971

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Quick Facts

971 in various calendars
Gregorian calendar	971 CMLXXI
Ab urbe condita	1724
Armenian calendar	420 ԹՎ ՆԻ
Assyrian calendar	5721
Balinese saka calendar	892–893
Bengali calendar	377–378
Berber calendar	1921
Buddhist calendar	1515
Burmese calendar	333
Byzantine calendar	6479–6480
Chinese calendar	庚午年 (Metal Horse) 3668 or 3461 — to — 辛未年 (Metal Goat) 3669 or 3462
Coptic calendar	687–688
Discordian calendar	2137
Ethiopian calendar	963–964
Hebrew calendar	4731–4732
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	1027–1028
- Shaka Samvat	892–893
- Kali Yuga	4071–4072
Holocene calendar	10971
Iranian calendar	349–350
Islamic calendar	360–361
Japanese calendar	Tenroku 2 (天禄２年)
Javanese calendar	872–873
Julian calendar	971 CMLXXI
Korean calendar	3304
Minguo calendar	941 before ROC 民前941年
Nanakshahi calendar	−497
Seleucid era	1282/1283 AG
Thai solar calendar	1513–1514
Tibetan calendar	ལྕགས་ཕོ་རྟ་ལོ་ (male Iron-Horse) 1097 or 716 or −56 — to — ལྕགས་མོ་ལུག་ལོ་ (female Iron-Sheep) 1098 or 717 or −55

Battle of Dorostolon: A Byzantine expeditionary army (possibly 30–40,000 men) attacks the Bulgarian frontier, personally led by Emperor John I. He lays siege to the fortress city of Dorostolon (located on the Lower Danube), and is reinforced by a fleet of 300 ships equipped with Greek fire.^[1] The Kievan Rus' and their Bulgarian allies are reduced to extremities by famine. After a 3-month siege, Grand Prince Sviatoslav I agrees to sign a peace treaty with the Byzantines, whereby he renounces his interests towards Bulgarian lands and the city of Chersonesos in Crimea. Sviatoslav is allowed to evacuate his army to Berezan Island, while the Byzantines enter Dorostolon. John renames the city Theodoropolis (named after the reigning Empress Theodora).^[2]
John I returns in triumph to Constantinople. He brings along Boris II, ruler (tsar) of the Bulgarian Empire, and his family, together with the contents of the Bulgarian imperial treasury. Boris is given the Byzantine 'court title' of magistros as compensation. The Bulgarian lands in Thrace and Lower Moesia become part of the Byzantine Empire.

Otto I 'the Great', Holy Roman Emperor, appoints his imperial secretary Willigis as chancellor (guardian of the emperor's seal), an office formerly held by Otto's brother, Archbishop Bruno I.

King Cuilén (or Cuilean) is killed by Britons after a 6-year reign. He is succeeded by his nephew Kenneth II, as ruler of Alba (Scotland). He will not be sole king until 977.

Battle of Alexandretta: The Byzantines defeat a Fatimid force (4,000 men) near Alexandretta (modern Turkey), while the main Fatimid army is besieging the fortress city of Antioch. Coupled with news of an advance against Damascus of the Qarmatians, the Fatimids are forced to lift the siege and withdraw to Egypt.
First Qarmatian invasion of Egypt: The Qarmatians under al-Hasan al-A'sam invade Syria, recently conquered by the Fatimid Caliphate, capturing Damascus and Ramla, defeating a major Fatimid army and blockading another in Jaffa. A subsequent invasion of Egypt leads to widespread anti-Fatimid revolts in the Nile Delta, but the delay allows the Fatimid general Jawhar to prepare his defences, leading to the decisive Qarmatian at Ayn Shams on 24 December and the collapse of the invasion.^[3]

Emperor Aditya Chola II, co-regent of the Chola dynasty (modern India), is murdered and succeeded by Uttama. Due to his immaturity, Arunmozhi Varman becomes the heir apparent.

January 23 – A war elephant corps of the Southern Han is defeated at Shao, by crossbow fire from Song dynasty troops. The Southern Han Kingdom is forced to submit to the Song dynasty. Ending Southern Han rule, but also the first regular war elephant corps employed in a Chinese army, that had gained the Southern Han victories throughout the 10th century.

The grave of Swithun, Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester, is moved into an indoor shrine (he was previously buried outside) in the Old Minster. The ceremony is said to have been marred by 40 days of torrential rain.

Events