The Tang Dynasty which ruled for 300 years (618-907) came to power with their emperor Tang Taizong ruling them. His reign lasted from 626-649. The empire expanded under the Tang rule. Tang armies reconquered the northern and western lands that China had last since the Han Dynasty fell. In 668 Chinese influence extended into Korea. The ruler during this campaign into Korea was a woman named Wu Zhao. From 660 on Zhao held the real power while the emperors just sat on their thrones. But finally in 690, Zhao assumed the title of emperor for herself, the only woman to do so ever in China. The power that aristocratic familes held was starting to become weaker, and a large upper class of scholar-officals emerged, known as the gentry. The status of women further declined through this period.

 

Tang society became much more mobile and was interacting with others more than ever. The Tang rulers strengthened the government of China even more than before. They expanded the network of roads and canals begun by the Sui. The Silk roads were guarded by the Tang armies and made for easy trading through this route. Block printing was a remarkable invention of the time, as well as a movable type which were able to expand to Japan and Korea. Tang rulers restored the system of scholar-officials, which made education and printed materials more important to the Chinese society.

 

Bone hard ceramic clay, also known as porcelain, was a big success for the Tang, using them as plates and other household items. This really helped put them empire together, as well as promoting foreign trade and agricultural improvements. Art was a prosperous part of the empire as well. The Tang period was full of great poetry, most popular due to Li Bo, and Tu Fu. To manage their giant empire. Tang rulers needed to restore China's vast bureaucracy, by reviving and expanding the civil service system started by the Han Dynasty. This system of government created a very smart and able governing class in China.

 

To meet rising costs of government, rulers imposed crushing taxes in the mid-700s. This brought hardship to many of the people and failed to cover the military expanision as well as new building programs. The Tang struggled to control the empire and in 751, Muslim armies defeated them in the Battle of Talas. Which resulted in Central Asia being put out of Chinese control and into foreign hands. In 907, Chinese rebels sacked and burnt the Tang capital of Ch'ang to the ground, and murdered the last emperor, a young child.