How Did The Rise And Fall Of The Tang Dynasty

Regarded as China’s golden age, the Tang Dynasty was a period when China’s culture and society thrived. There was a multitude of religions during this time, especially in the capital, but the main beliefs espoused by the Chinese people during this period were Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. In addition to the flourishing culture, the Tang government was stable and powerful because the economy was strong from trade and government officials were educated with the more common use of written examinations. The location of the capital at Chang’an, a large trade center, also contributed to the success of the dynasty. Chang’an was, in the words of Adshead, “[a] magnet alike for politics, economy, society and intellect. It was the centre of the

The Mandate of Heaven was the idea that the government maintained power through the gods. Empress Wu used religion as a powerful tool to fortify her right to power. For example, she was a great supporter of Buddhism, which counteracted the Confucianist belief of stressing social order and a women’s inferior position. By promoting Buddhism, Wu was able to advocate a women’s position as more equal to man, making it less absurd to have a woman in control. This paved the path for Wu to become a Tang ruler. Furthermore, the performance of the Feng-Shan ceremony was also significant in proving the Mandate of Heaven. The Feng-Shan ritual, dating back to the Han Dynasty was extremely rare. It involved multiple sacrifices and an official listing of the government’s achievements. It was, according to Jonathan Clements, “the pinnacle of imperial achievement.” As a women who strived for power, Empress Wu decided to invest in this potential accomplishment. She was able to coerce Emperor Gaozong and his officials into allowing her to have an equal role in carrying out the ceremony. Consequently, Wu provided both more equality in the government for herself and more justification for the government’s rule. Also, Empress Wu frequently used omens to further show the support of divine authorities. She interpreted the sighting of a great comet, a growing mountain and a three-legged

She was incredibly gifted at helping her position by changing tradition, which was both beneficial and consequential to the government. Empress Wu helped further legitimize the government's power by proving the mandate of heaven and through religious rituals. She also helped provide a strong military for China, which was rewarding at the time, but eventually led to consequences in the future because of the costliness. Though she helped promote the examination system and allowed commoners to become government officials, she also played a role in government corruption by selecting her allies to be in office. Her leadership was greatly opposed, but it was also revolutionary and her rule made its mark on the Tang government and Chinese