1397

1397 was a year in the late fourteenth century, within the broader Late Medieval period. Across Afro-Eurasia, political authority and religious influence continued to shift as empires expanded, contracted, and redefined boundaries following decades of warfare and dynastic change.

In Europe, the Catholic Church remained divided by the Western Schism, with rival popes in Rome and Avignon claiming authority. The schism affected diplomacy, alliances, and church governance in various kingdoms, from the Polish–Lithuanian realm to the kingdoms of England, France, and the Holy Roman Empire.

In the Islamic world and Central Asia, Timur (Tamerlane) and his successors pursued campaigns that redrew regional maps, while the remaining sultanates and emirates navigated shifting loyalties and trade routes.

In China, the Ming dynasty consolidated its rule after the overthrow of the Yuan Dynasty, extending administrative reforms, improving border defenses, and reviving domestic commerce.

The period also saw continued cross-cultural exchanges along the Silk Road and across maritime networks, with cities such as Baghdad, Samarkand, and Delhi serving as major hubs. 1397 stands as a representative year in a century marked by fragmentation, conquest, and gradual centralization that would influence subsequent centuries.