Century
14th Century CE
What happened in the 14th Century CE.
ExplorationPeak of the Silk Road Trade via Central Asiac. 1300 CE · Samarkand (modern Uzbekistan)The Silk Road reaches a peak of connectivity under the Mongol Pax Mongolica, facilitating trade between China and Europe.
ArtCreation of the Goryeo Buddhist Paintingsc. 1300 CE · Korea (Goryeo Dynasty)Court artists create intricate paintings of Amitabha Buddha for royal rituals.
CivilizationMansa Musa's Control of Trans-Saharan Gold Tradec. 1307 CE · Niani, Mali Empire (Guinea/Mali border)Mansa Musa consolidates the Mali Empire's control over West African gold mines and trans-Saharan trade routes.
PoliticsGhiyas-ud-din Tughlaq Founding of Tughlaqabadc. 1320 CE · Delhi, IndiaGhiyas-ud-din Tughlaq usurps the throne and founds the massive fortified city of Tughlaqabad to secure his dynasty's power.
CivilizationMansa Musa Pilgrimage to Mecca1324 CE · Timbuktu, MaliMali Empire ruler travels with immense wealth, destabilizing economies along his route to Mecca.
tradeMansa Musa's Pilgrimage and Gold Economy1324 CE · Cairo, Egypt (en route)Mansa Musa's pilgrimage disrupts gold markets in Cairo with massive displays of wealth.
CivilizationFounding of Tenochtitlan1325 CE · Mexico City, MexicoAztecs build a magnificent island city on Lake Texcoco that becomes the largest in the Americas.
PoliticsMuhammad bin Tughlaq Moves Capital to Daulatabadc. 1327 CE · Daulatabad, Maharashtra, IndiaIn a controversial move, Muhammad bin Tughlaq forces the migration of Delhi's population to Daulatabad to better control southern territories.
literatureProduction of the Shahnama Manuscriptc. 1330 CE · Tabriz, IranIllustrated copies of the Persian national epic are commissioned by the Ilkhanids.
DisasterOutbreak of the Black DeathOctober 1347 CE · Genoa, ItalyPlague arrives in Europe killing a third of the population and reshaping society.
PoliticsFounding of the Bahmani Sultanatec. 1347 CE · Gulbarga, Karnataka, IndiaAla-ud-Din Bahman declares independence from the Delhi Sultanate, establishing the first major Muslim kingdom in the Deccan.
WarBattle of Siem Reap (Khmer-Siamese War)1352 CE · Siem Reap, CambodiaSiam attacks Angkor, leading to the eventual decline of the Khmer Empire.
WarRise of Timur (Tamerlane) and Conquest of Delhi1398 CE · Delhi, IndiaTimur invades the Delhi Sultanate, sacking the city and temporarily ending Mamluk rule in Northern India.
WarTimur's Sack of Delhic. 1398 CE · Delhi, IndiaTimur (Tamerlane) invades the Delhi Sultanate, defeating the Tughlaqs and massacring the city's population before retreating.