6th century

The 6th century is the period from 501 through 600 in line with the Julian calendar. In the West, the century marks the end of Classical Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. The collapse of the Western Roman Empire late in the previous century left Europe fractured into many small Germanic kingdoms competing fiercely for land and wealth. From the upheaval the Franks rose to prominence and carved out a sizeable domain covering much of modern France and Germany. Meanwhile, the surviving Eastern Roman Empire began to expand under Emperor Justinian, who recaptured North Africa from the Vandals and attempted fully to recover Italy as well, in the hope of reinstating Roman control over the lands once ruled by the Western Roman Empire.

Millennium: 1st millennium
Centuries:
Timelines:
State leaders:
  • 5th century
  • 6th century
  • 7th century
Decades:
Categories: Births – Deaths
Establishments – Disestablishments

In its second Golden Age, the Sassanid Empire reached the peak of its power under Khosrau I in the 6th century.[1] The classical Gupta Empire of Northern India, largely overrun by the Huna, ended in the mid-6th century. In Japan, the Kofun period gave way to the Asuka period. After being divided for more than 150 years among the Southern and Northern Dynasties, China was reunited under the Sui dynasty toward the end of the 6th century. The Three Kingdoms of Korea persisted throughout the century. The Göktürks became a major power in Central Asia after defeating the Rouran.

In the Americas, Teotihuacan began to decline in the 6th century after having reached its zenith between AD 150 and 450. Classic Period of the Maya civilization in Central America.

Events

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

  • Dionysius Exiguus creates the Anno Domini system, inspired by the birth of Jesus, in 525. This is the system upon which the Gregorian calendar and Common Era systems are based.
  • The technology of cutting and polishing diamonds was invented in India, Ratnapariksha, a text dated to 6th century talks about diamond cutting.
  • Backgammon (nard) invented in Persia by Burzoe.
  • Chess, as chaturanga, entered Persia from India and was modified to shatranj.
  • Breast-strap horse harness in use in Frankish kingdom.
  • Byzantine Empire acquires silk technology from China.
  • Chen dynasty from China invents matches in 577.
  • Silk is a protected palace industry in the Byzantine Empire.
  • Vaghbata, Indian medical books.
  • In 589 AD, the Chinese scholar-official Yan Zhitui makes the first reference to the use of toilet paper in history.
  • Significant to the history of agriculture, the Chinese author Jia Sixia wrote the treatise Qi Min Yao Shu in 535, and although it quotes 160 previous Chinese agronomy books, it is the oldest existent Chinese agriculture treatise. In over one hundred thousand written Chinese characters, the book covered land preparation, seeding, cultivation, orchard management, forestry, animal husbandry, trade, and culinary uses for crops.

References

  1. Roberts, J: "History of the World.". Penguin, 1994.
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