The Tang Dynasty was begun by Li Yuan. When the Yellow River changed course causing major flooding in the North China plain the Chinese people faced starvation. This created a great upheaval in the Chinese people. Li Yuan revolted against the government and emperor, he took the throne in 618. The Tang Dynasty is thought of as the peak of the Chinese imperial era. This period marked the largest growth in Chinese history. The Tang Dynasty expanded the boundaries of the Chinese state and reestablished its dominance in East and central Asia.
There were advancements in technology, and agriculture. Commerce nd artistry flourished with porcelain, textiles, and smelting. With the influence of India, and Arabia the Tang era was a vast multi-cultural society, creating many strong economic and cultural ties with nations in the area. The government of the Tang Dynasty was very powerful and built on a solid foundation. Like all ancient Chinese Dynasties the Tang Dynasty was a Monarchy. One of the greatest successes of the Tang government was the modification of the Sui legal code.
This established an easy to understand set of laws by which the Tang citizens were expected to live. These laws spelled out what was onsidered a crime, and what punishments were expected if they were broken. The Tang Government was broken up into three departments that created the laws and policies. These three departments were the Central Secretariat, whose primary responsibility was proposing and drafting all imperial decrees. The Department of State Affairs, their primary role was to control and maintain the six ministries.
This was considered the highest executive institution in the imperial government. The final department was the Chancellery, whose function was to advise the Emperor and Central Secretariat. They reviewed edicts that were decreed. This was the lowest of the three departments and eventually discontinued. Under the three departments were the six ministries. The ministry of personnel was responsible for managing the officials, and granting honorary titles. The ministry of revenue, whose responsibility was to collect the census and taxes, as well as manage revenue of the state.
The ministry of rites were responsible for ritual ceremonial events, as well as overseeing and maintaining the Buddhist and Daoist priesthood registries. The ministry of defense were responsible for maintenance of all military equipment and personnel. The ministry of justice’s primary urpose was to maintain the judicial and penal processes. The final was the ministry of works. They were responsible for all government building projects, as well as maintenance of government owned property. Another large factor in the Tang government’s success was their belief and promotion of education.
They believed that an educated public provided stability and growth for the government. Finally the Tang government were obsessed with accountability. They kept records of all commerce and life events. This created accountability and stability, and created a stronger government and society. Religion was another large portion of the Tang Dynasty. There were two main religions during the Tang Dynasty. One was Confucianism, and the other was Buddhism. Buddhist monasteries were very wealthy. They owned land grain and many precious metals of the time. Empress Wu, the only empress in all of Chinese history, also favored Buddhism. She tactfully used Buddhism to weaken her opponents. Sadly, Buddhism began to lose its influence with the decline of the Tang Dynasty. “(Tot12) Confucianism was huge during this time period, and was incorporated into the government. Much effort was made to create an empire based on Confucian belief, and teaching. The integration began with the elite. In order to enter into the ruling group you had to understand Confucian teachings.
To understand these writings you also had to literate in the classic Chinese language in which it was written. “Confucianism taught the Tang rulers to be kind and honorable. Confucianism is more of a philosophy rather than a religion. It served as a guide to the rulers of the Tang dynasty and taught the way of life to the Chinese people. “(tot12) Technology and medicine was thriving during this time period as well. An inventor named Yi-Xing created the Astronomical clock, which was the first clock escapement mechanism.
A chemist during his period created a substance that while having no explosive properties, created a flash when exposed to flame. Today this invention is known as gunpowder. Gas cylinders made of bamboo were used to transport natural gas around the area. One of the greatest inventions which they are known for is the invention of porcelain. A chemist during this time period found a substance that had bonding and waterproofing properties. This creation was the foundation for many works of art and a basis of the Chinese culture of the period.
There were medical advancements of the time period as well. “One of the authors of edicine in the Tang period identified that people who suffer from Diabetes had excessive sugar levels in the urine. Discoveries in treating goiters were made during this period. They found that thyroid glands of sheep and pigs can be successfully used to treat Goiters; the thyroid extracts were not used until 1890 in the west. “(tot12) Emperor GaoZong also commissioned for a book to be written illustrating many different medicines created from stone, plants, and many other materials.
This empire firmly believed in the advancements of medicine, including the creation of colleges for doctors and books on forensics for them as well. Art and literature flourished during this period as well. This period is most famous for its painting sculpture and calligraphy. “Beginning in the Tang dynasty, the primary subject matter of Chinese painting was the landscape, known as shanshui (mountain-water) painting. In these landscapes, usually monochromatic and sparse, the purpose was not to reproduce exactly the appearance of nature but rather to grasp an emotion or atmosphere so as to catch the “rhythm” of nature. (Wik16)
Poetry during the Tang Dynasty known as Shi became very popular. I was a sign of education. Sculpture and metal working was another form of art popular at his time. “Tang porcelain was exported to Arabia, where it was highly prized. Other Tang innovations included three-colour porcelain (lead-glazed Sancai), reserved for funerary ware, black-glazed stoneware, and a form of celadon, much of which was made using foreign shapes and motifs. Tomb sculpture was also popular: numerous figurative works were produced in miniature statue form, made from low-fired earthenware. (enc16)
Much of the metal working of the period was that of jewelry. These were made of gold, silver, and other precious metals, and were adorned with jade and other valuable stones. Economy in the Tang Dynasty went through any changes. Agriculture declined in the beginning of the empire. It wasn’t until Emperor Gaozu reformed the agricultural systems and implemented change that it flourished again “The Emperor came up with reforms in agriculture and successfully implemented Juntian Zhi which was all about land equalization and the Zuyongdiao system.
All these systems improved efficiency in production and ultimately improved the economy of China. This was also attributed to improvements in agricultural techniques and tools. Irrigation was also used to grow crops in areas that were arid but were very fertile as this mproved the economy which was regarded as a source of power in the Dynasty (Taxes from land allotment were important source of income in the Dynasty). ” (tot12) The artistry of the time also help to boost the economy.
People of the time began to create and sell many art pieces made of silk, ceramic paper porcelain and metal. This trade bolstered the economy and created many beautiful pieces of the time. Trade during this time period also arose. “The people in Tang Dynasty were involved in commercial activities due to developed and improved agriculture and the handicraft industry. These paved ay to both domestic and international trade with other countries, for example with India.
Common trade goods include salt, foodstuffs, spirits, tea, medicine, gold, silver, and textiles. Cities were established wherever trading was strong, which then provided ready market for goods produced from the farms and handcraft sector. ” (tot12) So overall the Tang Dynasty was a period of growth and rebirth. The government and economy flourished. Art Literature and trade grew by leaps and bounds. They had many religious and technological advancements. They even during a time of male ruled societies had one of the first female emperors.
