The 7th century is the period from 601 to 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era.

Overview

During this century, the Eastern Roman Empire continued suffering setbacks, which increased after the 630s, when the Arab prophet Muhammad militantly established the geographically Islamic state, and set the stage for the rapid expansion of the Arab Empire. Although life in the countryside deteriorated, Constantinople grew to become the largest and wealthiest city in the world.

In the Iberian Peninsula, the seventh century was the Siglo de Concilios, that is, century of councils, referring to the Councils of Toledo.

Events

• Islam begins in Arabia, the Qur'an is documented.
• The Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy emerges at the beginning of this century. ^[1]
• Sutton Hoo ship burial, East Anglia (modern England)
• Xuan Zang (aka Hsuan-Tsang) traveled from China to India, before returning to Chang An in China to translate Buddhist scriptures.
• End of sporadic Buddhist rule in the Sindh.
• Croats and Serbs entered their present territory early in the 7th century AD, settling in six distinct tribal delimitations, whilst Croats set up early states.
• Teotihuacan is sacked and burnt.
• The religion of Shugendo evolves from Buddhism, Taoism, Shinto and other influences in the mountains of Japan.
• The Bulgars arrive in the Balkans; establishment of the powerful Bulgarian Empire.
• Arab traders penetrate the area of Lake Chad.
• Earliest attested English poetry
• 610, Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows East Roman Emperor Phocas and becomes Emperor. His first major act is to change the official language of the East Roman Empire from Latin to Greek (already the language of the vast majority of the population)
• 615, The Sassanid Empire under Chosroes II sacks Jerusalem, taking away the relic of the True cross. ^[2]
• 616, Khosrau II of Persia invades Egypt. ^[3]
• 618, Tang Dynasty of China initiated by Li Yuan.
• 618, The Chenla kingdom completely absorbed Funan.
• Guangzhou, China, becomes a major international seaport, hosting maritime travelers from Egypt, East Africa, Arabia, Persia, India, Sri Lanka, and South East Asia, including Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and Nestorian Christians.
• 622, Year one of the Islamic calendar begins, during which the Hijra occurs — Muhammad and his followers emigrate from Mecca to Medina in September.
• 627, The Roman-Persian Wars end.

• 629, The Byzantine-Arab Wars begin. Much of the Roman Empire is conquered by Muslim Arabs led by Khalid ibn al-Walid.
• 629-630, Emperor Taizong's campaign against Eastern Tujue, Chinese Tang Dynasty forces under commanders Li Jing and Li Shiji destroy the Göktürk Khanate.
• 632, The Muslim conquests begin.
• 636, Around this time the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah resulted in a decisive victory for Muslims in the Islamic conquest of Persia, the Persian Empire is conquered by Muslim Arabs led by Khalid ibn al-Walid.
• 638, Abu-Musa al-Asha'ari started to dig out for new wells. Establishment of Hafar Al-Batin City.
• 642, Library of Alexandria destroyed again
• 651, Emperor Yazdgerd III is murdered in Merv, ending the rule of Sassanid dynasty in Persia (Iran).
• 658, two Chinese monks, Zhi Yu and Zhi You, reconstruct the 3rd century South Pointing Chariot mechanical compass-vehicle for Emperor Tenji of Japan.
• 661, Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib is assassinated. He is succeeded by Hasan ibn Ali as the Shia Imam and Muawiyah I as the Sunni Caliph. This was the foundation of the Umayyad caliphate. ^[4]
• 663, the Tang Dynasty of China and Korean Silla Kingdom gain victory against the Korean Baekje Kingdom and their Yamato Japanese allies in the naval Battle of Baekgang.
• 668, the end of the Goguryeo-Tang Wars, as Goguryeo fell to a joint attack by Tang China and Unified Silla of Korea, the latter of which held the Goguryeo domains.

Significant persons

• Muhammad (570–632), final prophet of Islamic religion
• Abu Bakr, first caliph of Islam
• Umar, second caliph of Islam
• Uthman, third caliph of Islam
• Ali ibn Abi Talib (600–661), cousin of Muhammad, fourth caliph of Islam
• Emperor Taizong of Tang (599–649 AD), China
• Khalid ibn al-Walid (The Sword of Allah) (592–642), Muslim Arab military commander who defeats both the Roman and Persian empires in over eighty battles.
• Asparuh — Khan of the Bulgars and founder of contemporary Bulgaria
• The Unknown Archont led the Serbs to the Balkans from the north
• Antara Ibn Shaddad, Arab poet
• Augustine Eriugena, Irish scientist
• Li Shiji, Chinese general and later prime minister
• Brahmagupta, Indian mathematician
• Cenn Fáelad mac Aillila, Irish scholar, died 679
• Gregory the Great (Pope, 540–604)
• Saint Cuthbert
• Heraclius — Warrior Emperor of Byzantium who won numerous victories against the Sassanids (Persians)
• Li Shiji, Chinese general and later prime minister
• Yeon Gaesomun, Generalissimo of Goguryeo
• Emperor Taizong of Tang China
• Pulakesi II, comes to power
• Isaac of Nineveh (d 700) Nestorian theologian
• Saint Asaph
• Dae Jo Yeong, founder of Balhae, a state in ancient Manchuria

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

• 650, The first Chinese Paper money is issued. ^[5]
• The stirrup introduced to Persia from China, late 7th century
• Earliest known record of the game Chatrang, predecessor to Chess
• After sailing from Ethiopia, Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas brings the first Quran to China, and establishes the first Islamic mosque of China in Guangzhou in the 630s.
• The Xumi Pagoda in Zhengding, China is built in 636 AD.

Decades and Years

References