8th century
The 8th century is the period from 701 - 800 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era.
Overview
During this century the Middle East, the coast of North Africa and much of the Iberian Peninsular comes rapidly under Islamic Arab domination. The westward expansion of the Arab Empire is famously halted at the Battle of Tours. Late in the century the Vikings, seafaring peoples from Scandinavia begin raiding the coasts of Europe and the Mediterranean creating a terrifying legacy. They go on to founder several important kingdoms.
Events
- Most of the Iberian peninsula is conquered by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost eight centuries of Muslim presence there.
- Sometime this century, Beowulf is probably composed.
- The first Serbian state is formed at the beginning of the century.
- The Pictish peoples of Scotland design the first European triangular harp
- Borobodur, the famous Indonesian Buddhist structure, begins construction, probably as a non-Buddhist shrine.
- Buddhist Jataka stories are translated into Syriac and Arabic as Kalilag and Damnag.
- An account of Buddha's life is translated into Greek by Saint John of Damascus, and widely circulated to Christians as the story of Barlaam and Josaphat.
- The Nara period begins in Japan.
- The Moravian principality and the Principality of Nitra arise in central Europe (see Great Moravia)
- Many Volga Bulgarians convert to Islam.
- The very first Viking raid is carried out on the abbey of Lindisfarne in northern England in 793.
- Kanem-Bornu arises north of Lake Chad.
- Height of the Classic period in pre-Columbian Maya civilization history.
- The height of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian, China is extended by 5 stories.
- The reign of China's first and only sole-ruling empress, Wu Zetian, ends in 705 AD.
- 748 - The Chinese Buddhist monk Jian Zhen writes in his Yue Jue Shu of the international sea traffic coming to Guangzhou, ships from Borneo, Persia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and others bringing tons of goods.
- 755-763 - The An Shi Rebellion devastates China during the mid Tang Dynasty.
- 758 - Arab mariners and travelers burn and loot the Chinese city of Guangzhou, while the Tang Dynasty authorities shut the port down for the next five decades.
- 785 - beginning in this year, Tang Dynasty Chinese begin landing regular maritime missions on the coast of East Africa, cutting out middle-men Arab sea merchants.
- 785-805 - writing between these years, the Chinese geographer Jia Dan describes large lighthouse pillars built in the Persian Gulf, which is confirmed a century later by al-Mas'udi and al-Muqaddasi
Significant persons
- Charles Martel, Frankish leader until 741 (Battle of Tours, 732)
- Pippin the Younger, king of the Franks until 768
- Charlemagne, king of the Franks from 771 to 814
- Alcuin, English monk, scholar, and teacher; Charlemagne's advisor in educational affairs
- The Venerable Bede, English scholar
- Harun al-Rashid, fifth Abbasid Caliph
- Li Po, Chinese poet
- Du Fu, Chinese poet
- Han Gan, Chinese painter
Inventions, discoveries, introductions
Decades and years
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