The Sui Dynasty:
589-618 CE
Background Information:
After the fall of the Han dynasty, there was the Era of Disunity. During this time, disunity and warfare was constant throughout China, Buddhism replaced Confucianism, the government became decentralized, there were increased outside threats, but technological advances and trade continued. Eventually the Sui Dynasty, led by Emperor Wendi, reunified China.
Emperor Wendi:
Emperor Wendi was the first leader of the Sui Dynasty. He was able to reunify China after the era of disunity. Wendi encouraged Buddhism as a religion, but the government was based on Confucianism. He made a centralized government by controlling local officials, and sent inspectors to different parts of China to ensure everyone was following the rules. Wendi believed resepct was very important, and followed eveyr Confucian policy well. Wendi lowered taxes, and established granaries, which ensured a constant surplus of food. He also started the constructed the beginnings of the Grand Canal, a canal that advanced trade and communication from the North and South sides of China further. He also created the Land-Equalization System, a system that equally distributed land to all people based on the size of their family. This made the period very agriculturally based. He made a strong military, and overall created a prosperous empire.
Emperor Yangdi:
Emperor Yangdi was Wendi's successor. He continued the same government as his father, Wendi. He expanded the empire, built palaces, started the idea of civil-service exams, and finished the work of the Grand Canal. Although he had some successes, Yangdi mostly had a negative affect on the Sui Dynasty. Although he finished the work of the Grand Canal, he had to use conscripted labor, which many people despised. Yangdi also made a second capital, Luoyang, complete with lakes and a park. The only person this benefited was himself, and took a whopping 2,000,000 men to complete. The capital change also ate up money for an unessecary project. However, his biggest mistake as a ruler was trying to take over Korea. When trying to do this, Yangdi failed, and caused the deaths of thousands of members of the military.
Major Accomplishments:
- The Grand Canal
- Reunified and stabilized China after the Era of Disunity
- Land Equalization System was created
- Currency was stablized, which allowed for more trade
- They drove out nomadic invaders
- Established a strong army
- Repaired damage to the Great Wall of China
- Reunified and stabilized China after the Era of Disunity
- Land Equalization System was created
- Currency was stablized, which allowed for more trade
- They drove out nomadic invaders
- Established a strong army
- Repaired damage to the Great Wall of China
Fall of the Sui:
The Sui Dynasty lasted for only two emperors, mostly because the last emperor they saw was inadequate to lead. The people did not like him because he spent their money on extravagant ideas that only benefited himself, and failed to conquer Korea, which costed many Chinese lives.This eventually caused them to rebel and assassinate him. The other reason the Sui fell was that although there was a lot of accomplishments, all their accomplishments were a strain-they used up valuable resources,