620s

The 620s decade ran from January 1, 620, to December 31, 629.

Events

620

• Darius I
  .
• 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]

Britain

• The Angles under King Edwin of Northumbria invade Rheged ("Old North") in Northern England, and expel King Llywarch Hen. He flees to Powys, and becomes a famous bard. Edwin's armies fight against Gododdin and Strathclyde.

Asia

• King Pulakeshin II defeats the Harsha army on the banks of the Narmada River. Harsha loses a major part of his elephant force and retreats. A truce establishes Narmada as the northern boundary of the Chalukya Kingdom (India).

America

• The town of Cholula is founded in central Mexico (later said to be the oldest continuously occupied town in all of North America).

By topic

Religion

• Benedictine
  monks.
• Isra and Mi'raj (Muhammad's ascension to heaven to meet God
  ).

• Emperor
  Persian Empire.^[2]
• The city of Málaga, in southern Spain in the province of Spania, is conquered by the Visigoths.^{[citation needed]}

Europe

• King
  regent, becomes king of the Visigothic Kingdom
  .

• 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.
• May 28 – Battle of Hulao: Li Shimin defeats the numerically superior army of Dou Jiande near the Hulao Pass.
• 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
  Night Journey), from Mecca to Jerusalem, then to heaven from Jerusalem's Temple Mount
  , then back to Mecca.

• The Chinese establish an imperial bureau for the manufacture of porcelain. Their technology will advance further under the Tang dynasty (approximate date).

622

• Issus
  .
• Avars, and puts the Byzantine army into winter quarters in Pontus.^[4]

• The Western Turks conquer the Oxus valley and cooperate with Heraclius against Persia, taking Khorasan (modern Afghanistan).

Central America

• ruler of the Mayan city state of Calakmul in southern Mexico and reigns until 630
  .

• Cave of Thawr
  south of Mecca for three days, departing on September 13 or June 21.
• 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.
• 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).
• Xuanzang is fully ordained as a Buddhist monk at the age of 20.^[7]

623

• Persians still at Chalcedon (modern Turkey). He sails with 5,000 reinforcements to join the Byzantine army at Trapezus. Raising additional forces in Pontus, Heraclius strikes through the mountains of Armenia and the northern sub-Caucasian principalities. He plunders Media (Azerbaijan), and avoids the Persian armies who attempt to trap him.^[8]

• King
  Mayor of the Palace), and in recognition of calls from the Austrasians for a king of their own. Arnulf, bishop of Metz
  , becomes advisor to Dagobert.
• Avars proves his utilitas (usefulness) to his subjects, and he secures the throne to establish his own kingdom, which stretches from the upper Elbe to the Danube.^[9]

• Tuyuhun invasion of Gansu: Tang forces under Chai Shao defeat the Tuyuhun, and prevent further incursions into Gansu (China).

By topic

Art

• Tori Busshi makes "Shaka Triad", in the kon-dō of Hōryū-ji, during the Asuka period (approximate date).

Religion

• The
  Ka'ba
  .

624

• Araxes River, destroying the fortress city of Dvin, capital of Armenia, and Nakhchivan (modern Azerbaijan). At Ganzak, Heraclius defeats the Persian army and destroys the famous fire temple at Takht-e Soleymān, an important Zoroastrian shrine.^[10] He winters his army in Caucasian Albania to gather forces for the next year.^[11]
• Winter – King
  Tigranakert (Western Armenia), routing the forces of the generals Shahin Vahmanzadegan and Shahraplakan. The Byzantines destroy their baggage train
  .

• The Visigoths under King Suintila recapture the Byzantine territories of Spania (Andalusia), after 70 years of occupation. Only the Balearic Islands stay a part of the Byzantine Empire.

Britain

• Eorpwald succeeds his father Rædwald, as king (bretwalda) of the independent Kingdom of East Anglia (approximate date).

Arabia

• 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.

Asia

• The Yiwen Leiju encyclopedia is completed during the Tang dynasty, by the Chinese calligrapher Ouyang Xun.

By topic

Religion

• Justus becomes Archbishop of Canterbury,^[13] receiving his pallium — symbol of the jurisdiction entrusted to archbishops. He oversees the dispatch of missionaries to Northumbria (northern England).

625

• Persian army in northern Mesopotamia withdraws westward across the Euphrates. Heraclius pursues into Cilicia, accompanied by a great train of booty
  .
• Asia Minor towards Constantinople
  .

• King Edwin of Northumbria marries Æthelburga of Kent. As a Christian, she brings her personal chaplain, Paulinus, and encourages her husband to convert to Christianity.
• 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).
• Judicaël becomes high king of Domnonée (northern Brittany
  ).

• King
  Khosrau II at Badami (southern India
  ).

• March 19 – Battle of Uhud: Muhammad retreats against the inhabitants of Mecca (Saudi Arabia), which they consider a victory.
• October 25 – Pope Boniface V dies at Rome after a 6-year reign. He is succeeded by Honorius I as the 70th pope.

626

• 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.
• Church of the Virgin Mary
  .
• 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
  ).
• Heraclius invites the Croats, a Slavic tribe living in Galicia, Silesia, and Bohemia, to settle in Illyricum. They are given the land between the Drava River and the Adriatic Sea for ridding of Avars. The Serbs are allowed to move from their homeland north of the Carpathians to a territory east of the Croats. Heraclius asks Pope Honorius I to send missionaries to both groups.
• Winter – Heraclius makes an alliance with Tong Yabghu Qaghan, ruler (khagan) of the Western Turkic Khaganate, for a joint invasion of the Persian Empire the following spring. He promises his daughter Eudoxia Epiphania, age 15, in marriage to Tong Yabghu and sends her under escort with wondrous gifts.

Europe

• Arioald succeeds his brother-in-law Adaloald as king of the Lombards, and afterwards goes insane. Arioald has his wife locked up in a monastery, accusing her of plotting against him with Grasulf II, duke of Friuli (northern Italy).

Britain

• King
  Cynegils, who has tried to thwart the growing strength of Edwin by having him assassinated. Edwin obliges Cynegils to acknowledge Northumbria
  's supremacy.
• April 19 – Eanflæd, daughter of Edwin of Northumbria, is born at a royal residence by the River Derwent. She is baptised by Paulinus, bishop of York.
• Edwin of Northumbria invades the Isle of Man and then Anglesey. King Cadwallon is defeated in battle, and is besieged on Puffin Island.^[16]
• Edinburgh (Scotland) is founded by Edwin of Northumbria (approximate date).
• Penda becomes king of Mercia (approximate date).^[17]

• 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).

627

• Spring –
  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.
• siege of Tblilisi.^[18]
• 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]

Britain

• King Eorpwald of East Anglia is murdered, and succeeded by Ricberht. He is a member of the East Anglian elite; during his rule paganism is re-established.
• April 12 – King Edwin of Northumbria is converted to Christianity by Bishop Paulinus of York, who previously saved his life.

Arabia

• March 31 – Battle of the Trench: Muhammad successfully withstands a siege for 27 days at Medina, by Meccan forces (10,000 men) under Abu Sufyan, whose allies, the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza, ultimately surrender to Muhammad.^[23]

By topic

Religion

• April 12 – Paulinus, last of the missionaries sent by Pope Gregory I, builds a wooden church in the old Roman legionary headquarters in York, and baptises Edwin of Northumbria as the first Christian king in northern England.^[24]
• Fourth Council of Mâcon: A council of Christian bishops approves the Monastic Rule of Saint Columbanus in the city of Mâcon (Burgundy).^[25]
• bishop of Cologne. Throughout his episcopacy, monasticism flourishes in Austrasia
  (approximate date).

• St Peter's School, York, is founded by Paulinus.

628

• Spring –
  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]
• Third Perso-Turkic War: The Western Göktürks, under their leader Tong Yabghu Qaghan, plunder Tbilisi (modern Georgia). The Persian defenders are executed or mutilated; Tong Yabghu appoints governors (tuduns) to manage various tribes under his overlordship.^[27]

• Battle of Cirencester: King Penda of Mercia defeats the West Saxons at Cirencester (southwest England), in what later will be Gloucestershire. After reaching an agreement, he takes control of the Severn Valley and the minor kingdom of the Hwicce.^[28][29]

Central America

• ruler of the Mayan city state of Copán in Honduras, dies after a 49 year reign that began in 578
  .

• ruler of the Mayan city state of Copán in Honduras, and rules until his death 67 years later in 695
  .

• February 25 – Khosrow II, the last great shah of the Sasanian Empire, is overthrown by his son Kavad II.
• 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.

Arabia

• a 10-year truce
  .

By topic

Arts and sciences

• Indian astronomer
  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).

Religion

• Muhammad's letters to world leaders explain the principles of the new monotheistic Muslim faith, as they will be contained in the Quran
  .
• Marutha of Tikrit is consecrated Maphrian of the East in the Syriac Orthodox Church.

629

• Persian Empire.^[30]
• Heraclius Constantine
  .
• Heraclius styles himself as Basileus, Greek word for "sovereign", and takes the ancient title of "King of Kings", after his victory over Persia.

Europe

• King
  Mayor of the Palace), he moves the capital to Paris
  .
• Aquitaine (Southern France), and establishes his capital at Toulouse. Charibert's realm also includes Agen, Cahors, and Périgueux
  .

• Battle of Fid Eoin: King Connad Cerr of Dál Riata is killed by the Dál nAraidi of the over-kingdom of Ulaid in north-eastern Ireland (approximate date).

Arabia

• Summer – Muhammad, Islamic unifies all nomadic tribes of the Arabian Peninsula, converts them to Islam and prepares an expedition against the Jews.
• May - June – Battle of Khaybar: Muhammad and his followers defeat the Jews living in the fortified oasis at Khaybar, located 150 kilometers from Medina.
• September – Battle of Mu'tah: The Muslims fail to take the lands east of the Jordan River, and are pushed back near Mu'tah by the Ghassanids.

Asia

• Khorasan
  in the confusion, until he is assassinated by the governor of the province.
• Winter – Emperor
  campaign against the Eastern Turkic Khaganate (Central Asia
  ).
• Emperor Jomei succeeds his great aunt, empress Suiko, and ascends to the throne of Japan.

Americas

• The
  the ruler of Tikal
  .

• Xuanzang, Chinese Buddhist monk, sets out for India from the Tang dynasty capital Chang'an on a pilgrimage.
• Muhammad meets
  Al-Khansa, Arabic poet
  , and converts her to Islam.

Significant people

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (March 2016)

Births

620

• Cedd, bishop of London (approximate date)

621

• Persian Empire (d. 629
  )
• Gertrude of Nivelles, Frankish abbess (d. 659)
• Suraqah al-Bariqi, Arab poet (d. 698)

622

• Al-Mukhtar, Islamic revolutionary (d. 687)^[31]
• Bavo, Frankish nobleman and saint (d. 659
  )
• Mezezius, Byzantine usurper (d. 669
  )
• Uqba ibn Nafi, Arab general (d. 683)
• Xue Yuanchao, official of the Tang dynasty (d. 683)^[32]

623

• Caliph (d. 685
  )

• Zhou dynasty (d. 705
  )
• sahabi (d. 692
  )
• Shia Imam and grandson of Muhammad (d. 670
  )
• Yazdegerd III, king of the Persian Empire (d. 651)
• Approximate date – Adomnán, Irish abbot and hagiographer (d. 704)^[33]

625

• Hasan ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad (d. 670)
• Œthelwald, king of Deira (approximate date)
• Theodo II, duke of Bavaria (approximate date)
• Zhang Jianzhi, official of the Tang dynasty (d. 706)

626

• April 19 – Eanflæd, queen of Northumbria
• Balthild, queen of the Franks
  (approximate date)
• Heraklonas, Byzantine emperor (d. 641
  )
• Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad and the third Shi'a Imam (d. 680)
• Munmu, king of Silla (d. 681)
• Tenji, emperor of Japan (d. 672)
• Zaynab bint Ali, granddaughter of Muhammad and member of Ahl al-Bayt
• Abdallah ibn Amir

627

• Cui Zhiwen, Tang dynasty official (d. 683)

628

• July 21 – Gao Zong, emperor of the Tang dynasty (d. 683)
• patriarch (d. 707
  )
• Approximate date
  • Benedict Biscop, Anglo-Saxon abbot (d. 690)
  • Gertrude of Nivelles, Austrasian abbess (d. 659)

629

• Dōshō, Japanese Buddhist monk (d. 700)

Deaths

620

• Basolus, Frankish missionary (approximate date)
• Chuluo Khan, ruler of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate
• Dorotheus of Gaza, monk and abbot (approximate date)
• Eleutherius, Byzantine exarch of Ravenna
• Imerius of Immertal, Swiss monk (approximate date)
• Khadija bint Khuwaylid, first wife of Muhammad
• Mirin, Irish monk and missionary (approximate date)
• Seanach Garbh, Irish abbot (approximate date)
• Shen Faxing, official of the Sui dynasty
• Sisebut, king of the Visigoths (or 621)

621

• November 15 – Malo, Welsh bishop
• Dou Jiande, general of the Sui dynasty (b. 573)
• Dou Kang, general of the Sui dynasty
• Reccared II, king of the Visigoths
• Sisebut, king of the Visigoths
• Wang Shichong, general of the Sui dynasty
• Xiao Xian, prince of the Liang dynasty (b. 583)
• Zhu Can, rebel leader during the Sui dynasty

622

• regent of Japan (b. 574)^[34]
• Coptic Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria^[35]
• Colmán mac Cobthaig, king of Connacht (Ireland)
• John of Biclaro, Visigoth chronicler (approximate date)
• Li Zitong, rebel leader during the Sui dynasty
• Lin Shihong, rebel leader during the Sui dynasty
• Liu Wuzhou, rebel leader during the Sui dynasty^[36]
• Quraysh tribe
  .

623

• Jizang, Chinese Buddhist monk (b. 549)
• Liu Heita, rebel leader during the Tang dynasty
• Lupus of Sens, French bishop (approximate date)
• Pingyang, princess of the Tang dynasty (b. 598)
• Su Wei, high official of the Sui dynasty (b. 542)
• Xu Yuanlang, rebel leader during the Sui dynasty

624

• Amr ibn Hishām, Arab polytheist
• April 24 – Mellitus, Archbishop of Canterbury^[37]
• Abū Lahab, uncle of Muhammad
  (approximate date)
• Du Fuwei, rebel leader during the Sui dynasty (b. 598)
• Fu Gongshi, rebel leader during the Sui dynasty
• Gao Kaidao, rebel leader during the Sui dynasty
• Rædwald, king of East Anglia (approximate date)
• Ruqayyah
  , daughter of Muhammad (approximate date)
• Umayyah ibn Khalaf, clan leader of the Quraysh
• Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, clan leader of the Quraysh

625

• October 25 – Pope Boniface V^[38]
• sahabah
• sahabah
• Cadfan ap Iago, king of Gwynedd

626

• June 19 – Soga no Umako, leader of the Soga clan
• July 2 – Li Jiancheng, prince of the Tang dynasty (b. 589)
• July 2 – Li Yuanji, prince of the Tang dynasty (b. 603)
• Adaloald, king of the Lombards (approximate date)
• Cearl, king of Mercia (approximate date)
• Ali ibn Abi Talib (b. 555
  )
• Fiachnae mac Báetáin, king of Dál nAraidi
  (Ireland)
• Gaugericus, bishop of Cambrai (approximate date)
• Sexred, king of Essex
  (approximate date)
• Shahin Vahmanzadegan, Persian general (approximate date)
• Mayor of the Palace
  (approximate date)

627

• Benedictine abbot and hermit
• Bonus, Byzantine general and regent
• Cathal mac Áedo, king of Cashel (Ireland)
• King Eorpwald of East Anglia (approximate date)
• Feng Deyi, chancellor of the Tang dynasty (b. 568)
• Luo Yi, official of the Sui dynasty
• Pei Ju, official of the Tang dynasty
• Rhahzadh, Persian general
• Sichilde, Frankish queen
• King Stephen I of Iberia (Georgia)
• Zaynab bint Khuzayma, wife of Muhammad (b. 595)

628

• January 22 – Anastasius of Persia, monk
• February 28 – Khosrow II, king of the Persian Empire
• April 15 – Empress Suiko of Japan
• June 3 – Liang Shidu, rebel leader
• Babai the Great, church father and theologian
• Du Yan, chancellor of the Tang dynasty
• Kavadh II, king of the Sasanian Empire
• Li Dashi, Chinese official and historian (b. 570)
• Shirin, wife of Khosrow II (approximate date)
• Suibne Menn, High King of Ireland
• Theodelinda, queen of the Lombards
• Tong Yabghu Qaghan, ruler of the Göktürks

629

• Chlothar II, king of the Franks
• Uí Maine (Ireland
  )
• Connad Cerr, king of Dál Riata (Scotland)
• Eochaid Buide, king of Dál Riata^[39]
• Eustace of Luxeuil, Frankish abbot
• Ali ibn Abi Talib
• Pei Ji, chancellor of the Tang dynasty (b. 570)
• Kinana ibn al-Rabi
  , Jewish leader

References