Tang Dynasty

Li Yuan (December 21, 566–June 25, 635), courtesy name Shude, was a native of Chengji in Longxi (present-day Qin'an, Gansu) and the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty. His temple name was Gaozu and his initial posthumous name was Emperor Taiwu, later changed to Emperor Shenyao Dasheng Daguangxiao. Li Yuan came from an aristocratic Guanlong family of the Northern Zhou. His grandfather Li Hu was one of the Eight Pill

Li Shimin (wuwu day of the twelfth lunar month in the eighteenth year of the Kaihuang era of Sui, January 23, 599–jisi day of the fifth lunar month in the twenty-third year of the Zhenguan era, July 10, 649), a native of Chengji in Longxi (present-day Qin'an County, Tianshui, Gansu), with ancestral origins in Didao, Longxi (present-day Lintao, Gansu), was born in Wugong, present-day Wugong, Shaanxi. He was the second

Li Zhi (July 21, 628–December 27, 683), courtesy name Weishan and childhood name Zhinu, was the third emperor of the Tang dynasty. He was the ninth son of Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Empress Wende, Lady Zhangsun. He was made crown prince in 643, the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, and succeeded to the throne in 649, the twenty-third year of Zhenguan, reigning for thirty-four years. Early in his reign, Chang

Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Li Xian (yichou day of the eleventh lunar month of the first year of the Xianqing era, November 26, 656 – renwu day of the sixth lunar month of the fourth year of the Jinglong era, July 3, 710), originally named Li Zhe, was the fourth emperor of the Tang dynasty. He was the seventh son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, and the third son born to Wu Zetian. He ascended the throne twice. His

Li Dan (662–716), eighth son of Emperor Gaozong and youngest son of Wu Zetian, was the fifth emperor of the Tang, ruling twice: from 684 to 690 as a nominal emperor under his mother's regency, when he was reduced to imperial heir and given the surname Wu, and from 710 after the Tanglong coup until his abdication in 712 in favour of his son Li Longji, after which he was retired emperor until 713, when the fall of Prin

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji (8th day of the 9th lunar month in the first year of the Chuigong era, September 8, 685–jia-yin day of the 4th lunar month in the first year of the Baoying era, May 3, 762), was a grandson of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, and Wu Zetian, and the third son of Emperor Ruizong of Tang, Li Dan. His mother was Consort Dou. Because he ranked third among his brothers, he was also known

Li Heng (October 19, 711–May 16, 762), also known at different times as Li Sisheng, Li Jun, Li Yu, and Li Shao, was the third son of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, and Empress Yuanxian Yang. He was the eighth emperor of the Tang Dynasty, reigning from 756 to 762. During the An Lushan Rebellion, he ascended the throne at Lingwu, directed the counteroffensive, employed generals including Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi,

Emperor Daizong of Tang, Li Yu (November 11, 726–June 10, 779), originally named Li Chu and courtesy name Jiansu, was a native of Didao in Longxi (present-day Lintao County, Gansu). He was the ninth emperor of the Tang dynasty, reigning from May 18, 762 to June 10, 779, and the eldest son of Emperor Suzong of Tang, Li Heng, by Empress Zhangjing, Lady Wu. Li Yu was described as benevolent, filial, gentle, and respectf

Li Shi (May 27, 742–February 25, 805), childhood name Tiaolang, was a native of Chengji in Longxi (present-day Qin'an County, Gansu). He was the tenth emperor of the Tang dynasty, reigning from 779 to 805, the eldest son of Emperor Daizong Li Yu, and the son of Empress Ruizhen, Lady Shen. Early in his reign, Li Shi governed energetically, appointed Yang Yan to implement the Two-Tax System, and strongly advocated curb

Li Song (twelfth day of the first lunar month of the second year of the Shangyuan era, February 21, 761 – nineteenth day of the first lunar month of the first year of the Yuanhe era, February 11, 806) had ancestral origins in Didao, Longxi (present-day Lintao County, Gansu Province), and was born in the Eastern Inner Palace at Chang'an. He was the eleventh emperor of the Tang dynasty, the eldest son of Emperor Dezong

Li Chun (778–820), Emperor Xianzong of Tang, was the eleventh emperor of the Tang dynasty. During his reign from 805 to 820, he applied himself to government and pursued policies to curb the military governorships, achieving substantial results in what became known as the Yuanhe Restoration. Li Chun was the eldest son of Emperor Shunzong of Tang, Li Song; his mother was Empress Zhuangxian, Lady Wang. After taking the

Li Heng (795–824), originally named Li You, was the third son of Emperor Xianzong of Tang, Li Chun, and the thirteenth emperor of the Tang dynasty, reigning from 820 to 824 under the temple name Muzong. After the death of his elder brother, Crown Prince Huizhao Li Ning, Li Heng was made crown prince with support from his maternal relatives and forces at court. When Emperor Xianzong died suddenly in 820, the fifteenth

Li Zhan (seventh day of the sixth lunar month in the fourth year of Yuanhe, July 22, 809 – eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in the second year of Baoli, January 9, 827) was the fourteenth emperor of the Tang dynasty. He was the eldest son of Li Heng, Emperor Muzong of Tang, and his mother was Empress Gongxi, Lady Wang. He was the elder brother of Li Ang, later Emperor Wenzong of Tang, and Li Yan, later Emperor W

Li Ang (20 November 809 – 10 February 840), originally named Li Han, was the fifteenth emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the second son of Emperor Muzong Li Heng. His mother was Empress Zhenxian Xiao. His posthumous name was Yuansheng Zhaoxian Xiao Emperor, his temple name was Wenzong, and he was buried at Zhangling. During the reign period given in the introduction as 827–840, he sought to eliminate eunuch power and l

Emperor Wuzong of Tang, Li Yan (July 2, 814–April 22, 846), originally named Li Chan, was the fifth son of Emperor Muzong of Tang and the son of Empress Xuanyi, Lady Wei. He was the sixteenth emperor of the Tang dynasty, reigning from 840, the fifth year of the Kaicheng era, to 846, the sixth year of the Huichang era, under the era name Huichang. During his reign he appointed Li Deyu as chief councillor, expelled mem

Li Chen (810–859), originally named Li Yi, was the thirteenth son of Emperor Xianzong of Tang and the seventeenth emperor of the Tang Dynasty, reigning from 846 to 859. His era name was Dazhong, his temple name was Xuanzong, and his posthumous name was Emperor Yuansheng Zhiming Chengwu Xianwen Ruizhi Zhangren Shencong Yidao Daxiao. Later generations called him the “Little Taizong,” and his reign became known as the D

Li Cui (December 28, 833–August 15, 873), originally named Li Wen, was the eighteenth emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He was born on the fourteenth day of the eleventh month in the seventh year of the Dahe era (833) at a princely residence in Chang'an County, Jingzhao Prefecture (present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi). He was the eldest son of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Chen, and Empress Yuanzhao, Lady Chao. In 846 he was create

A late-Tang emperor who fled west to Sichuan during Huang Chao's rebellion; during his reign the Tang dynasty's decline accelerated.

Emperor Zhaozong of Tang, Li Ye (March 31, 867–September 22, 904), was originally named Li Jie, changed his name to Li Min after being designated imperial younger brother and heir, and later changed it again to Li Ye after accession. He was the twentieth emperor of the Tang dynasty, the seventh son of Emperor Yizong of Tang and younger brother of Emperor Xizong, and his birth mother was Empress Gongxian, Lady Wang. I

Li Zhu (892–908), originally named Li Zuo, was the ninth son of Li Ye, Emperor Zhaozong of Tang, and Empress Dowager Jishan, Lady He. He was the final emperor of the Tang dynasty, reigning from 904, the first year of Tianyou, to 907, the fourth year of Tianyou. Throughout his life he was controlled by the powerful warlord Zhu Wen, later Zhu Huang, founding emperor of Later Liang. His accession, abdication, and death

An Lushan (January 22, 703–January 29, 757), originally named Yaluoshan (also written Aluoshan), was said in the source to have originally borne the surname Kang, possibly reflecting origins connected with Kangju/Samarkand. After his mother married the Turkic man An Yanyan, he took the surname An and the name Lushan. He was from Liucheng in Yingzhou (south of present-day Chaoyang, Liaoning) and became the initiator o

Huang Chao (820–June 15, 884) was a native of Yuanju in Caozhou, northwest of present-day Cao County in Heze, Shandong. He was a leader of the large-scale peasant war at the end of the Tang and the founder of the Great Qi regime. Born into a family engaged in the salt trade, Huang Chao was skilled in riding and archery and repeatedly failed the jinshi examination. In 875, the second year of the Qianfu era, he led f

Songtsen Gampo (Tibetan: སྲོང་བཙན་སྒམ་པོ་; Wylie: Srong bTsan sGam Po; 617–650) is rendered as Qizong Nongzan in the New Book of Tang, Qizong Nongzan in the Cefu Yuangui, and Qisu Nongzan in the Tongdian. He was said to be from Qiongwa Daze (present-day Qonggyai in the Shannan region of Tibet), belonged to the Yarlung royal house, was the thirty-third Tsenpo of Tibet, and was effectively the founder of the Tibe

An able khan of the Second Turkic Khaganate, he maintained peaceful trade with Tang under Tonyukuk's guidance and presided over a revival of the khaganate in his later years.

An Qingxu (?–759), courtesy name Renzhi, was a native of Liucheng in Yingzhou (present-day Chaoyang, Liaoning). He was the second son of An Lushan, Prince of Dongping under the Tang and holder of the three northeastern military commissions; his mother was Lady Kang. His original name was Renzhi, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang later bestowed the name Qingxu. Skilled in riding and archery, he was described as introverted

Baoyi Khan (?–821), of the Ädiz clan, was the ninth khagan of the steppe Uyghur Khaganate during the Tang period, the eldest concubine-born son of Huaixin Khan and elder brother of Tengri Khan. He succeeded to the throne in 808 and in the same year received investiture from Emperor Xianzong of Tang as Baoyi Khan. The following year he sent envoys requesting that the ethnonym used by the Tang court be changed from Hui

Kim Beop-min (626–681), whose family name was Kim and personal name Beop-min, was the thirtieth monarch of Silla, reigning from 661 to 681. He was a son of King Taejong Muyeol, Kim Chunchu, a nephew of the noted Silla general Kim Yu-sin, and also Kim Yu-sin's son-in-law. In his early years he served as an envoy to the Tang dynasty and personally participated in the war that destroyed Baekje. During his reign, he coop

Piluoge (697–748), also recorded under the Chinese variant names Kuai Lejue and Zhuoluoji, and as Meng Guiyi, was the fourth ruler of Mengshe Zhao, the predecessor of Nanzhao, and the founding ruler of the Nanzhao state. During his reign from 728 to 748, and with support from the Tang court, he annexed the other five zhao, unified the Erhai region, and established the Nanzhao regime. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang granted

Suluk Qaghan (died 738) was the third qaghan of the Türgesh Khaganate and an important political and military leader in the Western Regions during the eighth century. He came from the Chebishi division of the Türgesh. When the Türgesh Khaganate fell into disorder after attacks by Qapaghan Qaghan of the Second Turkic Khaganate, Suluk gathered the surviving forces and brought the tribes back under command. The source s

King Uija (599–660), of the Buyeo royal clan and personal name Uija, was the thirty-first king of Baekje and the eldest son of King Mu of Baekje, the kingdom’s thirtieth ruler. King Uija was known for filial conduct from youth and was praised by contemporaries as the “Zengzi of the Eastern Sea.” In 641, the fifteenth year of the Zhenguan era under Emperor Taizong of Tang, he inherited the throne. During his reign he

Tuli Khan (603–631), of the Ashina clan and personal name Shibo'bi, was the legitimate son of Shibi Qaghan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and a nephew of Illig Qaghan. In 619, the second year of Wude, he did not succeed to the khaganate because of his youth and was instead appointed Nibu Shad by his uncle Chuluo Qaghan to govern the eastern part of the Turkic realm. After Illig Qaghan came to power, Shibo'bi was mad

Mo Chuo Khan (665–716), of the Ashina clan and personal name Gui in the Chinese source tradition, was the second qaghan of the Second Turkic Khaganate, ruling from 691 to 716. The Orkhon Turkic inscriptions refer to him as Apa Qaghan. His elder brother was Qutlugh, Ilterish Qaghan. During Mo Chuo's reign, the Second Turkic Khaganate reached the height of its power. It attacked the Khitan and Xi in the east, campaigne