Editing 1144

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{About year|1144}}
{{Year nav|1144}}
{{C12 year in topic}} 
[[File:Geoffrey of Anjou Monument.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|[[Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou|Geoffrey V]] ('''the Fair''') (1113–1151)]]
Year '''1144''' ('''[[Roman numerals|MCXLIV]]''') was a [[leap year starting on Saturday]] of the [[Julian calendar]].

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== 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>

=== By topic ===

==== Religion ====
* [[March 8]] &ndash; Pope [[Pope Celestine II|Celestine II]] dies at Rome after a 5-month [[pontificate]]. He is succeeded by Lucius II as the 166th pope of the [[Catholic Church]].
* [[March 22]] &ndash; The first example of an [[anti-Semitism|anti-Semitic]] [[blood libel]] is recorded in [[Kingdom of England|England]], in connection with the murder of [[William of Norwich]].
* [[June 11]] &ndash; The [[Basilica of Saint-Denis|Basilica of St. Denis]] near [[Paris]] is completed, and consecrated in the presence of Louis VII – as the first [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] church.
* The [[Lesmahagow Priory]] in [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]], is founded after [[John Capellanus|John]], bishop of [[Archdiocese of Glasgow|Glasgow]], and King [[David I of Scotland|David I]] have granted lands at [[Lesmahagow]].
* The first Knights Templar stronghold is established in the [[Kingdom of León|Kingdom of León and Castile]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Fletcher|first=R. A.|title=Reconquest and Crusade in Spain c. 1050-1150|journal=Transactions of the Royal Historical Society|year=1987|volume=37|series=5|pages=31–47 [45]|jstor=3679149}}</ref>
</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[August 11]] &ndash; [[Sinjong of Goryeo|Sinjong]], Korean ruler of [[Goryeo]] (d. [[1204]])
* [[Empress Li Fengniang|Li Fengniang]], Chinese empress of the [[Song dynasty]] (d. [[1200]])
* [[Maria Komnene, Queen of Hungary|Maria Komnene]], queen of [[Kingdom of Hungary (1000–1301)|Hungary and Croatia]] (d. [[1190]])
* [[Matsudono Motofusa]], Japanese [[Nobility|nobleman]] (d. [[1230]])
* [[Minamoto no Tomonaga]], Japanese [[samurai]] (d. [[1160]])
* [[Taira no Tadanori]], Japanese military leader (d. [[1184]])

== Deaths ==
* [[March 8]] &ndash; [[Pope Celestine II|Celestine II]], pope of the [[Catholic Church]]
* [[March 22]] &ndash; [[William of Norwich]], English child saint (b. [[1132]])
* [[May 23]] &ndash; [[Petronilla of Lorraine]], countess of [[County of Holland|Holland]] (b. [[1082]])
* [[June 12]] &ndash; [[Al-Zamakhshari]], Persian philosopher (b. [[1075]])
* [[July 17]] &ndash; [[Abu Mansur Mauhub al-Jawaliqi]], Arab [[Philology|philologist]] (b. [[1074]])
* [[July 27]] &ndash; [[Salomea of Berg]], High Duchess of [[Kingdom of Poland (1025–1385)|Poland]] (b. [[1099]])
* [[October 10]] &ndash; [[Alfonso of Capua]], Italo-Norman nobleman (b. [[1120]])
* [[December 24]] &ndash; [[Hugh (archbishop of Edessa)|Hugh II]] (or '''Hugo'''), archbishop of [[County of Edessa|Edessa]]
* September &ndash; [[Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex|Geoffrey de Mandeville]], English nobleman 
* Abu Tahir Marwazi, Persian philosopher and scientist
* [[Berenguer Ramon, Count of Provence|Berenguer Raymond]] (or '''Ramon'''), French nobleman (b. [[1115]])
* [[Matthew of Edessa]] (or '''Matteos'''), Armenian historian 
* [[Rahere]] (or '''Raherius'''), Norman priest (approximate date)
* [[Reverter de La Guardia]], viscount of [[County of Barcelona|Barcelona]] (or [[1142]])
* [[Zhu Bian]], Chinese diplomat, poet and writer (b. [[1085]])

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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