Tang Dynasty free essay sample

The Tang dynasty is one of China’s most remarkable and glistening historic periods known today. The Tang dynasty established a strong centralized state system, starting in 618 after the fall of the Sui dynasty in the early seventeenth century. Although the early Tang monarchs were good rulers over all, one emperor in particular parts from the group. â€Å"Li Shih-min† who would assume the title of T’ai-tsung. T’ai-tsung was the son of the first emperor in the Tang dynasty Gaozu. He was a bold, energetic, and powerful emperor that was determined to solve the international problems that had destroyed past weaker dynasties. T’ai-tsung was responsible for the recreation of Chinese government. (â€Å"quote source†) According to â€Å"source 1† at the top of the hierarchy was the emperor; below him were three administrations; council of the state, military affairs, and the censorate. The most important out of the three was the council of the state, which drafted policy, reviewed policy, and implemented policy. The military affairs directed the military under the control of the emperor. The censorate watched over the government and the government officials to prevent misgoverning and corruption. The new government policies set into place that T’ai-tsung had ingeniously derived led to the central state system working. The geographical area of the Tang Empire stretched across a vast part of China. Chang’an was the western capitol of the Tang dynasty, and became a centralized meeting place for traders, merchants, artist, and religious leaders. Chang’an became one of the richest and most powerful cities in the world at that time. The Tang dynasty flourished in part due to the new economic and trading ties with different regions. Trade was possible because the government maintained good foreign trade relation. The Tang Empire traded with India, Middle East, and Central Asia. Silk road connected Chang’an to Greece, Rome, and parts of Europe. This highway brought new products of trade to the countries which included silk, tea, herbs, spices and hand crafted items. The Tang dynasty is responsible for many great things, the dynasty had several world changing inventions, famous literature, and changing religious movements that would spark a revolution that would forever change the way Chinese people interacted and lived within society. One reason that the Tang Dynasty is known for being one of the best empires in Chinese history is because of the brilliant and world changing inventions that some of the greater minds in that era created, forever changing the way people lived. Inventions are essential for ever changing technologic advances towards a greater way of life and the Chinese understood this concept with the invention of making paper, gunpowder, printing technique and compass. All of which were not completely new concepts but the Tang Dynasty found ways to improve some of the already thought of inventions. The invention of paper making greatly contributed to the spread and development of civilization. Prior to the invention of paper making; bones, tortoise shells, and bamboo slips were all used as writing surfaces. As Chinese civilization developed the usage of their materials proved to be unsuitable, because they were extremely too heavy and took up a lot of space. The next material used in trying to make paper was the combination of hemp fiber and silk, but the quality of the material was found to be unsatisfactory. The use of that material also had far better uses . According to (â€Å"quote† ) Xue fu wu che which is a Chinese idiom describing a learned man. The story behind paper making is that a scholar by the name of Hui Shi who lived during the Tang dynasty. He needed five charts to carry around his books while teaching. At the time books were made of wood and bamboo slips, so one could imagine how heavy and inconvenient they would be to carry from place to place. Not to mention how much space the books would take up. If a person had ten or more books that person might need a cart with wheels just to carry them around. Reading books at the time, a person would not only need to have brain power, but would also have to be in good physical condition. According to Chinese history experts â€Å"In 105 A. D. Cai Lun, a eunuch during the Tang dynasty, invented paper from worn fishnet, bark, and cloth. † The fact that these raw materials were available at such a low cost and easily able to obtain the process of making paper in large quantities just made sense! The technique of paper making was eventually exported to Korea in 384 A. D. Japan acquired the skill of making paper when a Korean monk traveled there taking the information and process with him. Paper making traveled to the Arab empire during a war between the Arabs and the Tang dynasty, when some of the soldiers of the Tang army, and paper making workers were captured during the war. Soon after, a paper factory was established in the Arab nation. In the eleventh century the skill of making paper was carried to India when Chinese monks traveled there in search for spiritual enlightenment. The skill then traveled the world from one continent to the next, eventually the skill was brought to America. The invention of paper is accredited to one of the greatest dynasties know in Chinese history, the Tang Dynasty. The Tang dynasty was also responsible for the invention of gunpowder. In Chinese, the word gunpowder is called, huo yao, which means flaming medicine. Unlike so many of the other Chinese inventions the making of gunpowder was pure accidental. Gunpowder is an invention that has had a profound effect on human society. Gunpowder was first discovered when alchemist was trying to make an elixir of immortality. According to legend â€Å"During the Tang dynasty, around 850 A. D. , an enterprising alchemist (whose name has been lost to history) mixed 75 parts saltpeter with fifteen parts charcoal and ten parts sulfur. This mixture had no discernable life-lengthening properties, but it did explode to an open flame. According to a text from the era, â€Å"smoke and flames result, so that (the alchemist) hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down. † After the discovery of gunpowder the Chinese people found many useful purposes for this new and amazing invention. It is thought that the only use for gunpowder was for making fireworks, used by the Chinese during celebrations, such as, parades and ceremonial events for the emperor; but gunpowder was destined for greater usages. One usage of gunpowder was in weapons.