唐朝 The Tang Dynasty (618-907) was an imperial dynasty of China preceded
by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during
the decline and collapse of the Sui Dynasty.
In 618, Li Yuan (known as Tang GaoZu) established
the tang dynasty, it is the one of the longest Chinese dynasty in history.
In 626, His son Li Shimin (known as Tang Taizong) acceded to the
Tang dynasty. The Tang Dynasty, with its capital at Chang'an (present-day
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.
Although she entered Emperor Tang Gaozong's court as the lowly consort
Wu Zhao, Wu Zetian rose to the highest seat of power in 690, establishing
the short-lived Later Zhou Dynasty. Empress Wu Zetian's rise to power was
achieved through cruel and calculating tactics, popular conspiracy theory
stated that she killed her own baby girl and blamed it on Tang Gaozong's
empress so that the empress would be demoted. Emperor Tang Gaozong suffered
a stroke in 655, and Wu Zetian began to make many of his court decisions
for him, discussing affairs of state with his councilors, who took orders
from her while she sat behind a screen. When Empress Wu Zetian's eldest
son, the crown prince, began to assert his authority and advocate policies
opposed by Empress Wu Zetian, he suddenly died in 675. Many suspected he
was poisoned by Empress Wu Zetian. Although the next heir apparent kept
a lower profile, in 680 he was accused by Wu Zetian of plotting a rebellion
and was banished, and later forced to commit suicide.
In 683, Emperor Tang Gaozong died. He was succeeded by Emperor Tang
Zhongzong, his eldest surviving son by Wu Zetian. Tang Zhongzong tried
to appoint his wife's father as chancellor, but after only six weeks on
the throne, he was deposed by Empress Wu Zetian in favor of his younger
brother, 12 year old Emperor Tang Ruizong. Wu Zetian was the real power.
This provoked a group of Tang's princes to rebel in 684; Wu Zetian's armies
suppressed them within two months. In 690, she forced Tang Ruizong to step
down from the throne. She became China's first and only female emperor
while Tang Ruizong became crown prince. She ruled until 705, when a palace
coup forced her to abdicate in favor of Tang Zhongzong. She died soon after.
