The '''Tang dynasty''' ruled [[China]] for three centuries, from A.D. 618 to 907. This is known as the golden age of art and poetry. New territories were acquired, including [[Manchuria]], [[Tibet]], and northern [[Vietnam]]. This territory drew wealth from surrounding states through a ritualistic ''kowtow'', such that diplomats from surrounding states were expected to pay homage to the emperor by touching their forehead repeatedly to the ground beneath the emperor. The Tang dynasty accumulated vast wealth for China during this period.
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The '''Tang dynasty''' ruled [[China]] for three centuries, from A.D. 618 to 907. This is known as the golden age of art and poetry. New territories were acquired, including [[Manchuria]], [[Tibet]], and northern [[Vietnam]]. This territory drew wealth from surrounding states through a ritualistic ''kowtow'', such that diplomats from surrounding states were expected to pay homage to the emperor by touching their forehead repeatedly to the ground beneath the emperor. The Tang dynasty accumulated vast wealth for China during this period.
Many roads were built at that time, along with inns, post offices and stables for the horses of travelers. The roads were used for trade and communication in a manner similar to the [[Persian Royal Road]] and the roads of the [[Roman empire]]. Foreign music, religion ([[Buddhism]], primarily), clothes and even languages became popular in China at this time. Importantly, everything in the big cities of China at this time was somewhat state-controlled; curfews were imposed on the citizens, trade was conducted in government approved situations, using government-approved measures and weights.
{{History of China}}
One of the most prominent figures of the Tang dynasty was a general known as [[An Lushan]] - his name indicates that he was a Soghdian ("An" indicates his place of origin), and that his given name in Soghdia was "Rokhan", the male form of Roxanna, the name of [[Alexander the Great]]'s wife. An Lushan is famous for the [[An Shi Rebellion]]; the most favoured [[concubine]] of the Tang [[Xuanzong]] Emperor, Yang Guifei, was in love with Lushan, and betrayed the Emperor by recommending Lushan to high military command. Lushan's troops entered Chang'an in 755 and forced the emperor on the run into [[Sichuan province]] with Guifei in tow. She was executed by Xuanzong's troops in 756 whilst on the run, as she was blamed for the rebellion. On reclaiming control of the Chinese state, Xuanzong wrote of his sorrow at her death in a famous poem; and the Tang state never regained the supremacy it had once had. Culturally, the late Tang was quite inferior to the high Tang period, although the fashions for foreign clothes and music remained the same. The curfews put in place were violated frequently, the weights and measures became forged and improperly regulated. Tax registers, an important method of adjusting tax so as to remain fair, but also to keep track of the population, were no longer kept up to date, as they had been every few years in the high Tang. The breakdown of the Tang took quite a while longer - from 756 to 907, government control was extremely lax, rebellions were reasonably frequent, and tax returns became less and less. The Li family was only nominally in charge.
{{History of China}}
The most powerful ruler during the Tang dynasty was [[Tang Taichung]] (A.D. 627-649). He gained power by killing his opponents, but then ruled in a benevolent or fair manner, keeping taxes low.