Tang (618 - 906)

Li Yuan, in 617, captured Chang'an from the Sui emperor and in the following year he took the throne as Gaozu, the first emperor of the Tang dynasty. He fought consolidating battles for the next 8 years aided by his second son Li Shimin. He succeeded in defeating his enemies and restoring peace throughout the empire. He abdicated in favor of his son, Li Shimin, who, at the age of 26, became the emperor Taizong arguably one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history.

Taizong was highly educated in the Confucian classics, a talented calligrapher and extremely cultured. He appointed excellent ministers and loyal advisers and established a government aspousing the highest Confucian ideals. Taizong gave equal religious freedom to Confuciansim, Buddhism and Taoism - the three rival faiths in his kingdom.

It was under the rule of Taizong that China became a great power again. His expansionist exploits brought control over the central Asian kingdoms of Kucha and Khotan, began the conquest of Great Silla (Korea), and established relations with Japan and the southeast Asian kingdoms of Funan and Champa. He established military control over the Tarim Basin and along the Silk Road caravan routes of Central Asia as far as modern day Kirghiztan. Chang'an became a city rivaling even ancient Byzantium in size and splendor. It measured seven by six miles and housed tens of thousands of foreigners as well as the government buildings and royal palace.

A series of weaker emperors followed, including the only woman emperor in Chinese history - the empress Wu Zetian, a brutally ambitious woman. In 712, the throne was given to Li Longji by his father, Ruizong, who abdicated in his favor. Li Longji, emperor Xuanzong (712-756) was the longest reigning ruler in Tang history. He was one of the emperors most honored by CHinese historians for his enlightened policies and support of the arts. He established the Imperial Academy in 725 and opened his courts to intellectuals and artists.

A rebellion by An Lushan, a general accused of treason in 725, began the descent of the Tang prosperity. He marched south with an army of over 150,000 men and was ultimately defeated, however the damage had already been done. The recurring theme of a weakened central government and the increasing independence of military governorates was again repeated and in the later stages of the dynasty, the last three emperors were puppets in the hands of eunuchs and military governors.

In 904, a rebel general, Zhu Wen, murdered the eunuchs en masse and placed his own figurehead on the throne. In 907, he usurped the throne bringing and end to the Tang Dynasty and ushering in a new period of chaos in Chinese history.

Enormous progress was made during the Sui-Tang dysnaties including the move from earthenware to stoneware and the beginning of the foundations for the production of porcelain. Most of the actual progress was in the control of kiln temperatures and firing techniques which led to the finer quality products. Experiments in multi-colored glazes led to the famous Sancai (three-color) glaze commonly found on horses and vessels of the period. Tang figures took on a tremendous realizm as potters ability to master the details of both moulding and modelling was perfected. Many vessel figures were heavily influenced by foreign shapes and motifs as in the dragon-handled amphoras and ewer forms. Perhaps most spectacular of Tang shapes are the fantastic fierce armed men who are often modeled standing on demons - tomb guardians.

Next dynasty -> Song