Kalasan Temple in Java, constructed in 778

This page comprises the year 701 thru 800. It will later on be divided into decades, but not into individual years. Until then this is a century page.

It was a century when Classical Maya civilization begins to decline, when the poem Beowulf was probably composed, and an account of Buddha’s life was translated into Greek. More info to be read under individual decades.

700s - 710s - 720s - 730s - 740s - 750s - 760s - 770s - 780s - 790s

The Taihō Code is enacted in late Asuka period Japan (701), the reign of China’s first and only sole-ruling empress ends as Empress Wu Zetian is overthrown (705), Justinian II is forced to give the title Caesar of Byzantium to the Bulgarian Emperor Tervel (705).

701-xxxx Emperor Shomu* Emperor of Japan 724-749 - Japan (756/c. 56)
706-xxca Han Gan* painter -China (783)

Empress Genmei moves the capital to Heijō-kyū, initiating the Nara period of Japan (710), Tariq ibn Ziyad crosses the Straits of Gibraltar and creates Al-Andalus - thus ends the Visigothic rule and begins almost eight centuries of Muslim rule (711), the Bulgarians and the Byzantines defeat the invading Arabs in Constantinople, thus halting the Arab advance toward Europe (717-718).

712-xxxx Du Fu* considered one of the greatest Chinese poets - Gongyi, Henan, China (770/c. 58)
714-xxxx Al-Mansur* Abbasid Caliph/founder of the future Baghdad - Humeima, Bilad-al-Sham (modern day Jordan) (775/61)
714-xxxx Fujiwara no Nagate* 藤原永手 noble of the Nara period - Japan (771/c.57)
715-xxxx Fujiwara no Matate* 藤原真楯 noble of the Nara period - Japan (766/c.51)
717-xxca Childeric III* King of the Franks (743-751)/considered the last Frankish king from the Merovingian dynasty -  (c.754)
718-07xx Constantine V* Byzantine Emperor (741-775) - Constantinople (775/57)
719-xxxx Guan Bo* 關播 official of Tang Dynasty - China (797/c.77)

Byzantine Emperor Leo III the Isaurian destroys the icon of Christ above the Chalke Gate in Constantinople, beginning the first phase of the Byzantine Iconoclasm (726).

720-xxca Modestus* Irish monk/Apostle of Carantania - Ireland (before 772)
721-xxca Jabir ibn Hayyan* the supposed author of an enormous number and variety of works in Arabic often called the Jabirian corpus - Tus, Umayyad Caliphate (c. 815)
724-xxxx Fujiwara no Hamanari* 藤原 浜成 noble/poet of the Nara period - Japan (790/c.65)
725-xxxx Stephen the Sabaite* Christian monk/hymnographer from Gaza (796 or 807)
727-0109 Emperor Daizong* of Tang Dynasty - Luoyang, Tang China (779/52)
728-xxxx Abu Ubaidah* early Muslim scholar of Arabic philology (825/c.97)

Near Poitiers, France, leader of the Franks and his men defeat a large army of Moors under the governor of Cordoba - this Battle of Tours halts the advance of Islam into Western Europe and establishes a balance of power between Western Europe, Islam and the Byzantine Empire (732).

731-xxxx Abd al-Rahman I* founder of a Muslim dynasty that ruled the greater part of Iberia for nearly three centuries - Palmyra, Ash-Sham (modern Syria) (788/57)
733-xxxx Donnchad Midi* High King of Ireland (797/c. 63)

Byzantines win their first large-scale victory in Battle of Akroinon against the Arabs (740), a municipal census records that close to 2 million people live in the Chinese capital area of Chang’an (742), the Chinese Buddhist monk Jian Zhen writes of ships from Borneo, Persia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and others bringing tons of goods to Guangzhou (748).

742-0402 Charlemagne* King of the Franks/ Roman Emperor - Frankish Kingdom (814)

The former Umayyad Caliphate is moved to Baghdad which later develops into a centre of trade and culture, and the Ghana Empire begins in western Africa (750), Arabian armies defeat Chinese Tang dynasty troops in the Battle of Talas, and conquer Central Asia completely (751), the An Shi Rebellion devastates China (755-763), King Offa of Mercia becomes dominant ruler in England (757), Arab and Persian pirates and travelers burn and loot the Chinese city of Guangzhou, while the Tang Dynasty authorities shut the port down for the next five decades (758).

750-0125 Leo IV the Khazar* Byzantine emperor - Constantinople (780/30)

The construction of the famous Indonesian Buddhist structure Borobudur begins, probably as a non-Buddhist shrine (760), Pepin dies, Charles becomes king at Noyan and his brother Carloman becomes king at Soissons (768).

767-0915 Saicho* 最澄  Buddhist monk - Omi, Japan (822/55)

Java launches series of naval raids on ports of Dai Viet, Champa and Cambodia (770s to 780s), Charlemagne invades what is now northwestern Germany, finally crushing their rebellion, incorporating Saxony into the Frankish Empire and the Christian world (between 772 and 804), Kalasan temple in Java is constructed (778).

771- Al-Hakam I* Muslim Umayyad Emir of Córdoba - Emirate of Córdoba, Caliphate of Damascus (882/c. 50)
771- Constantine VI* Byzantine Emperor from 780 to 797 - (before 805)

772- Li Ao* 李翱 philosopher/prose writer of the Tang Dynasty - China (841/c. 69)

773- Emperor Heizei* 平城天皇 the 51st emperor of Japan - Japan (824/c. 50)

777-04 Pepin of Italy* (b Carloman) King of the Lombards (781–810) under the authority of his father Charlemagne - (810/33)

778- Louis the Pious* King of the Franks - Cassinogilum, Spain (840)

The Tang dynasty begins landing regular maritime missions on the coast of East Africa (785), Empress Irene of Athens convenes the Seventh Ecumenical Council, ending the first phase of Byzantine Iconoclasm (787).

781- Harith al-Muhasibi* teacher/founder of the Baghdad School of Islamic philosophy - Basra, The Abbasid Caliphate (857/73)

782- Tachibana no Hayanari* (橘 逸勢 government official/calligrapher - Japan (844/c. 62)

In the year 789, Vikings raid Portland in Dorset, England This is the first of its kind recorded in the British Isles, including Ireland. The attacks increase in intensity over the coming decades.

The first written account of a Viking raid is carried out in northern England (793), Emperor Kanmu moves the capital to Heian-kyō, initiating the Heian period of Japan (794).

791-08 Idris II of Morocco* son of Idris I, the founder of the Idrisid dynasty in Morocco - Volubilis, Morocco (828/c. 37)

In the year 793, Viking raiders attack the Northumbrian coast and sack the monastery of Lindisfarne. Many of the monks are killed or enslaved. It is the first Viking attack on a monastery in the British Isles (Jun 8), Charlemagne, King of the Franks, orders a 3 km long channel dug to improve the transportation of goods between the Rhineland and Bavaria, Emir Hisham I of Córdoba calls for a jihad against the Christian Franks.

In the year 794, Emperor Kanmu moves the capital to Heian-kyō, initiating the Heian period of Japan.

794-xxxx Arnulf of Sens* Frankish nobleman/illegitimate son of Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne - France (841/c.47)

On Christmas Day, Charlemagne is crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor (800)

Updated 8.2.2021

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