Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE)
Brenda and Sammantha - Pd 6
POLITICS
At the end of the Sui Dynasty, the country fell apart, so Yang You and Tang took over, united people and ruled China. But later, Emperor Yang Was killed by his chancellor and Li Yuan (Tang) took over China and became the new emperor. The Tang Dynasty lasted for a long time, however, it wouldn't last forever. One reason he lost power was because he appointed wicked chancellors and they corrupted the political order. Also, in 1755, An Lushan rebelled against the Tang. Peasants formed an alliance and rebelled together. Tang couldn't hold them all back and couldn't afford to fight them, so the Tang Dynasty were forced to resign which put the Dynasty to an end.
Economics
The Tang Dynasty contributed to trade in many different ways. They made kites popular during the reign of their dynasty, they also encouraged the Silk Road route and they traveled on the Silk Road route to trade with other people. The Tang traded gunpowder, Brandy, and Whiskey. Products that were important during the Tang dynasty were tea, scroll painting, gunpowder, Brandy, Whiskey, and flame-thrower. Many occupations grew during this time. Writers grew, because of all the new ideas. Farmers grew because the population grew, which caused the farmers to have to plant more products, and more people to be working on this type of occupation. Military increased because people were fighting more. The Tang Dynasty traded with Mongolia, Qinghai-Tibet, and the Western regions by traveling on the Silk Road route.
Inventions/Technology/Science and Architecture
The Tang Dynasty was very successful with creating inventions, and technology. The Tang Dynasty was also very well developed on Science and Architecture. When the new emperor, Emperor Ruizong started to rule, the national economy, politics, and culture all developed rapidly, making the Tang Dynasty successful. They created a lot of artwork, such as the Bronze Mirror, White Porcelain, the Agate Cup with an animal head, and the Mural of a Banquet. The Dynasty also made the tea in China more popular. Another invention from the Tang are Civil Service Exams, and gunpowder while ruling the dynasty. During the Tang Era, Empires and Roads were also built too, such as the Nanzhao Empire. The Silk Road route was also built during that period of time, to use for trading. The Tang Empire also expanded westward later after. They constructed one of the most biggest parts of the Dynasty, during its years, called "The Grand Canal". It was one of the biggest parts of this dynasty, because it was used for economics frequently, but sadly, the canal collapsed and burned down.
Religion/Culture/Social Life
The Tang Dynasty believed in many religions, and had many belief and religion systems. This dynasty mainly believed in Buddhism. Buddhism scripture translation always comes first when talking about the belief system for that religion in the Tang. One of the religious leaders of the dynasty who introduced Buddhism to the people was Tang Xuzang (known as Chen Yi). He had many problems to try to get the Buddhist scriptures from India, but later, he got them. There were lots of things important to the people of the Tang. In the literature category, poems and drawings were important. In Art, Porcelain and Tri-Colored glazed pottery were important artifacts in the Tang Dynasty. During their Daily life, farmers, workers, craftsman, artisans, merchants, and traders were some of the jobs people did. Only boys could go to school, while girls stayed home and worked with their mom. If a woman lived in a royal family, they would have a bigger part in their family. Instead, woman were the attached position of their family, until Emperor Wuzetian came along. There were 8 social classes in the Tang Dynasty, such as the royal families. The average life expectancy was 50, so people that lived older than that age would be considered great. Pottery was a big part of recreation/art and lots of people made pottery during their days.