The History of China

Title Meaning: “Hundredth!” It’s a Q&A between you listeners and myself on topics far and wide! They range from yet further exploration of Empress Wu, to the nature of Chinese alcohol, my favorite Chinese movies, Chinese classes and slavery within the Empire and even today, China’s relations with Southeast Asia and why it seems to be a particularly difficult place to conquer across time, the end of the Ming Dynasty, the surprisingly contentious history of silk, and finally a question likely to land me in hot water: a question on how China might change in the century to come (bring it on, Fifty Cent Party!) Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The armies of the Far West Anxi Protectorate of the Tang face down a force commanded by the ascendant Abbasid Islamic Caliphate, fresh off its victorious insurgency over the Umayyad Caliphate. But in this one and only clash between Chinese and Arab might, the ramifications for both will be felt long after the blood dries on the battlefield along the Talas River. Time Period Covered: May- September, 751 Major Historical Figures: Tang Dynasty – Protectorate of Western Pacification Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (Li Longji) Governor-General Fumeng Lingcha Governor-General Gao Xianzhi (Go Seonji) Bian Lingchen, Court Eunuch on Assignment to Anxi Lieutenant Li Siye Officer Duan Xiushi Transoxiana: Lesser Bolü Kingdom (Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan) Shi Kingdom (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) Turgesh Khannate Karluk (Qarluq) Turks Tibetan Empire Abbasid Islamic Caliphate: Governor Ziyad ibn Salih Major Works Cited: Bartold, Vasily (1928). Turkestan Down to the Mongol Invasion (Trans. T. Minorsky & C.E. Bosworth). Chen, Sanping (2012). Multicultural China in the Early Middle Ages. Golden, Peter B. (1990). “The Kharakhanids and early Islam” in The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia, vol. 1 (ed. Denis Sinor). Hoberman, Barry (Sept/Oct. 1982). “The Battle of Talas” in Aramco World, vol. 33 no. 5. Ibn al-Athir, Ali (ca. 1231) The Complete History. Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian. Soucek, Svak (2000). A History of Inner Asia. Starr, S. Frederick (2004). Xinjiang: China’s Muslim Borderland. Szczepanski, Susan (2015). “Battle of Talas River” in About.com: http://asianhistory.about.com/od/centralasia/a/BattleofTalas.htm Tsien Tsuen-hsuin (1985). “Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 1: Paper and Printing.” In Science and Civilization in China: Vol. 5. Twitchett, Denis (ed.) (1979).“Hsuang-Tsüng: Li-Lin Fu’s Regime” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We leave the capital behind to take a tour of the Tang Empire’s neighbors, both old and new. A tenuous peace with Tibet leads to a westward push putting the Chinese into contact – and eventual conflict – with the Islamic Abbasid Caliphate. Meanwhile, to the north and east rebellious Khitan tribesmen will spark a huge military buildup in the region under the control of one man, while the former Goguryeo reorganizes itself into the powerful state of Balhae, forcing the Tang Court to re-assess its diplomatic options. Time Period Covered: 730-750 CE Major Historical Figures: Tang Dynasty: Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang) [r. 712-756] Gen. Zhang Shougui, Military Governor of Fanyang Gen. An Lushan, Military Governor of Pinglu, Prince of Dongping Tibetan Kingdom: Turgesh Kaghanate: Sulu Kaghan [d. 738] Abbasid Islamic Caliphate: Second Turkic Kaghanate: Bilgé Kaghan [r. 716-734] Kul Tigin [d. 731] Khitan and Xi Tribes: Ketuyu [d. 733] Balhae Kingdom: King Go [r. 698-719] King Mu [r. 719-737] King Mun [r. 737-793] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Justice System of the Tang Imperial Court, the throne’s interests are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the Confucians, who argue for traditional ethics, and the Legalists, who argue for the unbending application of the letter of the law. These are their stories… Time Period Covered: 731-740 CE Major Historical Figures: Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Chief Minister Zhang Jiuling Chief Minister Li Linfu Eunuch Commander Gao Lishi General Wang Maozhong Major Sources Cited: Herbert, Penelope A. "A Debate in T'ang Chinaon the State Monopoly on Casting Coin" in T'oung Pao LXII. Twitchett, Denis. "Hsuang-Tsüng: The Middle Reign" in The Cambridge history of China, vol. 3. Sima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Military reforms mark our entrance into Xuanzong’s early-middle reign, which is more or less a basket of unicorn foals: external peace, internal stability… now if only that darned economy would fix itself! But the emperor will turn a fateful corner in the 724, when his official Zhang Yue convinces him to conduct the Feng and Shan Sacrifices: the highest ritual a Chinese ruler could conduct – a sacrifice to Heaven and Earth atop holy Mount Tai. Time Period Covered: 714 – 726 CE Important Historical Figures: Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (Li Longji) [r. 714- ] Empress Wang [d. 724] Lady Wu Chief Minister Zhang Yue Minister Yuwen Rong Minister Cui Yinfu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wu Zetian’s grandson Li Longji (aka Xuanzong of Tang) is left to pick up the pieces of 50+ years’ worth of overindulgence, royal excess, and the rampant deconstruction of the entire imperial bureaucratic apparatus. Thanks, grandma. Fortunately, he’ll prove uniquely suited to the role of maintenance-man, and under his unexpectedly capable leadership, he’ll reign in his family members, do away with the thousands of excess positions, reform the government, and stabilize the regime. He’s building up to a second Golden Age for the Tang Dynasty… all he has to do is get his obnoxious Aunt Taiping out of the way first… Major Historical Figures: Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang) [r. 712-756] Princess Taiping [d. 713] Li Dan (Retired Emperor Ruizong) [r. 710-712, d. 716] Yao Chong [650- ] Song Jing [663 - ] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tang Dynasty has been restored following Empress Wu's eldest son's coup d'etat. But dynastic restoration does not equate to societal reformation, and many of the problems Wu inherited or exacerbated remain. Throw into that mix a decade long period of palatial infighting between princes and princesses, and we have a period so chalk full of intrigue, espionage, and assassination... that classical historians have preferred to steer around this decade rather than even deign to acknowledge it. Time Period Covered: 705-712 CE Notable Historical Figures: Deposed Empress Wu Zetian [d. 705] Li Xian (Emperor Zhongzong of Tang) [2nd r. 705-710] Li Dan (Emperor Ruizong of Tang) [2nd r. 710-712] Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang) [r. 712- ] Princess Taiping Empress Wei [d. 710] Princess Anlou [d. 710] Wu Sansi [d. 707] Crowned Prince Li Chongjun [d. 707] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wu Zhao sits on the Throne of Heaven as divine sovereign in her own right. But challenges from expansionistic neighbors such as the Tibetans, the Turks, and the Khitan will throw her regime’s stability into question, an ongoing economic crisis will spiral out of control, and her scandalous affair with two pretty-boy half-brothers will throw the entire imperial court into turmoil, potentially spelling an end to her singular era of rule. Time Period Covered: 690-705 CE Major Historical Figures: Tang/Zhou Dynasty: Wu Zhao [The Holy Empress Regnant Zetian] (r. 690-705) Prince Li Xian [former Emperor Zhongzong] (re-confirmed as heir in 698) Prince Li Dan [former Emperor Ruizong] Princess Taiping Minister Wei Yuancheng Xue Huaiyi, head of White Horse Temple (d. 695) High Inquisitor Lai Junchen (d. 698) Zhang Yizhi (d. 705) Zhang Changzong (d. 705) Turkic Khannate: Qapaghan Khan [Mouchou] (d. 716) Tibetan Empire: Tridu Tsongsan Tsampo [King of Tibet] the mGar Clan (d. 698) Khitan Tribe: Chieftain Li Qincheng (d. 697) Chieftain Sun Wanzheng (d. 697) Major Works Cited: Clements, Johnathan. Wu: the Chinese Empress Who Schemed, Seduced and Murdered Her Way to Become A Living God. Dash, Mike. “The Demonization of Empress Wu” in The Smithsonian found at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-demonization-of-empress-wu-20743091/?no-ist Fitzgerald, C.P. The Empress Wu. Guisso, Richard W. L. “The Reigns of the empress Wu, Chung-tsung and Jui-tsung (684-712)” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3. Guisso, Richard W.L. Wu Tse-T’ien and the Politics of Legitimation in T’ang China. Liu, Xiu. Jiu Tangshu. Sima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian. Woo, X.L. Empress Wu the Great. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A white stone bearing a prophecy tells of an era of eternal prosperity, a disastrous rebellion spells the doom of the majority of the imperial Li Clan, an obscure sutra tells of the reincarnation of a goddess to rule over the world, the written word itself is altered to fit the times… all of these are will fit together today to explain how and why the 66-year-old Empress Dowager of Tang will manage to become the first and only woman Emperor of China in the year 690. Time Period Covered: 689-693 Major Historical Figures: Empress-Regnant Wu Zhao of Zhou, Sage Mother, Divine Sovereign, Maitreya the Peerless [r. 690-705] Li Dan (Emperor Ruizong of Tang) [r. 689-690] Chancellor Li Zhaode Chancellor Ji Xu Heir-Expectant Wu Chengsi Prince Li Chuan of Dengzhou [d. 689] Prince Li Cheng [d. 689] Prince Li Chen [d. 689] High Inquisitor Lai Junchen An Jingcan (he has guts) Major Works Cited: Guisso, Richard W. L. “The Reigns of the empress Wu, Chung-tsung and Jui-tsung (684-712)” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3. Chen, Jinhua. “Sarira and Scepter. Empress Wu’s Political Use of Buddhist Relics” in the Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, vol. 25 No. 1-2 (2002). Kory, Stephen N. “The Remarkably Resonant and Resilient Tang Dynasty Augural Stone” in Tang Studies, 26 (2008). Liu, Xiu. Jiu Tangshu.Sima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 206. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With her husband dead, Empress Wu is unrivaled in Chang'an, but that situation is tenuous as she has no legal basis for that power. Her eldest (surviving) son will take up the throne as Emperor Zhongzong for... all of two months before she decides he's got to go. Her timid, youngest son will fit her style much better as Ruizong, but when the high lords of the realm are exposed as conspiring against her, she will unleash her full fury on their ranks, employing tactics and methods that will decimate the literati class. Time Period Covered: 683-686 CE Major Historical Figures: Empress Dowager Wu Zhao Li Xian (Emperor Zhongzong) [r. 684] Li Dan (Emperor Ruizong) [r. 684-689] Empress Wei Wei Xuanzhen Li Jingye [d. 684] Chancellor Pei Yan [d. 684] General Cheng Wuding, "Terror of the Turks" [d. 684] High Inquisitor Lai Junchen [d. 697] High Inquisitor Zhou Xing [d. 691] Monk Xue Huaiyi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In celebration of the Year of the Monkey, this week we take a look at China's most famous demonic simian, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, and his Journey to the West guarding the Buddhist monk Xuanzang. Then we'll look at the historical 15 year long westward journey of Xuanzang as he seeks sutras from India to bring enlightenment to China. Time Period Covered: 602-664 CE Major Historical Figures: San Zang Master Xuanzang (Chen Hui) [602-664] Major Fictional Figures: Sun Wukong (The Handsome Monkey King, Mei Hou Wang) Zhu Bajie (Pig of the Eight Commandments) Sha Wujing (The Sandy Friar) Bodhisattva Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy and Compassion) Major Works Cited: Wu, Chang'en, The Journey to the West (1592). Xuanzang, Da Tang Xiyu Ji (Great Tang Records of the Western Regions) (646). "The History of Xuan Zang." http://www.vbtutor.net/Xiyouji/history.htmInternet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. "Xuanzang (Hsüan-tsang) (602—664 C.E.)" https://web.archive.org/web/20130116083307/http://www.iep.utm.edu/xuanzang/#H1 Cao, Shibang. "Fact vs. Fiction" in Dust in the Wind: Retracing Dharma Master Xuanzang's Western Pilgrimage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tang China goes to town on its neighbors over the course of the mid-7th century. First, the Western Regions of central Asia will feel the full force of a reunited Middle Kingdom, culminating in the collapse and Chinese annexation of the whole Western Turkic Khannate, putting Chinese borders (briefly) right up against Persia. Then, Emperor Gaozong will commit himself to completing what his father begun: the final destruction of Goguryeo. but this time he'll enlist the aid of South Korean Silla to carve out a toehold on the peninsula to give himself a better shot at success. But when a Japanese war-fleet responds to North Korean pleas for aid, it will be a showdown on the high seas for which Asian power will control the Korean Peninsula. Time Period Covered: 649-673 CE Major Historical Figures: Tang: Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) Empress Wu Zhao General Su Dingfang "The Turk Destroyer" General Li Shiji Western Türkic Kaghanate (Onoq): Dielishi Kaghan Shabulou Khan (Ashina Holu) Grousset, René. Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia Karam Skaff. Jonathan. Sui-Tang China and Its Turko-Mongol Relations Ō no Yasumaro, Prince Toneri. Nihon Shoki. Sima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian Twitchett, Denis (ed.), Weschler, Howard. The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3 Unger, J.M. "The Role of Contact in the Origins of the Japanese and Korean Languages." Yi, Pae-yong. Women in Korean History Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The more than two-decade period following Wu Zhao’s ascension as Emperor Gaozong’s empress-consort will serve to point out three things: how weak the emperor is, how powerful Empress Wu has become, and how there is absolutely nothing she won’t do to keep it that way. By the middle of the episode, she’ll be considered even at the time the co-equal ruler of her husband, on of the so-called “Two Holy Ones.” But power is a slippery fish to hang on to… especially when you have no legal means of maintaining it, and several sons just waiting in the wing to snatch it all away.Time Period Covered:656-683 CEMajor Historical Figures:Emperor Gaozong of Tang (Li Zhi) [r. 649-683]Empress Consort Wu Zhao Crowned Prince Li Hong (Emperor Xiaojing [posthumous title]) [652-675]Crowned Prince Li Xián [653-684]Crowned Prince Li Xiǎn (Emperor Zhongzong) [b. 656- , r. 684]Li Zhong, Prince of Liang [d.665]Chancellor Zhangsun Wuji [d. 665]Chancellor Shangguan Yi [d. 665]Chancellor Xu Jingzong [retired 670, d. 673]Major Sources:Dash, Mike. “The Demonization of Empress Wu” in The Smithsonian. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-demonization-of-empress-wu-20743091/?no-istJiang, Chen An. Empress of China: Wu Ze Tian.Karem Skaff, Jonathan. Sui-Tang China and Its Turko-Mongol Neighbors: Culture, Power, and Connections, 580-800.Sima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian.Weschler, Howard. The Cambridge History of China. “Kao-Tsung (Reign 649-83) and the Empress Wu: The Inheritor and the Usurper.”Old Book of Tang.New Book of Tang. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Taizong of Tang's death, his ninth son Li Zhi will ascend to the throne as Emperor Gaozong. But his weak will will ensure that his reign will be dominated by those around him. First by his ministerial backers, but more and more by a seductive young concubine who will do anything to win the game of intrigue at the imperial court, and will ruthlessly dispose of anyone who gets in her way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our third and final episode in our suite on Emperor Taizong of Tang, this time focuses on the family crisis that would grip the latter half of his reign, as the ill-fated conquest of Goguryeo raged on in the periphery. His eldest son and heir will prove himself too… well, strange… for anyone to feel comfortable with on the throne. Meanwhile his favorite son will go to any means to secure the top job for himself. In the ensuing brotherly scuffle assassinations will be plotted, banishments pronounced, and the royal family’s trust shattered forever. But who will emerge on top is anyone’s guess…Time Period Covered: 626-649 CENotable Figures:Tang:Li Shimin (Emperor Taizong) [r. -649]Empress Wende [née Zhangsun] [d. 636]Crowned Prince Li Chengqian [618-645]Li Tai, Prince of Wei [618-652]Li Zhi, Prince of Jin [b. 628]Chancellor Wei ChengChancellor Zhangsun Wuji“Chengxin,” Li Chengqian’s singing boyGegan Chengji, Royal BodyguardMajor Sources UsedChen, Jack Wei. Poetics of Sovereignty: On Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.Weschler, Howard. The Cambridge History of China. “Taizong: The Consolidator”.Wu, Jing. Zhenguan Zheng Yao, “Essentials on Governance from the Zhenguan Era”.Li, Shimin. Difan, “Plan for the Emperor”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1,000,000 show downloads!Emperor Taizong turns outward seeking to re-conquer the lost territories of the late, great Han at its height. But it’s easier said than done: to the west he’ll find that there’s a whole new cast of regional powers ready to stake their own territorial claims… meanwhile to the northeast, his rising ambitions about taking the Goguryeo Kingdom at any cost may lead him to follow in the ruinous footsteps of the Sui instead.And since it’s that time of the year, we’ll finish out with a look at China’s very first encounter with a strange monotheistic religion from the Roman Empire, calling itself Nestorian Christianity.Time Period Covered:634-649 CEMajor Historical Figures:Tang China:Li Shimin (Emperor Taizong of Tang) [r. 626-649]Retired Emperor Gaozu [d. 635]Empress Zhangsun [d. 636]Bod Chen Po (Tibetan Empire):Songtsen Gampo (King of Tibet)Tuyuhun Kingdom:Murong Fuyun KhaganMurong Shun KhanGoguryeo Kingdom:King Yeongyang [d. 618]King Yeongnyu [r. 618-642]King BojangDae Mangniji Yeon Gaesomun (Military Dictator)Others:Yazdegerd III (Shah-an-Shah of Sassanid Persia)Constans II (Emperor of Eastern Roman Empire)Monk Aluoban/Alopan/Abraham (Nestorian Christian Evangelist)Major Works Cited:East Asian History Sourcebook: Ch'ing-Tsing: Nestorian Tablet: Eulogizing the Propagation of the Illustrious Religion in China, with a Preface, composed by a priest of the Syriac Church, 781 A.D.Jenkins, Peter. The Lost History of Christianity: the Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia - and How It DiedSørensen, Per and Harrassowitz Verlog, Otto (trans.). The Mirror Illuminating the Royal Genealogies: Tibetan Buddhist Historiography : an Annotated Translation of the XIVth Century Tibetan Chronicle : RGyal-rabs Gsal- Baʼi Me-long.Weschler, Howard. The Cambridge History of China. “Taizong: The Consolidator”.Zhang, Guangda. Collected Drafts on the Historical Geography of the Western Regions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Li Shimin assassinated his two brothers and put his father out to pasture in order to snag the top job as Emperor Taizong. But a mere three weeks into his reign, this “rock star” monarch will face an existential challenge to his reign and the future of the Tang Dynasty as a whole: the wrath of the Göktürk Khaganate. It will prove to be a wild ride to determine whether Tang China will be doomed to remain a vassal of the Turks, or whether Taizong’s “true vision” will prove enough to rise to the challenge.Time Period Covered:626-630 CEMajor Historical Figures:Tang:Prince Li Shimin [Emperor Taizong]Retired Emperor GaozuGöktürk Khaganate:Illig KhaganTölis KhanLiang Dynasty (Turkic Vassal):Emperor Liang Shidu (d. 628)Xueyantuo Tribe (alt. Se-Yento, Syr-Tardush)Uyghur Tribe (alt. Huige, Hui-ho)Khitan TribeWorks Cited:Drompp, Michael. Tang China And The Collapse Of The Uighur Empire: A Documentary HistoryGrousset, René. The Rise and Splendor of the Chinese Empire.Weschler, Howard. The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tang will achieve hegemony over the entirety of China’s heartlands, both North and South. But with external foes subdued, simmering tensions within the royal household will begin bubbling to the surface, culminating in a showdown that will decide the future of the Dynasty.Time Period Covered:618-626 CEMajor Historical Figures:Tang Dynasty:Li Yuan (Emperor Gaozu) Crowned Prince Li JianchengPrince Li YuanjiPrince Li ShiminLi Xiaogong, Prince of ZhaoGuard Captain Yang Wen’ganGeneral Yuchi JingdeLiang Dynasty:Xiao Xian (Emperor of Liang)Gokturk Khannate:Shibi Khan [d. 619]Illig Khan (alt. Xieli)Sources Cited:Weschler, Howard. The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3 (1979).Zhao, Ying and Liu, Shu. Jiu Tangshu (The Old Book of Tang). (945) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Duke of Tang had taken control of China’s primary capital at Chang’an, and is now in position to seize the throne for himself. But even that momentous shift will only mark the beginning of the struggle to reclaim imperial authority and unite China under his single banner. For there are other claimants to the throne, and powerful warlords who have their own designs for China. But it will be in the cauldron of chaos that is the North Plains of the Yellow River that the new Tang Dynasty will truly be put to the test – will it remain a mere regional player in a multi-polar struggle, or does it have what it takes to reforge the nation into its united whole?Period Covered:617-621 CEMajor Historical Figures:Tang:Li Yuan, Duke of Tang (Emperor Gaozu) [566-635CE]Prince Li ShiminSui:Emperor Yang [d. 617]Emperor Gong [r. 617-619]General Yuwen Huaji [d.]Gansu/Qin:Xue Zhu (Emperor/Warlord of Qin) [d. 618]Xue Rengao [d. 618]Zheng:General Wang Shichong (Emperor/Commandant of Luoyang) [d. 621]Xia:Dou Jiande (Prince of Xia) [d. 621]Li Mi Rebel Faction:Commander Li Mi [d. 619] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With its push against Goguryeo rather catastrophically stalled out, the whole enterprise begins to unravel with spectacular speed for the Sui Dynasty. All the while, its Emperor Yang will maintain a disturbingly unaffected demeanor for the suffering his edicts are creating across the countryside - in large part because his lackeys have created a "reality-distortion filter" around him they'll literally kill to maintain.But elsewhere, agents of insurrection will rise to challenge the waning star that is Sui China, especially in the form of one Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang and his family.Time Period Covered:614-618 CEMajor Historical Figures:SuiEmperor Yang of SuiEmpress Xiao Prince Yang You (Emperor Gong)Prince Yang Hao, Prince of QinGeneral Yuwen HuajiRebel Tang ForcesLi Yuan, Duke of TangLi ShiminLady Li/ Pingyang, Commander of the Woman's ArmyGokturk KhannateShibi KhanWorks CitedSima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian.Wright, Arthur F. The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3Bennett Peterson, Barbara. Notable Women of China: From the Shang to the Early 20th CenturyWen, Daya. The Diary of the Founding of the Great Tang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emperor Yang of Sui has ventured forth to the far northeastern border of China in an attempt to rescue his honor from the clutches of the impudent King of Goguryeo, Yeongyang. Little does King Yeongyang know that the Sui Empire has secretly begun construction on a new waterway even more navigable that the first dreaded Grand Canal. When completed, this ultimate weapon will spell certain doom for the small kingdom of Koreans struggling to resist a renewed Chinese domination of East Asia… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second emperor of the Sui Dynasty gets bad rap - his postmortem regnal name means "the Slothful" and he's commonly lumped together with the rest of the "bad-last emperors" as being hedonistic, wasteful, and just generally monstrous. But is this really the case, or was Emperor Yang the victim of a historical hatchet job?Today we look at the upbringing and early life of Prince Yang Guang, his unlikely rise to power, and then the early period of his reign over China as Emperor Yang, and how he picked up where his father had left off in trying to reignite the glory of the ancient Han.Time Period Covered:605-609 CEImportant Figures:SuiYang Jian (Emperor Wen of Sui) [d. 605]Empress Dugu [d. 602]Yang Guang (Emperor Yang of Sui) [r. 605-618]Empress XiaoGeneral Yang "Axe Man" SuIntelligence Chief Pei JuJapanPrince Shotoku [Sovereign of Nihon]Gökturk KhannateQimin Khan [alt. Yami Khan]Goguryeo Kingdom (North Korea and Manchuria)King YeongyangWorks CitedSima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian (Reflections of Governance) (1084 CE)Vout, Caroline. The Hills of Rome: Signature of an Eternal CityWei, Zheng, et al. Sui Shu (The Book of Sui). (636 CE)Wright, Arthur F., Chaffee and Twitchett (ed.) The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 3 (1979) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we finish out out look into the reign of the Sui Dynasty’s founding emperor, Wen. We begin first with the military roferms he imposed on his newly reunited state, mirroring those he made to the civil government. Once completed, Sui China will find itself on a footing it hasn’t reliably been for centuries: outward-facing and expansionist. The repercussions of this epochal change in circumstance for Chine will be felt across the globe.Time Period Covered:581-605 CEMajor Historical Figures:Sui DynastyYang Jian (Emperor Wen of Sui) [r. 581-605 CE]Crowned Prince Yang GuangPrince Yang YongGeneral Yang SuGeneral Liu FangChampa KingdomKing ÇambhuvarmanMajor Works Cited:Hirth, Friedrich (1913). “The Mystery of Fu-Lin” in The Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 33. Pp. 133-208. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/592825Arthur F. Wright, Chaffee and Twitchett (ed.) The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 3 (1979) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emperor Wen of Sui is potentially the most important monarch you've never heard of. For him, militarily reuniting China wasn't his legacy - it was his prelude. Both pre- and post-reunification, we explore the internal facets of his truly impressive reign today: his origins, personality, outlook, confidantes, the existential problems he inherited from the Period of Disunion, and the novel, world-changing solutions he'd craft to ensure China's reunification would be factual, rather than just rhetorical.Time Period Covered:581-600 CEMajor FiguresYang Jing (Emperor Wen of Sui)[r. 581-604]Empress Dugu QieluoGao JiangYang SuSu WeiLi DelinArthur F. Wright, Chaffee and Twitchett (ed.) The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 3 (1979) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So what does it all mean? Before stepping boldly into the Sui Dynasty, we take this episode to pan out to low-Earth orbit and watch the macro-developments of the past 300-plus years of Disunity, reviewing the dramatic sweep of a period of time often left out of many Western historical understandings of Chinese history due to is sheer complexity and confusing nature.Time Period Covered:220-589 CE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northern Zhou seems to have plotted a course for ultimate victory in the contest between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, having already annexed Northern Qi and turned its sights on Chen to the south. But it’s amazing how quickly dynastic fortunes can reverse themselves, and the Yuwen Clan’s line of emperors find itself stopped short, destroyed not by external threat but from an enemy within: the Duke of Sui, the man who would be Emperor of all China.Time Period Covered:577-589 CEMajor Figures:Northern Zhou:Yuwen Yan (Emperor Xuan; “The Responsible”) [r. 577-578, as Retired Emperor Tianyuan; “The Heavenly and Fundamental” r. 578-580]Yuwen Chan (Emperor Jing; “The Silent”) [r. 578-581]Gen. Yuchi Jiong [d. 580]Gen. Yin ShouSui:Duke Yang Jiang of Sui (Emperor Wen; “The Cultured”) [regent of Northern Zhou 580-581, Emperor of Sui r. 581-604]Chen:Chen Xu (Emperor Xuan; “The Responsible”) [r. 569-582]Chen Shubao (Houzhu; “Final Ruler”) [r. 582-589]Western Liang (vassal of Northern Zhou/Sui):Xiao Cong (Emperor Jing; “The Meek”) [r. 585-587] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Northeast of China, Northern Qi just can’t catch a break. First it was Emperor Wenxuan’s murderous paranoia, and now it will be subjected to Wucheng’s indolent hedonism, “immoral games,” and general excesses… and then the penultimate Qi emperor, Houzhi, will decide that the state treasury is his own personal piggy-bank and startin singing “Hakuna Matata” while the state burns.Meanwhile to the West, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou will finally break out of his uncle Yuwen Hu’s shadow – by shattering his skull – and then begin eying the swiftly foundering Northern Qi debacle hungrily, eager to reunite the North after almost a half-century of seperation. By episode’s end, it will be a climactic showdown between the two powerful states: one waxing, one waning… which will emerge victorious?Time Period Covered:561-578 CENotable Figures:Northern Qi:Emperor/Retired Emperor Wucheng (Gao Dan) [r. 561-565, d. 569]Empress Hu [565-572]Prime Minister He Shikai [524-571]Zu Ting [550-577]Emperor Houzhu (Gao Wei) [r. 565-578]Gao Heng (Youzhu) [570-577]Northern Zhou:Emperor Wu (Yuwen Yong) [r. 560-578]Emperor Xuan (Yuwen Yun) [r. 579-582]Yang Lihua (Crowned Princess/Empress of Zhou) [r. 579-582]Prime Minister Yuwen Hu [513-572]Yang Jian, Duke of Sui [541- ]Göturk Khannate:Muqan Khagan (Ashina Yando) [554-572]Empress Ashina [551-582] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode takes us through the turmoil within northern China and beyond over the 550s. We begin looking outside of China proper as the rulers of the Rouran Steppe Confederacy are overthrown and replaced by the vassal-turned-enemy the Göktürks, and briefly touch on the Khitan Tribe of Manchuria. We then go through the reign of Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi, who will initially lead his newfound dynasty to power and prominence before his mounting madness will plunge it into chaos and terror.Time Period Covered550-561 CENotable FiguresAshina Bumin/Tumen (Illig Khagan of Göktürk) [r. 550]Issik Khagan of East GokturkIstemi Khagan of West GokturkGeneral Gao Huan (Warlord of Eastern Wei) (d. 550)Gao Yang (Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi) [r. 551-560]Crowned Prince Gao Yin (Emperor Fei of Northern Qi) [r. 560]Gao Yan, Prince of Chanshan (Emperor Xiaozhao of Northern Qi) [r. 560-561]Prime Minister Yang Yin [d. 560]Works CitedThe History of the Northern Dynasties (Bei Shi) – Li Dashi and Li YanshouThe Zizhi Tongjian – Sima GuangEarly Chinese Religion: The Period of Division (220-589 AD) Pt. 1 & 2 – John Lagerway and Lü Pengzhi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the post-557 world, the three new major powers of China must confront the wide ranges of changes and struggles they must each face now that the political order of the entire empire has been turned on its head. This time, we look at the situation in the south as Northern Zhou and Chen vie for control over the central reaches of the Yangtze River.Dates Covered: 557-568Important Figures:Northern QiWarlord Yuwen Tai [d. 556]Yuwen Jue (Emperor/Heavenly Prince Xiaomin) [r. 556-557]Yuwen Yu (Emperor Ming) [r. 557-560]Yuwen Yong (Emperor Wu) [r. 560-578]Duke Yuwen Hu of Jin (Regent of Northern Zhou) [r. 557-572]ChenGeneral Chen Baxian (Emperor Wu) [r. 557-559]Chen Qian (Emperor Wen) [r. 559-566]General Wang Lin (Liang Loyalist Rebel Leader) [555-560]Crowned Prince Chen Chang [d. 559]Prime Minister Hou Andu [d. 563]Warlord Zhou Di (Rebel Leader) [r. 563-565]Chen Bozong (Emperor Fei) [r. 566-568]Chen Xu (Emperor Xuan) [r. 569-582] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This short episode covers the life of one of the great mathematicians, astronomers, and engineers of ancient China: Zu Chongzhi. In his life from 429-500 CE, he will re-create an ancient precursor to the compass that had been lost for centuries, calculate the motions of the celestial objects with a degree of accuracy in excess of 99.9%, design a comprehensive new calendar system, and derive the value of π to a degree of accuracy that would not be surpassed the world over for another millennium. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades take place.”It’s an out and out brawl as everything comes to a head at once in the 550s, all across China. In the south, the Liang princes struggle against both the rebel general Hou Jing who holds the capital and the emperor, but also among themselves. In the north, Eastern and Western Wei similarly are undergoing their own internal struggles, which will see the overthrow of all the dynasties we’ve come to know with a whole new batch of contenders.Time Period Covered:549-557 CEMajor Figures:Liang/Han/ChenWarlord/Emperor Hou JingEmperor JianwenPrince Xiao Yi of Xiangdong (Emperor Yuan of Liang)Prince Xiao Ji of Wuling (Emperor of Western Liang) [posthumously renamed Taotie]Prince Xiao HuanPrince Xiao YuPrince Xiao Cha (Emperor Xuan of Western Liang)General Chen Baxian (Emperor Wu of Chen)Western Wei/Northern ZhouWarlord Yuwen TaiYuwen Jue (Emperor Xiaomin of Zhou)Eastern Wei/Northern QiWarlord Gao ChengEmperor Xiaojing of Eastern WeiGeneral Murong ShaozongGao Yang (Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi)Lan Qin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The end of Emperor Wu’s 5-decade-long rule over the Liang Empire is jam-packed with action. Following the split between Eastern and Western Wei in the North, it seems like there’s might be peace and quiet in the South for once. But this will prove short-lived, indeed. First, Vietnam will rise up in it first major rebellion in centuries against Chinese hegemony, and then a general from the far north will go rogue, defect from his warlord, and offer up his territories to Liang. It seems like an offer too good to be true… and as Emperor Wu will learn the hard way, what seems too good, usually is…Time-Frame Covered:535-557 CEMajor Historical Figures:LiangEmperor Wu of Liang (née Xiao Yan) [r. 502-549]Acting Prime Minister Zhu YiMarquis Xiao Zi, Governor of Jiao PrivinceMarquis Xiao YuanmingXiao Yong, Governor of Kuang ProvinceGeneral Chen BaxianEastern WeiWarlord Gao HuanPrince Gao ChengEmperor XiaowenGeneral Murong ShaozongGeneral Hou JingWestern WeiWarlord Yuwen TaiEmperor XiaojingRouran KhaganateChiliantoubingdoufa KhanVietnam (Jiao Province/Van Xuan Empire)Ly Bon (Ly Nam De/ Emperor Ly of the South)Trieu Tuc, Chieftain of Chu-dien CityTrieu Quang Phuc (Trieu Viet Vong/King Trieu of Viet) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buddhism has taken Southern China by storm, but few more than its emperor, Wu of Liang. He’ll try to talk a monk out of setting himself on fire, have an awkward chat with the founder of Zen Buddhism, and even enter a monastery and refuse to leave, prompting his whole court to “ransom” him back by bribing the monks to kick him out. All of this while civil war ripples through Northern Wei.Time Period Covered:517-535 CENotable Figures:Emperor Wu of Liang (née Xiao Yan)Consort Ding LingguangCrowned Prince Xiao TongCrowned Prince Xiao GangMarquis Xiao ZhengdeMonk DaoduMonk BoddhidharmaSources Used:Burning for the Buddha by James A. BennZizhi Tongjian by Sima GuangBlue Cliff Record (BiYan Lu) by Yuanwu Keqin Textual History of the Mahāyāna-mahāparinirvāna-sūtra by Stephen Hodge Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Going back about 50 years to the beginning of the 6th century, we move South once more to visit the new Dynasty that has destroyed the Qi: Liang, and it’s founding Emperor Wu. In this first half of Wu of Liang’s reign, wars will be fought, religions will be adopted, and a massive dam will be constructed as a siege weapon.Time Period Covered: 464-517Major Figures:Emperor Wu of Liang (née Xiao Yan) [r. 502-549]Prince Xiao HongXiao Baojuan, Emperor of Southern Qi [483-501]Xiao Baorong (Emperor He of Southern Qi) [r. 501-502]Chief Engineer Chen ChengboGeneral Kang XuanGeneral Zhang BaozhiEmpress Dowager Hu of Northern Wei Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Though Northern Wei has been a beacon of steadiness amid the ephemeral Southern Dynasties, its time has come to an end. Wracked by ineptitude and betrayal, weighed down by jealous Empress dowagers, ambitious generals, and infant emperors, and with a society split between traditional customs and the new normal, it will devolve into civil war, mass purges, and – ultimately – a permanent split between East and West.Time Period Covered:515-535 CEMajor Characters:Grand/Empress/Dowager Hu (r. 515 - 528)Emperor Xiaoming (510 - 528)Prince Yuan Cha (d. 525)Erzhu Rong (492 - 530)Emperor Xiaowu’s Daughter (528 - ?)Yuan Zhao [Emperor Youzhu] (526 – 528)Emperor Xiaozhuang (r. 528 – 530)Gao Huan (496 - 547)Emperor Xiaowu (510 - 535) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We continue our look at Northern Wei at the dawn of the 6th century. The imperial bookends will be Xiaowen - the chief proponent of sinicization among the Tuoba Xianbei - and his son Xuanwu, a placeholder in just about every sense of the term. The real drama will unfold around two of Xuanwu's wives... and whether or not one killed the other in a murder mystery 1500 years old.Period Covered:499-515 CEMajor Figures:Yuan Hong [Emperor Xiaowen] (r. 467-499)Yuan Ke [Emperor Xuanwu] (r. 499-515)Empress Yu (~488-507)Prince Yuan Chang (506-506)Consort/Empress Gao (d. 518)Gao Zhong, Prime Minister (d. 515)Empress Dowager Hu (d. 528)Crowned Prince Yuan Xu [Emperor Xiaoming] (r. 515-528) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the South of China self-destructs time and again, the North is undergoing its own revolutionary shift - not of dynastic head, but something even more fundamental: total social re-organization - from Asian Steppe Society, to one trying to out-play the Chinese at their own game by switching social structure, language, dress, and even taking the ancient Chinese capital as their own in the latter half of the 5th century.Time Period Covered: 465-499 CENotable figures:Tuoba Hong (Emperor Xianwen) r. 465-471, d. 476Grand/Empress/Dowager Feng (442-490)Yifu Hun (d. 466)Tuoba Hong (r. 471- 499)Crowned Prince Tuoba/Yuan Xun (483-496)Crowned Prince Tuoba/Yuan Ke (Emperor Xuanwu) r. 499-815Empress Feng Run (Empress You) d. 499 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The successor state to Liu Song will start off strong, but it will soon hit the rocks of instability, rebellion, and overthrow all in just a little more than 2 decades. At the dawn of the 6th century, its end will largely parallel its beginning.Time Frame: 479-502 CEMajor Participants:Xiao Daocheng (Emperor Gao of Southern Qi) r. 479-482Xiao Ze (Emperor Wu of Southern Qi) r. 482-493Xiao Zhaoye (Emperor/Marquis of Donghun) r. 493-494Xiao Luan (Emperor Ming of Southern Qi) r. 494-498Xiao Baojuan (Emperor of Southern Qi) r. 498-502Xiao Baorong (Emperor of Southern Qi) r. 501-502Xiao Yan (Duke/Prince/Emperor Wu of Liang) r. 502-549 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fates have not been kind to the Liu Song Dynasty. It keeps rolling the monarchy dice, and they keep coming up crazy-eyes. Emperor Ming will start strong, but descend into cruelty and paranoia. His successor seems to have just been born bad, and the final monarch of the dynasty won’t have enough time fall one direction or the other before a rising star will unseat him, and Liu Song altogether, as the true power of Southern China.Period Covered: 465 – 479 CEMajor Figures:Emperor Ming of Liu Song (née Liu Yu, r. 465-472)Emperor Houfei (née Liu Yu, r. 472-477)Emperor Shun (née Liu Zhun, r. 477-479)General Xiao Daocheng General Shen YouzhiYang Yufu, Imperial Attendant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the mid-5th century, Southern China is at a boiling point. Between the decade reign of Emperor Xiaowu, and the 1-year abomination of his son Liu Ziye, there will be rebellion, murder, torture, and incest... so, so much incest. All of leading toward a terminal decline for the Liu Song Dynasty.Period Covered: 453-465 CEImportant Figures:Emperor Xiaowu (Liu Jun)r. 453-464Prince Liu YigongPrince Liu Yixuan of NanjiaoPrince Liu Dan of JinglingCrowned Prince Liu Ziye (Emperor Qianfei) r. 464-465Prince Liu ZiluanDai FaxingHe MaiPrincess Shanyin (Liu Chuyu)Prince Liu Yu of Xiangdong (Emperor Ming) r. 465-472 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emperor Taiwu has been described as "Northern Wei's Teddy Roosevelt", and overshadows many of the Tuoba emperors to follow his reign of conquest and war. But the most forgotten of those successors, his grandson Emperor Wencheng, may have actually been far more responsible for the longterm success and stability of Wei than most realize. Though Taiwu gets all the glory for conquering the North, poor, unsung Wencheng would be the one responsible for keeping and governing it.[Show Notes]Timeframe: 452-465Major Figures:Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei (née Tuoba Jun)Empress Dowager ChangConsort LiConsort/Empress FengCrowned Prince Tuoba HongBuliugu Li (Li the Bulgar)Yuan HeRouran Khaganate Gaoche Turkic TribesMajor Locations:Pingcheng (N. Wei capital)Yungang GrottoesHexi CorridorMajor sources:Scott PearceA King’s Two Bodieshttp://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/journals/10.3868/s020-001-012-0006-6?crawler=true# Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The decade long détente between the South and North will be shattered in 449 by a series of tit-for-tat campaigns by both sides, resulting in the destruction of much of the lands south of the Yellow River. But it will be assassins, not soldiers, who will most drastically shape the fates of both Northern Wei and Liu Song, one right after the other.[WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?]Dates: 446-453Cast - Northern Wei: Emperor Taiwu (Tuoba Tao) Crowned Prince Tuoba Huang Prince Tuoba Han Prince Tuoba Yu (briefly emperor) Tuoba Jun (Emperor Wenzheng)Zang Ai (Eunuch, Duke of Qing) Liu Song: Emperor Wen (Liu Yilong)Crowned Prince Liu Shao (briefly Emperor Yuanxiong)Prince Liu Jun of ShixingPrince Liu Jun of Wuling (Emperor Xiaowu)General Wang XuanboGeneral Zang ZhiGeneral Lu XiuYan Daoyu (witch) Locations: Shengle, Jiankang (Nanjing), Pengcheng, Xuanhu, Xiancheng, Qian’ao, Liu’an, Huatai, Xunyang, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the course of the 5th century, Buddhism had become the rising star within China, in spite of its foreign origins. That would run into direct conflict with China's own home-grown religion: Daoism. As the two co-mingled, some would accept both... but others, especially in Northern Wei, would use all the might to eradicate what they deemed to be a heretical foreign influence on their Chinese culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northern Wei uses Liu Song's hesitation to move north of the Yellow River as an opportunity to reintegrate the last of the 16 Kingdoms into its hegemony. Koreans, Huns, and Mongols all get caught up in the fray. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What had been sixteen kingdoms in the North and an uneasy Dynasty in the South has calcified into a seemingly permanent polar split. After some shenanigans, both halves of China will - surprisingly - find themselves with capable leaders. The coming showdown will be one for the history... um... podcasts... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explanation of THoC's name switcheroo... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We track back down south to discover what's been going on with the Jin Dynasty. An imbecile emperor will precipitate multiple governmental crises, ultimately resulting in overthrow, restoration, and then second overthrow the the dynasty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Xianbei Tuoba Clan from the northwest fills the power-vacuum left by the collapse of Former QIn, and will soon add much of Later Yan to its conquests. But its rulers will be sorely tempted by the trappings of power, and as we all know in this tumultuous period, indulgence is a swift path to downfall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fratricide, regicide, and genocide are hallmarks of this period in the north. Though the tumult, Former Qin shall emerge triumphant to reunite both the North and Sichuan under its banner... only to watch it all crumble in the span of two years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second half of Shi Hu's reign over Later Zhao, his scheming heirs, and the short, unhappy reigns of his eventual successors... all leading the the once-supreme kingdom being pulled apart like so much carrion by its neighbors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices