A devastating earthquake strikes the Near East…

Grifo, half-brother of Carloman and Pepin, seeks to establish his own rule in Bavaria after the death of Odilo, Duke of Bavaria, in 748, but is defeated by Pepin, who installs their nephew, Odilo's infant son Tassilo III as duke of Bavaria, but under Frankish overlordship.

Constantine V spends most of his life before and after his accession as sole ruler in largely successful military campaigns against Arabs and Bulgars who threaten the empire.

During the first few years of his reign, internal disorder in the Muslim world plays into the emperor's hands as the 'Abbasid house fights to seize the caliphate from the Umayyads.

With his enemy thus weakened, Constantine has won noteworthy victories in northern Syria, transferring the prisoners he has captured there to Thrace in preparation for the wars against the Bulgarians.

Internecine Arab tribal rivalries, together with the bitterness of the mawali and the disaffection of the Kharijite and Shiite factions, had aid the spread of the rebellion to other parts of the Muslim empire in 749.

In this year, the Hashimiyah, aided by the western provinces, proclaim as caliph Abu al-'Abbas, a close friend of Abu Muslim.

Known subsequently as-Saffah, “the blood-shedder,” because of his savage attacks, he begins a campaign of extermination against the Umayyads, the 'Alids, other 'Abbasid leaders who have become too popular, and all other claimants to power.

Qahtaba defeats a larger Ummayad army under Amir ibn Djubara, allegedly fifty thousand strong, near Isfahan in March 749.

Nahavand falls after a short siege, and the Abbasid army begins moving towards Iraq.

Qahtaba's army advances swiftly with the aim of taking Kufa, but is confronted by the Ummayad governor, Yazid ibn Hubayra.

Qahtaba is able to launch a surprise night attack on the Ummayad camp, forcing Yazid and his troops to flee to Wasit.

Qahtaba himself falls in this battle, but his son al-Hasan ibn Qahtaba assumes command and takes possession of Kufa on September 2.

Both al-Hasan and his brother, Humayd ibn Qahtaba, will become important military leaders in the early decades of the Abbasid regime.

Abbasid forces under Qahtaba ibn Shabib al-Ta'i defeat a large Ummayad army at Isfahan and …

…move into Iraq, taking Kufa in September.

Aistulf succeeds his brother, Ratchis, as king of the Lombards and marries Gisaltruda, sister of Anselm, Duke of Friuli.

Æthelbald of Mercia breaks the sixty-year peace with Northumbria in 749, devastating large swaths of southern Northumbrian territory.