Tang Dynasty Táng Cháo 唐 朝 618–907 Ce
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◀ Taklimakan Desert Comprehensive index starts in volume 5, page 2667. Tang Dynasty Táng Cháo 唐 朝 618–907 ce The Tang dynasty (618– 907 ce) was a golden During Gaozu’s reign the Tang dynasty expanded and age of imperial China. Buddhism developed; consolidated the empire and established various institu- poetry flourished; money drafts were in- tions. Gaozu’s armies defeated several major rivals and vented. Political, legal, cultural, and economic completed the pacification of the country in 624. Gaozu basically continued the administrative institutions of the developments of the Tang dynasty influenced Sui dynasty. In the central government three agencies re- later dynasties. ported to the emperor (the Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Department of State Affairs, which were collec- tively known as the “Three Departments”). They served as he Tang dynasty (618– 907 ce), founded by Li the administrative core. Local administration consisted Yuan (also known by his temple name “Gaozu,” of two tiers: the inferior district and the superior pre- reigned 618– 626), marked one of the most glori- fecture. The military system of garrison militia (fubing) ous periods in China’s history. After the short-lived Sui combined agricultural and military duties. Gaozu revived dynasty (581–618 ce) the Tang dynasty ruled China for al- the civil service examination system to recruit govern- most three centuries, governing one of the most success- ment officials on the basis of merit, although aristocrats ful empires in the world at the time. With its government continued to be influential in dynastic politics. institutions, cultural achievements, legal establishments, Like that of the Sui, the Tang legal system consisted of economic developments, and territorial expansions the four major components: the Code, Statutes, Regulations, Tang dynasty exerted significant influence on later and Ordinances, which not only laid the foundation for Chinese dynasties and defined the identity of Chinese later dynasties of imperial China but also influenced the civilization. legal systems of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Gaozu’s second son Li Shimin (temple name “Taizong,” reigned 626–649) took the throne in a military Dynastic Politics coup. Taizong’s reign, traditionally known as the “era of good government,” was one of close personal interaction Li Yuan, who inherited the title of dynastic duke of Tang between the ruler and his Confucian advisers. Generally, during the Sui dynasty, was a member of a northern aris- Taizong developed and refined the policies of his father’s tocratic family who had intermarried with the ethnic reign, including revision of the law codes and expansion minority Xianbei tribal aristocracy. When the Sui dy- of the civil service examination system. He made particu- nasty collapsed in 617, Li seized the Sui capital Chang’an lar efforts to balance the political influence of the regional and ascended the throne in 618, thus founding the Tang aristocratic groups and to uphold the preeminent position dynasty. of his own clan, the Li. In foreign affairs Taizong subdued 2180 T © 2009 by Berkshire Publishing Group LLC Tang Dynasty n Táng Cháo n 唐朝 2181 the eastern Turks and began to expand Chinese power in formally became an “emperor,” the only woman sovereign central Asia. in China’s history. Some senior officials at court forced her to abdicate in 705 and restored the Tang dynasty. Li Longji (temple name “Xuanzong,” reigned 712–756) The Rise of Empress Wu took the throne by means of a series of political intrigues. The early years of his reign were the heyday of the Tang Taizong’s ninth son, Li Zhi (temple name “Gaozong,” dynasty, a time of institutional progress, economic pros- reigned 649– 683) ascended the throne at the age of perity, and cultural flowering. The most important change twenty-one. In the early years of his reign Gaozong relied occurred in the military. In the early Tang dynasty troops on advice from the statesmen of his father’s court and con- were organized through the fubing militia system, under tinued some reform programs. Gradually, however, Gao- which men of agricultural households served in the army zong’s court came to be dominated by Wu Zhao (627–710, on a rotation basis. Such a system proved inadequate to reigned 690– 705), one of the most remarkable women in defend the empire against threats from the highly mo- Chinese history. Born into a merchant family, Wu Zhao bile nomadic horsemen of the frontiers. Xuanzong’s had been a low-ranking concubine of Taizong who man- reign brought the development of professional soldiers aged to become Gaozong’s legitimate empress in 655. In who settled permanently in military colonies and a con- 660, when Gaozong suffered a stroke, the empress took sequent growth of the military commanders’ power. In charge of the central government. Over the next twenty the 740s some non-Chinese governors were appointed to years, while Empress Wu continued many of the policies take charge of certain strategic military domains, among of the former Tang rulers, she initiated some practices whom An Lushan, a professional soldier of Sogdian and to consolidate her position. For instance, she designated Turkish ethnic background, rose to prominence and later Luoyang as a second capital in 657 and took up perma- led a rebellion. nent residence there in 683, thus removing the political Under Xuanzong the aristocracy reasserted its politi- center from the base area of the northwestern aristocracy. cal dominance. Although under Empress Wu and in the Empress Wu also encouraged lower ranks of bureaucracy early years of Xuanzong’s government many chief minis- by creating new posts, providing more opportunities for ters had obtained their positions by passing the civil ser- advancement, and increasing salaries. In order to promote vice examinations, after the year 720 men of aristocratic the legitimacy of the dynasty, Empress Wu revived the origins increasingly received appointments. What com- ancient feng and shan sacrifices on Mount Tai (Taishan), plicated court politics more was that from the 740s, the the eastern holy peak in present-day Shandong Province, emperor refused to take an active interest in government and patronized Buddhism. affairs, being taken up by the charms of his concubine Under Gaozong and Empress Wu the Chinese contin- Yang Guifei, one of the most famous beauties in Chinese ued their efforts to extend and consolidate the empire. By history. Those close to the emperor strove to become the 661 they had defeated the western Turks and established power behind the throne; among them was An Lushan, a Chinese protectorate in the western regions. But the who rebelled against the Tang dynasty in 755. Chinese faced serious threats from Tibet. By the early seventh century Tibet had emerged as a unified state. Al- though Tibet became China’s tributary state under Song- An Lushan’s Rebellion tsen Gampo (reigned 620– 649), the Tibetans exerted constant pressure on present-day Qinghai and Sichuan The An Lushan rebellion (755– 763) marked a turning provinces. After Gaozong died in 683, Empress Wu, now point in the history of the Tang dynasty and indeed nearly the empress dowager, took control of the imperial succes- destroyed the dynasty. The rebel troops seized the Tang sion and purged her opponents at court by means of terror capitals Luoyang and Chang’an and controlled most of and a secret police force. In 690 she ascended the throne north China. Xuanzong fled to Sichuan Province. Al- and proclaimed a new dynasty, sometimes referred to as though An Lushan was assassinated by a subordinate in the second Zhou period (690 to 705). Empress Wu then 757, the rebellion continued for six more years. © 2009 by Berkshire Publishing Group LLC 2182 Berkshire Encyclopedia of China 宝 库 山 中 华 全 书 Eunuchs and labor on public works projects. This land and tax system remained in force until An Lushan’s rebellion. Although the rebellion was put down, the Chinese lost Gaozu also established mints and issued a new currency their grip on many frontier areas, including the western that remained standard throughout the Tang dynasty. regions. Within the Tang empire the political authority The Grand Canal, an extensive system of waterways that of the central government declined. Some northern re- was constructed during the Sui dynasty to link wealthy gions became virtually autonomous, and other regions south China with the Huang (Yellow) River valley, facili- fell under the control of military governors who enjoyed tated the Tang economic transactions as well as political enormous power in both military and civil matters. Under stability. Xianzong (reigned 805– 820) the Tang court regained a The Tang dynasty was cosmopolitan and open to great deal of control over the powerful provinces and put foreign influence. About 2 million people lived in the down several major rebellions in Sichuan Province, the capital Chang’an, the most populous city in the world at Yangzi (Chang) River delta, Hebei Province, and Shan- that time. A variety of foreign goods was displayed in the dong Province. Xianzong’s success, however, to a great marketplaces of the major cities, where Chinese mingled extent was based on the loyalty of his eunuchs, who con- with people from other Asian countries, including Japan, trolled the dynasty’s elite palace armies and supervised Korea, and India. Foreigners not only came to trade and the provincial administrations. Eunuchs began to play an study but also served as grooms, entertainers, dancers, increasing role in Tang politics under Daizong (reigned and musicians. Some foreign customs, such as playing 762– 779). They murdered Xianzong and determined polo, became fashionable. the succession of most subsequent young emperors. Al- The social structure of the Tang dynasty changed sig- though Wuzong (reigned 841– 846) temporarily revived nificantly after An Lushan’s rebellion.