Editing 744

{{short description|Calendar year}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{About year|744}}
{{Year nav|744}}
{{M1 year in topic}}
[[File:Umayyad750ADloc.png|upright=1.35|thumb|The [[Umayyad Caliphate]] (661–750)]]
Year '''744''' ('''[[Roman numerals|DCCXLIV]]''') was a [[leap year starting on Wednesday]] of the [[Julian calendar]]. The denomination 744 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the [[Anno Domini]] [[calendar era]] became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===

==== Europe ====
* [[February]] &ndash; King [[Liutprand, King of the Lombards|Liutprand]] of the [[Lombards]] dies of [[Death by natural causes|natural causes]] after a 32-year reign, in which he has defeated the [[duke]]s of [[Duchy of Spoleto|Spoleto]] and [[Duchy of Benevento|Benevento]], bringing the [[Kingdom of the Lombards|Lombard Kingdom]] to the height of her power. He is succeeded by [[Hildeprand]], called "the Useless" (nephew or grandson of Liutprand), as ruler of the Lombards.{{sfn|Wickham|1981|p=221}}
* [[October]] &ndash; Hildeprand is deposed by the council of [[Nobility|nobles]], for his incompetence as ruler. He is succeeded by [[Ratchis]] (formerly duke of [[Friuli]]) as king of the [[Lombards]], who makes peace with [[Pope Zachary]].{{sfn|Hallenbeck|1982|p=51}}
* [[Pepin the Short]], mayor of the palace of [[Neustria]] and [[Kingdom of Burgundy|Burgundy]], invades the [[Swabian Jura]] (southwestern [[Germany]]), and chases [[Theudebald, Duke of Alamannia]], from his mountain [[redoubt]] in [[Alsace]].

==== Switzerland ====
* In 741 and 744, documents in the archives of [[Abbey of Saint Gall|St. Gallen Abbey]] describe the village of [[Kempraten]] as ''Centoprato'', another document in [[863]] as ''Centiprata'', inspired by the Latin name ''[[Centum Prata]]''.
* A [[Monastery|nunnery]] given by the [[Alemanni|Alamannic]] noblewoman Beata on [[Lützelau]] Island is first mentioned, and is in this year sold to [[Einsiedeln Abbey]].
* [[Ufenau]] island in [[Switzerland]] is first mentioned in 741 as "Hupinauia", and in 744 as "Ubinauvia" — island of Huppan of Huphan.

==== Britain ====
* [[Wat's Dyke]], a 40 mile (64 km) [[Earthworks (archaeology)|earthwork]] in present-day [[Wales]], is constructed. The border between [[Mercia]] and [[Kingdom of Powys|Powys]] is set here. The date that Wat's Dyke was constructed is very uncertain, with some estimates linking the construction of the dyke to the 5th century and others to the early 9th century (approximate date).

==== Arabian Empire ====
* [[April 17]] &ndash; Caliph [[Al-Walid II]] is besieged in his [[castle]] outside the city of [[Damascus]]. He is defeated and killed by Arab forces under [[Sulayman ibn Hisham]]. Al-Walid is succeeded by his cousin [[Yazid III]], who dies shortly after of a [[brain tumor]].<ref>Dionysius of Telmahre ''apud'' Hoyland, 661 n 193</ref> 
[[File:Dihrem of Ibrahim ibn al-Walid.jpg|thumb|[[Dirham]] of caliph [[Ibrahim ibn al-Walid]]. He ruled the caliphate for just two months]]
* December &ndash; [[Marwan II|Marwan ibn Muhammad]] rebels against Yazid's designated successor [[Ibrahim ibn al-Walid]], defeats the [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyad]] forces under Sulayman ibn Hisham, and becomes caliph.

==== Africa ====
* '''Tunisian Coup''': Following the death of the Umayyad caliph, [[Hisham]], [[Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib]] assembles a small force in [[Tunis]] and declares himself emir of [[Ifriqiya]]. [[Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi]], wali of [[Ifriqiya]] decides against fighting and returns to Damascus. [[Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib|Abd al-Rahman]] installs himself in [[Kairouan]], and crushes multiple revolts around the country. 

==== Asia ====
* Turkic subjects like [[Uyghur people|Uyghur]], [[Karluks|Karluk]] and [[Basmyl]], who are not the members of the [[Ashina tribe|Ashina]] clan, stage a coup. This ends the [[Second Turkic Khaganate|Turkic Empire]] and Ashina clan (except in [[Khazars|Khazaria]]).
* Autumn &ndash; [[Li Bai]] (also '''Li Po'''), Chinese [[Chinese poetry|poet]] and skilled [[Chinese calligraphy|calligrapher]], meets [[Du Fu]] for the first time.
* The Japanese imperial capital is moved from [[Kuni-kyō]] to [[Heijō-kyō]].

==== Central America ====
*[[February 4]] &ndash; In the [[Third Tikal-Calakmul War]] in what is now [[Guatemala]], the [[Maya rulers|Mayan city-state]] of [[Tikal]] conquers the state of [[Naranjo]] and captures its king, [[Yax Mayuy Chan Chaak]], who is subsequently sacrificed.  The conquest by [[Tikal]] destroys [[Calakmul]]'s once powerful and extensive network of allies, vassal states and [[Trade in Maya civilization|trade networks]].

=== By topic ===

==== Religion ====
* [[Synod#Some notable synods|Synod of Soissons]]. Called at the instigation of Pepin the Short and [[Boniface]], archbishop and [[Metropolitan bishop|metropolitan]], it secures the condemnation of the [[Franks|Frankish]] bishop [[Adalbert (mystic)|Adalbert]].
* [[Saint Sturm|Sturm]], disciple of Boniface, establishes the Benedictine [[Fulda monastery|Abbey of Fulda]] ([[Hesse]]), as part of Boniface's mission to bring [[Christianity]] to the [[Paganism|pagan]] tribes in Germany (or [[742]]).
* June &ndash; [[Pope Zachary]] gives his approval by sending [[Abel of Reims|Abel]], [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen#Archbishops|Grimo]] and [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sens#Bishops and archbishops|Hartbert]] their [[pallium]]s for the metropolitan [[Episcopal see|sees]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims|Reims]], [[Rouen]] and [[Sens]].<ref>Costambeys, "Abel (''fl.'' 744–747)"</ref><ref name=Bon58>Letter by Pope Zacharias to Boniface, dated Nov. 5, 744, ed. Tangl (no.58), tr. Emerton.</ref>
* [[Salih ibn Tarif]] proclaims himself a [[prophet]] among the [[Barghawata]], a confederation of [[Berber people|Berber]] tribes in modern-day western [[Morocco]].
</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[al-Mahdi|Muhammad ibn Mansur al-Mahdi]], Muslim [[caliph]] (or [[745]])

== Deaths ==
* [[April 17]] &ndash; [[Al-Walid II]], Muslim caliph (b. [[706]])
* [[September 25]] &ndash; [[Yazid III]], Muslim caliph (b. [[701]])
* [[He Zhizhang]], Chinese [[Chinese poetry|poet]]
* [[Hildeprand]], king of the [[Lombards]]
* [[Huoching]], Alamannic [[Nobility|nobleman]]
* [[Kül-chor]], ruler (''[[khagan]]'') of the [[Turgesh]]
* [[Liutprand, King of the Lombards|Liutprand]], king of the Lombards
* [[Özmiş Khagan|Özmiş Qaghan]], ruler of the [[Second Turkic Khaganate]]
* [[List of Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Antioch|Stephen IV]], patriarch of [[Antioch]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal |last=Hallenbeck |first=Jan T. |year=1982 |title=Pavia and Rome: The Lombard Monarchy and the Papacy in the Eighth Century |journal=Transactions of the American Philosophical Society |series=New Series |volume=72 |issue=4 |pages=1–186 |doi=10.2307/1006429 |jstor=1006429 }}
* {{cite book |last=Wickham |first=Chris |authorlink=Chris Wickham |year=1981 |title=Early Medieval Italy: Central Power and Local Society, 400–1000 |location=London |publisher=Macmillan}}
{{refend}}

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