9th century

From Open Encyclopedia

Centuries:	8th century - 9th century - 10th century
Decades:	800s 810s 820s 830s 840s 850s 860s 870s 880s 890s

As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was that century that lasted from 801 to 900. Image:Dish from 9th century Iraq.jpg

1 "Dark Ages" applied later to this period
2 Art of the "Dark Ages"
3 Events
4 Significant people
5 Inventions, discoveries, introductions
6 Decades and years

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"Dark Ages" applied later to this period

Starting about 400 years after the period, influential figures in the early phases of the Renaissance would refer back to these times, and the 3 centuries previous, as the "Dark Ages". The reference based on the eclipse of the Western Roman Empire, after 476 C.E., and the general loss of classical art forms, reduction of urban centers, and diffusion of political power to a petty level. Regional enities never grew to the level of nationhood, let alone empire. Only the Roman Catholic Papacy, had true international power, and this was somewhat limited, due to poor communications between the regions of Europe. Classical civilization's former record was preserved by the efforts of Catholic monks, hand coping manuscripts. Only a tiny percentage of the populace could read and write. Most western people were engaged in rural agriculture, and the Roman cities were largely in ruins. Still, certain arts, related to the Church and the ruling class continued to support artisans. There is a legacy of brass and gold objects preserved in the world's museums from the Europes "Dark Ages".

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Art of the "Dark Ages"

First and formost, art existed because the Church required it. The basic tools of the Roman Catholic mass, would create thousands of golden art objects. Sacred cups, vessels, reliqueries, crucifixes, rosaries, alter pieces, and statues of the Virgin and Child or Saints all keept the flame of art from dying out in the period. Architecture began to revive to some extent by the 9th century. It took the form of Church facilites of all kinds, and the first castle fortifications, since Roman times, began to take form in simple "moat and baily" castles. or simple "strong point" tower structures, with little refinement.

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Events

Image:Brass "Griffin" Beverage Urn.jpg

An unknown event causes the decline of the Maya Classical Era
Beowulf might have been written down in this century, though it could also have been in the 8th century
Reign of Charlemagne, and concurrent (and controversially labeled) Carolingian Renaissance in western Europe
Large-scale Viking attacks on Europe begin, devestating countless numbers of people
Oseberg ship burial
The Magyars arrive in what is now Hungary, forcing the Serbs and Bulgars south of the Danube.
The Tukolor settle in the Senegal river valley.
Muslim traders settle in the north-west and south-east of Madagascar.
around 813-around 915 - period of serious Arab naval raids on shores of Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas
800 - Arab fleet sails up the Tiber.
870 - Prague Castle founded
800-909 - rule of Aghlabids as independent dynasty in North Africa
850-875 - The first Norse settlers arrive on Iceland.
863-879 - period of schism between eastern and western churches
Late 9th century: Bulgaria stretches from the mouth of the Danube to Epirus and Bosnia.
In Italy, some cities became free republics: for instance Forlì, in the 889.
The Christian Nubian kingdom reaches its peak of prosperity and military power. (Early history of Sudan)
Harald Fairhair was victorious at the battle of Hafrsfjord, and Norway was unified into one kingdom.
Chess reaches Japan

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Significant people

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Inventions, discoveries, introductions

Vulgar Latin begins to devolve into various Romance languages
First image of a rotary grindstone in a European source - illustration shows crank, first known use of a crank in the West (Utrecht Psalter, A.D. 843)
Invention of gunpowder by Chinese Taoist Alchemists

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Decades and years

790s	790	791	792	793	794	795	796	797	798	799
800s	800	801	802	803	804	805	806	807	808	809
810s	810	811	812	813	814	815	816	817	818	819
820s	820	821	822	823	824	825	826	827	828	829
830s	830	831	832	833	834	835	836	837	838	839
840s	840	841	842	843	844	845	846	847	848	849
850s	850	851	852	853	854	855	856	857	858	859
860s	860	861	862	863	864	865	866	867	868	869
870s	870	871	872	873	874	875	876	877	878	879
880s	880	881	882	883	884	885	886	887	888	889
890s	890	891	892	893	894	895	896	897	898	899
900s	900	901	902	903	904	905	906	907	908	909