Polities

The Tang Dynasty

Citation Formats

General Reference

History Atlas. "The Tang Dynasty." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://history.interactiveatlas.org/polities/tang-dynasty.

APA Style

History Atlas. (n.d.). The Tang Dynasty. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://history.interactiveatlas.org/polities/tang-dynasty

BibTeX

@misc{historyatlas-the-tang-dynasty,
  author = {History Atlas},
  title = {The Tang Dynasty},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://history.interactiveatlas.org/polities/tang-dynasty},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The Tang dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an interregnum from 690 to 705 when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne as the Wu Zhou dynasty. Founded by Emperor Gaozu after the collapse of the Sui dynasty, the Tang is regarded by historians as a high point of Chinese civilization and a golden age of cosmopolitan culture, ruling from its capital at Chang'an, then the world's most populous city. Tang poetry, exemplified by Li Bai and Du Fu, flourished alongside advances in painting, historiography and woodblock printing, and the empire's cultural influence extended to Japan and Korea. The An Lushan rebellion of 755 to 763 devastated the empire and weakened central authority; the later rise of regional military governors and a succession of agrarian rebellions brought the dynasty to an end in 907.

Facts

Government Type

Absolute monarchy under the Emperor 1

Capital

Chang'an (present-day Xi'an); briefly Luoyang from 904 to 907 1

Start Year

618 1

End Year

907 1

Cross-Tradition Connections

In Era

The Post-Classical and Medieval Period

The Tang Golden Age

Ruled By

Emperor Gaozu of Tang

Emperor Taizong of Tang

Source Wikipedia: Emperor Taizong of Tang

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Tang Dynasty

WikipediaLead section, paragraph 1

Quote, Lead section, paragraph 1

The Tang dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Historians generally regard the Tang as a high point of Chinese civilisation, and a golden age of cosmopolitan culture.

View the Source

1. Wikipedia: Tang Dynasty

WikipediaInfobox, government type field

Quote, Infobox, government type field