After the fall of the Sui, a new dynasty known as the Tang came to power. Tang Taizong or Great Ancestor, the most prominent of the Tang emperors, was a distinguished general. He retook the northern and western lands of the old Han dynasty. In 668 AD, China was led by the female Empress Wu Zhao, who ruled over the puppet emperor and officially took the title herself in 690.  She continued to extend China’s influence, eventually overcoming Korea.

     The Tang rulers reinstated the bureaucracy that had originated in the Han dynasty. The revolutionary examination system allowed greater social mobility, at least in theory. In reality, only the rich could afford the education required to do well on the exam. Still, the exam ensured that the bureaucracy was well educated and well maintained.

     The effects of running a large government heavily taxed the population, bringing many hardships to the people. The taxes were not enough to fund the military, and as a result, the Chinese were defeated by Muslim armies at the Battle of Talas, losing control of Central Asia. Border attack and internal rebellions tore the country apart, and Ch’ang, the capital, was sacked and burned and the last Tang emperor murdered. 618-907 AD