Historical Figures

Emperor Gaozu of Tang

Also Known As Li Yuan

Citation Formats

General Reference

History Atlas. "Emperor Gaozu of Tang." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://history.interactiveatlas.org/historical-figures/emperor-gaozu-of-tang.

APA Style

History Atlas. (n.d.). Emperor Gaozu of Tang. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://history.interactiveatlas.org/historical-figures/emperor-gaozu-of-tang

BibTeX

@misc{historyatlas-emperor-gaozu-of-tang,
  author = {History Atlas},
  title = {Emperor Gaozu of Tang},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://history.interactiveatlas.org/historical-figures/emperor-gaozu-of-tang},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

Emperor Gaozu, born Li Yuan, was the founder and first emperor of the Tang Dynasty. As Duke of Tang and governor of Taiyuan under the collapsing Sui dynasty, he rose in rebellion in 617 and occupied the Sui capital Chang'an, declaring himself emperor of the newly founded Tang dynasty in 618 after the murder of Emperor Yang of Sui. He ruled until 626, when he was forcefully deposed by his son Li Shimin, who ascended the throne as Emperor Taizong.

Facts

Birth Year

566 1

Death Year

635 1

Role

Founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, reigned 618 to 626 1

Cross-Tradition Connections