Also considered the golden age of Chinese history, the Tang dynasty was founded by Li Yuan who seized power during the decline of the Sui dynasty. He furthered the a

Also considered the golden age of Chinese history, the Tang dynasty was founded by Li Yuan who seized power during the decline of the Sui dynasty. He furthered the administration systems created by Sui rulers and stabilized the political institutions. He also expanded the territory through military campaigns and tactful diplomacy.

Son of Li Yuan, Taizong in 630, seized a portion of Mongolia from the Turks and used the Turkish soldiers in the invasion of Khitan and other such expeditions to secure the Silk Road that connected the East and the West that generated stability for the Tang from foreign invasions. Taizong earned the title of “Great Khan” after this.  

The grand successor of Li Yuan, Gaozong furthered the reforms done by his predecessors. During his reign, China for the first time in its history, experienced the reign of a female empress Wu Zetian who despite her controversial history of power grab, reformed agriculture, and taxation. She also created a network of secret police within the administration to check possible rebels and subverting elements who can undermine her rule. While some historians claim these efforts as a means to stability others condemn this by claiming it as her tyranny.

However, regardless of the political rationale behind Wu Zeitan’s actions, she laid the foundation for the administration of China on which the future Emperor Xuanzong built whose reign is considered the peak of the Tang dynasty. Xuanzong who ruled between 712-756 CE created a prosperous and cosmopolitan empire with Chang’an, the western capital of Tang as the largest and the most sophisticated city in the world homed a population of over one million.

He abolished the death penalty and securitized the Silk Road, maritime trading, and modernized the administration systems which are functional even in present-day China. He organized a military ending the tradition of conscription of farmers. They protected the borders and reclaimed land from nomadic tribes to expand the reign and influence of the Tang Empire.

The first clock mechanism in the world was done during the Tang era by an engineer named Yi Xing in 725 CE. Automated and motorized figures that moved by themselves resembled the complex mechanical designs that can be found in Alexandria, Egypt of 70 CE. There was a motorized monk who collected donations and also an automatic wine pourer that used a hydraulic pump to serve wine to the guests.

Inventions such as gunpowder, gas stoves, air conditioning, fireproofing, and waterproofing were also created during this era. Public libraries were built for distributing printed calendars.

Xuanzong understood the balance between fairness and justice by improving the lives of everyone. However, the wisdom did not trickle down to the upcoming generations who engaged in the acts of classification and nepotism decaying the greatness of the empire. Hence, just like former empires, the Tang dynasty also faced the Lushan Rebellion creating a prolonged warlordism and popular regicides leading to the beginning of the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

Tang Dynasty 618 AD-907 AD

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