The world in 800

In 800, the timeline shows 102 states, empires and colonies and 117 peoples across 12 regions. The most significant include Republic of Venice, Byzantine Empire, Ghana Empire (Wagadu), Kingdom of Aksum, Swahili city-states, Srivijaya, Moche (Mochica) and Tiwanaku.

See 800 on the interactive chart

What was happening around 800

780 Sailendras begin Borobudur, Southeast Asia. Sailendra rulers begin Borobudur in central Java around 780, and it is finished around 833. The world's largest Buddhist temple, it has 2,672 relief panels and originally 504 Buddha statues.
793 Viking raid on Lindisfarne, Europe. Norse raiders sack the monastery of Lindisfarne off Northumbria, the conventional start of the Viking Age.
800 Charlemagne crowned emperor, Europe. Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne emperor of the Romans in Saint Peter's on Christmas Day, reviving the imperial title in the west.

Central and Southern Africa

Eastern Bantu-speaking farmers c. 1000 BCE to 1300 CE
Western Bantu-speaking farmers c. 500 BCE to 1400 CE
Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1600 CE
Central African forest foragers c. 3200 BCE to the present
San hunter-gatherers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Khoisan hunter-gatherers c. 3200 BCE to 1100 CE
Khoekhoe herders c. 100 BCE to 1904 CE
Bantu farmers of the Congo basin c. 500 BCE to 1500 CE
Iron Age farmers of South Africa c. 400 to 1300 CE
Iron Age farmers of the Zambezi c. 200 to 1000 CE
Austronesian settlers of Madagascar c. 400 to 1100 CE
East African hunter-gatherers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Coastal Bantu farmers (Kwale ware) c. 100 to 800 CE
Kisalian culture c. 700 to 1200 CE

North and West Africa

Ghana Empire (Wagadu) c. 300 to 1200 CE
Kingdom of Aksum c. 100 to 960 CE
Makuria c. 450 to 1470 CE
Kanem Empire c. 700 to 1387 CE
Medjay, Blemmyes and Beja nomads c. 2300 BCE to the present
Cushitic-speaking peoples c. 2000 BCE to the present
Sahelian cereal farmers c. 1500 BCE to the present
West African yam and oil palm farmers c. 1500 BCE to the present
Amazigh (Berber) tribes c. 1400 BCE to the present
Sao culture c. 500 BCE to 1600 CE
Coptic Christians c. 300 CE to the present
Saharan camel nomads (Sanhaja and Tuareg) c. 300 CE to the present
Jenne-Jeno (Middle Niger towns) c. 250 BCE to 1400 CE
Chadic-speaking farmers c. 700 CE to the present
Alodia c. 500 to 1504 CE
Takrur c. 500 to 1285 CE
Kingdom of Gao c. 800 to 1430 CE
Barghawata 744 to 1058 CE
Emirate of Nekor c. 710 to 1015 CE
Igbo-Ukwu c. 800 to 1100 CE
Arab caliphal Egypt 641 to 868 CE
Midrarids of Sijilmasa c. 758 to 976 CE
Idrisids 788 to 974 CE
Rustamids 777 to 909 CE
Umayyad and Abbasid Ifriqiya 670 to 800 CE
Aghlabids 800 to 909 CE

Europe

Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE
Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE
Viking Age Norse c. 793 to 1066 CE
Carolingian Empire 751 to 843 CE
Gaelic Ireland c. 500 BCE to 1607 CE
Papal States 756 to 1870 CE
Kingdom of Wessex c. 519 to 927 CE
Kingdom of Mercia c. 527 to 918 CE
First Bulgarian Empire 681 to 1018 CE
Khazar Khaganate c. 650 to 969 CE
Avar Khaganate c. 567 to 822 CE
Emirate of Cordoba 756 to 929 CE
Sami people c. 1000 BCE to the present
Basques c. 500 BCE to the present
Baltic Finnic tribes c. 500 BCE to 1250 CE
Baltic tribes c. 150 to 1290 CE
Volga Finnic peoples c. 50 to 1100 CE
Kingdom of Gwynedd c. 500 to 1216 CE
Kingdom of Powys c. 450 to 1160 CE
West Slavic tribes c. 500 to 1160 CE
Old Saxons c. 150 to 804 CE
Kingdom of Strathclyde c. 450 to 1030 CE
Picts c. 297 to 843 CE
Duchy and Principality of Benevento c. 571 to 1077 CE
County of Toulouse c. 778 to 1271 CE
East Slavic tribes c. 500 to 882 CE
Kingdom of Kent c. 455 to 825 CE
Kingdom of East Anglia c. 550 to 918 CE
Dal Riata c. 500 to 850 CE
Kingdom of Sussex c. 477 to 827 CE
Kingdom of Northumbria c. 654 to 954 CE
South Slavic tribes c. 550 to 850 CE
Kingdom of Essex c. 527 to 825 CE
Kingdom of Asturias c. 718 to 924 CE

Middle East

Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE
Abbasid Caliphate 750 to 1258 CE
Khazar Khaganate c. 650 to 969 CE
Arab Bedouin tribes c. 900 BCE to the present
Kurdish tribes and emirates c. 640 CE to the present
Caucasian Albania c. 150 BCE to 822 CE
Bavandids 651 to 1349 CE
Ibadi Imamate of Oman c. 751 to 1154 CE
Emirate of Tbilisi 736 to 1122 CE
Principality of Iberia 588 to 888 CE
Arminiya (Arab Armenia) 654 to 884 CE
Kingdom of Abkhazia c. 778 to 1008 CE

South Asia

Anuradhapura Kingdom c. 377 BCE to 1017 CE
Pallava dynasty c. 275 to 897 CE
Pala Empire c. 750 to 1161 CE
Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty c. 730 to 1036 CE
Rashtrakuta dynasty 753 to 982 CE
Munda-speaking peoples c. 1500 BCE to the present
Tibeto-Burman hill peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Vedda people c. 900 BCE to the present
Eastern Iranian peoples c. 1500 BCE to 1000 CE
Kingdom of Mewar c. 728 to 1948 CE
Kamarupa c. 350 to 1140 CE
Western Ganga dynasty c. 350 to 1000 CE
Chahamanas of Shakambhari c. 551 to 1194 CE
Licchavi dynasty of Nepal c. 400 to 879 CE
Eastern Chalukyas c. 624 to 1070 CE
Pandya dynasty (first empire) c. 590 to 920 CE
Arab Sindh c. 712 to 1025 CE
Karkota dynasty c. 625 to 855 CE
Turk Shahis c. 665 to 822 CE

Central and North Asia

Kingdom of Khotan c. 300 BCE to 1006 CE
Uyghur Khaganate 744 to 840 CE
Hunter-fishers of western Siberia before 3200 BCE to 1000 CE
Yukaghir peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Chukchi, Koryak and Itelmen peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Evenki and Even reindeer herders c. 500 CE to the present
Okhotsk culture c. 500 to 1200 CE
Afrighid dynasty c. 305 to 995 CE
Yenisei Kyrgyz c. 550 to 1207 CE
Punuk culture c. 800 to 1300 CE
Kurykans c. 550 to 1000 CE
Oghuz Yabgu State c. 750 to 1055 CE
Kimek Khaganate c. 743 to 1035 CE
Karluk Yabghu c. 756 to 940 CE
Umayyad and Abbasid Transoxiana 705 to 819 CE

East Asia

Tang dynasty 618 to 907 CE
Heian period 794 to 1185 CE
Unified Silla 668 to 935 CE
Balhae (Bohai) 698 to 926 CE
Tibetan Empire 618 to 842 CE
Nanzhao 738 to 902 CE
Formosan Austronesian peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Qiang peoples c. 1250 BCE to the present
Mohe c. 400 to 926 CE
Satsumon culture c. 700 to 1200 CE
Emishi c. 450 to 850 CE

Southeast Asia

Austronesian peoples c. 2200 BCE to 900 CE
Srivijaya c. 650 to 1377 CE
Champa c. 192 to 1832 CE
Pyu city-states c. 200 BCE to 1050 CE
Dvaravati c. 600 to 1050 CE
Third Chinese domination (Sui and Tang) 602 to 938 CE
Medang Kingdom (Mataram) c. 732 to 1016 CE
Chenla c. 550 to 802 CE
Sailendra dynasty c. 750 to 850 CE
Philippine Negrito foragers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Orang Asli (Semang and Senoi) c. 1800 BCE to the present
Dayak peoples of Borneo c. 1000 BCE to the present
Plain of Jars culture c. 1000 BCE to 1200 CE
Langkasuka c. 100 to 1400 CE
Kutai Martadipura c. 399 to 1635 CE
Lavo Kingdom c. 650 to 1388 CE
Haripunjaya c. 660 to 1292 CE

North America

Ancestral Puebloans c. 750 to 1300 CE
Dorset culture c. 500 BCE to 1300 CE
Pacific Northwest peoples c. 500 CE to the present
Mogollon culture c. 200 to 1450 CE
Hohokam c. 300 to 1450 CE
Unangan (Aleut) peoples c. 2500 BCE to the present
Northern Archaic tradition before 3200 BCE to 1000 CE
Dene (Northern Athabaskan) peoples c. 750 BCE to the present
Belle Glade culture c. 1000 BCE to 1700 CE
Caloosahatchee culture 500 BCE to 1750 CE
Woodland period cultures c. 1000 BCE to 1000 CE
Norton tradition c. 1000 BCE to 800 CE
Chumash c. 500 CE to the present
California peoples (Ohlone, Miwok, Pomo, Tongva) c. 500 CE to the present
Plains Woodland cultures c. 500 BCE to 950 CE
Laurel complex c. 350 BCE to 1000 CE
Fremont culture c. 1 to 1300 CE
Caddo confederacies c. 800 to 1859 CE
Birnirk culture c. 600 to 1200 CE
Coles Creek culture 700 to 1200 CE

Mesoamerica and Caribbean

Classic Maya civilization c. 250 to 900 CE
Chibchan chiefdoms (Costa Rica and Panama) c. 500 BCE to 1570 CE
Zapotec state (Monte Albán) c. 500 BCE to 850 CE
Tikal (Mutal) c. 90 to 900 CE
Kaan kingdom (Calakmul) c. 400 to 900 CE
Chichen Itza c. 750 to 1100 CE
Gran Coclé chiefdoms c. 1200 BCE to 1520 CE
Guayabo de Turrialba c. 1000 BCE to 1400 CE
Greater Nicoya cultures c. 500 BCE to 1522 CE
Cholula c. 300 BCE to 1519 CE
Kaminaljuyu c. 800 BCE to 800 CE
Chalchihuites culture c. 100 to 1250 CE
La Quemada c. 300 to 1200 CE
Diquís culture c. 700 to 1530 CE
Lucayan Taíno c. 800 to 1520 CE
Trincheras tradition c. 750 to 1450 CE
El Tajín (Classic Veracruz) c. 600 to 1200 CE
Ostionoid culture c. 600 to 1200 CE
Caracol 331 to 859 CE
Copan 426 to 822 CE
Puuc cities (Uxmal) c. 700 to 1000 CE
Xochicalco c. 650 to 900 CE

South America

Moche (Mochica) c. 100 to 800 CE
Tiwanaku c. 400 to 1000 CE
Tupi-Guarani peoples c. 500 CE to the present
Marajoara culture c. 400 to 1400 CE
Nazca culture c. 100 BCE to 800 CE
Muisca Confederation c. 800 to 1540 CE
Wari Empire c. 600 to 1000 CE
Fuegian canoe peoples (Yaghan, Kawésqar) before 3200 BCE to the present
Sambaqui shell-mound builders before 3200 BCE to 1000 CE
Jê peoples c. 1 CE to the present
Patagonian peoples (Tehuelche, Selk'nam) c. 1 CE to the present
Zenú culture c. 200 BCE to 1535 CE
Tairona c. 200 to 1600 CE
Quimbaya culture c. 100 BCE to 1000 CE
San Agustín culture c. 1 to 900 CE
Chachapoya culture c. 800 to 1470 CE
Sicán (Lambayeque) c. 750 to 1375 CE
Tierradentro culture c. 600 to 900 CE
Aguada culture c. 600 to 900 CE

Oceania

Aboriginal Australian peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Papuan farmers and foragers before 3200 BCE to the present
Kuk Swamp agriculture before 3200 BCE to 1900 CE
Ancestral Polynesian society c. 888 BCE to 1000 CE
Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Uninhabited c. 3200 BCE to 1280 CE
Uninhabited c. 3200 BCE to 1000 CE
Torres Strait Islanders c. 500 BCE to the present
Island Melanesian societies c. 500 BCE to the present
Pre-Latte Chamorro c. 1500 BCE to 900 CE
Fijian chiefdoms c. 500 BCE to 1874 CE
Eastern Micronesian islanders c. 200 BCE to the present

Questions

What countries existed in 800?

The timeline shows 102 states, empires and colonies alive in 800. Among the most significant: Republic of Venice, Byzantine Empire, Ghana Empire (Wagadu), Kingdom of Aksum, Swahili city-states, Srivijaya, Moche (Mochica) and Tiwanaku. The full list by region is on this page.

What was happening in the world in 800?

Within 25 years of 800, the timeline records Sailendras begin Borobudur (780), Viking raid on Lindisfarne (793) and Charlemagne crowned emperor (800).

Which empires existed in 800?

Byzantine Empire, Ghana Empire (Wagadu), Kingdom of Aksum, Srivijaya, Abbasid Caliphate, Tang dynasty, Carolingian Empire, Kanem Empire, Pala Empire and Wari Empire.

Where do these dates come from?

Each row's dates were checked against the sources listed on that row's own page, mostly English Wikipedia articles, which cite the underlying scholarship. Dates that are uncertain are marked c.