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Military System in the Tang Dynasty

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Li Yuan defeated the warlords one after another in the late Sui dynasty (581-618) and established the Tang dynasty (618-907) in 618, ushering in a new era in ancient Chinese history.
The Tang Empire was very prosperous in economy, enlightened in politics and flourishing in culture and powerful in military force, boasting the most powerful empire in the world then.
Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong started military expeditions to the East Turki State and the West Turki State, annihilated Gaochang (present Xijiang Province), Koguryo and Pache, defeated Japan in the battle of Hakusukinoe, and waged war against Khitan, Mohe (an ancient nationality in northeast China) and Tiele during their reigns.
In addition, the Tang Empire conflicted with the Arabic Countries and the Abbasid dynasty in Central Asia, ending up with the Tang Empire withdrawing from Central Asia owing to its domestic war (Anshi Rebellion), which was followed by large-scaled economic depression in the North.
In addition to the outstanding Han-ethnic generals such as Xue Rengui, Guo Ziyi and Gao Ping, the generals from ethnic minority-groups also played an important part in the Tang dynasty, including An Lushan, Shi Siming, Heichi Changzhi, Gao Xianzhi, Li Guangbi, Li Huaiguang, Ge Shuhan, Pugu Huaien and Adie Guangjin.
With the termination of the equal-field system (the farmland system of the Tang Dynasty) and taxation system of payment in kind and labor, the voluntary military service system was carried out in the flourishing period of the Tang dynasty, and the newly-recruited soldiers couldn't resist the attack from the rebels during Anshi Rebellion, so the Tang army retreated one step after another.
The Tubo (present Tibet) army once captured Chang'an (capital of Tang Empire) for 15 days in 763 and it was defeated by the Tang army led by Guo Ziyi soon, and the seesaw battles between Tubo and the Tang Empire lasted for another 100 years.
The lost territory (Xizhou, Beiting and Luntai) was recaptured by the Tang army in February of 7th year (886) of Xiantong Period, and Tubo army was heavily defeated by the Tang army in October of the same year.
The defeated remnants of Tubo army escaped to Qinzhou, who came under attack from Tang army led by Shang Xinyan and fled to the south of the Five Ridges (present Guangxi Province and Guangxi Province), ending up with demise.
The crush of Tubo enabled the Tang Empire to be free from fear of an attack from the west.
Nanzhao (a small kingdom in South Tang Empire) invaded and captured Annan (present Vietnam) in middle Tang dynasty, and the Tang army regained Annan by defeating Nanzhao later, however, the Tang empire was greatly weakened by the peasant uprising led by Huang Chao in its late period.
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