1298
Year 1298 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
- April 20 - Rintfleisch massacres: The Jews of Röttingen are burned en masse. "Lord Boels von Rindtfleisch" goes from town to town and kills all the Jews that fall under his control. He destroys the Jewish communities at Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Würzburg, Bamberg, Dinkelsbühl, Nördlingen and Forchheim. In the Free Imperial [City of Nuremberg], the Jews seek refuge in the Nuremberg Castle, assisted by Christian citizens, but Rintfleisch overcomes the defenders and massacres the Jews on August 1. Spreading from Franconia to Bavaria and Austria, Rintfleisch and his followers destroy 146 communities, and between 20,000 and 100,000 Jews are killed.
- June 1 - Battle of Turaida: Forces of the Livonian Order are decisively defeated near Turaida Castle by the residents of Riga, allied with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under Vytenis. After their defeat, the Livonians receive reinforcements from the Teutonic Order and defeat the residents of Riga and Lithuanians near Neuermühlen, on June 28. The knights proceed with their campaign, and besiege and capture Riga. In response, King Eric VI of Denmark threatens to invade Livonia, but a truce is reached and the conflict is mediated by Pope Boniface VIII.
- July 2 - Battle of Göllheim: German forces of Duke Albert I defeat King Adolf of Nassau at Göllheim over the prince electors' decision, without electoral act – to dethrone Adolf and proclaim Albert the new ruler of Germany at Frankfurt, on July 27. During the battle, Adolf is killed and his army is destroyed with the loss of 3,000 horses.
- September 9 - Battle of Curzola: The Genoese fleet led by Admiral Lamba Doria defeats the Venetian fleet at Curzola. The disaster is almost complete for Venice: 83 of the 95 galleys are destroyed and some 7,000 men are killed. During the battle, Marco Polo, commanding one of the Venetian ships, is captured.
- After a year's siege, the revolting Italian commune of Palestrina near Rome surrenders to the Papal forces, razed to the ground and salted by order of Boniface VIII, in an act of debellatio.
British Isles
- Summer - First War of Scottish Independence: King Edward I of England marches from Newcastle upon Tyne with his household to Alnwick and then by way of Chillingham to Roxburgh in Scotland, where he joins the army in July. He proceeds to Lauderdale and encamps at Kirkliston, to the west of Edinburgh, where he remains from July 15 to July 20. The army is accompanied by a long train of supply wagons. Meanwhile, English supply ships, delayed by bad weather, bring food to Leith.
- July 22 - First War of Scottish Independence: Battle of Falkirk - English forces led by Edward I defeat a Scottish army led by William Wallace at Falkirk. During the battle, the English knights drive off the Scottish horse and archers, but cannot break the pikemen in the center. The Scottish pikemen are formed in four great "hedgehogs" but are destroyed by English longbow archers.
Asia
- Mongol invasion of India : Mongol forces led by Qutlugh Khwaja invade the Sindh region of the Delhi Sultanate and occupy the castle of Sivistan. Sultan Alauddin Khalji sends an army under Zafar Khan, who defeats the Mongols, on February 6. Some 20,000 Mongols are killed in the ensuing battle. The survivors are put into chains and brought to Delhi, where they are trampled to death by elephants.
- August 30 - Emperor Fushimi abdicates the throne after an 11-year reign. He is succeeded by his 10-year-old son Go-Fushimi as the 93rd emperor of Japan.
By topic
Cities and towns
- August 1 - The "ideal city" of Marciac in southern France is founded by King Philip IV and his Seneschal Guichard de Marzé.
Markets
- The foreign creditors of the Sienese Gran Tavola Bank start demanding their deposits back, thus accelerating the liquidity crisis faced by the firm.
Religion
- Pope Boniface VIII issues the decretal Periculoso, requiring all nuns to be in enclosed orders.
- Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome and Pope Gregory I are named the first Doctors of the Church. They are known collectively as the Great Doctors of the Western Church.
Technology
- Wang Zhen, Chinese inventor and politician, invents a wooden movable type printing.