The 11th Century

The 11th century spans the years 1001 to 1100 of the Gregorian/Julian calendar. It forms part of what European historians call the High Middle Ages, a period of population growth, urban expansion, and the redistribution of political power.

This century is marked by major transformations in religion, warfare, and commerce. The Byzantine Empire began strongly but lost territory in Anatolia. New Turkish and Berber groups gained power in the eastern and western Islamic world. Europe launched militarized crusades of a religious character toward the eastern Mediterranean.

Europe

In 1066, Norman forces led by William, duke of Normandy, conquered England in the Battle of Hastings, transforming land tenure, administrative language, and castle architecture on the island. In 1054, the split between the Roman church and that of Constantinople (the Great Schism) became formal. Near the end of the century, in 1095, Pope Urban II called for a military campaign; the earliest crusading forces captured Jerusalem in 1099.

The Islamic World and the Middle East

The Seljuqs, a Turkish state, entered Baghdad in 1055 and effectively took power from the Abbasid caliphate, leaving the caliph as a figurehead only. They then defeated the Byzantines at Manzikert (1071), opening Anatolia to Turkish settlement. Egypt was ruled by the Fatimids. Southern Italy and Sicily passed from Islamic rule to Norman control.

Asia and Africa

China under the Song dynasty made advances in technology and commerce, including the use of paper money and printing. In West Africa, the Ghana empire and the Sanhaja/Almoravid states controlled the gold and salt trade routes across the Sahara. East Africa and the Indian Ocean coasts continued maritime commerce involving the Arabs, Persians, and Indians.