Editing 1685 (section)

=== January&ndash;March ===
* [[January 6]] &ndash; American-born British citizen [[Elihu Yale]], for whom [[Yale University]] in the U.S. is named, completes his term as the first leader of the [[Madras Presidency]] in [[India]], administering the colony on behalf of the [[East India Company]], and is succeeded by [[William Gyfford]].  
* [[January 8]] &ndash; Almost 200 people are arrested in [[Coventry]] by English authorities for gathering to hear readings of the sermons of the non-conformist Protestant minister [[Obadiah Grew]] 
* [[February 4]] &ndash; A treaty is signed between [[Brandenburg-Prussia]] and the indigenous chiefs at [[Takoradi]] in what is now [[Ghana]] to permit the German colonists to build a third fort on the Brandenburger Gold Coast.  <ref>Ulrich van der Heyden, ''Rote Adler an Afrikas Küste: Die Brandenburgisch-preussische Kolonie Grossfriedrichsburg in Westafrika'' ("Red eagles on the African coast: the Brandenburg-Prussian colony of Grossfriedrichsburg in West Africa") (Selignow, 2001) p. 32</ref>
* [[February 6]] &ndash; Catholic James Stuart, [[Duke of York]], becomes King [[James II of England]] and [[Ireland]], and King [[James VII of Scotland]], in succession to his brother [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] (1660–1685), King of England, Scotland, and Ireland since [[1660]]. James II and VII reigns until deposed, in [[1688]].
* [[February 20]] &ndash; [[René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle]], intending to establish a colony near the mouth of the [[Mississippi River]], lands with 200 surviving colonists at [[Matagorda Bay]] on the [[Texas]] coast, believing the Mississippi to be near. He establishes [[Fort Saint Louis (Texas)|Fort St. Louis]].<ref>{{cite web|title=La Salle Expedition|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/upl01|work=The Handbook of Texas Online|access-date=2014-12-19}}</ref>
* [[February]]&ndash;March &ndash; [[Morean War]] (part of the [[Great Turkish War]]): The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] ''[[serasker]]'' Halil Pasha invades the [[Mani Peninsula]], and forces it to surrender hostages.
* [[March 28]] &ndash; An attack on a Mughal Empire envoy,  Khwajah Abdur Rahim, outside of the Maratha fortress at the [[Bijapur Fort]] in India leads to a siege of the city by the forces of Mughal Emperor [[Aurangzeb]].  The siege lasts for 15 months before Bijapur surrenders. 
* [[March]] &ndash; [[Louis XIV of France]] passes the ''[[Code Noir]]'', allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies.