The world in 601 AD — what happened that year

7 events the sources record for this year, grouped by region.

What happened

The Turks attacked Heng'an; Pillar of State Han Hong resisted, but the imperial army was defeated. (Book of Sui (Suishu), Imperial Annals 隋書卷002 帝紀仁壽1年1月)
The Imperial College was reduced to seventy students; the Grand Academy, the Four Gates Academy and the prefectural and county schools were all abolished. (Book of Sui (Suishu), Imperial Annals 隋書卷002 帝紀仁壽1年6月)

Augustine sent the priest Laurentius and the monk Peter to Rome to report to the pope and receive answers to his questions. (Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People Bede HE 1.27)
The pope sent Augustine the pallium, a letter, and reinforcements including Mellitus. (Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People Bede HE 1.29)
The pope sent with Mellitus, who was going to Britain, a letter ordering that pagan temples not be destroyed but converted into churches. (Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People Bede HE 1.30)
The pope sent a letter and gifts to King Ethelbert. (Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People Bede HE 1.32)

Augustine repaired the church of the Saviour and founded the monastery of Saints Peter and Paul; the first abbot was Peter. (Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People Bede HE 1.33)