1075

By place

Africa

• The Kingdom of Mapungubwe is established, in modern-day South Africa.

  Byzantine Empire

• The future Emperor Alexios Komnenos captures the Norman rebel Roussel de Bailleul in Amaseia. Roussel had established a principality in eastern Anatolia in 1073 after rebelling against Emperor Michael VII Doukas, basing his power on his western mercenaries and local support in exchange for protection against invading Turkmen.

  Europe

• June 9 - First Battle of Langensalza: Emperor Henry IV defeats the Saxon nobles on the River Unstrut near Langensalza in Thuringia. He subjugates Saxony, and immediately tries to reassert his rights as the sovereign of northern Italy.
• Anund Gårdske is deposed as king of Svealand. King Håkan the Red of Götaland proclaims himself ruler of all Sweden.

  England

• Revolt of the Earls: The Earls Ralph de Gael, Roger de Breteuil and Waltheof, begin a revolt against King William I in the last serious act of resistance to the Norman Conquest.
• Roger de Breteuil is brought before the Great Council. He is deprived of his lands and sentenced to perpetual imprisonment. Ralph de Gael and Waltheof are charged as co-conspirators.
• August 25 - Council of London: Archbishop Lanfranc instigates the movement of English bishoprics. One of these is the bishopric of Sherborne and Wilton which is moved to Old Sarum.

  Asia

• Summer - Shen Kuo, Chinese polymath scientist and statesman, solves a border dispute with the Liao dynasty by dredging up old diplomatic records. He refutes Emperor Dao Zong's bluffs point for point during a meeting at Mt. Yongan, reestablishing the rightful borders of the Song dynasty.
• Vietnamese forces under General Lý Thường Kiệt defend Vietnam against a Chinese invasion.
• The Liao dynasty version of the Buddhist Tripiṭaka is completed.

  By topic

Religion

• February - Pope Gregory VII holds a council in the Lateran Palace at Rome. He publishes a decree against laymen investiture.
• April - The Dictatus papae are included in the registry of Gregory VII, in which he asserts papal authority over earthly as well as spiritual rulers.
• December 8 - Gregory VII writes a letter of reprimand to Henry IV. He accuses him of breaching his word and continued support of excommunicated councilors.
• December 25 - Gregory VII is kidnapped in the church during Christmas night in Rome and briefly imprisoned by the Roman nobleman Cencio I Frangipane.