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Tang Dynasty ~320-~550 Sui Dynasty (581-617) ~618-~907 ~960-~1279 Rise – Tang - ~618-~907 • Han disintegrated into Three Kingdoms Period • Three Kingdoms united into shortlived Sui Dynasty (581-617) • Li Shimin consolidated unification his father started Rise - Tang • Stability leads to population growth and wealth • 690 - Wu Zetian – only woman ever to rule in China – brief Dynasty within a Dynasty (“Zhou”) Tang Dynasty c. 700 CE Similarities 1. Leaders use military force to eliminate rivals 2. Economic problems lay groundwork for new power 3. Leaders establish new rule supported by old definition of legitimacy – restoration of old values, territories, traditions, etc. 4. Started stable, long-lasting stable empires with prosperous periods Achievements - Tang • Trade! Economy flourished – farflung trade networks • Social order – Registry of families – Confucianism & exams • Literature and poetry Achievements - Tang • gunpowder – by combining saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. • block printing • Other inventions include mechanical clocks that kept very accurate time Achievements - Tang • established a law code, • renovated the canal system to encourage trade and communication inside of China. Achievements - Tang • strict social structure • system consisted of three main social classes, which included the gentry, the peasantry, and the merchants. • Each class had its own rights and duties, and social mobility was possible from one class to another. Achievements - Tang • Tang physicians developed a small pox vaccine in the 10th century. • This idea eventually spread west, and was introduced in Europe in the 1600’s. Achievements - Tang • Most populous region of its time in world • Buddhism = heavy influence (however, late Tang = resurgence of Confucianism) • Cartography Role of Belief Systems: Tang • Buddhism • Confucianism Fall - Tang • Military strongmen clashed among themselves over dominance at court. • Eunuchs gained increasing power over the day-to-day operations of the central government. • Great aristocratic families schemed against each other for influence over the emperors. Fall of the Tang • In the 880s, a civil war between rival military leaders caused major economic damage. • Peasant rebellions against exploitation by desperate landlords broke out with increasing frequency and violence. Fall of the Tang • Finally, the armies entered the capital and massacred the eunuchs, imposing military oversight on the last Tang emperors.