9th century facts for kids

The 9th century was a period in history that lasted from the year 801 to 900. During these 100 years, many important things happened around the world, from the rise of powerful empires to new inventions and discoveries.

Major Events of the 9th Century

Eastern Hemisphere at the start of the 9th century.

Eastern Hemisphere at the end of the 9th century.

• The Maya Classical Era in Central America began to decline, though we don't know exactly why.
• The famous epic poem, Beowulf, might have been written down during this century.
• Charlemagne was a very important ruler in Western Europe. His time is known as the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of renewed interest in art, culture, and learning.
• The Vikings started their large-scale attacks on Europe, exploring and raiding many lands.
• The Oseberg Ship burial, a well-preserved Viking ship, took place.
• The Magyars, a group of people from Central Asia, began to conquer the area known as Pannonia, which is now part of Hungary.
• Muslim traders started to settle in parts of Madagascar.

Key Dates and Happenings

• 800: Charlemagne was crowned emperor of Rome by Pope Leo III. This was a huge moment for Europe.
• 802: Jayavarman II founded the Khmer Empire in Cambodia, starting a powerful new dynasty.
• 803: The amazing Leshan Giant Buddha in China was finished. It took 90 years to carve this huge statue into a cliff!
• 814: Charlemagne passed away in Aachen.
• 827 – 902: The Aghlabid dynasty took over parts of Sicily and raided Southern Italy.
• 830: The House of Wisdom was created in Baghdad. This was a huge library and learning center where scholars translated important books from Greek, Persian, and Indian languages into Arabic. It was here that Al-Khwarizmi wrote a key book on algebra.
• 841: The city of Dublin in Ireland was founded by the Vikings.
• 843: After the death of Louis the Pious, Charlemagne's son, his three sons divided the Carolingian Empire into three parts with the Treaty of Verdun. This shaped the future countries of France and Germany.
• 845: Buddhism was banned in China for a time.
• 848 – 852: A new defensive wall was built around parts of Rome to protect the city.
• 850 – 875: The first Norsemen (people from Scandinavia) arrived in Iceland.
• 859: The University of al-Qarawiyyin was founded in Fez, Morocco. It's one of the oldest universities in the world!
• 862: The Rurikids dynasty began in Russia.
• 864: Bulgaria officially became a Christian country under Boris I of Bulgaria.
• 869: A large earthquake and tsunami hit Japan's Sanriku Coast, causing a lot of damage.
• 870: Prague Castle was founded in what is now the Czech Republic.
• 871 – 899: Alfred the Great ruled as King of Wessex in England. He was famous for defending his kingdom against the Vikings.
• 878: Alfred the Great won a major victory against the Danish Vikings at the Battle of Edington.
• 885: The Cyrillic Alphabet, which is used in many Slavic languages today, began to develop in Bulgaria.
• Late 9th century: The Christian kingdom of Nubia in Africa reached its strongest point.
• Harald Fairhair united Norway into one kingdom after winning the battle of Hafrsfjord.
• The game of Chess reached Japan.
• The Medieval Warm Period began, a time when temperatures were warmer than usual in some parts of the world.
• 900: The Laguna Copperplate Inscription, an important historical document from the Philippines, was written.

Important People of the 9th Century

Charlemagne (left) and Pippin the Hunchback.

Saint Clement of Ohrid

• Alfred the Great: A famous king of Wessex who fought against the Vikings.
• Charlemagne: A powerful emperor who united much of Western Europe.
• Krum: A strong Khan (ruler) of Bulgaria who fought against the Byzantine Empire.
• Louis the Pious: Charlemagne's son, whose empire was divided after his death.
• Saints Cyril and Methodius: Two brothers who helped spread Christianity and develop a new alphabet for Slavic languages.
• Simeon I of Bulgaria: A powerful ruler who made Bulgaria a strong empire.
• Harald Fairhair: The first king to unite Norway.
• Emperor Xianzong of Tang: A Chinese emperor who helped reunite China.

New Ideas and Discoveries

• The first image of a rotary grindstone (a tool for sharpening) with a crank appeared in Europe. This was an early use of a crank in the West.
• The Diamond Sutra, the first known printed book, was made in China using woodblock printing in 868 AD.
• Gunpowder was invented by Chinese Taoist alchemists. They were looking for ways to live forever, but instead found something that would change warfare forever!
• Vulgar Latin, the everyday language spoken by people in the Roman Empire, started to change into the different Romance languages we know today, like Spanish, French, and Italian.
• Two new writing systems, called kana, were created in Japan from simplified Chinese characters.

Images for kids

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  Bronzes made around the 9th century, found at Igbo-Ukwu.

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  The Borobudur temple in Indonesia was likely finished around 825 AD.

See also

In Spanish: Siglo IX para niños