Sui-Tang Era

1. Sui-Tang Era

2. Introduction • Sui rose in 580 CE • Began with Wendi – a Chinese noble • He struck a marriage alliance with his daughter and the ruler of the northern Zhou • He then seized the throne of his son-in-law and proclaimed himself emperor • He also won support of the northern nomads

3. Where is Wendi? • His son, Yangdi, murdered him • He then took the throne, extended conquests, established a milder legal code, upgraded Confucian education • He was fond of luxury and construction projects • Built palaces, canals, even built his own forest… • Fought to bring Korea under Chinese control but failed…

4. The Tang • One of Yangdi’s officials – Li Yuan, emerged as the next leader • He laid the basis for the Golden Age of the Tang • Penetrated as deep as Afghanistan • They extended into Tibet, Vietnam, and Manchuria • Built an empire larger than the Han

5. Bureaucracy • Political power was shared by the succession of imperial families and bureaucrats who passed the civil service exam • The aristocracy ran the administrative positions while the educated class worked as the secretaries • The executive department was divided into 6 ministries…

6. The Examination System • The Tang educated in Confucian classics • The exam system was expanded • Different kinds were administered by the Ministry of Rites • The highest offices were reserved for those who could pass the hardest of exams – philosophy and law • Those who excelled in Chinese Literature would earn the title – jinshi - dignitaries

7. Success on the exams afforded you the ability to wear different types of clothing and be exempt from certain punishments • Even though exams were important, birth and family counted for something as well… many families continued the tradition of education and often the government was dominated by certain families…