China Under the Tang and Ming Dynasties

China Under the Tang and Ming Dynasties

By Bridgette Byrd O’Connor

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Introduction

Emperor Taizong of Tang, the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty, receiving the ambassador of Tibet.

Dynasties ruled China for nearly 4,000 years. The same form of government existed from the Shang Dynasty to the Qing, the last dynasty of China. The Shang dynasty began in 1600 BCE, and the Qing fell in 1911 CE. The Republic of China was created after its fall. Under the dynasty system, the emperor had supreme control. Chinese territory was divided into different provinces. They were governed by a large bureaucracy, and most people were farmers. Each dynasty followed the same pattern. It rose, thrived, declined, and fell. During dynasties, rebels or warlords fought for control. Some dynasties ruled over China for hundreds of years. Others failed after only a few decades.

The rise of the Tang

Daoism: a Chinese philosophy and religious system, based on the teachings of Lao Tzu, that advocates a life of simplicity, acceptance of the course of nature, and
Buddhism: a spiritual philosophy and religion, founded in the sixth century BC by Buddha and widespread in Asia, that teaches release from the self and from one's earthly desires
Confucianism: the ethical teachings of Confucius, which emphasize reverence for ancestors, devotion to family and friends, cultivation and discipline of the mind, and social responsibility

The Sui Dynasty (581-618 CE) unified China after years of unrest. Eventually, the Sui lost control in a rebellion. Li Yuan (Emperor Gaozu1) was the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He claimed he was descended from the founder of the philosophy of Daoism. He used that claim in order to justify grabbing the throne. Li Yuan named himself Emperor Gaozu. His son, who became Emperor Taizong, forced his father off the throne and killed his two brothers to gain power. Taizong spread Buddhism throughout China. Now China had three belief systems: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. 

Empress Wu and China’s “Golden Age”

Wu Zeitan was a concubine of Taizong. After Taizong died, she became concubine of his son, the Emperor Gaozong. After Gaozong became ill, Wu ruled for him. She declared herself emperor in 690 CE and named her dynasty the Zhou. She was the only woman to ever be emperor in all of Chinese history. She named it after the famous Zhou Dynasty that had ruled China from 1046-256 BCE. However, her Zhou Dynasty ended in 705, and Tang rule continued. 

"The Tang dynasty used religion and philosophy to support their legitimacy."

Some historians say Wu ignored Confucian traditions, and promoted Buddhism instead. However, she did use the ideas of Confucius in her changes. Wu reformed the education system. She made sure teachers were trained. She also started exams for military officers to make sure they were capable at their jobs.

Empress Wu (Wu Zetian). Image taken from An 18th century album of portraits of 86 emperors of China, with Chinese historical notes.

Wu also reopened the Silk Road trade routes. They had been closed because of diseases and invasions. Foreign goods and ideas were able to flow into China. In turn, Chinese traditions, goods, and ideas spread to other areas. Buddhism thrived and spread, as monks made pilgrimages to India.

As the economy grew, so did the population. From the seventh to the tenth century, the Chinese population went from 50 million to 100 million. Under the Tang, China also sent ships over the seas to trade with other countries. Some say this was a “golden age”, but it was not golden for everyone.

Tang dynasty under Wuzhou rule, c. 700.

Decline and fall

By the ninth century, the dynasty began to lose its hold over the region. Traditionalists became worried about the power and influence of foreigners. Tang leaders began to restrict both foreigners and trade. Businesses controlled by Buddhist monasteries were shut down, and Buddhist monks and nuns were persecuted. The Tang Dynasty fell. It was followed by the Five Dynasties (907-960 CE), a time of war and rebellion.

Ming Empire c. 1580, by Michal Klajban and Jann (derivative work).

The creation of the Ming Dynasty

China faced more ups and downs. The Song Dynasty came into power in 960 CE. In 1269 CE, they were defeated by Mongols, who under Kublai Khan started the Yuan Dynasty. Some historians see the Mongols as invaders and outsiders. Other historians say the Mongols blended their traditions with Chinese culture and brought diversity to the country. In 1368, the Mongols were defeated by the Ming, whose rule lasted until 1644.

Under the Ming, ocean trade was greatly expanded. The ships of Chinese explorer Zheng He were much larger than those of Christopher Columbus. One ship carried 500 people along with goods for trade. Zheng He even reached the east coast of Africa during the 1400s. Chinese explorers wanted to improve trade, rather than conquer new colonies.  

Expansion of agriculture and trade

A Ming dynasty (c. 1430) imperial blue and white vase, from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ming emperors wrote laws and made the government stronger. Officials were hired because of their abilities, instead of who their family was. The Ming began large irrigation projects, which increased farm production. They made iron for tools and weapons at an amazing rate. The Ming finished building the Great Wall, which protected the border from invasion by groups like the Mongols.

The first Ming emperor, Hongwu, led a successful rebellion against the Mongols. He took land from the wealthy and gave it to the poor. He also gave soldiers land so that in peacetime, they would farm. More food was grown. The population of China went from 65 million to 160 million. Hongwu believed that farming should be the basis of the economy, and he limited trade. Later, Europeans introduced new crops and goods from the Americas into China, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes, and wanted to sell even more to China.

At first, the Chinese were not interested in what the Europeans were selling. Then, the Spanish found silver in the Americas. The Chinese became dependent on Spanish silver. When the Spanish reduced the supply of silver, it created economic problems and famines. The Ming emperors struggled to maintain control. The people rebelled and the Ming Dynasty came to an end.







1 You may catch that this guy had the same name, “Gaozu” as the founder of the Han Dynasty. This was on purpose. Neither one was originally named Gaozu. It was a Dynastic name that they took, upon becoming emperor. The Tang Gaozu chose it specifically to make people connect him to the Han Dynasty founder, who was well respected.

About the author

Bridgette Byrd O’Connor The author of this article is Bridgette Byrd O’Connor. She holds a DPhil in history from the University of Oxford and has taught Big History, World History, and AP U.S. Government and Politics for the past ten years at the high school level. In addition, she has been a freelance writer and editor for the Big History Project and the Crash Course World History and U.S. History curriculums.

Image credits

Creative Commons This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except for the following: 

Emperor Taizong of Tang 599 - 649 second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China from 626 to 649 audience to the ambassador of Tibet © Universal History Archive/Getty Images.

Tang dynasty under Wuzhou rule, c. 700. By Ian Kiu, CC BY-SA 3.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tang_Dynasty_ circa_700_CE.png#/media/File:Tang_Dynasty_circa_700_CE.png

Empress Wu (Wu Zetian). Image taken from An 18th century album of portraits of 86 emperors of China, with Chinese historical notes. By British Library, public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Tang_Dynasty_Empress_Wu_Zetian.JPG#/media/File:A_Tang_Dynasty_Empress_Wu_Zetian.JPG

Ming Empire c. 1580, by Michal Klajban and Jann (derivative work). By Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 3.0 cz. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ming_Empire_cca_1580_(en).svg#/media/File:Ming_Empire_cca_1580_(en).svg

A Ming dynasty (c. 1430) imperial blue and white vase, from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. By anonymous potter from the Jingdezhen imperial kilns. Public Domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47140718


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