History Fact Finder | Government and Politics - What Was The T'Ang Dynasty?

What was the T'ang dynasty?

The T'ang was a Chinese dynasty that reigned from 618 until 907. (A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same family.) Founded by Li Yuan and his son Li Shimin, the T'ang initiated a golden age of Chinese culture in literature and the arts, principally poetry, prose, painting, sculpture, and porcelain pottery. For instance, the first published book, the Diamond Sutra (868), was produced during this era. It was also an age of great expansion; by the seventh century the T'ang occupied or controlled large portions of Manchuria, Mongolia, Tibet, and Turkistan. China developed trade with neighboring countries and Central Asia, sending jade, porcelain, silk, rice, spices, and teas to India, the Middle East (southwest Asia and northern Africa), and even Europe.

An important T'ang innovation was the balance of administrative power. Government was separated into three main branches: the...

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