1546
Martin Luther Dies at Eisleben
The reformer died in his birthplace at Eisleben, aged sixty-two, after preaching his last sermon. His body was carried back to Wittenberg and buried beneath the church door where, according to legend, he had posted the ninety-five theses. Protestant Europe wept and then quarrelled about his legacy. His final sermon contained a characteristic mix of pastoral warmth and anti-Jewish invective that has troubled his legacy for centuries.
Death of Sher Shah Suri
The Afghan emperor Sher Shah Suri, India's most efficient medieval administrator, died when a powder store exploded during his siege of the Rajput fortress of Kalinjar. His Grand Trunk Road, rupee currency, and revenue system were inherited gratefully by the Mughals who followed him. His revenue system and rupee currency were so effective that the returning Mughals adopted them wholesale rather than replacing them.
Xavier Preaches in the Moluccas
The Spanish Jesuit Francis Xavier, sailing east under Portuguese auspices, preached among the Malay-speaking fishermen of the Spice Islands. He baptized thousands in settlements where clove trees scented the harbors. Asia's first large-scale Catholic mission had found its tireless walker. His letters describing volcanic landscapes and clove harvests were circulated across Europe, inspiring a generation of Jesuit missionaries.
Bartolome de las Casas Becomes Bishop
The Dominican reformer Bartolome de las Casas was installed as bishop of Chiapas, where he immediately refused absolution to encomenderos who would not free their indigenous laborers. Colonists rioted. Las Casas resigned within two years and returned to Spain to continue his campaign at court, more embittered and more eloquent than ever.