Year 1234 (MCCXXXIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe King Canute II (the Tall) dies after a 5-year reign. His rival, Eric XI (the Lisp and Lame), returns as ruler of Sweden (possibly after a civil war between the two of them). It is also possible that Canute dies of natural causes, and Eric peacefully then returns as king. King Andrew II of Hungary proclaims his son, Coloman of Galicia, as ruler (or ban) of Bosnia, who passes it on to Prijezda, a cousin of Matej Ninoslav, despite Matej being the legitimate ruler of Bosnia. Reconquista: King Sancho II of Portugal conquers the cities of Aljustrel and Mértola from the Moors. Mongol Empire February 9 – Mongol–Jin War: The Mongol army led by Ögedei Khan captures the Jin capital at Caizhou, after a two-month siege (see Siege of Caizhou). Emperor Aizong of Jin abdicates the throne to Wanyan Chenglin, a descendant of the Jin imperial clan. After the Mongol and Song forces have breached the city walls, Aizong tries to escape, but commits suicide to avoid being captured. This marks the end of the Jin Dynasty (Great Jin). Africa The Manden region rises against the Kaniaga Kingdom. This is the beginning of a process that will lead to the rise of the Mali Empire. By topic Religion November – Pope Gregory IX proclaims war on the city of Rome after a local revolt forces him into exile. He issues the papal bull Rachel suum videns, calling for a new crusade to the Holy Land. Lund Cathedral in Sweden is heavily damaged in a catastrophic fire. Large donations are made to the church, to rebuild the cathedral. Births Abaqa Khan, Mongol ruler of the Ilkhanate (d. 1282) Christina of Norway, Norwegian princess (d. 1262) Coloman Asen I, emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria (d. 1246) Conrad of Ascoli, Italian friar and missionary (d. 1289) Ippen (or Zuien), Japanese Buddhist monk (d. 1289) Manuel of Castile, Spanish prince (infante) (d. 1283) Margaret of Holland, Dutch noblewoman (d. 1276) Ou Shizi, Chinese Confucian scholar (d. 1324) Deaths January 7 – Robert of Auvergne, bishop of Clermont February 9 Aizong of Jin, Chinese emperor (b. 1198) Mo of Jin (or Hudun), Chinese emperor April 7 – Sancho VII (the Strong), king of Navarre April 16 – Richard Marshal, English nobleman (b.