Ibadi missionaries that had fled from the…

Retired Emperor Shomu takes part in the dedication ceremony of the colossal statue of Vairocana Buddha at Nara’s Todai-ji, and declares himself a Buddhist.

The great Golden Buddha Hall is the centerpiece in the Todai-ji, flanked by twin pagodas placed like sentries at the outer edges of the spacious courtyard.

The compound is evidently designed along the lines of Chinese palaces as an expression of the divine power of the emperor in his role as chief delegate of the “Roshana” (all-powerful) Buddha.

The Ibadis, regarded as a moderate Kharijite sect, had originated in Iraq, but in the early eighth century, when the caliph's representative begins to suppress the Ibadis, many leave the area.

Their leader at the time, Jabir ibn Zayd, had come to Iraq from Oman, so he returns there in the mid-eighth century.

Jabir ibn Zayd's presence in Oman strengthens the existing Ibadi communities.

Oman's mountains and geographic isolation provide a refuge for the Ibadites, who proceed to convert the leading tribal clans to their sect, unifying Oman politically.

Their leader, Al Julanda ibn Masud, becomes the first Ibadi imam of Oman.

The introduction of Ibadism vests power in the imam, the leader nominated by tribal shaykhs and then elected by public acclamation.

The elected imam heads the Omani state, serving as both temporal and religious leader of the community.

In less than a century, the sect had taken over the country from the Sunni garrison that ruled it in the caliph's name.

In 752, the Abbasids, the new line of Sunni caliphs in Baghdad, conquer Oman and kill the Ibadi imam, Al Julanda.

Other Ibadi imams arise and reestablish the tradition in the interior, but extending their rule to the coastal trading cities meets opposition, where the sense of tribal community is weaker than that held by the Omani interior.

Al-Mansur, the brother of Abu al-'Abbas as-Saffah, plays an important part in wiping out the last remnants of Umayyad resistance.

During his brother's caliphate, he leads an army to Mesopotamia, where he receives the submission of a governor after informing him of the death of the last Umayyad caliph.

In Iraq itself, the last Umayyad governor has taken refuge with his army in a garrison town.

Promised a safe-conduct by al-Mansur and the Caliph, he surrenders the town, only to be executed with a number of his followers.

Emperor Constantine V leads an invasion in 752 into the new Abbasid Caliphate under As-Saffah.

Capturing Theodosioupolis and …

…Melitene (Malatya), he again resettles some of the population in the Balkans.

These campaigns fail to secure any concrete gains (apart from additional population employed to strengthen another frontier), but it is important to note that under Constantine V, the Empire has gone on the offensive.

The disturbances and disorders in Spain following the Berber Revolt also allow the Franks to invade the strategic strip of Septimania in 752, hoping to deprive Andalusians of their easy launching pad for raids into Francia.

Pepin heads south in a military expedition down the Rhone valley in 752 and, after securing the allegiance of Count Ansemund, receives the submission of eastern Septimania (i.e.

Nîmes, …

…Maguelone, …

…Beziers and …

…Agde), whose counts refused allegiance to the Córdoban emir and declare their loyalty to the Frankish Kingdom.

Ansemund seems to have had some authority over the other counts.

Stephen is elected pope on March 23, 752, but dies three days after and is not considered legitimate because he was not consecrated.

On March 26, Pope Stephen II (sometimes referred to as Stephen III) succeeds Pope Zachary as the ninety-second pope.