TheTangDynasty

TheTangDynastywascreatedin618A.D.andendedin907A.D.ThetangDynastyfollowed

thedynasticcycleexactly.OneofthegreatestandmostfamousemperorsofthistimewasLiShimin
(599649),whowasthesecondemperorintheTangDynasty.
Duringhisreign,theempireprospered.SilkRoadtradeflourished,andtheTaizongEmperor
receivedforeignemissariesinChang'an.
The
SilkRoad
,or
Silk
Route,isaseriesoftradeandroutes
thatwerecentraltoculturalinteractionthroughregionsoftheAsiancontinentconnectingtheWestand
Eastbylinkingtraders,merchants,pilgrims,monks,soldiers,nomads,andurbandwellersfromChina
andIndiatotheMediterranean
.BydefeatingenemiestheTangEmpireexpanded,thussecuringroutes
alongtheSilkRoad.Hediedin649,andhewasburiedintheZhaolingMausoleum.Therewasaperiod
ofrelativepeaceandprosperityafterwards.
In these years, the Tang Empire reached its height before the An Lushan Rebellion in 756.
Based on tests taken, the population of the empire is thought to have been about 50 or 60 million.
Chang'an become one of the biggest cities in the world. Along with the increase of wealth and
urbanization,artsandliteratureflourished.
Overall,thedynasticclanandtheirempireprosperedlessthanbefore.TheSilkRoadtradewas
ended because rivalcountrieshad controlinCentralAsia.Chang'anwas attacked severalmoretimes.
Even the qualityof theliteraturewasn't asfine.Attimes variousregionsprospered,butonthe whole
theempirewasweakerandsmallerandbesetbyinternalstrugglesandexternalattacks.
Regional rulers called Jiedushi raised their own armies, and they taxed the areas under their
control. They started to act more like kings, and they appointed their own successors. The imperial
dynastyattackedseveralregions,butthe emperorscouldnotregaintheearlierimperialcontrol.
Private

trade and industry developed. An imperial land allocation system that was used for taxation in the
earlierTangerawasabandoned,andthisallowedlargeagriculturalestatestoform.
In itslast hundredyears theTang Empiresufferedmajornaturaldisastersof bothfloodingand
drought. The disaster too was reminiscent of the end of the Western Han Empire when the Yellow
Riverfloodedrichareasandcausedlargescalefamine.
First, in858,the GrandCanalfloodedmassivelyand ruinedmuchlandinthenorthernpartof
China. Then in the year 873, a horrific drought and famine swept not only the empire but also the
whole of Eurasia, during a period of cold anddryclimate.Agriculturalproductionfellbymorethan
half. People and livestock starved.
Then there was then a large rebellion called the Huang Chao
Rebellion (874884). People who survived the flooding and famine rose up againstthegovernment.
BothChang'anandLuoyangwere captured,and thedynasty wasgreatly weakened.Afterwards,small
armies controlled various areas. In 907, Zhu Wendeposedthe lastTangruler,andhenamedhimself
theemperorofanewempire.