Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty (唐朝
618-
907) followed
Sui Dynasty and preceded the
Five Dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms Period in
China. The dynasty was interrupted by the
Second Zhou Dynasty (690-705) when
Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne.
The Tang dynasty, with its capital at
Chang'an, the most populous city in the world at the time, is regarded by historians as a high point in Chinese civilization-- equal, or even superior, to the
Han period. Its territory, acquired through the military exploits of its early rulers, was greater than that of the Han. Stimulated by contact with
India and the
Middle East, the empire saw a flowering of creativity in many fields.
Buddhism, originating in India around the time of
Confucius, continued to flourish during the Tang period and was adopted by the imperial family, becoming thoroughly sinicized and a permanent part of Chinese traditional culture.
Block printing made the written word available to vastly greater audiences.
The Tang period was the golden age of
literature and
art. A government system supported by a large class of Confucian literati selected through civil service examinations was perfected under Tang rule. This competitive procedure was designed to draw the best talents into government. But perhaps an even greater consideration for the Tang rulers, aware that imperial dependence on powerful aristocratic families and warlords would have destabilizing consequences, was to create a body of career officials having no autonomous territorial or functional power base. As it turned out, these scholar-officials acquired status in their local communities, family ties, and shared values that connected them to the imperial court. From Tang times until the closing days of the
Qing empire in 1911, scholar officials functioned often as intermediaries between the grassroots level and the government.
By the middle of the
8th century, Tang power had ebbed. Military defeat in
751 by
Arabs at the
Battle of Talas marked end of Tang authority in
Central Asia. Domestic economic instability and subsequent
rebellions of
An Lushan and
warlordism marked the beginning of five centuries of steady military decline for the Tang empire. Misrule, court intrigues, economic exploitation, and popular rebellions weakened the empire, making it possible for warlord Zhu Wen to terminate the dynasty in
907. The next half-century saw the fragmentation of China into five northern dynasties and ten southern kingdoms.
Rulers of the Tang Dynasty
\n| Temple names | \nChinese family names and first namess | \nReigns | \nEra names and their according durations | \n
\n| Convention: "Tang" + temple name | \n
\n| ''Note: Wu Hou (武后 Wǔ Hòu) (Empress Wu) was posthumous name. | \n
\n| Gao Zu (高祖 Gāo Zǔ) | \nLi Yuan (李淵 Lǐ Yūan) | \n618-626 | \nWude (武德 Wǔ dé) 618-626
\n | \n
\n| Tai Zong (太宗 Tài Zōng) | \nLi Shi Min (李世民 Lǐ Shì Mín) | \n626-649 | \nZhenguan (貞觀 Zhēn gūan) 627-649
\n | \n
\n| (高宗 Gāo zōng) | \nLi Zhi (李治 Lǐ Zhì) | \n650-683 | \nYonghui (永徽 Yǒng hūi) 650-655
\n Xianqing (顯慶 Xiǎn qìng) 656-661
\n Longshuo (龍朔 Lóng shuò) 661-663
\n Linde (麟德 Lín dé) 664-665
\n Qianfeng (乾封 Qían fēng) 666-668
\n Zongzhang (總章 Zǒng zhāng) 668-670
\n Xianheng (咸亨 Xián hēng) 670-674
\n Shangyuan (上元 Shàng yuán) 674-676
\n Yifeng (儀鳳 Yí fèng) 676-679
\n Tiaolu (調露 Tiáo lù) 679-680
\n Yonglong (永隆 Yǒng lóng) 680-681
\n Kaiyao (開耀 Kāi yào) 681-682
\n Yongchun (永淳 Yǒng chún) 682-683
\n Hongdao (弘道 Hóng dào) 683
\n | \n
\n| Zhong Zong (中宗 Zhōng zōng), dismissed by Wu Hou | \nLi Xian (李顯 Lǐ Xiǎn) or Li Zhe (李哲 Lǐ zhé) | \n684, (also 705-710) | \nSisheng (嗣聖 Sì shèng) 684
\n | \n
\n| Rui Zong (睿宗 Rùi zōng), dismissed by Wu Hou | \nLi Dan (李旦 Lǐ dàn) | \n684, (also 710-712) | \nWenming (文明 Wén míng) 684
\n | \n
\n| Wu Hou (武后 Wǔ hòu) | \nWu Zetian (武則天 Wǔ Zé tiān) | \n684-705 | \nGuangzhai (光宅 Guāng zhái) 684
\n Chuigong (垂拱 Chuí gǒng) 685-688
\n Yongchang (永昌 Yǒng chāng) 689
\n Zaichu (載初 Zài chū) 690
\n | \n
\n| Zhou Dynasty (690 AD - 705 AD) | \n
\n| Continuation of Tang Dynasty | \n
\n| Zhong Zong (中宗 Zhōng zōng), retake the throne | \nLi Xian (李顯 Lǐ Xiǎn) or Li Zhe (李哲 Lǐ Zhé) | \n(also 684,) 705-710 | \nShenlong (神龍 Shén lóng) 705-707
\n Jinglong (景龍 Jǐng lóng) 707-710\n | \n
\n| Shao Di (少帝 Shào dì) see note below the table | \nLi Chong Mao (李重茂 Lǐ Chóng Mào) | \n710 | \nTanglong (唐隆 Táng lóng) 710 | \n \n
\n| (睿宗 Ruì zōng), retake the throne | \nLi Dan (李旦 Lǐ Dàn) | \n(also 684,) 710-712 | \nJingyun (景雲 Jǐng yún) 710-711
\n Taiji (太極 Tài jí) 712
\n Yanhe (延和 Yán hé) 712
\n | \n
\n| (玄宗 Xuán zōng) | \nLi Long Ji (李隆基 Lǐ Lóng Jī) | \n712-756 | \nXiantian (先天 Xiān tiān) 712-713
\n Kaiyuan (開元 Kāi yuán) 713-741
\n Tianbao (天寶 Tiān bǎo) 742-756
\n | \n
\n| (肅宗 Sù zōng) | \nLi Heng (李亨 Lǐ Hēng) | \n756-762 | \nJide (至德 Zhì dé) 756-758
\n Qianyuan (乾元 Qián yuán) 758-760
\n Shangyuan (上元 Shàng yuán) 760-761
\n | \n
\n| (代宗 Dài zōng) | \nLi Yu (李豫 Lǐ Yù) | \n762-779 | \nBaoying (寶應 Bǎo yìng) 762-763
\n Guangde (廣德 Guǎng dé) 763-764
\n Yongtai (永泰 Yǒng tài) 765-766
\n Dali (大曆 Dà lì) 766-779
\n | \n
\n| (德宗 Dé zōng) | \nLi Gua (李适 Lǐ Guā) | \n780-805 | \nJianzhong (建中 Jiàn zhōng) 780-783
\n Xingyuan (興元 Xīng yuán) 784
\n Zhenyuan (貞元 Zhēn yuán) 785-805
\n | \n
\n| Shun Zong (順宗 Shùn zōng) | \nLi Song (李誦 Lǐ sòng) | \n805 | \nYongzhen (永貞 Yǒng zhēn) 805
\n | \n
\n| (憲宗 Xiàn zōng) | \nLi Chun (李純 Lǐ chún) | \n806-820 | \nYuanhe (元和 Yuán hé) 806-820
\n | \n
\n| Mu Zong (穆宗 Mù zōng) | \nLi Heng (李恆 Lǐ héng) | \n821-824 | \nChangqing (長慶 Cháng qìng) 821-824
\n | \n
\n| Jing Zong (敬宗 Jìng zōng) | \nLi Zhan (李湛 Lǐ zhàn) | \n824-826 | \nBaoli (寶曆 Bǎo lì) 824-826
\n | \n
\n| Wen Zong (文宗 Wén zōng) | \nLi Ang (李昂 Lǐ áng) | \n826-840 | \nBaoli (寶曆 Bǎo lì) 826
\n Dahe (大和 Dà hé) or Taihe (Tài hé 太和) 827-835
\n Kaicheng (開成 Kāi chéng) 836-840
\n | \n
\n| (武宗 Wǔ zōng) | \nLi Ya (李炎 Lǐ yán) | \n840-846 | \nHuichang (會昌 Huì chāng) 841-846
\n | \n
\n| (宣宗 Xuān zōng) | \nLi Chen (李忱 Lǐ chén) | \n846-859 | \nDachong (大中 Dà chōng) 847-859
\n | \n
\n| Yi Zong (懿宗 Yì zōng) | \nLi Cui (李漼 Lǐ cuǐ) | \n859-873 | \nDachong (大中 Dà chōng) 859
\n Xiantong (咸通 Xián tōng) 860-873
\n | \n
\n| Xi Zong (僖宗 Xī zōng) | \nLi Xuan (李儇 Lǐ xuān) | \n873-888 | \nXiantong (咸通 Xián tōng) 873-874
\n Qianfu (乾符 Qián fú) 874-879
\n Guangming (廣明 Guǎng míng) 880-881
\n Zhonghe (中和 Zhōng hé) 881-885
\n Guangqi (光啟 Guāng qǐ) 885-888
\n Wende (文德 Wén dé) 888
\n | \n
\n| Zhao Zong (昭宗 Zhāo zōng) | \nLi Ye (李曄 Lǐ yè) | \n888-904 | \nLongji (龍紀 Lóng jì) 889
\n Dashun (大順 Dà shùn) 890-891
\n Jingfu (景福 Jǐng fú) 892-893
\n Qianning (乾寧 Qián níng) 894-898
\n Guanghua (光化 Guāng huà) 898-901
\n Tianfu (天復 Tiān fù) 901-904
\n Tianyou (天佑 Tiān yòu) 904
\n | \n
\n| Ai di (哀帝 Aī dì) or Zhaoxuan di昭宣帝 Zhāo xuān Dì see note below | \nLi Zhu (李柷 Lǐ zhù) | \n904-907 | \nTianyou (天佑 Tiān yòu) 904-907
\n | \n
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