Editing 838 (section)

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===

==== Byzantine Empire====
* [[July 22]] &ndash; [[Battle of Anzen]]: Caliph [[al-Mu'tasim]] launches a major punitive expedition against the [[Byzantine Empire]], targeting the two major Byzantine fortress cities of central [[Anatolia]] ([[Ankara|Ancyra]] and [[Amorium]]). He mobilises a vast army (80,000 men) at [[Tarsus, Mersin|Tarsus]], which is divided into two main forces. The northern force, under commander [[Khaydhar ibn Kawus al-Afshin|al-Afshin]], invades the [[Armeniac Theme]] from the region of [[Malatya|Melitene]], joining up with the forces of the city's emir, [[Umar al-Aqta]]. The southern, main force, under al-Mu'tasim, passes the [[Cilician Gates]] into [[Cappadocia]]. Emperor [[Theophilos (emperor)|Theophilos]] attacks the [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasids]], inflicting 3,000 casualties, but is heavily defeated by a counter-attack of 10,000 Turkish [[Mounted archery|mounted archers]]. Theophilos and his guard are encircled, and barely manage to break through and escape.<ref>Treadgold 1997, p. 441.</ref><ref>Haldon 2001, p. 80.</ref><ref>Kiapidou 2003, Chapter 1.</ref>
* [[August]] &ndash; [[Sack of Amorium|Siege of Amorium]]: The Abbasids besiege the Byzantine fortress city of [[Amorium]], which is protected by 44 towers, according to the contemporary geographer [[Ibn Khordadbeh]]. Both besiegers and besieged have many [[siege engine]]s, and for several days both sides exchange missile fire. However, a Muslim prisoner defects to al-Mu'tasim, and informs him about a place in the wall which has been badly damaged by heavy rainfall. The Abbasids concentrate their hits on this section, and after two days manage to breach the [[Defensive wall|city wall]]. After two weeks of repeated attacks, the Byzantine defenders surrender. The city is sacked and plundered, 70,000 inhabitants are slaughtered, and the survivors are sold as [[Slavery|slaves]].
[[File:Siege of Amorium.jpg|250px|thumb|Miniature from the ''[[Madrid Skylitzes]]'' depicting the Arab siege of Amorium in 838]]

==== Europe ====
* [[December 13]] &ndash; King [[Pepin I of Aquitaine]] dies after a 21-year reign. Emperor [[Louis the Pious]] appoints his youngest son [[Charles the Bald]] as his successor. The Aquitainian [[nobility]], however, elects Pepin's son [[Pepin II of Aquitaine|Pepin II]] as the new [[Francia|Frankish]] ruler.
* The oldest known mention is made of the city of [[Rheine]], on the [[Ems (river)|Ems River]] (modern [[Germany]]).

==== British Isles ====
* [[Battle of Hingston Down]]: [[Ecgberht, King of Wessex]], leads his men to defeat a combined force of [[Cornish people|Cornish]] and Danish [[Vikings]] at [[Hingston Down]] in [[Cornwall]].<ref>Charles-Edwards, pp. 428–31; Padel, "Cornwall", Davies, p. 342; Stenton, p. 235.</ref>
* King [[Fedelmid mac Crimthainn]] of [[Munster]] calls for a great royal meeting at [[Kildare]] (''Cluain-Conaire-Tommain'') between himself and King [[Niall Caille]] of [[Uí Néill]].<ref>[[Annals of Inisfallen]], 838. Seán Mac Airt, The Annals of Innisfallen Dublin: 1951 available at [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100004/index.html UCC Celt Website].</ref>
* Approximate date &ndash; The [[Stone of Scone|Stone of Destiny]], an oblong block of red [[sandstone]], is placed at [[Scone Palace]] for the [[coronation]] of the first [[List of Scottish monarchs|monarchs of Scotland]].

==== Abbasid Caliphate ====
* January &ndash; [[Babak Khorramdin]], an Iranian military leader, is brutally executed by order of al-Mu'tasim.<ref>''The Golden Age of Islam'' by Maurice Lombard, p. 152. {{ISBN|1-55876-322-8}}.</ref>
* A conspiracy is discovered, led by General [[Ujayf ibn Anbasa]], to assassinate al-Mu'tasim while he is campaigning, and place his nephew [[Al-Abbas ibn al-Ma'mun]] on the throne. A widespread purge of the army follows, which cements the leading role of the [[Turkic peoples|Turkish]] slave-soldiers (''[[ghilman]]'') in the Abbasid military establishment. Ujayf is executed and Al-Abbas put in prison, where he dies.
* The [[Yazidis]] rise up against the Abbasids (approximate date).<ref>M. Th. Houtsma, 1993, E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936: Volume 4 - p. 1136, Brill.</ref>

=== By topic ===
==== Religion ====
* Possible conversion of some [[Khazars]] to [[Judaism]] (approximate date).</onlyinclude>