TANG DYNASTY 618-907

 

TANG DYNASTY 618-907

The Li family founded the dynasty after taking advantage of a period of Sui decline and precipitating their final collapse, in turn inaugurating a period of progress and stability in the first half of the dynasty's rule. The dynasty was formally interrupted during 690–705 when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne, proclaiming the Wu Zhou dynasty and becoming the only legitimate Chinese empress regnant. The An Lushan rebellion (755–763) led to devastation and the decline of central authority during the latter half of the dynasty.

Yang Guifei (died 756, Mawei, Sichuan province, China) was a notorious beauty and concubine of the great Tang emperor Xuanzong (reigned 712–756). Because of her, the emperor is said to have neglected his duties, and the Tang dynasty (618–907) was greatly weakened by a rebellion that ensued.

 

Founding of the dynasty

The first Tang emperor, Li Yuan, known by his temple name, Gaozu, began as a contender for the rule of the Sui, of which he had been an official. He overcame various rivals and rebels, and by 621 he controlled China’s eastern plain; in 624 he added most of the rest of North and South China, although some rebels remained in the North throughout the dynasty. He directed many complex military operations in his tenure and established the basic institutions of the Tang state. He emulated the first Sui emperor in establishing a highly competent bureaucracy, and he adopted the same pattern of local administration.

Poster for the 1955 Japanese film Princess Yang Kwei-Fei

Because the state was bankrupt, the administration was kept small, simple, and cheap. The land-distribution system of the Sui was adopted to give every taxable male a plot and to minimize the number of large estates, and Li Yuan also took on the Sui system of taxation. He created mints and established a copper coinage that lasted throughout the dynasty. He recodified the laws with stated penalties for specific acts and provided for their review every 20 years.

The Tang dynasty (618–907) is considered a golden age in Chinese history. It succeeded the short-lived Sui dynasty (581–618), which reunified China after almost four hundred years of fragmentation. The Tang benefited from the foundations the Sui had laid, and they built a more enduring state on the political and governmental institutions the Sui emperors established. Known for its strong military power, successful diplomatic relationships, economic prosperity, and cosmopolitan culture, Tang China was, without doubt, one of the greatest empires in the medieval world.

During the Tang dynasty, China stretched its territory (including the protectorate states) from the Korean peninsula in the east, to the steppes of Mongolia in the north, to present-day Afghanistan in the west, and to northern Vietnam in the south. Tang secured peace and safety on overland trade routes—the Silk Road—that reached as far as Rome. Merchants, diplomats, and pilgrims came from all over East and Central Asia. They brought with them new religions, ideas, and cultural practices that were eagerly embraced by Tang elite circles. The two capital cities of Chang’an and Luoyang were flooded with foreigners from different parts of the world.

Emperor Gaozu   618 – 626

Emperor Taizong 627 – 649

Emperor Gaozong  650 – 683

 Emperor Zhongzong  683, 705 - 710

Emperor Ruizong  684 – 690, 710 - 712

Wu Zetian  690 – 705

Emperor Shaodi 710

Emperor Xuanzong 712 – 756

Emperor Suzong 756 - 762

 Emperor Daizong 762 – 779

Emperor Dezong  780 – 805

Emperor Shunzong 805

Emperor Xianzong (778 – 820)

 Emperor Muzong 821 - 824

Emperor Jingzong 824 – 826

Emperor Wenzong  826 – 840

Emperor Wuzong 840 – 846

Emperor Xuanzong 846 – 859

Emperor Yizong  859 – 873

Emperor Xizong  873 – 888

Emperor Zhaozong  888 – 904

 Emperor Aidi 904 – 907