Directory

1407 CE

A year defined by the assassination of Louis, Duke of Orléans, plunging France into civil war between Burgundians and Armagnacs, the return of Zheng He's fleet to China, and the continuing decline of Owen Glendower's revolt in Wales.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Louis, Duke of Orléans, was assassinated in Paris on November 23, ordered by his rival John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy.
  • The assassination of the Duke of Orléans triggered a political crisis in France that would escalate into the Armagnac-Burgundian civil war.
  • Zheng He's first maritime expedition returned to China, having visited over thirty ports across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.
  • The Ottoman Interregnum continued as Musa Çelebi crossed into Ottoman Europe and challenged Süleyman Çelebi for control of the Balkan territories.
  • Pope Gregory XII and Antipope Benedict XIII failed to meet for negotiations to end the Western Schism, deepening frustration among Church reformers.

Conflict & Security

  • The assassination of the Duke of Orléans by agents of John the Fearless destabilized the French political order and sparked calls for vengeance.
  • Musa Çelebi defeated and killed his brother Süleyman Çelebi near Edirne, seizing control of the Ottoman European provinces.
  • The Teutonic Knights clashed with Polish and Lithuanian forces over the contested region of Samogitia in the eastern Baltic.
  • Civil violence in Paris followed the assassination of the Duke of Orléans, with armed retainers of both factions threatening public order.
  • The Japanese pirate fleets known as wakō conducted raids along the Chinese and Korean coasts, threatening maritime commerce in East Asia.

Economy & Finance

  • Zheng He's returning fleet brought exotic goods including spices, gems, rare woods, and animals from Southeast Asia and India to the Ming court.
  • The assassination of the Duke of Orléans disrupted commercial confidence in Paris and affected trade in the French kingdom.
  • English cloth exports to continental markets continued to grow, with finished woolen textiles increasingly displacing raw wool as England's primary export.

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing continued with the laying of foundations and the erection of major structural elements.
  • European clock-making technology advanced with the development of spring-driven mechanisms that would eventually enable portable timepieces.
  • The construction of the Ca' d'Oro palace in Venice showcased the elaborate Venetian Gothic architectural style on the Grand Canal.

Science & Discovery

  • Zheng He's expedition expanded Chinese geographical knowledge of maritime Southeast Asia, India, and the Arabian Sea.
  • Ulugh Beg, grandson of Timur and governor of Samarkand, began fostering astronomical research that would lead to the construction of a major observatory.
  • The University of Turin was established in the Duchy of Savoy, expanding educational opportunities in northwestern Italy.

Health & Medicine

  • The Yongle Emperor supported the compilation of medical texts as part of the broader encyclopedic project to organize Chinese knowledge.
  • Epidemic dysentery affected military encampments during the French political crisis, killing soldiers and camp followers alike.

Climate & Environment

  • Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 272 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
  • Flooding along the Yellow River in China caused damage to agricultural lands and required ongoing maintenance of flood control infrastructure.

Culture & Society

  • The Burgundian court under John the Fearless remained a center of artistic patronage, supporting painters, sculptors, and manuscript illuminators.
  • The assassination of the Duke of Orléans exposed the deep factional divisions within French aristocratic society and the weakness of the mad King Charles VI.
  • The development of perspective in painting began to advance among Italian artists, laying groundwork for the visual revolution of the Renaissance.
  • Persian poetry flourished at the court of Herat, with poets composing lyrical works in the tradition of Hafez and Rumi.
  • The estimated world population was approximately 358 million.