838

Year 838 (DCCCXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	8th century 9th century 10th century
Decades:	810s 820s 830s 840s 850s
Years:	835 836 837 838 839 840 841

838 in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	838 DCCCXXXVIII
Ab urbe condita	1591
Armenian calendar	287 ԹՎ ՄՁԷ
Assyrian calendar	5588
Balinese saka calendar	759–760
Bengali calendar	245
Berber calendar	1788
Buddhist calendar	1382
Burmese calendar	200
Byzantine calendar	6346–6347
Chinese calendar	丁巳年 (Fire Snake) 3534 or 3474     — to — 戊午年 (Earth Horse) 3535 or 3475
Coptic calendar	554–555
Discordian calendar	2004
Ethiopian calendar	830–831
Hebrew calendar	4598–4599
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	894–895
- Shaka Samvat	759–760
- Kali Yuga	3938–3939
Holocene calendar	10838
Iranian calendar	216–217
Islamic calendar	223–224
Japanese calendar	Jōwa 5 (承和５年)
Javanese calendar	734–736
Julian calendar	838 DCCCXXXVIII
Korean calendar	3171
Minguo calendar	1074 before ROC 民前1074年
Nanakshahi calendar	−630
Seleucid era	1149/1150 AG
Thai solar calendar	1380–1381
Tibetan calendar	阴火蛇年 (female Fire-Snake) 964 or 583 or −189     — to — 阳土马年 (male Earth-Horse) 965 or 584 or −188

Map of the Byzantine–Arab War (837–838)

Events

By place

Byzantine Empire

• July 22 – Battle of Dazimon: Caliph Al-Mu'tasim launches a major punitive expedition against the Byzantine Empire, targeting the two major Byzantine fortress cities of central Anatolia (Ancyra and Amorium). He mobilises a vast army (80,000 men) at Tarsus, which is divided into two main forces. The northern force, under commander Al-Afshin, invades the Armeniac Theme from the region of Melitene, joining up with the forces of the city's emir, Umar al-Aqta. The southern, main force, under Al-Mu'tasim, passes the Cilician Gates into Cappadocia. Emperor Theophilos attacks the Abbasids, inflicting 3,000 casualties, but is later heavily defeated by a counter-attack of 10,000 Turkish horse archers. Theophilos and his guard are encircled, and barely manage to break through and escape.[1][2][3]
• August – Siege of Amorium: The Abbasids besiege the Byzantine fortress city of Amorium, which is protected by 44 towers, according to the contemporary geographer Ibn Khordadbeh. Both besiegers and besieged have many siege engines, and for several days both sides exchange missile fire. However, a Muslim prisoner defects to Al-Mu'tasim, and informs him about a place in the wall which has been badly damaged by heavy rainfall. The Abbasids concentrate their hits on this section, and after two days manage to breach the city wall. After two weeks of repeated attacks, the Byzantine defenders surrender. The city is sacked and plundered, 70,000 inhabitants are slaughtered, and the survivors are sold as slaves.

Europe

• King Pepin I of Aquitaine dies after a 21-year reign. Emperor Louis the Pious appoints his youngest son Charles the Bald as his successor. The Aquitainian nobility, however, elects Pepin's son Pepin II as the new Frankish ruler.

Britain

• Battle of Hingston Down: The West Saxons, led by King Egbert of Wessex, defeat a combined force of Cornish and Danish Vikings, at Hingston Down in Cornwall.[4]
• King Fedelmid mac Crimthainn of Munster calls for a great royal meeting at Cluain-Conaire-Tommain, between himself and King Niall Caille mac Áeda of Uí Néill.[5]
• Approximate date – The Stone of Destiny, an oblong block of red sandstone, is placed at Scone Palace for the coronation of the first monarchs of Scotland.

Abbasid Caliphate

• A conspiracy is discovered, led by General 'Ujayf ibn 'Anbasa, to assassinate Al-Mu'tasim while he is campaigning, and place his nephew Al-Abbas ibn al-Ma'mun on the throne. A widespread purge of the army follows, which cements the leading role of the Turkish slave-soldiers (ghilman) in the Abbasid military establishment.
• Babak Khorramdin, an Iranian military leader, is cruelly executed by order of al-Mu'tasim.[6]
• The Yezidi rise up against the Abbasids (approximate date).[7]

By topic

Religion

• The oldest known mention is made of the city of Rheine, on the Ems River (modern Germany).
• The Khazars are converted to Judaism (approximate date).

Births

• Æthelswith, Anglo-Saxon queen (approximate date)
• Fujiwara no Takafuji, Japanese nobleman (d. 900)
• Ubaydallah ibn Abdallah, Muslim governor (approximate date)

Deaths

• November 6 – Li Yong, prince of the Tang Dynasty
• Al-Abbas ibn al-Ma'mun, Muslim prince and general
• Babak Khorramdin, Iranian leader of the Khurramite uprising against the Abbasid Caliphate
• Boniface II, margrave of Tuscany (approximate date)
• Bran mac Fáeláin, king of Leinster (Ireland)
• Eadhun, bishop of Winchester
• Frederick of Utrecht, Frisian bishop (approximate date)
• Pepin I of Aquitaine, king of Aquitaine (b. 797)
• Ralpacan, king of Tibet (approximate date)
• Ratimir, duke of Pannonian Croatia
• 'Ujayf ibn 'Anbasa, Muslim general
• Willerich, bishop of Bremen
• Ziyadat Allah I, Muslim emir

References

1. Treadgold 1997, p. 441.
2. Haldon 2001, p. 80.
3. Kiapidou 2003, Chapter 1.
4. Charles-Edwards, pp. 428–31; Padel, "Cornwall", Davies, p. 342; Stenton, p. 235.
5. Annals of Inisfallen, 838. Seán Mac Airt, The Annals of Innisfallen Dublin: 1951 available at UCC Celt Website.
6. The Golden Age of Islam by Maurice Lombard, p. 152. ISBN 1-55876-322-8.
7. M. Th. Houtsma, 1993, E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936: Volume 4 - p. 1136, Brill.