Year 971 ( CMLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events

By place

Byzantine Empire

Battle of Dorostolon The Battle of Dorostopol was fought in 971 between the Byzantine Empire and forces of Kievan Rus'. The Byzantines, led by John I Tzimiskes, were victorious. Background During the course of the Rus'-Bulgarian war, Svyatoslav I of Kiev overran th ...

: A Byzantine expeditionary army (possibly 30–40,000 men) attacks the Bulgarian frontier, personally led by Emperor

John I John I may refer to: People * John I (bishop of Jerusalem) * John Chrysostom (349 – c. 407), Patriarch of Constantinople * John of Antioch (died 441) * Pope John I, Pope from 523 to 526 * John I (exarch) (died 615), Exarch of Ravenna * John I o ...

. He lays siege to the fortress city of

Dorostolon Silistra ( bg, Силистра ; tr, Silistre; ro, Silistra) is a town in Northeastern Bulgaria. The town lies on the southern bank of the lower Danube river, and is also the part of the Romanian border where it stops following the Danube. Sil ...

(located on the Lower Danube), and is reinforced by a fleet of 300 ships equipped with ''

Greek fire Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Eastern Roman Empire beginning . Used to set fire to enemy ships, it consisted of a combustible compound emitted by a flame-throwing weapon. Some historians believe it could be ignited on contact w ...

''.. The Kievan Rus' and their Bulgarian allies are reduced to extremities by

famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, Demographic trap, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. Th ...

. After a 3-month siege, Grand Prince

Sviatoslav I ; (943 – 26 March 972), also spelled Svyatoslav, was Grand Prince of Kiev famous for his persistent campaigns in the east and south, which precipitated the collapse of two great powers of Eastern Europe, Khazaria and the First Bulgarian Empire. H ...

agrees to sign a

peace treaty A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, which formally ends a state of war between the parties. It is different from an armistice, which is an agreement to stop hostilities; a surr ...

with the Byzantines, whereby he renounces his interests towards Bulgarian lands and the city of Chersonesos in Crimea. Sviatoslav is allowed to evacuate his army to

Berezan Island Berezan (Cyrillic: Береза́нь; Ancient Greek: Borysthenes; former tr, Pirezin) is an island in the Black Sea at the entrance of the Dnieper-Bug Estuary, Ochakiv Raion, Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine. Located 8 kilometers from the city of Och ...

, while the Byzantines enter Dorostolon. John renames the city Theodoropolis (named after the reigning Empress Theodora).. * John I returns in triumph to Constantinople. He brings along

Boris II Boris II ( cu, Борисъ В҃; bg, Борис II; c. 931 – 977) was emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria from 969 to 977 (in Byzantine captivity from 971). Boris II was the eldest surviving son of Emperor Peter I of Bulgaria and Maria (renamed Eiren ...

, ruler (''

tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...

'') of the

Bulgarian Empire In the medieval history of Europe, Bulgaria's status as the Bulgarian Empire ( bg, Българско царство, ''Balgarsko tsarstvo'' ) occurred in two distinct periods: between the seventh and the eleventh centuries and again between the ...

, and his family, together with the contents of the Bulgarian imperial treasury. Boris is given the Byzantine 'court title' of '' magistros'' as compensation. The Bulgarian lands in Thrace and Lower Moesia become part of the Byzantine Empire.

Europe

* Emperor Otto I (the Great) appoints his imperial secretary Willigis as

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

(guardian of the emperor's seal), an office formerly held by Otto's brother, Archbishop Bruno I.

Britain

* King Cuilén (or Cuilean) is killed by Britons after a 6-year reign. He is succeeded by his nephew Kenneth II, as ruler of Alba ( Scotland). He will not be sole king until

977 Year 977 ( CMLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * May – Boris II, dethroned emperor (''tsar'') of Bulgaria, and his brother Roman ma ...

Africa

Battle of Alexandretta The Battle of Alexandretta was the first clash between the forces of the Byzantine Empire and the Fatimid Caliphate in Syria. It was fought in early 971 near Alexandretta, while the main Fatimid army was besieging Antioch, which the Byzantine ...

: The Byzantines defeat a Fatimid force (4,000 men) near Alexandretta (modern Turkey), while the main Fatimid army is besieging the fortress city of Antioch. Coupled with news of an advance against

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

of the

Qarmatians The Qarmatians ( ar, قرامطة, Qarāmiṭa; ) were a militant Isma'ilism, Isma'ili Shia Islam, Shia movement centred in Al-Ahsa Oasis, al-Hasa in Eastern Arabia, where they established a Utopia#Religious utopias, religious-utopian Socialis ...

, the Fatimids are forced to lift the siege and withdraw to Egypt.

China

* January 23 – A war elephant corps of the Southern Han is defeated at Shao, by crossbow fire from Song Dynasty troops. The Southern Han Kingdom is forced to submit to the Song Dynasty. Ending Southern Han rule, but also the first regular war elephant corps employed in a Chinese army, that had gained the Southern Han victories throughout the 10th century.

By topic

Religion

* The grave of Swithun, Anglo-Saxon bishop of

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

, is moved into an indoor shrine (he was previously buried outside) in the Old Minster. The ceremony is said to have been marred by 40 days of torrential rain.

Births

* Kushyar Gilani, Persian mathematician and geographer (d.

1029 Year 1029 ( MXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Prince Pandulf IV of Capua becomes the ''de facto'' ruler of southern Italy – holding ...

) *

Mahmud of Ghazni Yamīn-ud-Dawla Abul-Qāṣim Maḥmūd ibn Sebüktegīn ( fa, ; 2 November 971 – 30 April 1030), usually known as Mahmud of Ghazni or Mahmud Ghaznavi ( fa, ), was the founder of the Turkic Ghaznavid dynasty, ruling from 998 to 1030. At th ...

, emir of the Ghaznavid Empire (d.

1030 Year 1030 ( MXXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperor Romanos III Argyros decides to retaliate upon the incursions of the Musli ...

) * Oliba, Spanish count and bishop (approximate date) * Rajendra Chola, Emperor of Chola Dynasty at its peak

Deaths

* Abū Ja'far al-Khāzin, Persian astronomer (b. 900) * Anemas, Byzantine (Muslim) army commander * Atto, bishop of

Vic Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense): ...

( Spain) (approximate date) * Cuilén (or Cuilean), king of Alba ( Scotland) * Eraclus (or Evraclus), bishop of

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...

Ja'far ibn Fallah Ja'far ibn Fallah () or ibn Falah was a general in the service of the Fatimid Caliphate. He led the first Fatimid attempt to conquer Syria in 970–971, but his attack on Byzantine-held Antioch was repulsed, and he lost his life in June 971 fighti ...

, Fatimid general and governor *

Kalokyros Kalokyros ( el, Καλοκυρός, died 971) was a pretender to the Byzantine throne during the Rus'–Byzantine War (970–971) in the reigns of Nikephoros II and John I Tzimiskes. According to the historians John Skylitzes and Leo the Deacon, ...

, Byzantine patrician and pretender * Li Jingda, prince of Southern Tang (b.

924 __NOTOC__ Year 924 (Roman numerals, CMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927, Byzantine–Bulg ...

) *

Muhammad al-Khushani Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad b. al-Ḥārith al-Khushanī, or Al-Khushanī of Qayrawān (born Kairouan around the early tenth century CE; died Córdoba, Spain, Córdoba, ?981 CE), was an Arab historian, jurist and judge. Life Al-Khushanī was born ...

, Umayyad historian * Muhammad ibn Rumahis, Umayyad admiral * Ordgar, English

ealdorman Ealdorman (, ) was a term in Anglo-Saxon England which originally applied to a man of high status, including some of royal birth, whose authority was independent of the king. It evolved in meaning and in the eighth century was sometimes applied ...

and advisor * Qian Hongzong, king of

Wuyue Wuyue (; ), 907–978, was an independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960) of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Haiyan Qian clan (海盐钱氏), whose family name remains widespread in t ...

(approximate date) * Ziri ibn Manad, founder of the Zirid Dynasty

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:971