June 10 – Emperor
Tenji introduces a water clock (
clepsydra) called Rokoku. The instrument, which measures time and indicates hours, is placed in the capital of
Ōtsu in
Japan.[7]
King
Cenwalh of Wessex dies after a 31-year reign, in which he has lost much of his territory to
Welsh and
Mercian forces. He is succeeded by his widow
Seaxburh. His sub-kings divide
Wessex amongst themselves (approximate date).
Asia
January 7 – Emperor
Tenji dies after a 10-year reign, in which he has given the
Fujiwara clan its name. Following his death, there ensues a
succession dispute between Tenji's 14 children (many by different mothers). He is succeeded by his favorite son
Kōbun, age 23, who was the first accorded with the title Daijō-daijin.[9]
August 21 – Kōbun is deposed after 8 months, during a brief but violent battle called the
Jinshin War. He is succeeded by his uncle Ōama, who becomes the
40th emperor of
Japan with support from the Fujiwara family. He takes the name
Tenmu, and begins a reign that will continue until
686.
Burgundian
nobles, under the leadership of bishop
Leodegar and
Adalrich, invite
Childeric II to become king in Neustria and Burgundy.[10] He invades Theuderic's kingdom and displaces his brother, becoming sole king of the
Frankish Kingdom.
September 3 – King
Wamba of the
Visigoths puts down the revolt by
Hilderic, governor of
Nîmes and rival for the
throne. He captures the rebel leaders, who are brought to trial and, for their crimes,
scalped and imprisoned for life.
April – A Muslim expeditionary force disembarks on the
Thracian shore (near
Hebdomon), and lays
siege to the massive
Theodosian Walls, on the landward side to the west.
Winter – Arab forces under
Yazid (son of caliph
Muawiyah I) retire to
Cyzicus (
Turkey). For the next 4 years the Arab fleet installs a loose blockade around Constantinople.
Europe
The Muslim-Arabs raid
Crete, killing and
enslaving many soldiers (approximate date).
King
Childeric II is murdered by a band of dissatisfied Neustrians, along with his wife
Bilichild and 5-year-old son Dagobert, while
hunting in the forest of Livry (modern-day
Lognes) near
Chelles.
March 16 – Emperor
Tenmu decrees the end of
serfdom. He also orders an end to granting lands to Princes of the Blood, to Princes and to Ministers and Temples.
May 8 – Tenmu issues a
decree to distribute the
tax-rice for peasants in poverty, as well as a decree regulating fishing and hunting, and ordering a halt to eating the flesh of
cattle,
horses,
dogs,
monkeys and barn-yard
fowl, a prohibition which lasts until
1872.
Some Japanese ministers who oppose Tenmu are banished to an isolated island. A man climbs the hill east of the Palace, curses the emperor and kills himself.
Emperor
Tenmu of
Japan promulgates a
decree about
taxes from fiefs, and the employment of persons for the service from the outer provinces. Men of distinguished ability are allowed to enter the service, even though they are of the common people, regardless of their ranks.
The broad-based peninsular effort under
Silla's leadership, to prevent Chinese domination of
Korea, succeeds in forcing Chinese troops to withdraw into
Manchuria, in northeast
China.
King
Æthelred of Mercia defeats the
Northumbrian forces under King
Ecgfrith, in a battle near the
River Trent. Archbishop
Theodore helps to resolve differences between the two, Æthelred agreeing to pay a
weregild to avoid any resumption of hostilities (approximate date).
Japan
April 27 – Emperor
Tenmu holds
divination for the purpose of proceeding to the Abstinence Palace.
May 3 –
Princess Tōchi suddenly takes ill and dies within the palace. Tenmu, her father, is unable to
sacrifice to the Gods of Heaven and Earth.
May 10 – Tōchi is buried at a place which could be
Akō (
Hyōgo Prefecture). Tenmu is graciously pleased to raise lament for her.
By topic
Religion
Wilfrid, bishop of
York, is at the height of his power and owns vast
estates throughout
Northumbria. After his refusal to agree to a division of his
see, Ecgfrith and Theodore, archbishop of
Canterbury, have him banished from Northumbria.
April 11 –
Pope Donus dies at Rome, after a reign of 1 year and 160 days. He is succeeded by
Agatho I, who becomes the 79th pope. He is the first pope to stop paying
tribute to Emperor
Constantine IV upon election.
In
Japan, the national worshiping to the Gods of Heaven and Earth is planned. Tenmu tries to select his daughter Tōchi as a
Saiō to make her serve the Gods. However, Tōchi suddenly takes ill and dies.
^Wickham, Chris (2005). Framing the Early Middle Ages: Europe and the Mediterranean 400-800. OUP Oxford. p. 96.
^Ponsonby-Fane, Richard (1959). "The Imperial House of Japan", p. 53
^Patrick J. Geary, "Before France & Germany, The Creation & Transformation of the Merovingian World". New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press (1988), pp. 189–90
^Spencer C. Tucker (2010). A Global Chronology of Conflict: "From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East", p. 205.
ISBN978-1-85109-672-5
Mango, Cyril; Scott, Roger (1997). The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor. Byzantine and Near Eastern History, AD 284–813. Oxford University Press.
ISBN0-19-822568-7.
June 10 – Emperor
Tenji introduces a water clock (
clepsydra) called Rokoku. The instrument, which measures time and indicates hours, is placed in the capital of
Ōtsu in
Japan.[7]
King
Cenwalh of Wessex dies after a 31-year reign, in which he has lost much of his territory to
Welsh and
Mercian forces. He is succeeded by his widow
Seaxburh. His sub-kings divide
Wessex amongst themselves (approximate date).
Asia
January 7 – Emperor
Tenji dies after a 10-year reign, in which he has given the
Fujiwara clan its name. Following his death, there ensues a
succession dispute between Tenji's 14 children (many by different mothers). He is succeeded by his favorite son
Kōbun, age 23, who was the first accorded with the title Daijō-daijin.[9]
August 21 – Kōbun is deposed after 8 months, during a brief but violent battle called the
Jinshin War. He is succeeded by his uncle Ōama, who becomes the
40th emperor of
Japan with support from the Fujiwara family. He takes the name
Tenmu, and begins a reign that will continue until
686.
Burgundian
nobles, under the leadership of bishop
Leodegar and
Adalrich, invite
Childeric II to become king in Neustria and Burgundy.[10] He invades Theuderic's kingdom and displaces his brother, becoming sole king of the
Frankish Kingdom.
September 3 – King
Wamba of the
Visigoths puts down the revolt by
Hilderic, governor of
Nîmes and rival for the
throne. He captures the rebel leaders, who are brought to trial and, for their crimes,
scalped and imprisoned for life.
April – A Muslim expeditionary force disembarks on the
Thracian shore (near
Hebdomon), and lays
siege to the massive
Theodosian Walls, on the landward side to the west.
Winter – Arab forces under
Yazid (son of caliph
Muawiyah I) retire to
Cyzicus (
Turkey). For the next 4 years the Arab fleet installs a loose blockade around Constantinople.
Europe
The Muslim-Arabs raid
Crete, killing and
enslaving many soldiers (approximate date).
King
Childeric II is murdered by a band of dissatisfied Neustrians, along with his wife
Bilichild and 5-year-old son Dagobert, while
hunting in the forest of Livry (modern-day
Lognes) near
Chelles.
March 16 – Emperor
Tenmu decrees the end of
serfdom. He also orders an end to granting lands to Princes of the Blood, to Princes and to Ministers and Temples.
May 8 – Tenmu issues a
decree to distribute the
tax-rice for peasants in poverty, as well as a decree regulating fishing and hunting, and ordering a halt to eating the flesh of
cattle,
horses,
dogs,
monkeys and barn-yard
fowl, a prohibition which lasts until
1872.
Some Japanese ministers who oppose Tenmu are banished to an isolated island. A man climbs the hill east of the Palace, curses the emperor and kills himself.
Emperor
Tenmu of
Japan promulgates a
decree about
taxes from fiefs, and the employment of persons for the service from the outer provinces. Men of distinguished ability are allowed to enter the service, even though they are of the common people, regardless of their ranks.
The broad-based peninsular effort under
Silla's leadership, to prevent Chinese domination of
Korea, succeeds in forcing Chinese troops to withdraw into
Manchuria, in northeast
China.
King
Æthelred of Mercia defeats the
Northumbrian forces under King
Ecgfrith, in a battle near the
River Trent. Archbishop
Theodore helps to resolve differences between the two, Æthelred agreeing to pay a
weregild to avoid any resumption of hostilities (approximate date).
Japan
April 27 – Emperor
Tenmu holds
divination for the purpose of proceeding to the Abstinence Palace.
May 3 –
Princess Tōchi suddenly takes ill and dies within the palace. Tenmu, her father, is unable to
sacrifice to the Gods of Heaven and Earth.
May 10 – Tōchi is buried at a place which could be
Akō (
Hyōgo Prefecture). Tenmu is graciously pleased to raise lament for her.
By topic
Religion
Wilfrid, bishop of
York, is at the height of his power and owns vast
estates throughout
Northumbria. After his refusal to agree to a division of his
see, Ecgfrith and Theodore, archbishop of
Canterbury, have him banished from Northumbria.
April 11 –
Pope Donus dies at Rome, after a reign of 1 year and 160 days. He is succeeded by
Agatho I, who becomes the 79th pope. He is the first pope to stop paying
tribute to Emperor
Constantine IV upon election.
In
Japan, the national worshiping to the Gods of Heaven and Earth is planned. Tenmu tries to select his daughter Tōchi as a
Saiō to make her serve the Gods. However, Tōchi suddenly takes ill and dies.
^Wickham, Chris (2005). Framing the Early Middle Ages: Europe and the Mediterranean 400-800. OUP Oxford. p. 96.
^Ponsonby-Fane, Richard (1959). "The Imperial House of Japan", p. 53
^Patrick J. Geary, "Before France & Germany, The Creation & Transformation of the Merovingian World". New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press (1988), pp. 189–90
^Spencer C. Tucker (2010). A Global Chronology of Conflict: "From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East", p. 205.
ISBN978-1-85109-672-5
Mango, Cyril; Scott, Roger (1997). The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor. Byzantine and Near Eastern History, AD 284–813. Oxford University Press.
ISBN0-19-822568-7.