610 |
The Prophet Muhammad begins to receive the revelation of the Qur’an at Mecca. |
622 |
Emigration of the Muslims from Mecca to Medina. |
630 |
Muslim conquest of Mecca. |
630–2 |
Islam spreads across Arabia. |
656–61 |
Caliphate of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. |
661–750 |
Umayyad Caliphate rules from Damascus. Muslim world expands to stretch from Transoxania and India in east to France and Spain in west. |
750–1258 |
First reign of the ‘Abbasid Caliphate, from Baghdad (mostly) from 762. |
910 |
‘Abd Allah (or ‘Ubayd Allah) al-Mahdi establishes Fatimid Caliphate at Qayrawan. |
945–1055 |
Buyid domination of ‘Abbasid caliphs. |
969 |
Fatimids take Egypt, reign from Cairo from 973. |
1055 |
Seljuks take Baghdad and establish Great Seljuk Sultanate. |
1071 |
Alp-Arslan defeats Romanus Diogenes at Manzikert (Malasjird). The establishment of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum follows. |
1090 |
Hasan-i Sabbah takes Alamut, establishes Isma‘ili Assassins. From 1097 the Assassins claim to have the true Isma‘ili imam resident among them. |
1092 |
Deaths of Seljuk vizier Nizam al-Mulk and sultan Malik-Shah. Fragmentation of the Great Seljuk Sultanate. |
1096 (Sep) |
People’s Crusade annihilated by Seljuks of Rum. |
1097(19Jun) |
Crusaders take Nicaea. |
1097(1 Jul) |
Crusaders defeat Seljuks of Rum at Dorylaeum (Eskişehir). |
097 (c. 10 Sep) |
Crusaders defeat Seljuks of Rum at Heraclea (Ereğli). |
1098–1111 |
Periodic protests in Baghdad calling for Seljuk response to the First Crusade. |
1098 (10 Mar) |
Baldwin of Boulogne takes control of Edessa (Urfa). |
1098(29Jun) |
Crusaders take Antioch. |
1098 (Jul) |
Fatimids take Jerusalem from Seljuks. |
1098 (11–12 Dec) |
Crusaders take Ma‘arrat al-Nu‘man. |
1099 (15 Jun) |
Crusaders take Jerusalem. |
1099 (12 Aug) |
Crusaders defeat Fatimid forces at Ascalon. |
1105 |
Al-Sulami publicly composes Kitab al-Jihad at Damascus. |
1109 (12 Jul) |
Crusaders take Tripoli. |
1110–15 |
Great Seljuk sultan seeks to aid Muslims of Levant against Franks. |
1115 (Sep) |
Great Seljuk sultan’s forces defeated by Franks of Antioch at Danith. |
1119 (28 Jun) |
Ilghazi of Mardin defeats and kills Roger of Antioch at Battle of Balat/Ager Sanguinis. |
1127 |
Succession of ‘Imad al-Din Zangi at Mosul. |
1128 (Jan) |
Succession of Zangi at Aleppo. |
1144 (24 Dec) |
Zangi takes Edessa. |
1146 (14 Sep) |
Death of Zangi. Sayf al-Din succeeds at Mosul and Nur al-Din succeeds at Aleppo. |
1146 (Oct–Nov) |
Nur al-Din foils a Frankish attempt to retake and hold Edessa. |
1147 |
Diplomatic agreement between Nur al-Din and Mu‘in al-Din Unur. |
1148 (24 Jun) |
Crusaders decide to attack Damascus. |
1148 (23–28 Jul) |
Crusader attack on Damascus fails. |
1149(29 Jun) |
Nur al-Din and Mu‘in al-Din defeat and kill Raymond of Antioch at Inab. |
1153 (22 Aug) |
Franks take Ascalon from the Fatimids. |
1154 (Apr) |
Nur al-Din takes Damascus. |
1163 (Sep) |
Ousted Fatimid vizier Shawar seeks support of Nur al-Din. |
1164 (Apr–Oct) |
Shirkuh’s first expedition to Egypt restores Shawar to vizierate. |
1167 (Feb–Aug) |
Shirkuh’s second expedition to Egypt, including the Battle of al-Babayn (19 March 1167). |
1168 (Nov) |
Amalric takes Bilbays in Egypt. The Fatimid caliph al-‘Adid appeals to Nur al-Din for help. |
1168 (Dec) |
Shirkuh sets out for Egypt. |
1169 (Jan) |
Franks withdraw from Egypt. Shirkuh enters Egypt. Shawar is executed and Shirkuh is made Fatimid vizier. |
1169 (23 Mar) |
Death of Shirkuh. Saladin becomes Fatimid vizier. |
1171 (Jun) |
Nur al-Din orders Saladin to abolish the Fatimid caliphate. |
1171 (Sep) |
Saladin abolishes Fatimid caliphate. |
1171 (Oct–Nov) |
Saladin makes abortive attack on Shawbak (Crac de Montréal). |
1173 (Jun) |
Saladin conducts campaign against Kerak. |
1174 (15 May) |
Death of Nur al-Din. |
1174 (Jul–Aug) |
Saladin repels Sicilian attack on Alexandria. |
1174 (28 Oct) |
Saladin takes Damascus. |
1175 (Jan) |
Nizari Assassins attack Saladin. |
1175 (13 Apr) |
Saladin defeats Zangids at the Horns of Hamah. |
1176(22 Apr) |
Saladin defeats Zangids at Tall al-Sultan. |
1176 (May) |
Nizari Assassins attack Saladin again. |
1176 (29 Jul) |
Peace treaty between Saladin and the Zangids. |
1176 (Aug) |
Saladin besieges Masyaf, comes to agreement with Assassins. |
1177 (25 Nov) |
Franks defeat Saladin at Montgisard. |
1179 (Apr) |
Saladin defeats Franks in the Jawlan (Golan). |
1179 (Jun) |
Saladin defeats Franks at Marj ‘Uyun. |
1179 (29 Aug) |
Saladin destroys Frankish castle of Bayt al-Ahzan, raids Frankish territory. |
1181 (4 Dec) |
Death of al-Salih Isma‘il. Saladin claims succession to Aleppo. |
1182 (May–Jul) |
Saladin raids Kingdom of Jerusalem. |
1183 |
Reynald of Châtillon’s Red Sea expedition is defeated. |
1183 (11 Jun) |
Saladin takes Aleppo. |
1183 (Oct–Dec) |
Saladin attacks Kerak. |
1184 (Aug) |
Saladin attacks Kerak again. |
1185 (Apr) |
Saladin makes a truce with the Franks. |
1186 (4 Mar) |
Peace treaty with Mosul recognizes Saladin’s authority. |
1187 (Jan) |
Reynald of Châtillon plunders a Muslim caravan. |
1187 (2 Jul) |
Saladin takes Tiberias. |
1187 (4 Jul) |
Saladin destroys the Frankish field army at Hattin and subsequently conquers much Frankish territory. |
1187 (2 Oct) |
Saladin takes Jerusalem. |
1189 (29 Aug) |
Franks under Guy of Lusignan besiege Acre. |
1191 (20 Apr) |
Philip II Augustus arrives at Acre. |
1191 (8 Jun) |
Richard I the Lionheart arrives at Acre. |
1191 (12 Jul) |
Acre surrenders to the Franks. |
1191 (7 Sep) |
Richard defeats Saladin at Arsuf. Richard subsequently takes Jaffa, while Saladin demolishes Ascalon. |
1191 (Oct) |
Richard attempts, unsuccessfully, to march on Jerusalem. |
1192 (23 May) |
Richard takes Darum. |
1192 (24 Jun) |
Richard seizes a Muslim caravan, subsequently attempts to march on Jerusalem again. |
1192 (5 Jul) |
Richard forced to turn back from Jerusalem. |
1192 (30 Jul) |
Saladin almost retakes Jaffa. |
1192 (1–3 Sep) |
Peace treaty between Saladin and Richard. |
1193 (4 Mar) |
Death of Saladin at Damascus. Succeeded by sons and relatives. |
1196 Oun) |
Al-‘Adil Muhammad takes Damascus from al-Afdal ‘Ali. |
1197 |
Crusaders take Beirut and Sidon. |
1200 (Feb) |
Al-‘Adil Muhammad takes Cairo and becomes head of the Ayyubid confederation. |
1202 |
Authority of al-‘Adil Muhammad recognized by al-Zahir Ghazi of Aleppo. |
1206 |
Temujin/Chingiz Khan launches campaign of world conquest. |
1218 (May–Aug) |
Crusaders attack Damietta and storm part of its defences. |
1218 (31 Aug) |
Death of al-‘Adil Muhammad. Territories divided among his three eldest sons. |
1219 (19 Mar) |
Demolition of the fortifications of Jerusalem begins. |
1219 (5 Nov) |
Crusaders take Damietta. |
1221 (Aug) |
Muslims defeat crusaders and negotiate their evacuation from Egypt. |
1226 |
Al-Kamil Muhammad offers Jerusalem to Frederick II. |
1229 (Feb) |
Peace agreement between al-Kamil Muhammad and Frederick II returns most of Jerusalem to the Franks. |
1229 (18 Mar) |
Frederick II crowns himself King of Jerusalem at the Holy Sepulchre. |
1236–41 |
Mongols invade Russia and eastern Europe. |
1239 (7 Dec) |
Al-Nasir Dawud takes Jerusalem, but returns it to the Franks the following year as part of an alliance agreement. |
1243 |
Mongols subdue Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. |
1244 (23 Aug) |
Khwarazmians take Jerusalem. |
1244 (17 Oct) |
Khwarazmian-Egyptian coalition defeats Frankish-Syrian coalition at Harbiyya (La Forbie). |
1245 (2 Oct) |
Al-Salih Ayyub takes Damascus. |
1246 (Mar) |
Khwarazmians besiege Damascus. |
1246 (18 May) |
Khwarazmians are defeated and wiped out by troops from Homs and Aleppo. |
1249 (6 Jun) |
Crusaders under Louis IX take Damietta. |
1249 (21 Nov) |
Al-Salih Ayyub dies. Shajar al-Durr and collaborators conceal his death. |
1250–1382 |
Bahri/Turkish Mamluk Sultanate. |
1250 (9 Feb) |
Mamluks defeat crusaders at al-Mansura. Louis is subsequently captured. |
1250 (2 May) |
Mamluks kill Turan-Shah and take control of Egypt, appointing Shajar al-Durr as sultana. |
1250 (May) |
Crusaders evacuate Egypt. |
1250 (July) |
Shajar al-Durr abdicates. Aybak al-Turkumani becomes sultan, then atabeg for an Ayyubid prince. |
1254 |
Aybak deposes Ayyubid charge and re-assumes position of sultan, bringing Ayyubid Sultanate of Egypt to definite end. |
1255 |
Hülegü launches campaign into Persia and Iraq. |
1256 |
Hülegü destroys Alamut and Persian Nizari Assassins. |
1258 |
Hülegü takes Baghdad and executes ‘Abbasid caliph. |
1260 (25 Jan) |
Hülegü takes Aleppo. |
1260 (2 Mar) |
Mongol forces take Damascus. Hülegü returns east at about the same time. |
1260 (3 Sep) |
Mamluks defeat Mongols at ‘Ayn Jalut. Mamluks complete conquest of Syria soon after. |
1260 (24 Oct) |
Murder of Qutuz. Baybars becomes Mamluk sultan. |
1261 (13 Jun) |
Baybars resurrects ‘Abbasid caliphate at Cairo. |
1261–1517 |
Second reign of the ‘Abbasid caliphate. |
1265–73 |
Baybars suppresses Nizari Assassins of Syria. |
1268 (18 May) |
Baybars takes Antioch. |
1277 (20 Jun) |
Death of Baybars. |
1279 (Nov) |
Qalawun takes power. |
1281 (29 Oct) |
Qalawun defeats Mongols at Hims. |
1289 (27 Apr) |
Qalawun takes Tripoli. |
1290 (10 Nov) |
Death of Qalawun. |
1291 (18 May) |
Al-Ashraf Khalil takes Acre. |
1365 (Oct) |
Peter of Cyprus briefly occupies Alexandria. |
1382 |
Sultanate usurped by the Circassian mamluk Barquq. |
1382–1517 |
Burji/Circassian Mamluk Sultanate. |
1396 (25 Sep) |
Crusaders defeated by Ottomans at Nikopolis (Nikopol). |
1517 |
Ottoman conquest of Egypt. |
1898 |
Kaiser Wilhelm II visits tomb of Saladin. |
1899 |
Sayyid ‘Ali al-Hariri describes European colonialism as a crusade in his history of the crusading period. |
1906–66 |
Life of Sayyid Qutb, an influential figure in the development of modern Muslim extremism. |
1987 |
Foundation of Hamas. |
1988 (approx.) |
Usama ibn Ladin (Osama bin Laden) founds al-Qa‘ida. |
1990–1 |
US-led coalition forces eject Iraqi forces from Kuwait and briefly occupy Iraq. |
2001 (11 Sep) |
Al-Qa‘ida makes co-ordinated terrorist attacks on US targets including the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. |
2001 (16 Sep) |
US President George W. Bush declares ‘crusade […] on terrorism’. |
2006 |
Hamas wins Palestinian Authority elections. |