Editing 1279 (section)

== Events ==
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=== By place ===

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[July 17]] &ndash; [[Battle of Devina]]: Emperor [[Michael VIII Palaiologos]] sends a Byzantine expeditionary force (some 10,000 men) to [[Second Bulgarian Empire|Bulgaria]], to impose his ally (and son-in-law) [[Ivan Asen III of Bulgaria|Ivan Asen III]] on the throne. Tsar [[Ivaylo of Bulgaria|Ivaylo]], former rebel leader (see [[Uprising of Ivaylo]]), attacks the Byzantines in the [[Kotel Pass]], completely routing them. Many of them perish in the battle – while the rest are captured and later killed by orders from Ivaylo. Later, Michael sends another army of some 5,000 men, but this is also defeated by Ivaylo before reaching the [[Balkan Mountains]]. Without support, Ivan Asen has to flee to [[Constantinople]] and the turmoil in Bulgaria continues.

==== Europe ====
* [[March 5]] &ndash; [[Battle of Aizkraukle]]: Lithuanian forces led by Grand Duke [[Traidenis]] defeat an army of [[Teutonic Order|Teutonic Knights]] of the [[Livonian Order]] at [[Aizkraukle]]. During the battle, the order suffers a great defeat, some 70 knights are killed, including Grand Master [[Ernst von Ratzeburg]] (or Rassburg). The [[Semigallians]], allies of the Livonian Order, revolt but later submit to Traidenis for protection.<ref>Urban, William (1994). ''The Baltic Crusade'', pp. 283–286. Chicago, Illinois: Lithuanian Research and Studies Center. {{ISBN|0-929700-10-4}}.</ref>
* [[July 20]] &ndash; [[Siege of Algeciras (1278–1279)|Siege of Algeciras]]: Castilian forces led by King [[Alfonso X of Castile|Alfonso X]] ("the Wise") abandon the siege (begun in [[1278]]), after their fleet (some 400 ships) is destroyed by the Marinids led by Sultan [[Abu Yaqub Yusuf an-Nasr]]. All prisoners are decapitated except the officers who are taken hostage. For the second time, the entire Castilian fleet is lost and Alfonso is forced to sign a new truce.<ref>Joseph F. O'Callaghan (2011). ''The Gibraltar Crusade: Castile and the Battle for the Strait'', pp. 77–78. {{ISBN|978-0-8122-2302-6}}.</ref>
* November &ndash; Alfonso X ("the Wise") grants the cities of [[Medina-Sidonia]] and [[Alcalá de los Gazules]] to the [[Order of Saint Mary of Spain]]. He also donates the town of [[Morón de la Frontera]] to the [[Order of Alcántara]].<ref>Joseph F. O'Callaghan (2011). ''The Gibraltar Crusade: Castile and the Battle for the Strait'', p. 78. {{ISBN|978-0-8122-2302-6}}.</ref>

==== England ====
* November &ndash; The first of the [[Statutes of Mortmain]] are passed during the reign of King [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] ("Longshanks"), which prevents land from passing into the possession of the Church. 
* The second of two main surveys of the [[Hundred Rolls]], a census seen as a follow-up to the [[Domesday Book]] completed in [[1086]], is begun; it lasts until [[1280]].
* The [[Royal Mint]] is moved into the [[Tower of London]]. Mints outside [[London]] are reduced, with only a few local and [[Episcopal see|episcopal]] mints continuing to operate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C207|title=Records of the Royal Mint|publisher=[[The National Archive]]|access-date=6 June 2017}}</ref>

==== Levant ====
* Spring &ndash; Mamluk forces led by the 19-year-old Sultan [[Al-Said Barakah]] and [[Qalawun]] ("the Thousander") invade [[Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia|Cilician Armenia]]; a revolt in [[Egypt in the Middle Ages|Egypt]] while they are away force Barakah to abdicate. In August, [[Qalawun]] takes over the government in [[Cairo]] and proclaims himself sultan. He sends [[Solamish]], youngest son of former Sultan [[Baibars]], into exile. Meanwhile, [[Sunqur al-Ashqar]], Mamluk viceroy of [[Damascus]], refuses to accept Qalawun's authority and begins a rebellion in [[Syria]].<ref>Steven Runciman (1952). ''A History of The Crusades. Vol III: The Kingdom of Acre'', p. 324. {{ISBN|978-0-241-29877-0}}.</ref>

==== Africa ====
* Abu Ishaq, uncle of the Hafsid caliph [[Abu Ishaq Ibrahim I]], sides with the Almohad rebels of [[Béjaïa]], and takes [[Tunis]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Meynier|first=Gilbert|title=L'Algérie cœur du Maghreb classique. De l'ouverture islamo-arabe au repli (658-1518)|year=2010|publisher=La Découverte|location=Paris|isbn=978-2-7071-5231-2|page=160}}</ref>

==== Asia ====
* [[March 19]] &ndash; [[Battle of Yamen]]: [[Kublai Khan]]'s Mongol Yuan fleet attacks the Chinese Song fleet (some 1,000 ships) under Admiral [[Zhang Shijie]] at [[Yamen, Guangdong|Yamen]]. The Mongols send fireships, but this is not effective as the Song fleet is coated with fire-resistant mud. [[Zhang Hongfan]], commander of the Mongol forces, orders the Song fleet to be cut off from its base, depriving it of its supplies. He splits the Yuan fleet into four squadrons and again attacks the Song. The ill and weakened Song soldiers are no match for the Mongols in close combat, and the chaotic environment makes battle command impossible. The chained Song ships can neither support or maneuver. Song Chancellor [[Lu Xiufu]] and Emperor [[Zhao Bing]] drown themselves rather than be taken captive. This marks the end of the [[Song dynasty]] after three centuries, Kublai Khan becomes sole emperor of China. The [[Mongol Empire]] reaches its largest extent, although it has already partially fragmented.
* [[April 17]] &ndash; [[Thawun Gyi]] settles at [[Taungoo]] (modern-day [[Myanmar]]), and becomes the [[List of rulers of Toungoo|first ruler]] of the [[Toungoo dynasty]] (until [[1317]]). 
* [[October 12]] &ndash; The ''[[Nichiren Shōshū#Object of Veneration|Dai-Gohonzon]]'', supreme object of veneration of [[Nichiren Shōshū]] [[Buddhism]], is said to be inscribed by [[Nichiren]].
* A Mongol Yuan embassy, sent by Kublai Khan to [[Japan]], is killed by orders from [[Hōjō Tokimune]], leading to a [[Mongol invasions of Japan#Second invasion (1281)|second invasion]].
* [[Ram Khamhaeng]] becomes the third king of the [[List of Thai monarchs|Phra Ruang dynasty]], ruling the [[Sukhothai Kingdom]] (modern-day [[Thailand]]).
* The [[Chola dynasty]] of [[History of South India|South India]] falls, due to attacks by the [[Hoysala Empire]] and [[Pandyan dynasty|Pandya kingdom]].

=== By topic ===

==== Cities and Towns ====
* The town of [[Haapsalu]] in [[Danish Estonia|Estonia]] is founded and later becomes the centre of the [[Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek]].

==== Medicine ====
* [[Abu Bakr al-Razi]]'s (or Rhazes') medical writings are translated into Latin by [[Faraj ben Salim]], some 350 years after al-Razi's death.</onlyinclude>