756 CE
A year of upheaval and new beginnings, as the An Lushan Rebellion forced the Tang emperor to flee his capital while Abd al-Rahman I established an independent Umayyad emirate in Cordoba.
Politics & Power
- Abd al-Rahman I, a survivor of the Abbasid massacre of the Umayyad dynasty, established the independent Emirate of Cordoba in the Iberian Peninsula after defeating the existing governor, founding a dynasty that would rule al-Andalus for nearly three centuries.
- The An Lushan Rebellion, which had erupted in late 755, forced Tang Emperor Xuanzong to flee the capital Chang'an in a crisis that devastated China and led to the deaths of millions over the following years.
- The Donation of Pepin, originally promised in 754, was enforced this year when Pepin the Short conducted a second campaign against the Lombards and granted the conquered territories to Pope Stephen II, laying the foundation for the Papal States as a temporal political entity.
Climate & Environment
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 276 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
Population & Demographics
- World population is estimated to have been approximately 242 million.