Editing 1215

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{About year|1215|aviation frequency 121.5|Aircraft emergency frequency}}
{{Year nav|1215}}
{{C13 year in topic}} 
[[File:A Chronicle of England - Page 226 - John Signs the Great Charter.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|King [[John of England]] signs [[Magna Carta]] at [[Runnymede]] (near [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]]) (1864)]]
[[File:King John's campaign 1215-6.png|upright=1.35|thumb|John I's campaign against the Barons from September 1215 to March 1216 in England]]
Year '''1215''' ('''[[Roman numerals|MCCXV]]''') was a [[common year starting on Thursday]] of the [[Julian calendar]].

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By continent ===
==== Europe ====
* [[January 8]] &ndash; [[Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester]], is elected lord of [[Languedoc]] in a council at [[Montpellier]] ([[Southern France]]), after his campaign against the [[Catharism|Cathar]] heretics during the [[Albigensian Crusade]]. The Crusaders capture [[Château de Castelnaud-la-Chapelle]] and enter [[Toulouse]]; the town pays an indemnity of 30,000 marks and is gifted to Montfort.<ref>Peter of les Vaux de Cernay (1998). ''The History of the Albigensian Crusade'', pp. 554–559. Suffolk, UK: Boydell & Brewer. {{ISBN|0-85115-807-2}}.</ref>
* [[March 4]] &ndash; King [[John of England]] ("Lackland"), hoping to gain the support of Pope [[Pope Innocent III|Innocent III]] against the Barons, takes the oath to go on Crusade. By doing so, Innocent declares John to be his vassal and claims ownership of the whole kingdom (with political protection under church law).<ref>Warren, W. Lewis. (1991). ''King John'', p. 233. London: Methuen. {{ISBN|0-413-45520-3}}.</ref>  On [[April 1]], Innocent sends a letter to the Barons, asking them to halt their actions against John.
* [[May 5]] &ndash; [[Robert Fitzwalter]] is elected by the Barons as their general, with the title of "[[Marshal of the Army of God and Holy Church]]". He solemnly renounces his homage to John of England and begins to siege [[Northampton Castle]]. While this fails, Robert consolidates his forces. He turns to Prince [[Louis VIII of France|Louis of France]], son and heir apparent of King [[Philip II of France|Philip II]] for support.<ref>[[Thomas Tout|Tout, T. F.]](1889). "Fitzwalter, Robert". In [[Leslie Stephen|Stephen, Leslie]] (ed.) ''Dictionary of National Biography''. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 225–229.</ref>
* [[May 17]] &ndash; The gates to [[London]] are opened by supporters of the rebellious Barons. The houses of [[Jews]] are targeted for ransacking and burning. The rebels, under Robert Fitzwalter, call for the English nobles still on the side of King John to join them, and repair the walls. The [[Tower of London]], held by John's supporters, is too well defended to fall into the hands of the rebels.
* [[June 15]] &ndash; A large number of barons, led by [[Stephen Langton]], archbishop of [[Diocese of Canterbury|Canterbury]], meet King John of England on an island in the [[River Thames|Thames]] at [[Runnymede]]. They force John to sign [[Magna Carta]], a document that grants liberties to the "free men" – the Barons, the church and the towns. He is subjected to the [[Rule of law in the United Kingdom|rule of law]], by confirming the status of [[Trial by jury in the United Kingdom|trial by jury]], on [[June 19]].<ref name="Cassell's Chronology">{{cite book|last=Williams|first=Hywel|title=Cassell's Chronology of World History|url=https://archive.org/details/cassellschronolo0000will/page/133|url-access=registration|location=London|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2005|isbn=0-304-35730-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cassellschronolo0000will/page/133 133–135]}}</ref>
* Summer &ndash; Emperor [[Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto IV]] is excommunicated and forced to abdicate as ruler of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. The German nobles, supported by Innocent III, again elect the 20-year-old [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]] as [[King of the Romans]] who is crowned in [[Aachen]], on [[July 25]]. The same day, Frederick takes the [[True Cross|Cross]] and promises to go on Crusade.
* August &ndash; King John of England rejects Magna Carta and writes to Innocent III – asking him to cancel the charter on grounds that he signed it against his will. At the same time, John continues to build up his mercenary army.
* [[August 24]] &ndash; [[Pope Innocent III]] annuls Magna Carta, freeing King John from its limitations. He annuls the charter on the grounds that John signed it because he is forced and that the document is illegal.
* [[November 11]]&ndash;[[November 30|30]] &ndash; The [[Fourth Council of the Lateran]] (or "Great Council") convened by Innocent III ends at [[Rome]] and approves the papal proposal for a [[Fifth Crusade]] in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]].<ref>Hywel, Williams (2005). ''Cassell's Chronology of World History'', p. 134. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. {{ISBN|0-304-35730-8}}.</ref> The Pope promulgates a canon against clerical participation in [[trial by ordeal]], replacing it by [[compurgation]].<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Ordeals}}</ref>
* [[September 13]] &ndash; King John of England seeks help from Innocent III in his fight against the Barons. In a letter, written while staying at [[Dover Castle]], he states that the defense of [[Kingdom of England|England]] is the responsibility of God and the Pope.
* October &ndash; The Barons offer the English crown to Louis of France and invite him to England. King John England confiscates the Barons' land and besieges [[Rochester Castle]]; the garrison is starved out and surrenders to him.
* December &ndash; [[First Barons' War]]: King John of England campaigns successfully in the [[Midlands]] and captures [[Nottingham Castle]], on [[December 24]]. King [[Alexander II of Scotland|Alexander II]] of [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]] joins the Barons and invades [[Northern England]].<ref name=CBH>{{cite book|last=Palmer|first=Alan|last2=Palmer |first2=Veronica|year=1992|title=The Chronology of British History|publisher=Century Ltd|location=London|pages=77–79|isbn=0-7126-5616-2}}</ref>

==== Asia ====
* [[June 1]] &ndash; [[Mongol conquest of Jin China]]: After the long [[Battle of Zhongdu]], the Mongol forces capture [[Zhongdu]] (modern-day [[Beijing]]). Meanwhile, [[Genghis Khan]] has decamped to the edge of the [[Grasslands of China|grasslands]] and is on his way back to the [[Kherlen River]]. Without his restraining influence, the Mongols run wild. They devastate and ransack the city, killing thousands. The royal palace goes up in flames, and a part of the capital burns for a month.<ref>Man, John (2011). ''Genghis Khan: Life, Death and Resurrection'', p. 171. {{ISBN|978-0-553-81498-9}}.</ref> 
* King [[Kalinga Magha]], from [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]] Province in [[India]], lands in [[Sri Lanka]] with a force of 24,000 men, to capture the city of [[Polonnaruwa]] and depose its king, [[Parakrama Pandya]].

=== By topic ===

==== Art and Science ====
* 1215&ndash;1216 &ndash; The ''Macy Jug'', from [[Iran]], is made. It is now kept at the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]], [[New York City|New York]].

==== Literature ====
{{main|13th century in literature}}</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[September 23]] &ndash; [[Kublai Khan]], Mongol emperor (d. [[1294]])
* [[Agnes of Merania (1215-1263)|Agnes of Merania]], German [[Nobility|noblewoman]] (d. [[1263]])
* [[Beatrice d'Este, Queen of Hungary|Beatrice d'Este]], queen consort of [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]] (d. [[1245]])
* [[Catherine Sunesdotter]], queen of [[Sweden]] (d. [[1252]])
* [[Pope Celestine V|Celestine V]], pope of the [[Catholic Church]] (d. [[1296]])
* [[David VII of Georgia|David VII]] (or David Ulugh), king of [[Kingdom of Georgia|Georgia]] (d. [[1270]])
* [[Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester|Eleanor of England]], countess of [[Leicester]] (d. [[1275]])
* [[Henry II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben|Henry II]], prince of [[Principality of Anhalt-Aschersleben|Anhalt-Aschersleben]] (d. [[1266]])
* [[Henry III, Margrave of Meissen]] ("the Illustrious"), German nobleman (d. [[1288]])
* [[Ibn Kammuna]], Arab Jewish philosopher (d. [[1284]])
* [[John I, Count of Dreux|John I]], French nobleman and knight (d. [[1249]])
* [[Pope John XXI|John XXI]], pope of the Catholic Church (d. [[1277]])
* [[John of Ibelin (jurist)|John of Ibelin]], count of [[County of Jaffa and Ascalon|Jaffa and Ascalon]] (d. 1266)
* [[Maria of Antioch-Armenia]], lady of [[Toron]] (d. [[1257]])
* [[Mécia Lopes de Haro]], queen of [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portugal]] (d. 1270)
* [[Otto III, Margrave of Brandenburg]] ("the Pious"), German nobleman (d. [[1267]])
* [[Robert Kilwardby]], archbishop of [[Diocese of Canterbury|Canterbury]] (d. [[1279]])
* [[Roger de Leybourne]], English landowner (d. [[1271]])

== Deaths ==
* [[February 3]] (or [[February 4]]) &ndash; [[Eustace (bishop of Ely)|Eustace]], bishop of [[Diocese of Ely|Ely]]
* [[February 6]] &ndash; [[Hōjō Tokimasa]], Japanese nobleman (b. [[1138]])
* [[June 9]] &ndash; [[Manegold of Berg]], German [[abbot]] and bishop
* [[August 1]] &ndash; [[Eisai]], Japanese Buddhist priest (b. [[1141]])
* [[September 1]] &ndash; [[Otto I (bishop of Utrecht)|Otto I]], bishop of [[Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht|Utrecht]] (b. [[1194]])
* [[November 5]] &ndash; [[Philip de Valognes]], Norman nobleman 
* [[November 17]] &ndash; [[Giles de Braose]], bishop of [[Diocese of Hereford|Hereford]]
* [[December 21]] &ndash; [[Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Walid]], Arab theologian<ref>{{EI3 | last = Poonawala | first = Ismail K. | title = ʿAlī b. al-Walīd | year = 2009 | doi = 10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_22932}}</ref>
* [[Ali ibn Abi Bakr al-Harawi]], Persian traveller and explorer
* [[Bertran de Born]], French nobleman, poet and [[troubadour]] 
* [[Esclarmonde of Foix]], French noblewoman and [[Catharism|Cathar]] 
* [[Giraut de Bornelh]] (or de Borneil), French troubadour
* [[Jacopino della Scala]], Italian merchant and politician
* [[Manfred II of Saluzzo|Manfred II]] (del Vasto), marquis of [[Saluzzo]] (b. [[1140]])
* [[Sicard of Cremona]], Italian bishop and writer (b. [[1155]])
* [[Theodore Apsevdis]], Byzantine painter (b. [[1150]])

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1215}}
[[Category:1215| ]]