1000 A.D.
The 10th century was the period from 901 to 1000 in accordance with the Julian calendar, and the last century of the 1st millennium.
In China the Song dynasty was established. The Muslim World experienced a cultural zenith, especially in al-Andalus under the Caliphate of Córdoba and in Samanid Empire under Ismail Samani. Additionally, there was cultural flourishing for the Byzantine Empire and the First Bulgarian Empire.
Medievalist and historian of technology Lynn White said that "to the modern eye, it is very nearly the darkest of the Dark Ages", but concluded that ". . . if it was dark, it was the darkness of the womb."[1] Similarly, Helen Waddell wrote that the 10th century was that which "in the textbooks disputes with the seventh the bad eminence, the nadir of the human intellect."[2] In the 15th century, Lorenzo Valla described it as the Century of Lead and Iron and later Cardinal Baronius as the Leaden Century or Iron Century.
Contents
Events[edit]
This statue of a yogini goddess was created in Kaveripakkam in Tamil Nadu, India, during the 10th century.
The beginning of the Medieval Warm Period
The Byzantine empire reaches the height of its military and economic strength
Africa[edit]
c. 909: The Fatimid Caliphate arises in Kabylie, Kutama Tribe
c. 948: The Nri Kingdom in what is now Southeastern Nigeria starts.
c. 980: Al-Azhar University is established in Cairo by the Fatimid dynasty.
The Christian Nubian kingdom reaches its peak of prosperity and military power (Early history of Sudan)
Americas[edit]
Collapse of the central lowland Maya civilization. Post-Classic Maya period begins. Chichen Itza becomes a regional capital on the Yucatán Peninsula
Golden age of the Ancestral Puebloans (Pueblo II Era)
The Mississippian culture begins in present-day Southern United States
In 987 Ah Mekat Tutul Xiu unified Uxmal, Mayapan, and Chichen Itza founding The League of Mayapan.
Eurasia[edit]
Khazar kingdom is attacked and defeated by Kievan Rus (965)
Asia[edit]
Divided China, 923
In 907, Zhu Quanzhong deposes Emperor Ai of Tang and establishes a new Later Liang dynasty.
In 907, Sumbing volcano erupts, according to Rukam inscription.
In 907, King Balitung creates the Mantyasih inscription containing the list of Medang kings, moves the capital from Mamrati to Poh Pitu, and expands Prambanan temple.
In 910, Parantaka I of the Chola Dynasty drives out the Pandyan from southern India into Lanka (now Sri Lanka), which he also eventually conquers.
In 914, The Warmadewa dynasty rules Bali.[3] (to 1080)
In 919, the first use of gunpowder in battle occurs with the Chinese Battle of Langshan Jiang (Wolf Mountain River), where the Wuyue naval fleet under Qian Yuanguan defeats the Wu fleet. Qian had used flamethrowers ignited by gunpowder fuses to burn the Wu fleet.
In 928, Ziyarid dynasty is established in northern Iran.
In 928, During the reign of King Wawa, the capital of Medang Kingdom in Mataram is devastated, probably by the massive eruption of Mount Merapi.
In 929, Mpu Sindok moves the seat of power of the Medang Kingdom from Mataram in Central Java to Tamwlang in East Java and establishes Isyana Dynasty. The shift is probably as a result of the eruption of Mount Merapi and/or invasion from Srivijaya.[4]
In 930s, Persian Shia Buyid dynasty establishes and controls central and western part of Iran as well as most of Iraq.
In 936, Goryeo Dynasty unifies Later Three Kingdoms of Korea.
In 937, Mpu Sindok moves the capital again from Tamwlang to Watugaluh, both near bank of Brantas River in modern Jombang in East Java.
In 960, Zhao Kuangyin establishes Song dynasty.
In 975, Ghaznavids dynasty, as the first Turk Sultanate, was established in Central Asia.
In 980's, Dynastic marriage between princess Mahendradatta of Javanese Isyanas and king Udayana of Balinese Warmadewas.
Coastal cities on the Malay Peninsula are the seed for the first recorded Malay kingdoms
In 990, King Dharmawangsa of Medang kingdom launches a naval invasion on Palembang in an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Srivijaya. (to 1006)
In 990, Airlangga, son of King Udayana and Queen Mahendradatta was born in Bali.
In 996, Dharmawangsa commissioned the translation of the Mahabharata into Old Javanese.[5]
In 999, Samanid dynasty was defeated and conquered by Ghaznavids.
Europe[edit]
The Bulgarian victory at Anchialos.
907: Loire Vikings overrun Brittany; Breton court flees to the England of Edward the Elder.
The Norse become Normans
The Hungarian army destroys the Bavarian forces under duke Liutpold and king Louis the Child in the Battle of Pressburg. All the German force is annihilated.
911: Rollo granted County of Rouen by France: official foundation of Normandy.
Emperor Simeon the Great solidifies the First Bulgarian Empire as one of the most powerful states in Europe
In 917 (20 August 917) the Bulgarians destroyed the Byzantine army in the Battle of Anchialus, one of the bloodiest battles in the Middle Ages
927: official recognition of the first independent national Church in Europe, the Bulgarian Patriarchate
927: Kingdom of England becomes a unified state.
c. 936: Gorm the Old becomes the first recognized king of Denmark, and thus the Danish Monarchy is founded.
936: Alan II, with support from Æthelstan, commences the reconquest of Brittany.
955: The Battle of Lechfeld (10 August 955) sees a decisive victory for Otto I the Great, King of the Germans, over the Hungarian harka Bulcsú and the chieftains Lél (Lehel) and Súr.
968: Battle of Silistra between Russians and Bulgars
Incursions of Magyar (Hungarian) cavalry throughout Western Europe (47 expeditions in Germany, Italy and France, 899–970)
Mieszko I, first duke of Poland, baptised a Christian in 966
Collapse of Great Moravia
The medieval Croatian state becomes a unified kingdom under King Tomislav
Volodymyr I, Prince of Kievan Rus', baptised a Christian in 988
Lions become extinct in Europe by this date, with the last dying in Caucasus.
Second half of the 10th century – Page with David the Psalmist, from the Paris Psalter, is made. It is now kept at Bibliothéque Nationale, Paris.
Late 10th or early 11th century – Archangel Michail, icon, is made. It is now kept at Treasury of the Cathedral of Saint Mark, Venice
Oceania[edit]
Formation of the Tu'i Tonga Empire and of the Tuʻi Tonga dynasty in Tonga
Significant people[edit]
Half-section of the Night Revels of Han Xizai, by Chinese artist Gu Hongzhong, 10th century. A woman is seen entertaining guests with a pipa on the right-hand side.
Africa[edit]
Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah, founder of the Fatimid dynasty of Egypt in 909
Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, pivotal Fatimid caliph who promoted science and learning, yet discriminated against non-muslims in his empire. Was known as the “mad caliph” in the west.
Americas[edit]
Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl, semi-legendaric Toltec ruler, (exact years of his life are unknown)
Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl, known as Kukulkan in Yucatán.
Ah Mekat Tutul Xiu founded The League of Mayapan in 987.
Eurasia and Eastern Roman Empire[edit]
Nicephorus II, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (lived 912–969, reigned 963–969)
John I Tzimisces, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (lived 925–976, reigned 969–976)
Basil II, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, (lived 958–1025, reigned 976–1025)
Asia[edit]
The Hindu god Ganesha, made of sandstone, and discovered in Cambodia, exhibited Birmingham Museum of Art (Alabama, USA)
Adikavi Pampa an early Kannada language poet (born in 902)
Ranna, an early Kannada language poet from India, (born in 949)
Li Cheng, Chinese landscape painter
Tailapa II, re-established the Western Chalukya Empire of India (reigned 973–997)
Zhang Sixun, Chinese astronomer and mechanical engineer
Ferdowsi, Persian poet
Emperor Taizu of Song, founder of the Chinese Song dynasty (lived March 21, 927–November 14, 976, reigned 960–976)
Parantaka I, ruler of the Chola Dynasty of India – Tamil King (reigned 907–950)
Raja Raja Chola I, ruler of the Chola Dynasty of India – Tamil King
Avicenna, one of the foremost physician and philosopher of Medieval Era(c. 980 - 1037).[6]
Al-Farabi, a Muslim polymath and one of the greatest scientists and philosophers (c. 872 – between 14 December, 950 and 12 January, 951).[7]
Alhazen, a Muslim scientist and mathematician, (965 in Basra - c. 1039 in Cairo)
Abu Rayhan Biruni, a Muslim scientist, (born 5 September 973 in Kath, Khwarezm, died 13 December 1048 in Ghazni)
Taejo of Goryeo, founder of the Korean Goryeo Dynasty (lived January 31, 877 – July 4, 943, reigned 918–943)
Europe[edit]
Harald Fairhair, king of Norway, united Norway in 872 and remained its ruler until 933. One of the most powerful lords of Europe at the time.
Vladimir I, Prince of Kievan Rus (lived 958–1015)
Tomislav, king of Croatia, united the medieval Croatian state into the Kingdom of Croatia, crowned in 925
Almanzor, ruler of Cordoba (lived c. 938 – August 8, 1002, reigned 978–1002)
Simeon the Great, Emperor of Bulgaria (reigned 893–927)
Otto I the Great, Holy Roman Emperor (lived 23 November 912 – 7 May 973, reigned 936–973)
King Edmund I of England (lived 921–946, reigned 939–946)
Hugh Capet (lived 938–996), first Capetian King of France
Géza of Hungary, ruler of the Magyars (lived 940–997, reigned 970–997)
Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor (lived 955–983, reigned 973–983)
Theophanu, wife of Otto II, mother and Regent of Otto III, (lived 956–991, reigned 983–991)
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor (lived 980–1002, reigned 983–1002)
Erik the Red (born c. 950 - died c. 1003), Norwegian-Icelandic explorer, founded and settled Norse Greenland (985)
Leif Eiriksson, Icelandic-Norwegian explorer, son of Erik the Red, made the first European attempt to settle in North America (Canada) in 1000.
Olav Tryggvason becomes the first king to try to Christianize Norway, dies at the Battle of Svolder in 1000.
Oceania[edit]
'Aho'eitu (early 10th century), first king of the Tuʻi Tonga
Inventions, discoveries, introductions[edit]
Earliest known representation of a gun (a fire lance) and a grenade (upper right), from the cave murals of Dunhuang, China, 10th century.
10th century-12th century - Seated Guaryin Bodhisattva, is made. Liao dynasty. It is now kept at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri.
Construction begins on the Brihadeeswarar Temple of India, during the reign of Rajaraja Chola I
The first pound lock is invented by the Chinese engineer Qiao Weiyo, improving the canal lock system.
Fire arrows are invented by the Chinese.
Earliest known occurrence in Mexico of Lost-wax casting.
Three of the Four Great Books of Song are published (the last one in 1013), which were enormous Chinese encyclopedias having millions of written Chinese characters each.
Zhang Sixun of China uses for the first time liquid mercury (element) instead of water to power the escapement mechanism rotating an armillary sphere, since liquid mercury does not freeze easily like water during winter, and does not rust metal parts