Political Events

Scotland's Edgar dies at Edinburgh Castle in Mid-Lothian January 8 after a 9-year reign. The first king of the Scots to unite Celtic and Anglo-Saxon blood, he is succeeded by his 29-year-old brother, who has married an illegitimate daughter of England's Henry I and will reign until his death in 1124 as Alexander I, putting down an insurrection of northern clans.

Norway's Sigurd I Magnusson sails for the Holy Land with 60 ships to join the First Crusade. Now 17, he leaves his older brother Eystein to rule alone in his absence. Sigurd will visit England, France, Spain, and Sicily en route, bestowing the title of king on the Norman ruler Robert II of Sicily.

The Sicilian Norman knight Tancred recovers the Cilician towns conquered by the Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus 3 years ago.

The Japanese emperor Horikawa dies at age 29 after a 21-year reign. He is succeeded by his 5-year-old son Munehito, who will reign until 1123 as the emperor Toba, but Toba's grandfather Shirakawa has selected him as Horikawa'a successor and remains the country's strongman (see 1118).

Commerce

Chinese authorities print paper money in three colors to thwart counterfeiters.

Religion

The former patriarch of Jerusalem Daimbert gains support from Pope Paschal II and sails for Syria to reclaim his position (see 1102). He reaches Messina but dies there June 14. The former patriarch Arnulf Malecorne will resume his duties as patriarch in 1112, be suspended briefly for celebrating the bigamous marriage of Baldwin I in 1113, but serve until his death in 1118.

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