The 1160s covers the years 1160 through 1169 and saw important political realignments across Europe, the Near East, and East Asia. Regional rulers consolidated authority, new military interventions reshaped local orders, and cultural currents—architecture, courtly culture, and religious conflicts—left long-term traces.
Political and military developments
In Western Europe the decade was dominated by the reign of Henry II of England, whose attempts to strengthen royal justice and authority brought him into conflict with ecclesiastical leaders. In 1162 Thomas Becket became Archbishop of Canterbury and over the following years the dispute over clerical privilege and royal rights intensified. On the Continent, Norman and native dynasties in the Mediterranean experienced succession and regency; in Sicily a child monarch inherited the crown, producing a period of courtly regency and factional politics.
Crusader states, Egypt and the rise of Saladin
The Crusader kingdoms and their Muslim neighbours were actively engaged in the 1160s. The Kingdom of Jerusalem under King Amalric I conducted several campaigns into Egypt. In 1169 the military and political upheaval in Egypt brought Saladin to the fore: after the death of the Fatimid general Shirkuh, Saladin was appointed vizier of Egypt, a step that would allow him to consolidate power in subsequent decades.
Norman expansion into Ireland
Late in the decade (1169) a group of Anglo-Norman and Welsh mercenaries landed in Ireland at the invitation of the deposed Irish king Dermot MacMurrough. This initial intervention initiated the longer process of Anglo-Norman involvement and territorial conquest on the island that continued into the following years.
East and East Asia
In East Asia the Heian court in Japan saw the ascendancy of the Taira clan after the Heiji Rebellion; Taira no Kiyomori rose to unprecedented political influence and in the late 1160s held the highest office at court, marking the growing importance of warrior families. In China, the Southern Song defended its coasts and waterways from Jin incursions, including notable naval engagements in the early 1160s. Around this period the traditional birthdate of Temüjin (later Genghis Khan) is given as c.1162, a milestone often cited in later histories of the Mongol world.
Culture, law and architecture
The decade also witnessed developments in law, learning and building. In England the Constitutions of Clarendon (1164) were an attempt by Henry II to define royal and ecclesiastical jurisdictions. In Paris, the construction of Notre-Dame cathedral began in 1163, emblematic of the flowering of Gothic architecture. Courtly literature and the troubadour tradition continued to shape aristocratic culture across western Europe.
Notable events and figures
- 1162: Thomas Becket becomes Archbishop of Canterbury (eventual clash with Henry II).
- 1163: Foundation work begins on Notre-Dame de Paris.
- 1164: Constitutions of Clarendon attempt to regulate church–state relations in England.
- 1166–1169: Dynastic changes and regencies in Sicily and other Mediterranean courts.
- 1169: Anglo-Norman mercenaries land in Ireland, beginning long-term intervention.
- 1169: Saladin installed as vizier of Egypt, a turning point in Near Eastern politics.
The 1160s were thus a decade of consolidation and of new openings: dynastic regencies and courtly power broadened the influence of warrior elites, military ventures extended influence beyond borders, and religious and legal disputes laid foundations for later conflicts. These developments set the stage for the major political and military changes of the late 12th century.