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The Tang Dynasty (618–907 C.E.)

East Asian Civilization · Unit 3 · Civilization Packet

1. At a glance

Unit 3's big question: why do empires fall apart, and how do they come back together? The Tang shows both: a golden age built on the Sui's tools, then a rebellion that broke the centre's power.

Map notes: At its largest, the Tang controlled the Silk Road far into Central Asia. Goods, people and ideas travelled east to Chang'an, then on to Korea and Japan.

Do not confuse: the Tang (618–907) came after the Sui (581–618). The Sui reunified China. The Tang had the golden age.

2. The High Tang and the Late Tang

The Tang has two halves. The An Lushan Rebellion (755) is the line between them.

What was the An Lushan Rebellion? An Lushan was a powerful general who commanded huge armies on the northern border. In 755, he rebelled against Emperor Xuanzong and captured Chang'an. The war lasted eight years and killed millions of people. The Tang won, but the emperors never fully controlled the provinces again.

3. SPICE-T: the Tang Dynasty

SPICE-T = Social, Political, Interactions, Cultural, Economic, Technology.

S — Social

• The civil service exam let some men rise by merit (ability), not only by family. Most officials still came from rich families, who could pay for years of study.
• Women in the High Tang had more freedom than in later dynasties. Some rode horses and played polo.
• Chang'an was cosmopolitan: people from Persia, Central Asia, Korea, Japan and Arabia lived and traded there.
• Most people were farmers. Most farmers could not read.

P — Political

• The Tang kept the Sui's tools: a centralized government, one law code, the Grand Canal and the civil service exam.
• Taizong (ruled 626–649) listened to advisers who criticized him. He was remembered as a model Confucian ruler.
• Wu Zetian (ruled 690–705) is the only woman in Chinese history to rule as emperor in her own name. She expanded the exam and supported Buddhism.
• Xuanzong (ruled 712–756) led the High Tang at its peak, then lost control in the An Lushan Rebellion.
• After 755: the government grew weak. Generals in the provinces became more powerful than the emperor.

I — Interactions

• The Silk Road was at its busiest. Merchants brought horses, glass, silver and spices to China. China sent silk and pottery west.
• The monk Xuanzang travelled to India (629–645) and brought back hundreds of Buddhist books, like Fa Xian before him.
• Korea and Japan sent students and monks to Chang'an to learn. Japan built its capital, Nara, like Chang'an.
• In 751, a Tang army lost to an Arab army at the Battle of Talas in Central Asia.

C — Cultural

• Poetry: the Tang is China's greatest age of poetry. Li Bai wrote about nature, friendship and the moon. Du Fu wrote about war and suffering, including the An Lushan Rebellion.
• Why did poetry grow? Writing poetry was part of the civil service exam, so educated men studied hard to write well.
• Sancai pottery: figures of horses, camels and people, glazed in three colours (green, amber and cream). Many were buried in tombs.
• Religion: Buddhism was very influential, alongside Daoism and Confucianism. Chang'an also had Christian, Zoroastrian and Muslim visitors.
• Be careful with "tolerance": in 845, a Late Tang emperor closed thousands of Buddhist monasteries and took their land.

E — Economic

• Farming was the base of the economy. Farmers paid taxes in grain and cloth.
• The Grand Canal carried rice from the south to the north.
• The Silk Road made Chang'an rich. The city had two huge markets: the East Market and the West Market.
• Tea became a popular drink across China.

T — Technology

• Woodblock printing: whole pages were carved into wood and printed. The Diamond Sutra (868) is the oldest dated printed book in the world.
• Gunpowder: Daoist scientists discovered it while trying to make medicine for long life.
• Porcelain: Tang potters made early porcelain, thin, hard and white.

4. Big ideas

1. The Tang built on the Sui. It kept the Sui's government, exam and canal, and lasted almost 300 years.
2. The High Tang was a golden age. Peace (stability) and wealth (prosperity) gave people time and money for poetry, art and learning.
3. The exam shaped culture. Because the exam tested writing, educated men studied poetry, and Tang poetry flourished.
4. Chang'an was cosmopolitan. The Silk Road brought people, goods and religions from across Asia. Tang culture then spread to Korea and Japan.
5. One rebellion changed everything. The An Lushan Rebellion (755) broke the central government's power. Power moved to generals in the provinces, and the Tang slowly declined.

5. Key sources: how do we know what we know?

Says vs. knows: the histories say the An Lushan Rebellion killed millions. The numbers come from tax records: the number of registered households fell sharply. But people who fled or hid also disappeared from the records. We know the rebellion was terrible. We do not know exactly how many died.

Source questions to ask every time: Who made it? When? Why did they make it? What can it tell us? What can it not tell us?

6. Timeline and vocabulary

7. Connections

Before: the Sui (581–618)

The Tang kept the Sui's government, exam and Grand Canal. Read the Sui packet.

Across Asia: comparing golden ages

The pattern: disunion → reunification → stability → golden age → decline.

Coming next: Nara and Heian Japan

Japan copied Tang China: its government, its Buddhism, its writing and even the shape of Chang'an. Read the Nara and Heian Japan packet.

8. Where students lose marks on this topic

Self-check

Cover the answers. Can you answer these in complete sentences?

1. What is the difference between the High Tang and the Late Tang?
2. Give TWO pieces of evidence that the High Tang was a golden age.
3. Why did poetry grow during the Tang?
4. Why is Wu Zetian important?
5. Explain ONE effect of the An Lushan Rebellion.
6. Why is Du Fu's poem "Spring View" useful evidence, and what is its limit?