Editing 1144 (section)

=== By place ===

==== Levant ====
* Autumn &ndash; [[Imad al-Din Zengi]], Seljuk governor (''[[atabeg]]'') of [[Mosul]], attacks the [[Artuqids|Artuqid]] forces led by [[Kara Arslan]] – who has made an alliance with [[Joscelin II, Count of Edessa|Joscelin II]], count of [[County of Edessa|Edessa]]. In support of the alliance Joscelin marches out of Edessa with a Crusader army down to the [[Euphrates|Euphrates River]], to cut off Zengi's communications with [[Aleppo]]. Zengi is informed by Muslim observers at [[Harran]] of Joscelin's movements. He sends a detachment to ambush the Crusaders and reaches Edessa with his main army in late November.<ref>[[Steven Runciman]] (1952). ''A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem'', p. 190. {{ISBN|978-0-241-29876-3}}.</ref>
* [[December 24]] &ndash; [[Siege of Edessa (1144)|Siege of Edessa]]: Seljuk forces led by Imad al-Din Zengi conquer the fortress city of Edessa after a four-week siege. Thousands of inhabitants are massacred – only the Muslims are spared. The women and children are sold into slavery.<ref>Steven Runciman (1952). ''A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem'', pp. 190–191. {{ISBN|978-0-241-29876-3}}.</ref> Lacking the forces to take on Zengi, Joscelin II retires to his fortress at [[Turbessel]]. There, he request reinforcements from the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]] and Queen-Regent [[Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem|Melisende of Jerusalem]].

==== Europe ====
* Spring &ndash; [[Italo-Normans|Italo-Norman]] forces under King [[Roger II of Sicily]] invade the [[Papal States]] to force Pope [[Pope Lucius II|Lucius II]] to accept his truce, but the patrician [[Giordano Pierleoni]], brother of the late Antipope [[Antipope Anacletus II|Anacletus II]], leads the Roman populace to proclaim a constitutional republic free of papal authority with regard to civil rule. Pierleoni takes over the papal capital, and establishes the [[Commune of Rome]] in the style of the old [[Roman Republic]].
* Summer &ndash; [[Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou|Geoffrey V]] ('''the Fair''') completes his conquest of [[Duchy of Normandy|Normandy]], which comes under [[Angevin Empire|Angevin]] control. In exchange for being recognised as [[Duke of Normandy]] by King [[Louis VII of France]], Geoffrey surrenders half of the county of [[Vexin]] – a region vital to Norman security – to Louis.
* The city of [[Montauban]] in southern France is founded by Count [[Alfonso Jordan]] of [[County of Toulouse|Toulouse]].
* The city of [[Ljubljana]] (modern [[Slovenia]]) is first mentioned in historical records.<ref name="Artis">Mallinus, Daniel. ''La Yougoslavie''. Brussels: Éd. Artis-Historia, 1988. D/1988/0832/27, pp. 37–39.</ref>

==== England ====
* Autumn &ndash; [[Geoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex|Geoffrey de Mandeville]], 1st [[Earl of Essex]], is mortally wounded by a stray arrow received in a skirmish. Because he is an outlaw, his burial is denied at the monastery he has founded, [[Walden Abbey]]. Geoffrey's body is eventually accepted by the [[Knights Templar]] community for burial within the [[Temple Church]] in [[London]].

==== Africa ====
* Catalan mercenary [[Reverter de La Guardia]], the main [[Almoravid dynasty|Almoravid]] commander in the [[Morocco|Maghrid al-Aqsa]], dies. His elimination opens the regions to the troops of the [[Almohads]].<ref>Picard, C. (1997). ''La mer et les musulmans d'Occident au Moyen Age''. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. p.76.</ref>