The Investiture Controversy and the Halt of…

The layout of the Ananda Temple, built in 1105 during the reign of King Kyanzittha of the Pagan Dynasty, is in a cruciform with several terraces leading to a small pagoda at the top covered by an umbrella known as hti, which is the name of the umbrella or top ornament found in almost all pagodas in Myanmar.

The Buddhist temple houses four standing Buddhas, each one facing the cardinal direction of East, North, West and South.

The temple is a fusion of Mon and Indian architecture, showing the strong influence of tthe emples of Bengal and Orissa.

The temple has close similarity to the Pathothamya temple of the tenth and eleventh century.

One of four surviving temples in Bagan, it has also been titled the "Westminster Abbey of Burma".

Emperor Chongzong, orphaned at three, had taken direct control of Western Xia in 1099 after the poisoning of his grandmother by a Liao envoy.

He has ended wars with both the Liao and the Song and focused on domestic reform.

Li's reign includes further sinification and removes the power of some significant Tangut clans, which have remained a powerful political force—appointing tribal leaders as kings, forcing them under his power and influence.

Margaret Fredkulla had been married to King Magnus of Norway in 1101 as a part of the peace treaty between Sweden and Norway.

Often referred to as Margaret Fredkulla (Margaret the Maiden of Peace), she had brought with her large fiefs and areas in Sweden as her dowry, probably in Västergötland.

Made a widow in 1103 after two years of childless marriage, she had soon left Norway.

Her departure is seen as an insult by the Norwegians, who had expected her to stay, and she is accused of having stolen the holy relics of Saint Olav.

In 1105, she marries King Niels of Denmark, described as a passive monarch who lacks the capacity to rule and who leaves the affairs of the state to his queen.

With his blessing, Margaret becomes the de facto Queen regnant of Denmark.

She is described as a wise ruler, and the relationship between Denmark and her birth country Sweden will be very peaceful during her time as queen.

The Hervarar saga tells that Inge died of old age and that he ruled until his death.

The exact date of his death is not known, but he probably died around 1105.

Inge’s grave is most likely a set of remains found in Vreta Abbey in a section of the abbey church that was erected by Inges son Ragnvald.

All skeletons that are likely to be that of Inge are very tall, about two meters in length, suggesting that Snorri's description was accurate.

As Inge's son, Ragnvald, had died before he could succeed his father on the throne, Inge is succeeded by his two nephews, Philip Halstensson and Inge the Younger, who are the sons of his elder brother Halsten Stenkilsson.

Coloman, like Ladislaus I, proves to be a great legislator, but he prescribes less severe punishments than had his uncle.

He has ordered that transactions between Christians and Jews are to be put into writing.

His laws concerning his Muslim subjects are aimed at their conversion, for instance, by obliging them to marry their daughters to Christians.

The presence of Jewish and Muslim merchants in the kingdom is due to its role as a crossroad of trading routes leading towards Constantinople, Regensburg and Kiev.

Local trade also exists, which enables Coloman to collect the marturina, the traditional in-kind tax of Slavonia, in cash.

Zbigniew sees the marriage of Boleslaw to a princess from Rus' and an alliance with Kiev as a serious threat.

He therefore prevails upon his ally, Borivoj II of Bohemia, to invade Boleslaw’s province.

Boleslaw retaliates with expeditions into Pomerania in 1104–1105, which bring the young prince not only loot, but also effectively disintegrates the alliance of Pomeranians and Zbigniew.

Boleslaw’s partnership with King Coloman of Hungary, whom he had aided in gaining the throne, bears fruit in 1105 when they successfully invade Bohemia.

Also in 1105, Boleslaw enters into an agreement with his stepmother Judith of Swabia, the so-called Tyniec Accord.

According to their agreement, in exchange for a generous grant, the prince is guaranteed Judith's neutrality in his political contest with Zbigniew.

Al-Sulami, a Damascene jurist and philologist publishes his treatise, Kitab al-Jihad ("Book of the Holy War"), in 1105 and preaches his ideas from the Great Mosque in Damascus.

He recognizes the danger from the Christian invaders and sees their connection to the ongoing Christian reconquests of Sicily and Spain.

He believes that Muslims have abandoned jihad and other religious duties, and argues that the caliphs are supposed to make war on the Christians once a year, something they have not done for many years.

God, he claims, is now punishing Muslims for their sins.

In order to defeat the crusaders, al-Sulami argues that Muslims must practice the inner jihad so that they can successfully undertake the jihad against the enemy.

His message is mostly ignored, as Muslim rulers will not merge the concept of jihad with military expeditions until later in the twelfth century under Nur ad-Din Zangi and Saladin.

Only two manuscripts of the Kitab survive, both incomplete, and both in Damascus.

Raymond, on his deathbed, had reached an agreement with the qadi: if he will stop attacking the fortress, the crusaders will stop impeding Tripolitanian trade and merchandise.

Raymond dies of his wounds near Tripoli in February 1105, leaving his young son Alfonso-Jordan as lord of Mons Peregrinus and Tortosa and nominal Count of Tripoli (which has not yet been captured by the crusaders).

It will remain for his descendants to finish the task of reducing the city.

The qadi had accepted.

Since Alfonso-Jordan is still a child, Raymond's soldiers choose his nephew William-Jordan, count of Cerdanya, as regent.

All of Antioch's strongholds east of the Orontes River had been abandoned after the great Crusader defeat at the Battle of Harran in 1104.

In order to raise additional Crusader reinforcements, Bohemond of Taranto had embarked for Europe, leaving Tancred as regent in Antioch.

The new regent has begun to patiently recover the lost castles and walled towns.

Tancred lays siege to the castle of Artah, which is located twenty-five miles (forty kilometers) east-northeast of Antioch.

When Radwan tries to interfere with the operation, Tancred gives battle and defeats the army of Aleppo.

Little is known about the battle.

After this victory, Tancred will expand his conquests east of the Orontes with only minor opposition.

Muhammad Tapar, following the internecine conflict with his half brother, Barkiyaruq, had been given the title of malik and the provinces of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Dissatisfied by this, he had revolted again, but had had to flee back to Armenia.

Barkiyaruq, ill and tired of war, had agreed by 1104 to divide the sultanate with Muhammad.

During Barkiyaruq's short reign, he has had five viziers, three of them the children of Nizam al-Mulk; Izz al-Mulk, Mu'ayyid al-Mulk and Fakhr al-Mulk.

The two other viziers were Abd-al-Dihistani Jalil and Khatir al-Mulk Abu Mansur Maybudi.

During his reign, Barkiyaruq has mostly focused on ways to fund the expenses of the Seljuq state.

In 1105, Barkiyaruq dies in Borujerd, and is succeeded by his son Malik-Shah II, who is soon deposed and killed by his uncle Muhammed Tapar.