1341

Political Events

Civil war begins in the Byzantine Empire as Andronicus III Palaeologus dies at Constantinople June 15 at age 44 after a 13-year reign in which he has annexed large parts of Thessaly and Epirus but has then lost them to the increasingly powerful Serbs. The emperor's 9-year-old son and successor, John V Palaeologus, is challenged by the boy's guardian, John Cantacuzene, 49, who has encouraged reform in the law courts and rebuilt the Navy as a means of gaining commercial independence from Genoa and Venice. He leaves Constantinople to fight the Serbs in Thrace; Andronicus's widow, Anna of Savoy, proclaims him a traitor and has his supporters arrested. But he proclaims himself emperor at Didymoteichos October 26 under the name John VI Cantacuzenus, gaining support from aristocratic elements and from Greek religious zealots inspired by the mystic teachings of the Mt. Athos monasteries (see 1342).

The great khan Uzbek (Oz Beg) of the Golden Horde dies after a 29-year reign in which his followers have become more Turkic and Islamic. His son Janibek (or Jani Beg) succeeds to the leadership (but see 1357).

Commerce

Parliament enacts statutes to control the spending of Edward III, appoints auditors of expenditure, and makes money grants conditional on redress (see politics, 1340; 1343).

France imposes the first gabelle (salt tax) to help defray the cost of war against England's Edward III.

Venice's new doge Messir Giovanni Sorenzo and his wife, Franchesina, continue policies established under the preceding regime, dominated by the dogaressa Agnese. They support the local silk industry by discouraging importation of Oriental brocades and block import of German mirrors and Greek hanging lamps. Venetian glassmaking will flourish under the Sorenzos, who will hold down living costs. Dogaressas have worked for the past century—and will continue for the next 50 years or more—to develop Venetian crafts while encouraging also art and literature, but the commercial opulence growing out of trade with the East will lead to a decline in the state's industrial vitality.

Medicine

Increased Venetian trade with the East will bring plagues, killing much of the population and weakening the survivors' physical vigor (see 1343).

Religion

The Greek zealots range themselves against the rationalist Greek orthodox clergy and against Anna of Savoy, who rules as regent for her son John V (see 1345).

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