The History of China

You would think that finally quelling the largest rebellion on Earth would by the realm back into peaceful harmony. Unfortunately for the Tang, you’d be wrong. While China was forced to spend every waking moment in the Northeast desperately trying to drive back An Lushan for the past 7 years, the Tibetans went ahead and moved in from the West, cutting off Chinese access to the Far West Protectorate, and by 763 poised to deliver a devastating broadside to the already-devastated Tang Empire. And as if that’s not enough, in the middle of all this, a loyal military commander has false accusations of treason leveled against him by a paranoid regional official, but then through a series of zany happenstances is forced to actually rebel against the government for fear of being convicted and killed for the initial false charges. This is why we can’t have nice things…Time Period Covered:763~770 CEMajor Historical Figures:Tang Empire:Emperor Daizong of Tang (Li Yu) [r. 762-779]Crowned Prince Li KuoGeneral Guo Ziyi, Guard Commander of Chang’anGeneral Pugu Huai’en [d. 765]Luo Fengxian, Imperial Eunuch OfficialXin Yunjing, Governor of HedongYu Chao’en, Commander of the Army of Divine Strategy [d. 770]Tibetan Empire:Tsenpo Trisong DetsenUyghur Khaganate:Tengri Bögü Khagan (Qutlugh Tarqan Sengün)Major Works Cited:Chamney, Lee (2012). “The An Shi Rebellion and Rejection of the Other in Tang China, 618-763.” University of Alberta.Dalby, Michael T. (1979). “Court Politics in Late Tang Times” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3.Liu, Xu. (945). Jiu Tang Shu.Ouyang, Xiu (1060), (tr. Colin Mackerras, 2004) “The History of the Uyghurs” in Xin Tang Shu.Sima, Guang. (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.Wang, Bing-Wen (2012). “A Tragedy of Marriage and Politics: the Puku Huai’-en Rebellion” in New History Journal (新史學雜誌). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before getting into the latter half of the Tang Dynasty, we take a look back at the 175 years we’ve covered since the Sui first reunified China at the conclusion of the Period of Disunion. Join us on this high-altitude, rapid journey charting the highs and lows the the 2 & a half dynasties we’ve looked at since Episode 76.Time Period Covered:581-764 CEMajor Historical Figures:Sui Dynasty:Emperor Wen (Yang Jian) [r. 581-604]Emperor Yang (Yang Guang) [r. 604-617]Tang Dynasty:Emperor Gaozu (Li Yuan) [r. 618-626]Princess Pingyang [d. 623]Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin) [r. 627-649]Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) [r. 650-683]Emperor Zhongzong (Li Xian) [r. 684-684]Emperor Ruizong (Li Dan) [r. 684-690] Zhou Dynasty:Empress Regnant Wu Zetian (Wu Meiniang) [r. 690-705]Tang Dynasty (restored):Emperor Zhongzong (Li Xian) [r. 705-710]Emperor Ruizong (Li Dan) [r. 710-712] Princess Taiping [d. 712]Emperor Xuanzong (Li Longji) [r. 712-756]Emperor Suzong (Li Heng) [r. 756-762]Emperor Daizong (Li Yu) [r. 762-779]Northeastern Protectorate/ Yan Dynasty:Emperor An Lushan [r. 756-757]Emperor An Qingxu [r. 757-759]Emperor Shi Siming [r. 759-761]Emperor Shi Chaoyi [r. 761-763] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AnShi Rebellion grinds on to its bitter conclusion, claiming lives at a rate unprecedented in human history. Crowns and throne will be cast to the wind by fathers and sons alike, and in the end China will before force to decide between national cohesion and national sovereignty… a true devil’s choice, if ever there was one.Time period covered:756 – 764 CEMajor Historical Actors:Tang Dynasty:Retired Emperor Xuanzong [d. 762]Emperor Suzong (Li Heng) [r. 756-762]Emperor Daizong (Li Yu) [r. 762-779]Yan Dynasty:An Lushan [d. 757]Emperor An Qingxu [r. 757-759]Emperor Shi Siming [r. 759-761]Emperor Shi Chaoyi [r. 761-763]Uyghur Khaganate:Tengri Bügü Khagan [r. 759-779] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reeling from the loss of both capital cities to the rebel army, Emperor Xuanzong and his heir Li Heng split up. Three days later from the northern garrison at Lingwu, the Crowned Prince declares himself the new emperor, Suzong – surprise, Dad! Newly enthroned, Suzong will be forced to cobble together an unlikely coalition of China’s neighbors in order to have any hope of turning the tide of the civil war that threatens to drown the Tang Dynasty in blood. Arabs, Transoxianans, Ferghanans, and even Uyghur Stepperiders will join forces with a corps of Han Chinese soldiers willing to die to the last man if it means stopping An Lushan and his Yan rebel army in its tracks.Time Period Covered:July 756 – December 757 CEMajor Historical Figures:Tang Dynasty:(Retired) Emperor Xuanzong [Li Longji] (r. 712-756, as retired emperor 756-762)Emperor Suzong of Tang [Crowned Prince Li Heng ] (r. 756-762)Crowned Prince Li Yu [b. 727]General Guo ZiyiYan Dynasty Rebels:An Lushan [d. 757]An Qingxu [r. 757-759]General Yan ZhuangUyghur Khaghanate:Bayanchur Khan [r. 747-759]“The Viceroy” (Yagbu), Field Commander of the Uyghur CavalryMajor Works Cited:Chamney, Lee (2012). “The An Shi Rebellion and Rejection of the Other in Tang China, 618-763.” University of Alberta.Dalby, Michael T. (1979). “Court Politics in Late Tang Times” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3.Inaba, Minoru. (2010). “Arab Soldiers in China at the Time of the An-Shi Rebellion” in The Memoirs of the Toyo Bunko, 68. Liu, Xu. (945). Jiu Tang Shu.Pulleyblank, Edwin G. (1976). “The An Lu-Shan Rebellion and the Origins of Chronic Militarism in Late T’ang China” in Essays on Tʻang Society: The Interplay of Social, Political and Economic Forces.Ouyang, Xiu (1060), (tr. Colin Mackerras, 2004) “The History of the Uyghurs” in Xin Tang Shu.Twitchett, Denis. (1979). “End of the Reign” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3.Sima, Guang. (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.Wang, Qinruo, et al. (1013). Cefu Yuangui. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An Lushan marches south, occupying Louyang with blinding speed and leaving the Tang Dynasty reeling. Still, ultimately the tide seems ready to turn against the rebel general and self-styled-Emperor of Yan, until Chancellor Yang Guozhong's bungling ruins absolutely everything.Time Period Covered: Jan-July, 756Major Historical Actors:Tang Dynasty:Emperor Xuanzong of TangChancellor Yang Guozhong (d. 756)Consort Yang Guifei (d. 756)Crowned Prince Li HengGeneral Feng Chengqian (d. 756)General Gao Xianzhi (d. 756)General Geshu HanDongan Protectorate/Yang Dynasty:An LushanAn Qingzong (d. 756)Major Works Cited:Abramson, Marc S. (2008). Ethnic Identity in Tang China.Chamney, Lee (2012). “The An Shi Rebellion and Rejection of the Other in Tang China, 618-763.” University of Alberta.Pulleyblank, Edwin G. (1976). “The An Lu-Shan Rebellion and the Origins of Chronic Militarism in Late T’ang China” in Essays on Tʻang Society: The Interplay of Social, Political and Economic Forces.Twitchett, Denis. “End of the Reign” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3.De la Vaissière, Étienne, (tr.) James Ward (2002). Sogdian Traders: A History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The aged Emperor Xuanzong of Tang rest uneasily on his throne as 751 brings not just the sting of defeat at Talas, but also to the far south and northeast. He and his chancellor will become increasingly reliant on the Governor-General of Dongan Protectorate, the Sogdian-Turk An Lushan. But at a time when loyalty, ethnicity, and what it means to be Chinese is increasingly strained, how much pressure can the system take before it snaps?Time Period Covered:751-755 CEMajor Historical Figures:Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang)Chancellor Li Linfu (d. 753)Chancellor Yang GuozhongConsort Yang HuiyuanCrowned Prince Li HengAn Lushan, Governor-General of the Andong ProtectorateGeshu Han, Governor-General of the Anbei ProtectorateAn Qingzong (Gen. An’s eldest son and heir)Sources Cited:Abramson, Marc S. (2008). Ethnic Identity in Tang China.Chamney, Lee (2012). “The An Shi Rebellion and Rejection of the Other in Tang China, 618-763.” University of Alberta.Pulleyblank, Edwin G. (1976). “The An Lu-Shan Rebellion and the Origins of Chronic Militarism in Late T’ang China” in Essays on Tʻang Society: The Interplay of Social, Political and Economic Forces.Twitchett, Denis. “End of the Reign” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3.De la Vaissière, Étienne, (tr.) James Ward (2002). Sogdian Traders: A History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Title Meaning: “Hundredth!” It’s a Q&A between you listeners and myself on topics far and wide! They range from yet further exploration of Empress Wu, to the nature of Chinese alcohol, my favorite Chinese movies, Chinese classes and slavery within the Empire and even today, China’s relations with Southeast Asia and why it seems to be a particularly difficult place to conquer across time, the end of the Ming Dynasty, the surprisingly contentious history of silk, and finally a question likely to land me in hot water: a question on how China might change in the century to come (bring it on, Fifty Cent Party!)Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The armies of the Far West Anxi Protectorate of the Tang face down a force commanded by the ascendant Abbasid Islamic Caliphate, fresh off its victorious insurgency over the Umayyad Caliphate. But in this one and only clash between Chinese and Arab might, the ramifications for both will be felt long after the blood dries on the battlefield along the Talas River.Time Period Covered:May- September, 751Major Historical Figures:Tang Dynasty – Protectorate of Western PacificationEmperor Xuanzong of Tang (Li Longji)Governor-General Fumeng LingchaGovernor-General Gao Xianzhi (Go Seonji)Bian Lingchen, Court Eunuch on Assignment to AnxiLieutenant Li SiyeOfficer Duan XiushiTransoxiana:Lesser Bolü Kingdom (Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan)Shi Kingdom (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)Turgesh KhannateKarluk (Qarluq) TurksTibetan EmpireAbbasid Islamic Caliphate:Governor Ziyad ibn SalihMajor Works Cited:Bartold, Vasily (1928). Turkestan Down to the Mongol Invasion (Trans. T. Minorsky & C.E. Bosworth).Chen, Sanping (2012). Multicultural China in the Early Middle Ages.Golden, Peter B. (1990). “The Kharakhanids and early Islam” in The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia, vol. 1 (ed. Denis Sinor).Hoberman, Barry (Sept/Oct. 1982). “The Battle of Talas” in Aramco World, vol. 33 no. 5. Ibn al-Athir, Ali (ca. 1231) The Complete History.Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.Soucek, Svak (2000). A History of Inner Asia.Starr, S. Frederick (2004). Xinjiang: China’s Muslim Borderland.Szczepanski, Susan (2015). “Battle of Talas River” in About.com: http://asianhistory.about.com/od/centralasia/a/BattleofTalas.htmTsien Tsuen-hsuin (1985). “Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 1: Paper and Printing.” In Science and Civilization in China: Vol. 5.Twitchett, Denis (ed.) (1979).“Hsuang-Tsüng: Li-Lin Fu’s Regime” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We leave the capital behind to take a tour of the Tang Empire’s neighbors, both old and new. A tenuous peace with Tibet leads to a westward push putting the Chinese into contact – and eventual conflict – with the Islamic Abbasid Caliphate. Meanwhile, to the north and east rebellious Khitan tribesmen will spark a huge military buildup in the region under the control of one man, while the former Goguryeo reorganizes itself into the powerful state of Balhae, forcing the Tang Court to re-assess its diplomatic options.Time Period Covered:730-750 CEMajor Historical Figures:Tang Dynasty:Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang) [r. 712-756]Gen. Zhang Shougui, Military Governor of FanyangGen. An Lushan, Military Governor of Pinglu, Prince of DongpingTibetan Kingdom:Turgesh Kaghanate:Sulu Kaghan [d. 738]Abbasid Islamic Caliphate:Second Turkic Kaghanate:Bilgé Kaghan [r. 716-734]Kul Tigin [d. 731]Khitan and Xi Tribes:Ketuyu [d. 733]Balhae Kingdom:King Go [r. 698-719]King Mu [r. 719-737]King Mun [r. 737-793] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Justice System of the Tang Imperial Court, the throne’s interests are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the Confucians, who argue for traditional ethics, and the Legalists, who argue for the unbending application of the letter of the law. These are their stories…Time Period Covered:731-740 CEMajor Historical Figures:Emperor Xuanzong of TangChief Minister Zhang JiulingChief Minister Li LinfuEunuch Commander Gao LishiGeneral Wang MaozhongMajor Sources Cited:Herbert, Penelope A. "A Debate in T'ang Chinaon the State Monopoly on Casting Coin" in T'oung Pao LXII.Twitchett, Denis. "Hsuang-Tsüng: The Middle Reign" in The Cambridge history of China, vol. 3.Sima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices