Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (Chinese: 唐朝; pinyin: Tángcháo) (18 June 618 – 4 June 907) was an imperial dynasty of China. It came after the Sui Dynasty and was followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li (李) family, who came to power during the fall of the Sui Empire. The dynasty was interrupted for a short time by the Zhou dynasty (周)[3] (16 October 690 – 3 March 705) founded by Empress Wu Zetian who managed to claim the throne, becoming the first and only Chinese Empress.
Tang 唐 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Capital | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common languages | Middle Chinese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Religion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Emperor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
• 618–626 (first) | Emperor Gaozu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• 626–649 | Emperor Taizong | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• 712–756 | Emperor Xuanzong | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• 904–907 (last) | Emperor Ai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
• | June 18, 618 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Usurped by Wu Zetian | 690–705a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
755–763b | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
• | June 1, 907 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Area | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
715[1][2] | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Population | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
• 7th century | 50 million | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• 9th century | 80 million | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Currency | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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a October 8, 690 – March 3, 705. b December 16, 755 – February 17, 763. |
Tang dynasty | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Tang dynasty" in Han characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 唐朝 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Tang Dynasty, with its capital at Chang'an (today Xi'an), was the biggest city in the world at the time. It is considered by historians as a high point in Chinese civilization—maybe even greater than the earlier Han Dynasty—as well as a golden age of cosmopolitan culture.
Empress Wu, the first woman to ever rule in China, was also included in the Tang Dynasty. Her methods were sometimes vicious, but she was very intelligent and talented.
Tang Dynasty Media
Portrait painting, dating to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), depicting Emperor Gaozu (born Li Yuan, 566–635), the first Tang emperor.
"Great Tang" (大唐 Dà Táng) in seal characters.
Empress Wu (Wu Zetian), the sole officially recognized empress regnant of China in more than two millennia. She first ruled through her husband and sons for almost three decades, then became emperor herself and ruled in her own right for another fifteen years.
The Leshan Giant Buddha, 71 m (233 ft) high; begun in 713, completed in 803
Nanchan Temple (Wutai), built during the late 8th century
Xumi Pagoda, built in 636
A late Tang mural commemorating the victory of General Zhang Yichao over the Tibetans in 848 AD, from Mogao cave 156
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang wearing the robes and hat of a scholar
Tang tomb figure of an official dressed in Hanfu, with a tall hat, wide-sleeved belted outer garment, and rectangular "kerchief" in front. A white inner gown hangs over his square shoes. He holds a tablet to his chest, a report to his superiors.
Civil service exam candidates gather around the wall where results had been posted. Artwork by Qiu Ying.
Other websites
- The Tang Dynasty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Home of 300 Tang Poems, University of Virginia
- The Tang Dynasty Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine at AsianSpiritGallery
References
- ↑ Turchin, Peter; Adams, Jonathan M.; Hall, Thomas D (December 2006). "East-West Orientation of Historical Empires". Journal of World-systems Research. 12 (2): 222. ISSN 1076-156X.
- ↑ Taagepera, Rein (1997). "Expansion and Contraction Patterns of Large Polities: Context for Russia". International Studies Quarterly. 41 (3): 475–504. doi:10.1111/0020-8833.00053. JSTOR 2600793. p. 492.
- ↑ That dynasty should be clearly distinguished from the Zhou Dynasty that began about 1050 BC.