By place Byzantine Empire •
Byzantine–Bulgarian War: Emperor
Constantine V builds a series of
fortifications along the Byzantine frontier on the
Danube, and starts settling Christian
Armenians and
Syrians in the
Thracesian Theme. In response,
Kormisosh, ruler (
khagan) of the
Bulgarian Empire, demands the payment of
tribute. Constantine refuses, and the
Bulgars raid into Thrace, reaching the
Anastasian Wall stretching between the
Black Sea and the
Sea of Marmara (near the
outskirts of
Constantinople). •
Battle of Marcellae: Constantine V sends a Byzantine expeditionary force (500 ships and 6,000
cavalry) to
Thrace, and defeats the Bulgars around the
Danube Delta and near the fortress city of
Markeli (modern
Bulgaria). Kormisosh is forced to accept a
peace treaty, and confirms the existing frontier. Due to the constant political crisis, the Bulgarian Empire is on the verge of destruction. Kormisosh is deposed during a palace
coup and succeeded by
Vinekh, a member of the
Vokil clan.
Europe • King
Aistulf of the
Lombards again threatens Rome with a view to making it his capital, but the
Franks under
Pepin III ("the Short") arrives with his sons
Charles and
Carloman, defeats Aistulf, and confers the
Donation of Pepin, which establishes the
Papal States (including the lands of
Ravenna and the
Pentapolis). Pepin has taken territory that legally belongs to the
Byzantine Empire; he gives it to
Pope Stephen II. • Aistulf dies in a hunting accident, and is succeeded by
Desiderius as king of the Lombards. Ex-king
Ratchis attempts unsuccessfully to seize the throne, but is opposed by Stephen II. •
Galla Gaulo is deposed, blinded and exiled. He is succeeded by
Domenico Monegario as the sixth
doge of Venice. During his reign Venetian maritime traders become increasingly active. • May – Prince
Abd al-Rahman I and his followers capture the city of
Seville without violence. He defeats
Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri in a battle for control of the Muslim-ruled parts of the
Iberian Peninsula (
al-Andalus). Abd al-Rahman establishes the
Emirate of Córdoba. During his reign trade and
culture flourish, along with the construction of
Islamic architecture (including the
Great Mosque of Córdoba).
Britain • Battle of Newanbirig: Kings
Óengus I of the
Picts and
Eadberht of Northumbria attack King
Dumnagual III of
Strathclyde, at
Dumbarton Castle (modern
Scotland). However, Eadberht's entire force is subsequently wiped out, probably by the
Britons. • King
Cuthred of Wessex dies after a 16-year reign. He is succeeded by his distant kinsman
Sigeberht.
Abbasid Caliphate •
Ibn al-Muqaffa', Muslim writer and thinker, is tortured at
Basra (modern
Iraq), on orders from Caliph
al-Mansur. His limbs are severed and he is thrown, still alive, into a burning oven (approximate date).
Chinese Empire •
January 18 –
An Lushan Rebellion: The eastern capital of
Luoyang falls to the 200,000-strong army of the rebel general
An Lushan, who defeats loyalist forces under
Feng Changqing. The rebels cross the
Yellow River, and march on to capture the cities
Chenliu and Yingyang (modern
Zhengzhou,
Henan). •
Battle of Yongqiu: A
Tang garrison (2,000 men), under
Zhang Xun, successfully defend their fortress against the rebel army at
Yongqiu. Zhang achieves a victory after a 4-month
siege, and prevents the rebels from capturing the fertile Tang territory south of the
Huai River. •
February 5 – An Lushan declares himself emperor at Luoyang, establishing a new empire, called the
Great Yan. He pushes on towards the primary Tang capital at
Chang'an (now
Xi'an). An decides to seize southern China, to cut off loyalist reinforcements. Meanwhile, numerous soldiers join the rebellion. • May – Emperor
Xuan Zong hires 4,000 Muslim
mercenaries to help defend Chang'an against the rebels. Loyalist forces take defensible positions in the mountain passes, but chancellor
Yang Guozhong gives orders for them to leave their posts. •
July 7– An Lushan crushes the Tang troops at the
Tong Pass, leaving the road to the capital wide open. •
July 14 – Xuan Zong flees the capital of Chang'an (along with the
imperial court) for
Sichuan, as rebel forces advance through the
Tongguan Pass toward the city. Meanwhile, An Lushan is ailing, perhaps with
diabetes. He is nearly blind and suffers from extreme
irascibility. •
July 15 – Xuan Zong is ordered by his
Imperial Guards to execute Yang Guozhong, by forcing him to commit suicide or face a mutiny. He permits his consort
Yang Guifei to be strangled by his chief
eunuch. An Lushan also has other members of the emperor's family killed. •
August 12 – Xuan Zong abdicates the throne after a 44-year reign. He is succeeded by his son
Su Zong, as emperor of the
Tang Dynasty. He hires 22,000 Muslim mercenaries to reinforce his decimated army at
Lingzhou. •
November 19 – Tang General
Fang Guan is defeated at
Xianyang. The imperial forces consisted of two thousand oxcarts with cavalry and foot soldiers on two fronts, but the rebels took advantage of their upwind position and attacked with fire. Imperial forces killed or wounded numbered more than 40,000 men.
Japan •
June 4 –
Emperor Shōmu (retired since
749) dies at
Nara. His wife
Kōmyō dedicates over 600 items to the
Great Buddha, and donates large sums of money to the
Shōsō-in treasure (
storehouse) in
Tōdai-ji. == Births ==