- Pre-Tang Dynasty
- Before the Tang dynasty there was the sui dynasty.
- Lasted from 581 – 618
- A big achievement for the Sui Dynasty was that they constructed most of the Grand Canal by some labor of millions of workers
- The Grand Canal is the longest canal in the world
- However, the high taxes and the forced labor for some construction projects and wars made the dynasty unpopular
- The Si empire ended in rebellions
- Early Tang Dynasty
- In the early Tang Dynasty, the Li family became powerful leaders
- Li Yaun became emperor of the Tang empire after defeating his rival commanders
- Famous and long lived
- Known as Taizong
- Tang Empire expanded westward after the Gokturks in Asia were defeated
- Silk trade routes flourished and Taizong received foreign emissaries in Changan
- He died in 649
- Middle tang Dynasty
- The middle tang dynasty there is war, famine, and attacks
- Causes death of millions
- In 750 the Nanzhao rebelled against the Tang Dynasty
- Small but powerful
- Destroyed a large army that was sent against them
- Nanzhao expanded into Burma, Thiland and the rest of Yunnan and Sichuan
- Tang Dynasty
- Founded by the Li family
- Capitol was Chang’an
- At the time was the most popular city in the world
- Considered a high point of the Chinese civilization
- Extended a lot of cultural influences on its neighbors
- Buddhism became a major cultural influences
- Major accomplishments
- Developed new Medicine study
- Researched into complex chemicals heavily influenced useful inventions like the air conditioner
- Invented waterproof creams – varnish for woods
- Key Players
- Li Yuan – founder of Tang Dynasty
- Wu Daozi – considered the greatest painter of Tang Dynasty
- Li Chimin – emperor during the time. Politician.
- Wu Zetian – empress along with Emperor Gaozong – able to preserve the empire with her keen political mind
- How They Lost Power
- Four main reasons
- Reason 1
- Men have been castrated
- Rules that kept them from reaching high offices were abolished
- Reached positions above princes and ministers
- As eunuchos rose, the central military power was weakened
- Political infighting between them greatly weakened the imperial power
- Reason 2 – separatist regions called Fanzhen, along the borders, fought amongst themselves
- Started as regional military governorship for safeguard of boarders
- Competed for farmland and labor
- Became small kingdoms in themselves
- Reason 3 – conflict in the ruling class
- People of wealthy lineage and commoners who had worked their way up
- Reason 4 – most important factor was the peasant uprising
- Only non-governmental, external power, that contributed to the decline
- The government imposed a lot of taxes
- The government annexed a lot of land
- The biggest one fo the Huang Chao Uprising
- After the Tang Dynasty
- China descended into political turmoil after the fall of the Tang Dynasty
- It is known as the period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
- Weapons of the Song Dynasty
- Knife Chariot
- Rammer
- Scaling ladder
- Iron sword
- Stone-casting machine
- Fire arrow
- Fireball
- Watchtower
- Gunpowder
- Song military found it to be helpful in siege warfare
- Led to the development of early types of rockets, cannons, bombs and mines
- Bombs of gunpowder were mixed with scrap iron that would be launched with catapults
- Song Dynasty wanted to continue to improve their weapons to hold off the Mongols
- Weapons of Tang Dynasty
- Pike
- Swords
- Bow and arrow
- Grenades
- Throwing Dagger
- Armor
- Plates of iron with sharp edges that they used as weapons
- Also used shields that were a very thick piece of iron that could almost defend between any weapon
- Tactics
- Song clamor in the East, attack in the West
- Element of surprise
- When face to face with enemy attack them where they least expect it
- Tang – create something from nothing. Feint
- Feint is a movement in order to deceive their adversary
- Make a move then you can make another move and when your enemy reacts to that move make another one to catch them off guard
- Song clamor in the East, attack in the West
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1 paragraph over Marco-Polo
Nicolo Polo was a merchant that’s from Venetian that traveled to Europe. They were sent back with a message from their Khan to the Pope asking for them to send 100 missionaries over in hope of converting them to Christianity. Upon his arrival back, he had learned that his wife had died leaving him to care for their son, Marco. With his son, he began to move east and met the Great Khan. The Great Khan liked Marco a lot and he served as many gov’t officials. After some time, they were given permission to leave the empire under one condition: they had to escort a princess that was going to marry a Persian king. They left in a very large group consisting of 14 boats and 600 passengers. When they eventually arrived in the Persian Gulf it was said that only 16 people had survived, the princess being one of them, but her fiancé had died so she married his son instead. The three Polo’s then returned to Venetian and Marco was in the military. He was captured and while in captivation he wrote a book that explained all of his travels. The book was soon published in French and then in many other languages eventually.
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