Directory

1406 CE

A year defined by the capture of the young Scottish prince James by English forces, the election of Pope Gregory XII amid efforts to resolve the Western Schism, and the ongoing compilation of the Yongle Dadian encyclopedia in Ming China.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Prince James of Scotland was captured by English pirates while sailing to France and was subsequently imprisoned by Henry IV of England.
  • King Robert III of Scotland died in April, reportedly of grief upon hearing of his son's capture, leaving Scotland under the regency of the Duke of Albany.
  • Pope Gregory XII was elected in November, promising to meet with the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII to resolve the Western Schism.
  • The Republic of Florence purchased the port city of Pisa for 200,000 florins, gaining direct access to the sea for Florentine commerce.
  • Shah Rukh consolidated his authority over the eastern Timurid territories from his capital at Herat, promoting stability and cultural patronage.
  • The Ottoman Interregnum continued with Süleyman Çelebi and Musa Çelebi contending for supremacy in the European provinces of the empire.

Conflict & Security

  • Owen Glendower's revolt began to weaken as English forces recaptured territory and cut off supply lines to Welsh rebel strongholds.
  • Prince Henry of England led aggressive campaigns in Wales, employing scorched-earth tactics to undermine the economic base of the rebellion.
  • The Ottoman civil war intensified as Musa Çelebi challenged Süleyman Çelebi's control of the European Ottoman territories.
  • English forces defeated a Welsh rebel army in the Brecon region, reducing Owen Glendower's ability to field large military forces.
  • The Teutonic Knights launched raids against Lithuanian territories, maintaining pressure on the Polish-Lithuanian alliance in the Baltic region.
  • Armed conflicts between rival Timurid princes disrupted stability in Transoxiana and Khorasan as the succession struggle continued.
  • The garrison of Harlech Castle in Wales held out for Owen Glendower despite increasing English pressure on the surrounding countryside.

Economy & Finance

  • Florence's acquisition of Pisa opened new commercial possibilities, giving Florentine merchants direct maritime access to Mediterranean trade routes.
  • The Yongle Emperor continued to invest heavily in the compilation of the Yongle Dadian encyclopedia, with thousands of scholars working on the massive project that remained years from completion.
  • Zheng He's fleet engaged in trade during its voyages, exchanging Chinese goods for exotic products from ports across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing continued on a massive scale, with craftsmen producing the elaborate woodwork, stonework, and ceramic decoration.
  • The Yongle Dadian represented an extraordinary achievement in the organization and compilation of knowledge, with contributions from over 2,000 scholars.
  • The construction of the Guildhall in London progressed, providing a grand civic building for the governance of the City of London.

Science & Discovery

  • Zheng He's fleet continued its first voyage, visiting ports in Java, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, and the Malabar Coast of India.
  • The completion of the Yongle Dadian preserved vast amounts of Chinese scientific, literary, and historical knowledge in a single encyclopedic work.
  • The University of St Andrews was founded in Scotland, becoming the first university in the country and a center for theological and philosophical study.

Health & Medicine

  • The quarantine system at Venetian ports was maintained and refined, with designated islands used to isolate ships arriving from plague-affected regions.
  • Battlefield medicine during the Welsh campaigns relied on military surgeons who treated arrow wounds, fractures, and blade injuries.

Climate & Environment

  • The expansion of sheep farming in Castile on the great grazing routes of the Mesta contributed to landscape change on the Iberian Peninsula.
  • Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 272 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
  • Severe flooding affected river valleys in Central Europe, damaging crops and settlements along the Rhine and its tributaries.

Culture & Society

  • The Florentine architect Filippo Brunelleschi continued his studies of classical Roman architecture, developing ideas that would transform Renaissance building design.
  • Persian miniature painting flourished at the Timurid court in Herat under Shah Rukh's patronage, producing exquisitely detailed illustrated manuscripts.
  • The estimated world population was approximately 357 million.