Download The Tang Empire put into place a solid system of Travel, trade, and

CORNELL OR T-READING OUTLINE
(Sui and Tang China)
(Pg. 276-281)
READING NOTES
QUESTIONS, KEY TERMS,
IMPORTANT DATES, AND Intro:
IDENTIFICATIONS
 Infectious diseases were transmitted from one army to the next.
Intro:

The Sui and Tang Empires:

The fall of the Han Empire left a power vacuum which was filled
with smaller kingdoms.
Reunification Under the Sui and Tang:
 China reunifies 4 years later with Confucianism as their main
philosophy. The Sui period is distinctive for their strong political
influence of Buddhism and the presence of a variety of Beliefs.
The Sui and Tang Empires:

They led military expositions but they probably led to their
Reunification Under the Sui and
downfall.
Tang:

Overextension weakened the Sui authority and prompted the Tang
 Chang’an – Sui capitol near the
dynasty.
Wei river valley.

The Tang was not very centralized in government aspects.
 Grand Canal – built by the Sui
 The Tang nobility was heavily influenced by central Asian culture
to connect the yellow river with
but also had knowledge of Chinese traditions.
the Yangzi River.
Buddhism
and The Tang Empire:
 Tang Empire – in 618 the Li

The
central
Asian heritage of tang rulers was evident in their
Family established the Tang.
political
use
of Buddhism.
 Li Shimin – Tang Emperor

In
central
Asia,
China, and East Asia, the most important Buddhist
Buddhism and The Tang Empire:
school of teaching was the Mahayana.
To Chang’an by Land and Sea:

Being open to local deities and local languages and practices made
 Tributary System –a practice in
Mahayana Buddhism adaptable to many different societies and
which independent countries
appealing to all classes. Many historians characterized the Tang
send regular embassies to the
Empire as “cosmopolitan” because of its depth and diversity.
capitol to pay tribute.
To
Chang’an
by Land and Sea:
 Bubonic Plague – transmitted
 The Hub of Tang Communication was Chang’an.
by the sea route between west
 Chang’an functioned as the cultural and economic capitol of
Asia and Canton in the 5th
Eastern Asia. Chang’an had over 1 million people.
century but first detected in the

Market roads, major long-distance roads, caravan routes, sea routes,
600
and canals all brought people and commerce toward Chang’an.
 By 1000 Tang had the most
Tang
Integration:
ships in Asia. They traded with
 During the Tang period, influences from central Asia and the
Europe, west Asia, and South
Islamic World vividly affected the Material Culture of china.
Asia. China remained a source of

Tang infrastructure of Roads, dredged rivers, and Canals facilitated
Superior Skills.
the Movement of Goods. Factories became more and more
common as to keep up with competition from abroad. The dramatic
growth of long distance Trade also created special needs for a new
monetary system.
After the fall of the former Han
Empire in 220 CE Han territories
were divided among smaller
kingdoms often at war with each
other.
SUMMARY
The Tang Empire put into place a solid system of Travel, trade, and communications that allowed
cultural and economic influences to move quickly from central Asia to Japan. The diversity within the
empire produced great wealth and new ideas. But tensions among rival groups also weakened the
political structure and led to great violence and misery.