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{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{About year|1256}}
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{{C13 year in topic}} 
[[File:Prise d'Alamût (1256).jpeg|upright=1.35|thumb|[[Hulagu Khan]] conquers [[Alamut Castle]]]]
Year '''1256''' ('''[[Roman numerals|MCCLVI]]''') was a [[leap year starting on Saturday]] of the [[Julian calendar]].

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===

==== Mongol Empire ====
* Spring &ndash; Mongol forces (some 80,000 men), under [[Hulagu Khan]], cross the [[Amu Darya|Oxus River]], and begin their campaign to destroy the remaining Muslim states in southwestern [[Asia]] – with the first objectives being the [[Mongol campaign against the Nizaris|Nizari Ismaili strongholds]] and [[Baghdad]], the capital of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. The roads across [[Turkestan]] and [[Iran|Persia]] are repaired, and bridges built. Carts are requisitioned to bring siege machines from [[China]].<ref name="Runciman3.0">{{cite book|authorlink=Steven Runciman|first=Steven|last=Runciman|year=1952|title=A History of The Crusades. Vol III: The Kingdom of Acre|pages=236, 249–250|publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-241-29877-0}}</ref>
* [[October]] &ndash; Mongol forces led by [[Baiju Noyan]] (operating under Hulagu Khan's command) win a victory over [[Kaykaus II]], Seljuk ruler of the [[Sultanate of Rum]], and capture [[Anatolia]]. Kaykaus flees to the Byzantine court where he seeks refuge at [[Constantinople]]. The [[Empire of Trebizond]] fearing a potential punitive Mongol expedition, becomes a vassal state and is forced to pay a [[tribute]] tax every year in gold and silk.<ref>Peacock, A. C. S.; Yildiz, Sara Nur (ed). (2013). ''The Seljuks of Anatolia: Court and Society in the Medieval Middle East'', pp. 118–119. I.B. Tauris. {{ISBN|978-0-85773-346-7}}.</ref>
* [[November 8]]&ndash;[[November 23|23]] &ndash; [[Siege of Maymun-Diz]]: Mongol forces under Hulagu Khan successfully besiege the mountain castle of [[Maymun-Diz]]. Hulagu encircles the fortress and begins a bombardment for three days by [[mangonel]]s from a nearby hilltop. On [[November 19]], Nizari Isma'ili imam [[Rukn al-Din Khurshah]] surrenders, but a small part of the garrison refuses and fights a [[last stand]], until they are killed after three days.<ref>Willey, Peter (2005). ''Eagle's Nest: Ismaili Castles in Iran and Syria'', pp. 75–85. Boomsbury Academic. {{ISBN|978-1-85043-464-1}}.</ref>
* [[December 15]] &ndash; Mongol forces under Hulagu Khan capture and dismantle [[Alamut Castle]] (near the [[Masoudabad, Qazvin|Masoudabad]] region) after the surrender of the Nizari Ismaili leaders. Hulagu founds the [[Ilkhanate]] dynasty of Persia, which becomes one of the four main divisions of the [[Mongol Empire]]. The Nizari Ismaili government is disestablished; some of them migrate to [[Afghanistan]], [[Badakhshan]] and [[Sindh]] (modern [[Pakistan]]).

==== Europe ====
* [[War of the Euboeote Succession]]: Achaean forces under [[William of Villehardouin|William II of Villehardouin]] attempt to gain control of the island of [[Euboea]], which is resisted by the local Lombard barons (or "triarchs") with the aid of the [[Republic of Venice]]. William launches devastating raids in Euboea. [[Guy I de la Roche]], the "Great Lord" of [[Duchy of Athens|Athens and Thebes]], enters the war against William, along with other barons of [[Central Greece (geographic region)|Central Greece]].<ref>Setton, Kenneth M. (1976). ''The Papacy and the Levant (1204–1571), Volume I: The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries'', p. 78. Philadelphia: The American Philosophical Society. {{ISBN|0-87169-114-0}}.</ref>
* [[30 July]] – The Venetian [[Marsilio Zorzi]] recaptures [[Curzola]] in [[Dalmatia]], and re-establishes himself as Count of Curzola and [[Mèleda]].<ref>{{DBI | url = https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/marsilio-zorzi_%28Dizionario-Biografico%29/ | title = ZORZI, Marsilio | last = Mazzon | first = Martino | volume = 100}}</ref>

==== British Isles ====
* Prince [[Llywelyn ap Gruffudd]] invades the northern coastal areas of Wales that agreed to English rule in [[1254]]. [[Edward I of England|The Lord Edward]], who has been given the areas to govern himself by his father, King [[Henry III of England]], asks him for support but Henry refuses. 
* The ancient Irish [[Kingdom of Breifne]] splits into [[East Breifne]] and [[West Breifne]], after a war between the [[O'Reilly]]s and the [[O'Rourke]]s.

==== Levant ====
* [[War of Saint Sabas]]: A dispute between [[Republic of Venice|Venice]] and [[Republic of Genoa|Genoa]] arises about concerning land in [[Acre, Israel|Acre]] owned by [[Mar Saba]] but claimed by both Venice and Genoa – which leads to a Genoese attack of the monastery in the Venetian quarter. The Venetians are supported by [[Republic of Pisa|Pisa]] and the [[Knights Templar]], while the Genoese are joined by the [[Knights Hospitaller]].<ref name="Runciman3.0"/>

=== By topic ===

==== Natural Disaster ====
* [[June 30]] &ndash; A large volcanic eruption in [[Harrat Rahat]] (near [[Medina]]) is associated with an Islamic prophecy.<ref>''The Seismicity of Egypt, Arabia and the Red Sea: A Historical Review'' p. 40.</ref>

==== Religion ====
* [[May 4]] &ndash; [[Pope Alexander IV]] issues the papal bull ''Licet ecclesiae catholicae'', constituting the [[Order of Saint Augustine]] at [[Monastery of the Holy Saviour|Lecceto Monastery]].
* [[August 25]] &ndash; In [[Bologna]], slavery and serfdom are abolished; this event is recorded in the document called ''[[Liber Paradisus]]'' (or Heaven Book).</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[January 6]] &ndash; [[Gertrude the Great]], German mystic (d. [[1302]])
* [[January 24]] &ndash; [[Alonso Pérez de Guzmán]], Spanish [[Nobility|nobleman]] (d. [[1309]])
* [[February 9]] &ndash; [[William de Warenne (1256–1286)|William de Warenne]], English nobleman (d. [[1286]])
* [[March 21]] &ndash; [[Henry I, Margrave of Brandenburg]] ("Lackland"), German nobleman (d. [[1318]])
* [[October 23]] &ndash; [[Möngke Temür (Ilkhanate)|Möngke Temür]], Mongol ruler of [[Salghurids|Shiraz]] (d. [[1282]])
* [[Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati]], Andalusian grammarian (d. [[1344]])
* [[Adolph VI, Count of Holstein-Schauenburg|Adolph VI]], count of [[Holstein-Pinneberg]]-[[County of Schaumburg|Schauenburg]] (d. [[1315]])
* [[Ahmad al-Suhrawardi]], Persian calligrapher and musician (d. [[1340]])
* [[Al-Dimashqi (geographer)|Al-Dimashqi]], Syrian geographer, explorer and writer (d. [[1327]])
* [[Andrea Dotti (saint)|Andrea Dotti]], Italian nobleman, preacher and saint (d. 1315)
* [[Ibn al-Banna' al-Marrakushi|Ibn al-Banna]], Almohad scholar and mathematician (d. [[1321]])
* [[Jamal al-Din al-Mizzi]], Syrian scholar and philologist (d. [[1341]])
* [[John Segrave, 2nd Baron Segrave|John Segrave]], English nobleman and [[seneschal]] (d. [[1325]])
* [[Padishah Khatun]], Mongol female ruler and writer (d. [[1295]])
* [[Robert, Count of Clermont]], French prince and nobleman (d. [[1317]])
* [[Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer of Chirk|Roger Mortimer]], English nobleman and constable (d. [[1326]])

== Deaths ==
* [[January 4]] &ndash; [[Bernhard von Spanheim]], German nobleman
* [[January 18]] &ndash; [[Maria of Brabant, Duchess of Bavaria|Maria of Brabant]], duchess of [[Duchy of Bavaria|Bavaria]] (b. [[1226]])
* [[January 28]] &ndash; [[William II of Holland]], king of [[Kingdom of Germany|Germany]] (b. [[1227]])
* [[February 9]] &ndash; [[Alice de Lusignan, Countess of Surrey|Alice de Lusigan]], English noblewoman (b. [[1224]])
* [[February 16]] &ndash; [[Nicola Paglia]], Italian [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] priest (b. [[1197]])
* [[April 12]] &ndash; [[Margaret of Bourbon, Queen of Navarre|Margaret of Bourbon]], queen consort of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]] (b. [[1217]])
* [[April 23]] &ndash; [[Sabrisho V]], patriarch of the [[Church of the East]]
* [[May 1]] &ndash; [[Mafalda of Portugal]], [[abbess]], previously queen consort of Castile 
* [[May 6]] &ndash; [[Peter Nolasco]], French religious leader (b. [[1189]])
* [[May 12]] &ndash; [[Matilda of Amboise]], French noblewoman (b. [[1200]])
* [[May 28]] &ndash; [[Guglielmo Fieschi]], Italian deacon and cardinal
* [[June 13]] &ndash; [[Tankei]], Japanese [[Buddhism in Japan|Buddhist]] sculptor (b. [[1173]])
* [[September 1]] &ndash; [[Kujō Yoritsune]], Japanese [[List of shōguns|shogun]] (b. [[1218]])
* [[September 21]] &ndash; [[William of Kilkenny]], English bishop of [[Diocese of Ely|Ely]]
* [[October 14]] &ndash; [[Kujō Yoritsugu]], Japanese shogun (b. [[1239]])
* [[November 5]] &ndash; [[Christina de Valognes]], Scottish noblewoman
* [[Bertram de Criol]] (or Criel), English constable and diplomat
* [[Jacob Anatoli]], French Jewish translator and writer (b. [[1194]])
* [[Johannes de Sacrobosco]], English scholar and astronomer 
* [[Klement of Ruszcza]], Polish nobleman and knight (b. [[1190]])
* [[Najm al-Din Razi]], Persian philosopher and writer (b. [[1177]])
* [[Pandulf of Anagni]], Italian bishop and military commander
* [[Peter de Ramsay]], Scottish nobleman, cleric and bishop
* [[Þórður kakali Sighvatsson]], Icelandic chieftain (b. [[1210]])
* [[Rodrigo González Girón]], Spanish nobleman and knight
* [[Sibt ibn al-Jawzi]], Arab preacher and historian (b. [[1185]])

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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