The world in 1200

In 1200, the timeline shows 142 states, empires and colonies and 135 peoples across 12 regions. The most significant include Republic of Venice, Byzantine Empire, Ghana Empire (Wagadu), Holy Roman Empire, Swahili city-states, Srivijaya, Khmer Empire and Abbasid Caliphate.

See 1200 on the interactive chart

What was happening around 1200

1180 Building of Nan Madol, Oceania. Megalithic construction begins at Nan Madol off Pohnpei, seat of the Saudeleur, using large basalt stones taken from the far side of the island.
1185 Battle of Dan-no-ura, East Asia. The Minamoto destroy the Taira fleet in the Kanmon Straits, and the child emperor Antoku dies in the sea. The defeat ends the Taira and leads to the Kamakura shogunate.
1187 Battle of Hattin, Middle East. Saladin destroys the Crusader field army near Tiberias and retakes Jerusalem three months later.
1192 Second Battle of Tarain, South Asia. Muhammad of Ghor defeats Prithviraj Chauhan at Tarain north of Delhi, laying the foundation of Muslim rule in north India and of the Delhi Sultanate.
1200 Nalanda sacked, South Asia. Troops of Bakhtiyar Khalji plunder Bihar and burn the great Buddhist monastery of Nalanda around this time, a leading cause of its demise, though some teaching there went on for decades.
1204 Crusaders sack Constantinople, Europe. Knights of the Fourth Crusade and the Venetian fleet storm and loot Constantinople and divide the Byzantine Empire among themselves.
1206 Temujin proclaimed Genghis Khan, Central and North Asia. A kurultai at the source of the Onon river proclaims Temujin khan of the Great Mongol Nation under the title Genghis Khan, founding the Mongol Empire.
1215 Magna Carta, Europe. English barons force King John to seal a charter limiting royal power at Runnymede.
1220 Mongols sack Bukhara and Samarkand, Central and North Asia. Genghis Khan's armies take Bukhara and the Khwarazmian capital Samarkand, killing their defenders and enslaving or conscripting most of the people, during the invasion that destroyed the Khwarazmian Empire.

Central and Southern Africa

Eastern Bantu-speaking farmers c. 1000 BCE to 1300 CE
Western Bantu-speaking farmers c. 500 BCE to 1400 CE
Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1600 CE
Central African forest foragers c. 3200 BCE to the present
San hunter-gatherers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Khoekhoe herders c. 100 BCE to 1904 CE
Bantu farmers of the Congo basin c. 500 BCE to 1500 CE
Iron Age farmers of South Africa c. 400 to 1300 CE
Kilwa Sultanate c. 957 to 1513 CE
Kingdom of Mapungubwe c. 1075 to 1290 CE
East African hunter-gatherers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Kikuyu people c. 1200 CE to the present
Malagasy chiefdoms and trading towns c. 1000 to 1600 CE
Kisalian culture c. 700 to 1200 CE
Ntusi and Bigo culture c. 1000 to 1500 CE

North and West Africa

Ghana Empire (Wagadu) c. 300 to 1200 CE
Makuria c. 450 to 1470 CE
Kingdom of Benin c. 1180 to 1897 CE
Kanem Empire c. 700 to 1387 CE
Ife c. 1000 to 1420 CE
Almohad Caliphate 1121 to 1269 CE
Zagwe dynasty c. 1137 to 1270 CE
Ayyubid Sultanate 1171 to 1250 CE
Medjay, Blemmyes and Beja nomads c. 2300 BCE to the present
Cushitic-speaking peoples c. 2000 BCE to the present
Sahelian cereal farmers c. 1500 BCE to the present
West African yam and oil palm farmers c. 1500 BCE to the present
Amazigh (Berber) tribes c. 1400 BCE to the present
Sao culture c. 500 BCE to 1600 CE
Coptic Christians c. 300 CE to the present
Saharan camel nomads (Sanhaja and Tuareg) c. 300 CE to the present
Jenne-Jeno (Middle Niger towns) c. 250 BCE to 1400 CE
Chadic-speaking farmers c. 700 CE to the present
Kingdom of Nri c. 900 to 1911 CE
Alodia c. 500 to 1504 CE
Arab tribes of Sudan c. 1150 CE to the present
Hausa city-states c. 1000 to 1808 CE
Kwararafa c. 1000 to 1800 CE
Takrur c. 500 to 1285 CE
Kingdom of Gao c. 800 to 1430 CE
Sultanate of Shewa c. 896 to 1285 CE
Sosso Kingdom c. 1200 to 1235 CE

Europe

Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE
Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE
Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE
Kievan Rus 882 to 1240 CE
Gaelic Ireland c. 500 BCE to 1607 CE
Papal States 756 to 1870 CE
Kingdom of Scotland c. 843 to 1707 CE
Kingdom of Portugal 1139 to 1910 CE
Kingdom of Bohemia 1198 to 1918 CE
Republic of Genoa c. 1099 to 1797 CE
Kingdom of Hungary 1000 to 1526 CE
Kingdom of Norway c. 872 to 1397 CE
Kingdom of Denmark c. 936 to 1397 CE
Kingdom of Sweden c. 970 to 1397 CE
Kingdom of England (Norman and Plantagenet) 1066 to 1485 CE
Republic of Florence 1115 to 1532 CE
Crown of Aragon 1162 to 1516 CE
Kingdom of Poland (Piast) 1025 to 1370 CE
Novgorod Republic 1136 to 1478 CE
Kingdom of France (Capetian) 987 to 1328 CE
Kingdom of Castile c. 931 to 1230 CE
Second Bulgarian Empire 1185 to 1396 CE
Kingdom of Sicily 1130 to 1282 CE
Angevin Empire 1154 to 1214 CE
Sami people c. 1000 BCE to the present
Basques c. 500 BCE to the present
Baltic Finnic tribes c. 500 BCE to 1250 CE
Baltic tribes c. 150 to 1290 CE
County of Flanders 862 to 1795 CE
Duchy of Lorraine c. 959 to 1766 CE
Bavaria (Wittelsbach) 1180 to 1918 CE
County and Duchy of Savoy c. 1003 to 1720 CE
Kingdom of Gwynedd c. 500 to 1216 CE
Kingdom of Navarre c. 824 to 1512 CE
Kingdom and Duchy of Brittany 851 to 1532 CE
Duchy of Brabant 1183 to 1795 CE
Earldom of Orkney c. 875 to 1472 CE
County of Toulouse c. 778 to 1271 CE
Margraviate of Brandenburg 1157 to 1618 CE
Republic of Pisa c. 1000 to 1406 CE
Lordship of Ireland 1171 to 1542 CE
Duchy (later Archduchy) of Austria 1156 to 1526 CE
Volga Bulgaria c. 880 to 1240 CE
Icelandic Commonwealth 930 to 1262 CE
Kingdom of Leon 910 to 1230 CE
Banate and Kingdom of Bosnia c. 1154 to 1463 CE
Kingdom of Cyprus 1192 to 1489 CE
Duchy of Normandy 911 to 1204 CE
Cumans (Kipchaks) c. 1060 to 1237 CE
Vladimir-Suzdal c. 1157 to 1331 CE
Galicia-Volhynia 1199 to 1349 CE
Grand Principality of Serbia c. 1090 to 1217 CE
Almohad al-Andalus 1147 to 1238 CE

Middle East

Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE
Abbasid Caliphate 750 to 1258 CE
Zaydi Imamate of Yemen 897 to 1918 CE
Kingdom of Georgia 1008 to 1466 CE
Sultanate of Rum 1077 to 1308 CE
Kingdom of Jerusalem 1099 to 1291 CE
Khwarazmian Empire 1077 to 1231 CE
Zengids 1127 to 1250 CE
Ayyubid Sultanate 1171 to 1260 CE
Arab Bedouin tribes c. 900 BCE to the present
Kurdish tribes and emirates c. 640 CE to the present
Sharifate of Mecca c. 967 to 1916 CE
Bavandids 651 to 1349 CE
Shirvanshahs 861 to 1538 CE
Oghuz Turkmen nomads c. 1040 to 1600 CE
Kingdom of Hormuz c. 1100 to 1622 CE
Nabhani dynasty c. 1154 to 1624 CE
Alania c. 900 to 1240 CE
Artuqids 1102 to 1409 CE
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia 1080 to 1375 CE
County of Tripoli 1102 to 1289 CE
Principality of Antioch 1098 to 1268 CE
Nizari Ismaili state 1090 to 1256 CE

South Asia

Chola Empire 848 to 1279 CE
Hoysala Empire c. 1026 to 1343 CE
Kakatiya dynasty 1163 to 1323 CE
Seuna Yadava dynasty 1187 to 1317 CE
Ghurid dynasty 1148 to 1215 CE
Munda-speaking peoples c. 1500 BCE to the present
Tibeto-Burman hill peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Vedda people c. 900 BCE to the present
Kingdom of Mewar c. 728 to 1948 CE
Pashtun tribes c. 1000 CE to the present
Kingdom of Manipur c. 1110 to 1949 CE
Sultanate of the Maldive Islands c. 1153 to 1887 CE
Zamorins of Calicut c. 1124 to 1766 CE
Chandela dynasty c. 831 to 1315 CE
Paramara dynasty c. 948 to 1305 CE
Eastern Ganga dynasty c. 1078 to 1434 CE
Soomra dynasty c. 1026 to 1351 CE
Thakuri dynasty c. 879 to 1200 CE
Lohara dynasty c. 1003 to 1320 CE
Chaulukya dynasty c. 940 to 1244 CE
Kingdom of Polonnaruwa 1070 to 1232 CE
Sena dynasty c. 1070 to 1230 CE

Central and North Asia

Uyghur Kingdom of Qocho c. 843 to 1335 CE
Kara-Khanid Khanate c. 840 to 1212 CE
Cuman-Kipchak confederation c. 1050 to 1241 CE
Khwarazmian Empire 1077 to 1231 CE
Kara-Khitai 1124 to 1218 CE
Yukaghir peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Chukchi, Koryak and Itelmen peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Evenki and Even reindeer herders c. 500 CE to the present
Khanty, Mansi and Samoyedic peoples c. 1000 CE to the present
Buryats c. 1200 CE to the present
Turkmen tribes c. 1100 to 1881 CE
Okhotsk culture c. 500 to 1200 CE
Yenisei Kyrgyz c. 550 to 1207 CE
Punuk culture c. 800 to 1300 CE
Kereit, Naiman, Tatar and Merkit tribes c. 1000 to 1206 CE
Khamag Mongol c. 1130 to 1206 CE

East Asia

Goryeo 918 to 1392 CE
Western Xia 1038 to 1227 CE
Southern Song 1127 to 1279 CE
Kamakura shogunate 1185 to 1333 CE
Jin dynasty (Jurchen) 1115 to 1234 CE
Formosan Austronesian peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Qiang peoples c. 1250 BCE to the present
Ainu c. 1200 CE to the present
Jurchen tribes c. 926 to 1616 CE
Guge kingdom c. 967 to 1630 CE
Satsumon culture c. 700 to 1200 CE
Tibetan era of fragmentation 842 to 1253 CE
Dali Kingdom 937 to 1253 CE

Southeast Asia

Srivijaya c. 650 to 1377 CE
Khmer Empire 802 to 1431 CE
Champa c. 192 to 1832 CE
Pagan Kingdom c. 849 to 1297 CE
Ly dynasty 1009 to 1225 CE
Kediri Kingdom 1042 to 1222 CE
Philippine Negrito foragers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Orang Asli (Semang and Senoi) c. 1800 BCE to the present
Dayak peoples of Borneo c. 1000 BCE to the present
Plain of Jars culture c. 1000 BCE to 1200 CE
Langkasuka c. 100 to 1400 CE
Kutai Martadipura c. 399 to 1635 CE
Lavo Kingdom c. 650 to 1388 CE
Tondo c. 900 to 1589 CE
Barangay chiefdoms c. 900 to 1565 CE
Sunda Kingdom c. 932 to 1579 CE
Haripunjaya c. 660 to 1292 CE
Butuan c. 1001 to 1597 CE
Tai muang chiefdoms c. 900 to 1300 CE
Dharmasraya (Melayu) c. 1183 to 1347 CE

North America

Mississippian culture c. 900 to 1600 CE
Thule culture c. 1000 to 1600 CE
Ancestral Puebloans c. 750 to 1300 CE
Dorset culture c. 500 BCE to 1300 CE
Pacific Northwest peoples c. 500 CE to the present
Mogollon culture c. 200 to 1450 CE
Hohokam c. 300 to 1450 CE
Norse Greenland c. 985 to 1450 CE
Cahokia c. 1050 to 1350 CE
Unangan (Aleut) peoples c. 2500 BCE to the present
Dene (Northern Athabaskan) peoples c. 750 BCE to the present
Belle Glade culture c. 1000 BCE to 1700 CE
Caloosahatchee culture 500 BCE to 1750 CE
Chumash c. 500 CE to the present
California peoples (Ohlone, Miwok, Pomo, Tongva) c. 500 CE to the present
Fremont culture c. 1 to 1300 CE
Caddo confederacies c. 800 to 1859 CE
Cree peoples c. 1000 CE to the present
Numic peoples (Shoshone, Paiute, Ute) c. 1000 CE to the present
Plains Village tradition c. 900 to 1780 CE
Fort Ancient culture c. 1000 to 1750 CE
Oneota culture c. 1000 to 1650 CE
Birnirk culture c. 600 to 1200 CE
Monongahela culture 1050 to 1635 CE
Coles Creek culture 700 to 1200 CE
Plaquemine culture c. 1200 to 1700 CE
Moundville c. 1120 to 1450 CE
Fort Walton culture c. 1200 to 1500 CE

Mesoamerica and Caribbean

Taíno chiefdoms c. 1200 to 1550 CE
Chibchan chiefdoms (Costa Rica and Panama) c. 500 BCE to 1570 CE
Mixtec kingdoms c. 900 to 1522 CE
Casas Grandes (Paquimé) c. 1130 to 1450 CE
Gran Coclé chiefdoms c. 1200 BCE to 1520 CE
Guayabo de Turrialba c. 1000 BCE to 1400 CE
Greater Nicoya cultures c. 500 BCE to 1522 CE
Cholula c. 300 BCE to 1519 CE
Chalchihuites culture c. 100 to 1250 CE
La Quemada c. 300 to 1200 CE
Diquís culture c. 700 to 1530 CE
Island Caribs (Kalinago) c. 1200 CE to the present
Lucayan Taíno c. 800 to 1520 CE
Trincheras tradition c. 750 to 1450 CE
Chichimeca peoples c. 900 to 1600 CE
Zapotec city-states (Zaachila, Mitla) c. 850 to 1521 CE
Huastec (Teenek) peoples c. 900 to 1530 CE
El Tajín (Classic Veracruz) c. 600 to 1200 CE
Ostionoid culture c. 600 to 1200 CE
Totonac (Cempoala) c. 1150 to 1519 CE
Nicarao chiefdoms c. 1200 to 1524 CE

South America

Tupi-Guarani peoples c. 500 CE to the present
Mapuche c. 1000 CE to the present
Marajoara culture c. 400 to 1400 CE
Muisca Confederation c. 800 to 1540 CE
Chimú kingdom (Chimor) c. 900 to 1470 CE
Fuegian canoe peoples (Yaghan, Kawésqar) before 3200 BCE to the present
Jê peoples c. 1 CE to the present
Patagonian peoples (Tehuelche, Selk'nam) c. 1 CE to the present
Zenú culture c. 200 BCE to 1535 CE
Tairona c. 200 to 1600 CE
Arawakan peoples of the Amazon c. 1000 CE to the present
Carib peoples of the Guianas c. 1000 CE to the present
Guaraní c. 1000 CE to the present
Charrúa c. 1000 to 1831 CE
Manteño-Huancavilca culture c. 850 to 1600 CE
Chachapoya culture c. 800 to 1470 CE
Diaguita c. 1000 to 1667 CE
Santarém culture (Tapajó) c. 1000 to 1650 CE
Sicán (Lambayeque) c. 750 to 1375 CE
Cañari c. 1000 to 1532 CE
Chincha kingdom c. 1000 to 1476 CE
Chancay culture c. 1000 to 1470 CE
Ichma kingdom c. 1100 to 1469 CE
Chanka confederation c. 1100 to 1438 CE
Aymara kingdoms (Colla, Lupaca) c. 1150 to 1477 CE
Kingdom of Cusco c. 1200 to 1438 CE

Oceania

Aboriginal Australian peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Papuan farmers and foragers before 3200 BCE to the present
Kuk Swamp agriculture before 3200 BCE to 1900 CE
Tu'i Tonga Empire c. 950 to 1865 CE
Saudeleur dynasty c. 1100 to 1628 CE
Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Uninhabited c. 3200 BCE to 1280 CE
Torres Strait Islanders c. 500 BCE to the present
Island Melanesian societies c. 500 BCE to the present
Fijian chiefdoms c. 500 BCE to 1874 CE
Eastern Micronesian islanders c. 200 BCE to the present
Samoan chiefdoms c. 1000 to 1900 CE
Society Islands chiefdoms c. 1000 to 1788 CE
Latte period Chamorro c. 900 to 1668 CE
Rapa Nui society c. 1200 to 1888 CE
Hawaiian chiefdoms c. 1200 to 1795 CE

Questions

What countries existed in 1200?

The timeline shows 142 states, empires and colonies alive in 1200. Among the most significant: Republic of Venice, Byzantine Empire, Ghana Empire (Wagadu), Holy Roman Empire, Swahili city-states, Srivijaya, Khmer Empire and Abbasid Caliphate. The full list by region is on this page.

What was happening in the world in 1200?

Within 25 years of 1200, the timeline records Building of Nan Madol (1180), Battle of Dan-no-ura (1185), Battle of Hattin (1187), Second Battle of Tarain (1192), Nalanda sacked (1200) and Crusaders sack Constantinople (1204).

Which empires existed in 1200?

Byzantine Empire, Ghana Empire (Wagadu), Holy Roman Empire, Srivijaya, Khmer Empire, Abbasid Caliphate, Chola Empire, Tu'i Tonga Empire, Kanem Empire and Pagan Kingdom.

Where do these dates come from?

Each row's dates were checked against the sources listed on that row's own page, mostly English Wikipedia articles, which cite the underlying scholarship. Dates that are uncertain are marked c.