Changan: Tang Capitol of Two Million
Episode 22: Changan and the Glittering Tang
Foundations of Eastern Civilization
Dr Craig Benjamin (2013)
Film Review
In this lecture, Benjamin looks specifically at the reign of the Tang emperor Xuanzong (713-756 AD).
By now, Changan, which had been the Chinese capitol for 2,000 years was 30 square miles in area. It had one million inhabitants inside the wall and one million inhabitants on the outskirts.*
Changan was home to large numbers of foreigners, eg 8,000 Korean students studying at the Confucian academy, thousands of Indian Buddhists and thousands of Persian, Syria and Arab merchants trading at hundreds of markets. In an era known for religious tolerance, there were numerous churches for Manichaeans,** Zororastrians and Nestorian Christians, as well as Islamic mosques.
Confucian scholars and official lived in mansions, and sought out foreign hairstyles, musicians, actors and jewels. With Confucian scholars were all expected to excel at calligraphy, oratory, dancing and poetry, these arts flourished. As the Chinese developed block printing, literacy increased. History has recorded the names of at least 2,000 Tang poets, while royal courtesans set many poems to music, as well as composing songs of their own.
The An Lushan Rebellion (755 – 763 AD) significantly weakened the Tang Empire, leading court eunuchs to take increasing control of governance. The Equal Field System** fell apart During the final 100 years of the Tang empire, leading many peasants to become bonded serfs. At the same time, taxation increase, with property tax gradually replacing income tax.
In 845 AD the emperor Wuzong launched a campaign of persecution against Chinese Buddhists, destroying 4,600 monasteries and 40,000 temples.
During the last century of the dynasty there was serious tension between the government bureaucracy and the military. Benjamin believes intervention on the side of the emperor by newly arrived Turkic speaking nomads*** briefly postponed the Tang Dynasty’s collapse.
In 960 AD, the last Tang emperor was deposed by one of his regional governors.
*At this point in history, Cordova Spain had a population of 450,000, Constantinople 300,000 and London/Paris 50,000 each.
**See How the Silk Road Promoted Buddhism and Other Major Religions and Written Language
***See 9th Century AD: Mass Migration of Uighur Turks to China Leads to Rise of Seljuk Turks on the Steppes
Film can be viewed free on Kanopy with a library card.
The Most Revolutionary Act
- Stuart Jeanne Bramhall's profile
- 11 followers
