Sui Dynasty Research Paper

The fall of the Sui dynasty in the early 7th century led to one of the most prosperous and revolutionary eras in early Chinese history. The Sui dynasty, though short lived, was able to unify China under indigenous Chinese rule for the first time since the Han dynasty. The Sui’s collapse can be attributed to their overly hostile foreign policy and repeated failures to invade the Korean Peninsula which subsequently led to civil unrest and rebellions throughout the Sui kingdom. After the Sui’s collapse, the Tang established the framework for their dynasty on that which the Sui left behind. Building on the reunification of northern and southern China by the Sui, the Tang dynasty established a strong, centralized state which brought together not only

With this expansive empire, the Tang were exposed to a number of different cultures which contributed to its unprecedented prosperity. However, unlike the Sui, the early Tang were much more open when encountering foreign cultures and, the Tang held less forceful expansionistic aspirations. The economy and commerce flourished, social order was stable, corruption was uncommon and the national boundaries of China were opened to foreign countries. Foreign envoys visited Tang courts regularly carrying with them gifts and tributes. The Tang dynasty is also known for its great material prosperity. Thousands of foreign merchants and artists lived in Chang-an, the Tang capital. These foreigners brought with them new ideas, forms of art, food and, fashion. Taizong, realizing the mistakes made by his Sui predecessors, adopted foreign policies that strengthened economic and cultural ties with other countries. Under the rule of Emperor Taizong, the Tang dynasty transitioned from an offensive foreign policy to one with the aim of establishing harmonious relations with other nations because Taizong recognized the dangers and disadvantages of having unnecessarily hostile foreign policy as a newly established dynasty in a multi-polar