1395

Political Events

England's Richard II forces the Irish barons to pay homage to him and grants them amnesty (see 1394), but the three great earls of Desmond, Kildare, and Ormonde control the government at Dublin and will continue to do so through the first half of the next century, with Desmond dominating Cork, Kerry, Limerick, and Waterford; Kildare dominating Leinster; and Ormonde dominating Kilkenny and Tipperary.

The Swedish king Albrecht of Mecklenburg renounces the throne and retires to Mecklenburg as Margrethe of Denmark continues her conquest of his realm (see 1389; 1397).

Austria's Hapsburg duke Albrecht III dies and is succeeded by his son, who will reign until 1404 as Albrecht IV; family disputes arise over the succession, and although some are resolved by the Treaty of Hollenburg some remain (see 1396).

Milan's tyrannical Gian Galeazzo Visconti, now 43, buys his investiture as hereditary duke from the Holy Roman Emperor Wenceslas and assumes the title that he will retain until his death in 1402 (see 1385). His 1387 marriage to Isabelle of Valois will be the basis of French territorial claims to Milan (see 1499).

Aragon's Juan I dies in a fall from his horse May 16 at age 44 after a weak 8-year reign in which he has kept his country out of the Hundred Years' War; he will be succeeded next year by his brother, now 38, who will reign until 1410 as Martin I.

The Battle of Rovine May 17 results in the death of Serbia's Marko Kraljevic at age 59 after a 24-year reign (see Kosovo, 1389). He has been fighting in alliance with Walachia's Prince Mircea the Old against the Ottoman Turks.

Eleonora of Arborea in Sardinia introduces the Carta di Logu, a humanitarian code of laws that anticipates legal codes that will not be seen elsewhere for many years to come.

The Tatar khan Toqmatish raises a new army and invades the Caucasus (see 1391). Tamerlane defeats him for a final time, and Toqmatish retires to the east (see Battle of the Vorskla River, 1399). Tamerlane invades Muscovite lands, but the grand prince Basil (Vasily) I raises an army to resist him. Tamerlane retreats briefly, and although he then defeats the Muscovites and will occupy Moscow for a year, Basil in the next decade will effectively free his principality of Tatar dominance (but see 1408). Revolts will break out against Tatar rule throughout Persia, and Tamerlane's generals will suppress the uprisings without mercy, destroying entire cities, having their inhabitants massacred, and building towers of Persian skulls (see India, 1398).

Agriculture

Philippe the Bold (le Hardi), duc de Burgundy, discourages planting of the high-yielding Gamay grape, insisting that growers plant the superior Pinot Noir wine grape.

Food And Drink

Cookbook author Guillaume Tirel dies at age 69 (year and age approximate), having written under the pen name Taillevent (see 1375).

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