1300s

The 1300s, or the fourteenth century, spans the years 1300 through 1399. It was a period marked by climatic pressures, population shifts, and significant political and cultural change across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

In Europe, the century began in relative political consolidation but soon faced severe social stress. The Great Famine of 1315–1317, followed by recurring food shortages, weakened populations. The Black Death reached Europe in 1347 and in subsequent years killed a substantial portion of the population, altering labor systems, social structures, and religious life. The Avignon Papacy (1309–1377) centralized much ecclesiastical power in France, contributing to tensions with Holy Roman and other rulers. Politically, the Hundred Years’ War between England and France began in 1337 and continued in various forms until the mid-15th century, shaping crown authority and military technology.

In Asia, the Yuan dynasty of the Mongols persisted in China until 1368, after which the Ming dynasty emerged and consolidated rule. The century also saw the continuation of long-distance travel and commerce, as evidenced by Ibn Battuta’s journeys and increased Mediterranean and trans-Eurasian exchange. In Africa, the Mali Empire under rulers such as Mansa Musa rose to prominence in the earlier part of the century, while in the Americas, the city of Tenochtitlan is traditionally dated to be founded around 1325, with other complex civilizations developing in the region.

Culturally, the period witnessed ongoing Gothic architecture in Europe, alongside early signs of the Renaissance and humanism that would intensify in the following century. Notable writers and scholars, including Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio, produced enduring works that shaped medieval and early modern thought. The century’s interconnected crises and transformations laid groundwork for substantial social, political, and cultural change in the subsequent era.