV the Curly, high duke of Poland
* Calixtus II, pope
* Canute V of Denmark, king
* Canute VI of Denmark, king
* Coloman of Hungary, Coloman I, King of Hungary
* Conan IV, Duke of Brittany, the Younger
* Conrad of Montferrat, Conrad I of Montferrat, King elect of

Jerusalem

* Constance, Duchess of Brittany
* Constance, Queen of Sicily
* David I of Scotland, king
* David the Builder, King of Georgia (country), Georgia
* David V of Georgia
* Demetre I, king of Georgia (country), Georgia
* Edgar of Scotland, king
* Imre, Emeric I of Hungary, king
* Eric I of Denmark, king
* Eric II of Denmark, king
* Eric III of Denmark, king
* Eric IX of Sweden, Saint, king
* Pope Eugene III, Eugene III, Blessed, pope
* Eystein I of Norway, king
* Eystein II of Norway, king
* Frederick Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor
* Gelasius II, pope
* Genghis Khan, Khagan, Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
* Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany
* Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou and Duke of Normandy
* George III of Georgia, George III, king of Georgia (country), Georgia
* Geza II, king of Hungary
* Haakon II of Norway the Broad-shouldered, king
* Harald IV of Norway, Harald IV Gille of Norway, king
* Henry, Count of Portugal
*

Henry I of England

, king and Duke of Normandy
* Henry II of England, king and Duke of Normandy
* Henry IV of Germany, king and emperor
* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V of Germany, king and emperor
* Henry VI of Germany, king and emperor
* Pope Honorius II, Honorius II, pope
* Huemac, last Emperor of the Toltecs, 1090-1170
* Hugh II, Duke of Burgundy
* Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy
* Emperor Huizong of Song, Huizong, Emperor of China
* Inge I of Norway Hunchback, king
* Pope Innocent II, Innocent II, pope
* Pope Innocent III, Innocent III, pope
* Humbert III, Count of Savoy, Blessed
* Hunac Ceel Claimed ruler of The League of Mayapan
* Isaac II Angelus, emperor
* Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria, emperor
*

Jayavarman VII

, Khmer Empire, Khmer emperor
* John II Komnenos, John II Comnenos, emperor
* John of England, king and Duke of Normandy
* Kaloyan of Bulgaria, emperor
* Louis VI of France, king
* Louis VII of France, king
* Pope Lucius II, Lucius II, pope
* Magnus III of Norway, king
* Magnus IV of Norway the Blind, king
* Magnus V of Norway, king
* Malcolm IV of Scotland, king
* Manuel I Comnenus, emperor
* Matilda of Tuscany, countess
* Minamoto no Yoritomo, shōgun of Japan, founder of the Kamakura shogunate
* Muhammad of Ghor, Afghanistan, Afghan ruler
* Niels of Denmark, king
* Eudes I, Duke of Burgundy, Odo I, Duke of Duchy of Burgundy, Burgundy
* Eudes II, Duke of Burgundy, Odo II, Duke of Duchy of Burgundy, Burgundy
* Eudes III, Duke of Burgundy, Odo III, Duke of Duchy of Burgundy, Burgundy
* Olaf Magnusson of Norway, king
* Paschal II, pope
* Peter IV of Bulgaria, emperor
* Philip I of France, king
* Philip II of France, Augustus, king
* Prithviraj Chauhan, king of Ajmer in India
* Richard I of England, king and Duke of Normandy
* Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy
* Roger II of Sicily, king
* Saladin, ruler of Egypt and Syria
* Sancho I of Portugal, king
* Sigurd I of Norway, king
* Sigurd II of Norway, king
*

Stefan Nemanja

, ruler of Serbia
* Stefan Nemanjić, king of Serbia
* Stephen II of Hungary, Stephen II, king of Hungary
* Stephen of England, king and Duke of Normandy
*

Suryavarman II

, Khmer Empire, Khmer emperor
* Sverker I of Sweden, king
* Sverre of Norway, king
* Sweyn III of Denmark
* Tamar of Georgia, queen
* Urraca of León and Castile queen of Kingdom of Castile, Castile, Kingdom of Galicia, Galicia and Kingdom of León, León, Empress of All the Spains.
* Valdemar I of Denmark, the Great, king
* Vladimir II Monomakh, prince of Kiev
* Vladislav I Herman of Poland, king
* William I of Scotland, the Lion, king
* William I of Sicily, king
* William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, knight and statesman
* Yusuf ibn Tashfin, Almoravid ruler of North Africa and Spain

Consorts of Rulers

* David Soslani, husband of Queen Tamar of Georgia, Tamar
* Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen consort of France and later of the Kingdom of England

Theologians and Saints

* Aelred, Saint, English monk and spiritual writer
* Albert of Jerusalem, Saint, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
* Albert of Louvain, Saint, Bishop of Liège
* Amadeus of Lausanne, Blessed, Bishop of Lausanne
* Saint Anselm of Canterbury, Anselm, Saint, Abbot of Bec and Archbishop of Canterbury
* Anthelm, Saint, Abbot of the Grand Chartreuse
* Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernard, Saint, Abbot of Clairvaux Abbey, Clairvaux, preacher and reformer
* Saint Berthold, Berthold, Saint, found of the Carmelite Order
* Bruno of Segni, Saint, Bishop
* Christina of Markyate, Prioress of St. Albans Abbey
* Saint Dominic, Dominic de Guzmán, Saint, founder of the Order of Preachers
* Edmund Rich, Edmund of Abingdon, Saint, theologian, Archbishop of Canterbury
* Engelbert II of Berg, Saint, Archbishop of Cologne
* Erik Gnupsson, Bishop of Greenland
* Eustathios of Thessalonike, Saint, archbishop of Thessaloniki and writer
* Eysteinn Erlendsson, Saint, Bishop of Nidaros
* Felix of Valois, Saint, co-founder of the Trinitarian Order, Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives
* Francis of Assisi, Saint, founder of the Franciscans, Order of Friars Minor
* Galdino della Sala, Saint, Archbishop of Milan
* Gilbert of Sempringham, Saint, founder of the Gilbertine Order, Gilbertines.
* Henry (Bishop of Uppsala), Saint
* Hildegard of Bingen, Saint, polymath and first Western musical composer known by name
* Hōnen Shōnin (Genkū), religious founder
* Hugh of Grenoble, Saint, bishop
* Hugh of Lincoln, Saint, bishop
* Ida of Lorraine, Ida of Boulogne, Saint, countess
* Ivo of Chartres, Saint, Bishop
* John of Matha, Saint, co-founder of the Trinitarian Order, Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives
* Lorcán Ua Tuathail, Lawrence O'Toole, Saint, Archbishop of Dublin
* Leopold III, Margrave of Austria, Saint
* Lin Tinggui, Chinese painter of Buddhist themes
* Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney, Saint
* Saint Malachy, Malachy O'More, Saint, Archbishop of Armagh
* Mechtildis of Edelstetten, Mechtildis, Saint, abbess
* Nerses of Lambron, Saint, Archbishop of Tarsus, theologian
* Norbert of Xanten, Saint, founder of the Premonstratensian Order of canons regular, Archbishop of Magdeburg
* Odo of Cambrai, Saint, bishop, theologian
* Olegarius, Saint, Archbishop of Tarragona
* Otto of Bamberg, Saint, bishop, chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire
* Peter Nolasco, Saint, co-founder of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, Order of Our Lady of Ransom
* Peter, Bishop of Poitiers, Saint
* Raymond of Fitero, Saint, founder of the Order of Calatrava
* Raymond of Peñafort, Saint, canon lawyer
* Richard of Chichester, Saint, bishop
* Richard of St. Victor, theologian
* Robert de Bethune, Bishop of Hereford
* Saint Sava, Sava, Saint, organizer and liberator of the Serbian Orthodox Church
* Stephen Harding, Saint, abbot, co-founder of the Cistercian Order
* Abbot Suger, Suger, Abbot of Basilique Saint-Denis, St.-Denis
* Thomas Becket, Saint, Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of England

Literature

* Allama Prabhu, Indian Mystic and an important Vachana Poet.
*Basava Indian social reformer, Vachana sahitya, vachana poet
* Chakhrukhadze, Georgia (country), Georgian poet
* Zhu Yu (author), Zhu Yu, Chinese maritime author

Sciences and Philosophy

* Averroes Ibn Rushd, Spanish Islamic polymath
* Bhaskara II, Indian mathematician and astronomer
* Maimonides, Jewish philosopher
* Omar Khayyám, Iran, Persian poet and astronomer
* Peter Abelard, philosopher
* Shao Yong, Chinese poet, historian, and philosopher
* William of Malmesbury, English historian
* Zhu Xi, Neo-Confucian Chinese philosopher

Goldsmiths

* Opizars, Beshqen and Beqa, celebrated Georgia (country), Georgian gold-smiths.

Military

* Yue Fei, Chinese general

Visual Arts

* Zhang Zeduan, Chinese painter
* Zhou Jichang, Chinese painter

References

Bibliography

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{{DEFAULTSORT:12th Century
12th century,
2nd millennium
Centuries