Tang Dynasty Map 
Tang Dynasty Map With Boundaries
Tang Dynasty
One of the greatest epochs in Chinese history was during the rule of the Tang Dynasty. It is considered a pinnacle of prominence and wealth and some historians claim that it was equivalent to, or maybe even greater than the times during the Han period.
Dates of Power:
The Tang Dynasty ruled for 290 years, from AD 618 to 907.
Reason for Take-over:
The Tang Dynasty was one that ruled after the Sui Dynasty (581 - 618), and throughout the late stages of the Sui Dynasty, the country was suffering as a result of their despotic ruler Emperor Yang. He had ordered numerous conquests those of which killed many Sui soldiers and also had campaigns against a kingdom of Korea, which left the empire insolvent. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Yang_of_Sui) There were uprisings due to unhappy peasants and Li Yuan, the chief officer of Taiyuan, raised an army of his own in May 617 AD. In November 617 AD, the army captured Chang’an, the capital city, and while Li Yuan proclaimed himself Prime Minister and King of Tang, there was a new monarch, Emperor Gong. After Gong was killed, Li Yuan took this incident as a reason to proclaim himself as the Emperor of Tang. (http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/tang/)
Leaders of the Civilization:
During the rule of the Tang Dynasty, there were a series of 24 emperors and some are remembered more than others. The following names are of those emperors that were either connected to certain Flourishing Ages, or remembered as intelligent and diplomatic rulers. Li Shimin, Wu Zetian, Li Xian, Li Longji, and Li Chan (Yan) were all emperors that are renowned with greatness. (http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC030285/emperors.html)
Leader of another Civilization:
Charles Martel was the leader of the Franks (France) and he was a significant player of the eighth century Battle of Tours, which took place in AD 732 and resulted in balancing the power between Islam, Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire. (http://www.authorama.com/famous-men-of-the-middle-ages-11.html)
Accomplishments:
This era is commonly known as China’s Golden Age because there were numerous achievements that benefited the people and the Country. There were significant advances in Math, Astronomy, Agriculture, Medicine, Geography, Architecture, Ceramics and Book printing. Many people began to explore the sun and moon movements, while others studied the constellations in depth. Mathematicians figured out solutions to third degree equations and many more math books were written. A new technique called curved shaft ploughing allowed more crops to be planted. They even had a sophisticated irrigation system which allowed many goods to be transported. Medical improvements included improvements in dentistry and also they discovered the blood circuit and made further hypotheses about the Digestive System. (http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Tang/tang-tech.html) There weren’t many changes in Architecture, but new architectural styles were brought to China by the Buddhist monks and they used it for monastery designs. There was a great leap in the field of Ceramics with glazing. Porcelain and earthenware flourished as new technology and techniques were used. (http://www.oldandsold.com/articles03/china_ceramics5.shtml) One of the most important inventions during the Tang period was the invention of book printing. It was first used by Buddhist monks to spread sermons and illustrations in a cheap and easy way. This art was later adopted by many others because it was efficient and cheap. The nine “Confucian Classics” first existed in carved characters, but then in 953, these were printed and they resulted in a revival of Confucianism. (http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Tang/tang-tech.html).
There was an interesting change in the government which was that China had their first female empress. Her name was Wu Zetian and it was an incident that changed the views of many men. It was against Confucianism for women to rule, but she proved that women could rule successfully. The women's status had increased and the were taken more seriously during Wu Zetian's rule. It was a big step in proving equality between males and females. (http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/heroine6.html)
Some religions that arose during the Tang Dynasty were Daoism, Taoism, Islam and one of the most prominent religions was Buddhism. It was followed by a large number of people. Many books were written about Buddhism such as "Forest of Gems in the Garden of Law" by Daoshi, and many people held a strong belief in it. (http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Tang/tang-religion.html)
Huge steps were taken during the Tang Dynasty that influenced not only the people of that period, but also helped to build a strong base for dynasties to come. These advances began new research and curiosity arose within the people.
Fall of Tang Dynasty:
Emperor Xuanzong became a poor leader as he grew older. He was influenced by his concubine Yang Yuhuan. He made bad decisions and appointed some chancellors who were not good advisors. They made ad judgments and ruined the political system. In 755, An Lushan and Shi Siming started a rebellion (An Shi Rebellion) and it had a negative effect on the civilization because it lasted about 8 years. Slowly, the dynasty became weaker due to growing unhappiness within the people. Emperors that followed were incompetent and there were many struggles of powere between the people of government. (http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/tang/ ). The unrest didn’t end and in 859, Huang Chao was followed by a great number of peasants and went against the dynasty. In 907, Chancellor Zhu Quanzhong forced Emperor Ai (the last Tang Emperor) to abdicate his rule. Zhu Quanzhong changed the state title into Liang and that was the end of the rule of the Tang Dynasty. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Dynasty)
Bibliography
- "Tang Dynasty." Tang Dynasty. 10 Jan. 2008
- "Emperor Yang of Sui." Emperor Yang of Sui. 10 Jan. 2008. 11 Jan. 2008
- "Emperors of Tang Dynasty." LESPHS. 11 Jan. 2008
- Philipp Lenssen. "Charles Martel, 714-741 a.D. and Pepin, 741-768 a.D." Famous Men of the Middle Ages. Authorama. 11 Jan. 2008
- Theobal, Ulrich. "Chinese History - Tang." 2000. 11 Jan. 2008
- "Tang Dynasty." 15 Jan. 2008. 9 Jan. 2008
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