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838

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}

{{About year|838}}

{{Year nav|838}}

{{M1 year in topic}}

File:Byzantine-Arab wars, 837-838.svg (837–838)]]

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

Events

= By place =

== Byzantine Empire==

  • July 22 – Battle of Anzen: 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 heavily defeated by a counter-attack of 10,000 Turkish mounted archers. Theophilos and his guard are encircled, and barely manage to break through and escape.Treadgold 1997, p. 441.Haldon 2001, p. 80.Kiapidou 2003, Chapter 1.
  • 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.

File:Siege of Amorium.jpg depicting the Arab siege of Amorium in 838]]

== Europe ==

== British Isles ==

== Abbasid Caliphate ==

  • January – Babak Khorramdin, an Iranian military leader, is brutally executed by order of al-Mu'tasim.The Golden Age of Islam by Maurice Lombard, p. 152. {{ISBN|1-55876-322-8}}.
  • 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. Ujayf is executed and Al-Abbas put in prison, where he dies.
  • The Yazidis rise up against the Abbasids (approximate date).M. Th. Houtsma, 1993, E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936: Volume 4 - p. 1136, Brill.

= By topic =

== Religion ==

Births

Deaths

References

{{Reflist}}

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