Heraclius, sailing with five thousand reinforcements to…

Historians note that some contributors to Emperor Gaozu's establishment of Tang had been wrongly killed by him or killed based on little evidence of wrongdoing, including Liu Wenjing, in 619, on an accusation that he had engaged sorcerers; Emperor Gaozu's cousin Dugu Huai'en in 620, on an accusation of treason; Li Zhongwen the Duke of Zhenxiang, in 620, on the accusation of collaboration with Eastern Tujue; and Liu Shirang the Duke of Yingyang, in 623, on the accusation of collaboration with Eastern Tujue.

The Tuyuhun and Tanguts regularly raid Chinese settlements along the western Tang frontier.

In 623, the Tuyuhun depart from their homeland in the pastures surrounding Qinghai Lake, known in Mongolian as Kokonur, and invade Gansu.

The Tang general Chai Shao is dispatched to defeat the nomads and prevent further incursions.

The Tuyuhun hold the higher ground and shoot arrows against the encroaching Tang forces.

Chai Shao devises a decoy by sending two dancing girls and a group of musicians to a small hill near the Tuyuhun camp.

The musicians play the pipa, a stringed instrument of foreign origin, while the girls position themselves on top of a hill.

On the hill, the dancing girls perform an erotic dance in front of the nomads.

The attention of the nomads is diverted entirely towards the girls.

The Tuyuhun soldiers break out of their military formation and rush to the hill for a clearer view of the dance.

Seizing the opportunity, Chai Shao surprises the soldiers who are distracted by the performance, and attacks them in the rear with his cavalry.

Over five hundred Tuyuhun soldiers are killed in the ensuing battle, forcing the Tuyuhun's retreat from Gansu.

Hostilities between the Tuyuhun and Tang continued after the battle.

China is by this point completely unified by the Tang dynasty except for the domain of Liang Shidu the Emperor of Liang, who controls modern northern Shaanxi and western Inner Mongolia, although, with Li Fuwei at Chang'an, Fu Gongshi rebels in 623 and declares himself the Emperor of Song.

Fu's rebellion, however, will be quelled by Li Xiaogong in 624.

Western Slavic tribes known as the Wends (known also as Sorbs or Lusatians), discontented with Avar domination, call on a Frankish merchant named Samo, who aids their revolt and, from his center, perhaps in southern Moravia (near Mikulcice or Devin), begins to forge several Slavic tribes into an independent political force, becoming their king around 623, his demesne stretching from the upper Elbe to the Danube.

...strikes through the mountains of Armenia and the northern sub-Caucasian principalities, plundering Media (Azerbaijan) and avoiding the Persian armies who attempt to trap him.

Muhammad takes as his third wife Aisha, an adolescent daughter of Abdullah ibn Abi Quhafa, an early convert and loyal follower who becomes known as Abu Bakr (Father of the Virgin).

Muhammad soon becomes a religious, political and even military leader.

From 622, Muhammad's followers, probably influenced by Jewish tradition, had apparently faced toward Jerusalem five times each day when performing the salat (daily ritual prayer), but relations between Jews and Muslims no longer seem promising.

He had at first treated the Jews with indulgence, but during the early phase of the coming war with Mecca, he and his followers clash with the Jewish clans.

At this time, instead of making concessions to the Jews in the hope of gaining recognition of his prophethood, Muhammad asserts the specifically Arabian character of the Islamic religion.

A revelation to Muhammad in 623 causes him to change the qibla, the sacred direction, to that of the shrine of the Ka'aba in Mecca.

The Ka'aba, according to the Koran, had been built by Abraham and his son Ishmael and has therefore to be reintegrated in Muslim society.

Muhammad also abandons Saturday as the Sabbath.

Perhaps garnering additional support from among the Medinans because of this change in policy, Muhammad is now able to enlist a much larger force.

The Semi-Autonomy of Austrasia Under Dagobert I (623 CE)

In 623 CE, King Chlothar II of Neustria, responding to pressure from the Austrasian nobility, grants Austrasia to his son, Dagobert I, effectively making the kingdom semi-autonomous. This move is a political compromise, rewarding the Austrasian aristocracy for their loyalty and acknowledging their desire for a king of their own.

1. The Role of Pepin of Landen and the Austrasian Nobility

• The nobles of Austrasia, particularly Pepin of Landen, the Mayor of the Palace, had played a crucial role in supporting Chlothar II’s rule.
• In return for their loyalty, the Austrasians demand greater autonomy, wanting a local ruler rather than being governed from Neustria.
• Pepin of Landen becomes a key figure in the new Austrasian government, acting as a powerful advisor and administrator.

2. Dagobert I as King of Austrasia

• At age twenty, Dagobert I is appointed king of Austrasia, with Metz as his capital.
• Although he is still subordinate to his father, the Austrasians regard him as their legitimate ruler, strengthening the Frankish tradition of sub-kingdoms.
• His reign in Austrasia lays the foundation for his future as sole ruler of the Franks after Chlothar II’s death in 629.

3. The Influence of Arnulf of Metz

• Arnulf, Bishop of Metz, becomes Dagobert’s chief advisor, reinforcing the role of the Church in Frankish politics.
• Arnulf is a highly respected figure, and his guidance ensures that Dagobert rules in cooperation with the Austrasian nobility.
• He later becomes Saint Arnulf, an ancestor of the Carolingian dynasty, linking Austrasian rule to future Frankish kingship.

4. The Shift of Power Toward Austrasia

• Although Austrasia is still technically under Chlothar II’s authority, this decision marks the beginning of Austrasia’s rise to dominance.
• The increasing influence of the Mayors of the Palace, such as Pepin of Landen, foreshadows the gradual weakening of Merovingian royal power.
• Austrasia will eventually eclipse Neustria, leading to the rise of the Carolingians and the end of Merovingian rule.

Conclusion: A Turning Point in Frankish Politics

The granting of Austrasia to Dagobert I in 623 CE is a significant moment in Merovingian history. It:

• Rewards the Austrasian nobility, particularly Pepin of Landen.
• Establishes Dagobert I as a future king of all the Franks.
• Strengthens Austrasia’s autonomy, setting the stage for its eventual dominance over Neustria.
• Increases the role of the Church in governance, with Arnulf of Metz as a central figure.

This event marks a key step toward the eventual decline of the Merovingians and the emergence of Austrasia as the center of Frankish power, leading to the eventual Carolingian takeover of the Frankish realm.

The Angles under Edwin of Northumbria invade Rheged ("Old North") in Northern England and expel king Llywarch Hen.

He flees to Powys and becomes a famous bard.

Edwin's armies fight also against Gododdin and Strathclyde.

The Yiwen Leiju (Chinese: literally "Collection of Literature Arranged by Categories"), a Chinese encyclopedia completed in 624 by the calligrapher Ouyang Xun, is divided into forty-seven sections and many subsections.

Covering all subjects, it contains many quotations from older works, many long lost.

It also cites its sources.

Other contributors are Linghu Defen and Chen Shuda.

The rivalry between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin has intensified.

Li Jiancheng, to supplement his guard corps, requisitions a number of soldiers from the general Li Yi the Prince of Yan in 624, against Emperor Gaozu's regulations.

When this is revealed to Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Gaozu rebukes Li Jiancheng and exiles his guard commander Keda Zhi.

When, subsequently, Li Jiancheng nevertheless requests the commandant at Qing Prefecture (in modern Qingyang, Gansu), Yang Wen'gan, to conscript troops, presumably to guard against Li Shimin, …