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Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618- 907) followed the Sui Dynasty and preceded the Five Dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms Period in China. The dynasty was interrupted by the Second Zhou Dynasty (690-705) when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne.
The Tang dynasty, with its capital at Chang'an(modern day suburb of Xi'an), the most populous city in the world at the time, is regarded by historians as a high point in Chinese civilization — equal, or even superior, to the Han period. Its territory, acquired through the military exploits of its early rulers, was greater than that of the Han. Stimulated by contact with India and the Middle East, the empire saw a flowering of creativity in many fields. Buddhism, originating in India around the time of Confucius, continued to flourish during the Tang period and was adopted by the imperial family, becoming thoroughly sinicized and a permanent part of Chinese traditional culture. Block printing made the written word available to vastly greater audiences.
The Tang period was the golden age of literatureAncient texts The Four Books (, Si shu) are The Great Learning (, Da Xue). The Doctrine of the Golden Mean (, Zhong Yong). The Analects of Confucius (, Lun Y), a book of pithy sayings attributed to Confucius. Mencius (, Meng Z). The Five Classics (, W jin and art (see Tang Dynasty artTang Dynasty art refers to the art in China during the Tang Dynasty ( 618- 907). It is best known for the development of many forms painting, pottery, sculpture, calligraphy, music, dance and literature. Background The Tang dynasty, with its capital at Ch). A government system supported by a large class of Confucian literati selected through civil service examinations was perfected under Tang rule. This competitive procedure was designed to draw the best talents into government. But perhaps an even greater consideration for the Tang rulers, aware that imperial dependence on powerful aristocratic families and warlords would have destabilizing consequences, was to create a body of career officials having no autonomous territorial or functional power base. As it turned out, these scholar-officials acquired status in their local communities, family ties, and shared values that connected them to the imperial court. From Tang times until the closing days of the Qing empireThe Qing Dynasty ( Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: ; pinyin: qing chao; Wade-Giles: ch'ing ch'ao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China expanded into China proper and the surrou in 1911, scholar officials functioned often as intermediaries between the grassroots level and the government.
Li Yuan founded the Tang Dynasty but only ruled for a few years before getting kicked out by his son, Li Shih-min. Li Shih-min then claimed the title "T'ang T'ai-Tsung". T'ang T'ai then set out to solve internal problems within the government. Internal problems have constantly plagued past dynasties. The Emperor had 3 administrations: Military Affiars, Censorate, and Council of State. Each administration had its own job.
