10th century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from to.

Overview
The tenth century is usually regarded as a low point in European history. In China it was also a period of political upheaval. In the, however, it was a cultural zenith, especially in Spain. Also it was the zenith for the Byzantine and Bulgarian Empires.

Medievalist and historian of technology said that "to the modern eye, it is very nearly the darkest of the ", but concluded that ". . . if it was dark, it was the darkness of the womb." Similarly, Helen Waddell wrote that the tenth century was that which "in the textbooks disputes with the seventh the bad eminence, the nadir of the human intellect." Even in the fifteenth century, described it as the Century of Lead and Iron.

Events

 * The beginning of the
 * groups settle in northern — Norse become
 * Foundation of, first federated order
 * In the  destroyed the Byzantine army in the, one of the bloodiest battles in the Middle Ages
 * , official recognition of the first independent national Church in Europe, the
 * Incursions of (Hungarian) cavalry throughout Western Europe (47 expeditions in,  and , –)
 * , first duke of, baptised a Christian in
 * is attacked and defeated by
 * , Prince of, baptised a Christian in
 * Collapse of the central lowland . End of Classic Maya period, begin Post-Classic May.
 * Rise of the s in
 * Golden age of the
 * Collapse of
 * temple construction commences at ,
 * In, the first use of in battle occurred with the Chinese Battle of Lang-shan Jiang (Wolf Mountain River), where the naval fleet of the Wen-Mu King was defeated by Qian Yuan-guan because he had used 'fire oil' (huo yóu, 火油) of gunpowder- ignited s to burn his fleet.
 * , script, inscribed in, , dated Saka year 822 (AD )
 * In  of the  drove out the Pandayas from southern India into, which he also eventually conquered.
 * The becomes a unified kingdom under
 * Twentieth century   asserts that the positions of the eight  and  were within the same 90° arc of the  on, . The next time it is thought this will occur is on ,.
 * Coastal cities on the are the seed for the first recorded
 * The dynasty arises in eastern
 * influence extends to the
 * The Christian n kingdom reaches its peak of prosperity and military power
 * The begins in present day Southern USA
 * The reaches the height of its military and economic strength
 * Baile Átha Cliath was founded
 * become extinct in
 * s become extinct Europe by this date, with the last dying in.
 * - is established in  by  dynasty.
 * — the Arab maritime captain Abu Himyarite from toured  port, and was an avid visitor to China

Significant people

 * , king of ,united the into the , crowned in
 * , semi-legendaric ruler, (exact years of his life are unknown)
 * of
 * an early poet (born in )
 * , Emperor of (reigned –)
 * , Emperor of the (lived –, reigned –)
 * , (lived –, reigned –)
 * King (lived –, reigned –)
 * , Emperor of the (lived –, reigned –)
 * , an early poet from, (born in )
 * (lived –), first Capetian King of France
 * , Chinese general (died in )
 * , ruler of the (lived –, reigned –)
 * , (lived –, reigned –)
 * , Chinese landscape painter
 * , wife of, mother and of , (lived –, reigned –)
 * , re-established the of India (reigned -)
 * (lived –, reigned –)
 * , Chinese and
 * , Prince of (lived –)
 * , Emperor of the, (lived –, reigned –)
 * , (lived –, reigned –)
 * Persian poet
 * , Chinese scholar and encyclopedist (-)
 * Viking Explorer, founded Greenland
 * , founder of the dynasty of Egypt in
 * , founder of the Chinese (lived, –, , reigned -)
 * , ruler of the of India (reigned -)

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

 * first mentioned in connection with brewing
 * of uses for the first time liquid  instead of water to power the  mechanism rotating an, since liquid mercury does not freeze easily like water during winter, and doesn't rust metal parts
 * are invented by the Chinese, along with the use of the first impregnated fuses for igniting the blast of double-piston s which employed, an imported good from  in the early part of the century.
 * Construction begins on the of, during the reign of
 * The first is invented by the Chinese engineer, improving the  system.
 * Three of the  are published (the last one in ), which were enormous Chinese s having millions of written s each.