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Emperor Gaozu of Tang (7 April 566 [2] – 25 June 635), [3] born Li Yuan, courtesy name Shude, was the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, reigning from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.
- The Fall of The Sui
- Early Career
- Li Yuan Becomes Emperor
- Administrative Reforms
- Successor & Legacy
The Sui dynasty had ruled China since 581 CE, but already by the early 7th century CE, the Sui were facing seemingly insurmountable problems to their reign. A Sui expedition had met with disaster in 598 CE when it attacked the kingdom of Goguryeo (Koguryo) in Korea and northern Manchuria. The Chinese ran out of supplies, hit heavy rains, and had to...
Li Yuan was born in 566 CE. A Duke of Tang with family connections in the imperial household and some Turkic roots, he was able to rise to a prominent position in the Sui administration. Yuan started his career as one of Emperor Wendi's (r. 581-601 CE) personal bodyguards, and he soon became a close favourite of both the emperor and his consort Emp...
Floods, conscription in the army, or compulsory labour in the state building projects had all taken its toll on the peasant population. Nine rebellions swept the kingdom between 613 and 614 CE, and although all were ruthlessly put down, rebel soldiers still roamed at will and Sui authority was dangerously weak in several regions. Yuan was given the...
Taizong, the Tang's second emperor, would largely be the figure given most credit for establishing the Tang dynasty in traditional Chinese histories, but a re-examination of neglected contemporary records by modern historians has sought to rebalance the biased and often fabricated accounts which minimised Gaozu's role in taking power and forming th...
As an able administrator who surrounded himself with equally gifted advisors Gaozu, then, laid the groundwork on which his highly successful dynasty would stand until its fall 300 years later in 907 CE. Yuan was not to leave any succession to chance, either, as he had 22 sons, but it was his second son Li Shimin who become his successor as Emperor ...
- Mark Cartwright
Gaozu (born 566, Chang’an [now Xi’an, Shaanxi province], China—died 635, Chang’an) was the founder and first emperor (618–626) of the Tang dynasty (618–907). Although Gaozu claimed to be of Chinese descent, his family was intermarried with nomadic tribes of North China.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn about Li Yuan, the founder and first emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who unified China and faced rivalry from his sons. Discover his early life, military campaigns, policies, and death in 635.
- Emily Mark
- The Rise of the Tang Dynasty. After the fall of the Han Dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE), the country went through a period of changing rule in which the Wei, Jin, and Wu Hu dynasties governed in succession.
- Gaozu & Taizong. Gaozu was an effective monarch who reformed the policies which had led to abuses under the Sui Dynasty. It was Gaozu who implemented the bureaucratic practices which are still used in China today.
- Wu Zetian. In around 638 CE Taizong chose a beautiful young 14-year-old girl named Wu Zhao as one of his concubines. She was so lovely, she attracted the attention of his son.
- Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Zhongzong was poisoned by his wife, Lady Wei, so that her son could rule, but Wei and her son were murdered by Wu's daughter, Princess Taiping, who put her brother Ruizong, on the throne.
Apr 30, 2024 · Founded by Emperor Gaozu (born Li Yuan), the Tang Dynasty is renowned for its significant contributions to art, culture, science, and diplomacy, which have left an indelible mark on China and the world.
Emperor Gaozu of Tang China (566 - June 25, 635 C.E.), born Li Yuan, was the founder of the Tang dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626.
