The
Slavs invade the area around
Thessaloniki, which is unsuccessfully
besieged. The city becomes a Byzantine enclave surrounded by Slavic territory. Urban life disappears and many towns in the
Balkan Peninsula become villages.[1]
Emperor
Gaozu delegates control of his military and civil administration in the east to his second son,
Li Shimin. He concentrates on reforming
coinage (→
Kaiyuan Tongbao) and
taxation.
June 4 –
Wang Shichong, self-declared emperor, surrenders to Li Shimin at
Luoyang following Dou Jiande's defeat. Gaozu spares his life, but he is later assassinated.
By topic
Religion
Islamic tradition says
Muhammad visited heaven aboard the winged mount
Buraq, in the Isra wal-Miraj, (the
Night Journey), from
Mecca to
Jerusalem, then to heaven from Jerusalem's
Temple Mount, then back to Mecca.
Technology
The Chinese establish an imperial bureau for the manufacture of
porcelain. Their
technology will advance further under the
Tang dynasty (approximate date).
September 20[5] or
June 28[6] – Muhammad does not enter Yathrib directly, but stops at its outlying environs of Quba. He establishes the
Quba Mosque here, the first mosque of Islam. On July 2 (or September 24) he makes his first visit to Yathrib for Friday prayers.
October 4[5] or
July 13 – After a fourteen days' stay in Quba, Muhammad finally moves from Quba to Yathrib, and is greeted cordially by its people. Here he drafts the
Constitution of Medina, an agreement between the various Muslim, Jewish, Christian and pagan tribal communities in the city, forming the basis of a multi-religious Islamic state, and begins construction of the
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi Mosque. Later during the caliphate of
Umar in 638, the lunar year during which the emigration to Medina occurred (Friday 16 July 622 – 4 July 623) is designated "Year One" of the new
Hijri era (Anno Hegirae – AH).
March 13 –
Battle of Badr:
Muhammad and some 300 of his followers from
Medina surprise a reinforced Meccan
caravan at
Badr (modern-day
Saudi Arabia) returning from
Syria, and defeat about 1,000
Quraysh from
Mecca. After having heard that clan leader
Abu Sufyan is escorting a rich
trade caravan, Muhammad has the wells along its route (southwest of Medina) filled with
sand in order to lure him into battle.
King
Cadfan of
Gwynedd dies and is buried at
Llangadwaladr, where his memorial stone can still be seen. He is succeeded by his son
Cadwallon (approximate date).
Siege of Constantinople: A horde of
Avars, consisting of about 80,000 men (including large contingents of
Slavs,
Bulgars, and other "barbarians"), attack the walls of
Constantinople. A small Persian army arrives on the
Bosphorus, on the
Asiatic side. The
Theodosian Walls are stormed with the most up-to-date
siege equipment, in the form of traction
trebuchets. The Avars also have mobile armoured shelters (medieval 'sows') and
siege towers; the latter are covered in
hides for fire protection.[15] The defense of the capital (12,000 well-trained Byzantine troops) is in the hands of Patriarch
Sergius I and
Bonus (magister militum).
July 31 – The Avars and Persian allies under
Shahrbaraz launch an attack along the entire length of the Theodosian Walls (about 5.7 kilometres); the main effort is concentrated against the central section, particularly the low-lying mesoteichion. After a fierce infantry battle on the walls, the
Byzantine army holds off many assaults on the city. Emperor
Heraclius makes arrangements for a new army under his brother
Theodore to operate against the Persians in western
Anatolia, while he returns to his own army in
Pontus.
Byzantine–Persian War: Heraclius, his army reduced by campaigning to less than 30,000 men, is on the defensive in Pontus. Apparently he leaves a strong Byzantine
garrison in
Trapezus, and withdraws north-eastward along the
Black Sea into
Colchis, where he halts the Persians by aggressive defensive-offensive operations along the
Phasis River. By attracting the Persian army under
Shahin Vahmanzadegan in Anatolia, he provides Theodore with the opportunity to defeat them. By the end of the summer he threatens the communication of the Persians at
Chalcedon (modern
Turkey).
King
Edwin of Northumbria defeats the
West Saxons under
Cynegils, who has tried to thwart the growing strength of Edwin by having him assassinated. Edwin obliges Cynegils to acknowledge
Northumbria's supremacy.
Summer – King
Khosrau II plans an all-out effort against Constantinople. He returns to Anatolia with two armies of unknown size, presumably more than 50,000 men each. One of these (possibly commanded by Khosrau himself) is to contain Heraclius in Pontus; another under Shahin Vahmanzadegan is defeated by Theodore.
Asia
July 2 –
Li Shimin travels to the
Tang capital
Chang'an to bid farewell to his younger brother
Li Yuanji, who has been given command of a Chinese expedition against the
Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Hearing of a plot to murder him, he and a few supporters seize the northern entrance to the emperor's palace. Li Shimin ambushes and eliminates his rival brothers Li Yuanji and
Li Jiancheng, in the
Xuanwu Gate Incident.
September 4 – Emperor
Gao Zu abdicates in favor of his son Li Shimin after an 8-year reign. He passes the throne to him (as
Emperor Tai Zong).
Spring –
Byzantine–Sasanian War: Emperor
Heraclius sweeps through southern
Armenia with a 50,000-man expeditionary force, recapturing most of the
Byzantine fortresses lost to the
Persians ten and fifteen years earlier. The army of
Shahrbaraz, still in
Anatolia, is now cut off completely. Hearing from Byzantine
agents (showing him letters) that King
Khosrau II, dissatisfied with his failure to capture
Constantinople, is planning to have him executed, he surrenders to Heraclius, refusing to join the
Byzantine army against his ungrateful sovereign.
December 12 –
Battle of Nineveh: Heraclius crosses the
Great Zab river and, in a feigned retreat, defeats the Persian army (12,000 men) under
Rhahzadh, near the ruins of
Nineveh (
Iraq). Although wounded, Heraclius refuses to leave the battlefield, and in a final cavalry charge personally kills the Persian general.[19]
Winter – Heraclius plunders the city palace of
Dastgerd (
Iran) and gains tremendous riches (also recovering 300 captured
Byzantine flags).[20] He turns northeastward to
Caucasian Albania to rest his army. Khosrau II flees to the mountains of
Susiana, to rally support for the defense of the Persian capital
Ctesiphon.[21][22]
Spring –
Byzantine–Sassanid War: Emperor
Heraclius issues an ultimatum for peace to King
Khosrow II, but he refuses his generous terms. The war-weary Persians revolt against Khosrow's regime at
Ctesiphon, and install his son
Kavadh II on the throne on February 25. He puts his father to death and begins negotiations with Heraclius. Kavadh is forced to return all the territories conquered during the war. The Persians must give up all of the trophies they have captured, including the relic of the
True Cross. Evidently there is also a large financial
indemnity. Having accepted a peace agreement on his own terms, Heraclius returns in triumph to
Constantinople.[26]
September 6 –
Ardashir III, age 7, succeeds his father Kavad II as the twenty-fourth shah of the
Sasanian Empire on the latter's death from the plague that is devastating western Persia.
Indian astronomer
Brahmagupta writes the Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta, an early, yet very advanced, mathematics book, including rules for computing with
zero.
Education
The Sharia enjoins women as well as men to obtain secular and religious educations. It forbids eating
pork, domesticated
donkey, and other flesh denied to Jews by
Mosaic law (approximate date).
The
Slavs invade the area around
Thessaloniki, which is unsuccessfully
besieged. The city becomes a Byzantine enclave surrounded by Slavic territory. Urban life disappears and many towns in the
Balkan Peninsula become villages.[1]
Emperor
Gaozu delegates control of his military and civil administration in the east to his second son,
Li Shimin. He concentrates on reforming
coinage (→
Kaiyuan Tongbao) and
taxation.
June 4 –
Wang Shichong, self-declared emperor, surrenders to Li Shimin at
Luoyang following Dou Jiande's defeat. Gaozu spares his life, but he is later assassinated.
By topic
Religion
Islamic tradition says
Muhammad visited heaven aboard the winged mount
Buraq, in the Isra wal-Miraj, (the
Night Journey), from
Mecca to
Jerusalem, then to heaven from Jerusalem's
Temple Mount, then back to Mecca.
Technology
The Chinese establish an imperial bureau for the manufacture of
porcelain. Their
technology will advance further under the
Tang dynasty (approximate date).
September 20[5] or
June 28[6] – Muhammad does not enter Yathrib directly, but stops at its outlying environs of Quba. He establishes the
Quba Mosque here, the first mosque of Islam. On July 2 (or September 24) he makes his first visit to Yathrib for Friday prayers.
October 4[5] or
July 13 – After a fourteen days' stay in Quba, Muhammad finally moves from Quba to Yathrib, and is greeted cordially by its people. Here he drafts the
Constitution of Medina, an agreement between the various Muslim, Jewish, Christian and pagan tribal communities in the city, forming the basis of a multi-religious Islamic state, and begins construction of the
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi Mosque. Later during the caliphate of
Umar in 638, the lunar year during which the emigration to Medina occurred (Friday 16 July 622 – 4 July 623) is designated "Year One" of the new
Hijri era (Anno Hegirae – AH).
March 13 –
Battle of Badr:
Muhammad and some 300 of his followers from
Medina surprise a reinforced Meccan
caravan at
Badr (modern-day
Saudi Arabia) returning from
Syria, and defeat about 1,000
Quraysh from
Mecca. After having heard that clan leader
Abu Sufyan is escorting a rich
trade caravan, Muhammad has the wells along its route (southwest of Medina) filled with
sand in order to lure him into battle.
King
Cadfan of
Gwynedd dies and is buried at
Llangadwaladr, where his memorial stone can still be seen. He is succeeded by his son
Cadwallon (approximate date).
Siege of Constantinople: A horde of
Avars, consisting of about 80,000 men (including large contingents of
Slavs,
Bulgars, and other "barbarians"), attack the walls of
Constantinople. A small Persian army arrives on the
Bosphorus, on the
Asiatic side. The
Theodosian Walls are stormed with the most up-to-date
siege equipment, in the form of traction
trebuchets. The Avars also have mobile armoured shelters (medieval 'sows') and
siege towers; the latter are covered in
hides for fire protection.[15] The defense of the capital (12,000 well-trained Byzantine troops) is in the hands of Patriarch
Sergius I and
Bonus (magister militum).
July 31 – The Avars and Persian allies under
Shahrbaraz launch an attack along the entire length of the Theodosian Walls (about 5.7 kilometres); the main effort is concentrated against the central section, particularly the low-lying mesoteichion. After a fierce infantry battle on the walls, the
Byzantine army holds off many assaults on the city. Emperor
Heraclius makes arrangements for a new army under his brother
Theodore to operate against the Persians in western
Anatolia, while he returns to his own army in
Pontus.
Byzantine–Persian War: Heraclius, his army reduced by campaigning to less than 30,000 men, is on the defensive in Pontus. Apparently he leaves a strong Byzantine
garrison in
Trapezus, and withdraws north-eastward along the
Black Sea into
Colchis, where he halts the Persians by aggressive defensive-offensive operations along the
Phasis River. By attracting the Persian army under
Shahin Vahmanzadegan in Anatolia, he provides Theodore with the opportunity to defeat them. By the end of the summer he threatens the communication of the Persians at
Chalcedon (modern
Turkey).
King
Edwin of Northumbria defeats the
West Saxons under
Cynegils, who has tried to thwart the growing strength of Edwin by having him assassinated. Edwin obliges Cynegils to acknowledge
Northumbria's supremacy.
Summer – King
Khosrau II plans an all-out effort against Constantinople. He returns to Anatolia with two armies of unknown size, presumably more than 50,000 men each. One of these (possibly commanded by Khosrau himself) is to contain Heraclius in Pontus; another under Shahin Vahmanzadegan is defeated by Theodore.
Asia
July 2 –
Li Shimin travels to the
Tang capital
Chang'an to bid farewell to his younger brother
Li Yuanji, who has been given command of a Chinese expedition against the
Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Hearing of a plot to murder him, he and a few supporters seize the northern entrance to the emperor's palace. Li Shimin ambushes and eliminates his rival brothers Li Yuanji and
Li Jiancheng, in the
Xuanwu Gate Incident.
September 4 – Emperor
Gao Zu abdicates in favor of his son Li Shimin after an 8-year reign. He passes the throne to him (as
Emperor Tai Zong).
Spring –
Byzantine–Sasanian War: Emperor
Heraclius sweeps through southern
Armenia with a 50,000-man expeditionary force, recapturing most of the
Byzantine fortresses lost to the
Persians ten and fifteen years earlier. The army of
Shahrbaraz, still in
Anatolia, is now cut off completely. Hearing from Byzantine
agents (showing him letters) that King
Khosrau II, dissatisfied with his failure to capture
Constantinople, is planning to have him executed, he surrenders to Heraclius, refusing to join the
Byzantine army against his ungrateful sovereign.
December 12 –
Battle of Nineveh: Heraclius crosses the
Great Zab river and, in a feigned retreat, defeats the Persian army (12,000 men) under
Rhahzadh, near the ruins of
Nineveh (
Iraq). Although wounded, Heraclius refuses to leave the battlefield, and in a final cavalry charge personally kills the Persian general.[19]
Winter – Heraclius plunders the city palace of
Dastgerd (
Iran) and gains tremendous riches (also recovering 300 captured
Byzantine flags).[20] He turns northeastward to
Caucasian Albania to rest his army. Khosrau II flees to the mountains of
Susiana, to rally support for the defense of the Persian capital
Ctesiphon.[21][22]
Spring –
Byzantine–Sassanid War: Emperor
Heraclius issues an ultimatum for peace to King
Khosrow II, but he refuses his generous terms. The war-weary Persians revolt against Khosrow's regime at
Ctesiphon, and install his son
Kavadh II on the throne on February 25. He puts his father to death and begins negotiations with Heraclius. Kavadh is forced to return all the territories conquered during the war. The Persians must give up all of the trophies they have captured, including the relic of the
True Cross. Evidently there is also a large financial
indemnity. Having accepted a peace agreement on his own terms, Heraclius returns in triumph to
Constantinople.[26]
September 6 –
Ardashir III, age 7, succeeds his father Kavad II as the twenty-fourth shah of the
Sasanian Empire on the latter's death from the plague that is devastating western Persia.
Indian astronomer
Brahmagupta writes the Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta, an early, yet very advanced, mathematics book, including rules for computing with
zero.
Education
The Sharia enjoins women as well as men to obtain secular and religious educations. It forbids eating
pork, domesticated
donkey, and other flesh denied to Jews by
Mosaic law (approximate date).