Xuanzong of Tang

Who was Xuanzong of Tang?

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ([ɕɥɛ̌n.tsʊ́ŋ]; 8 September 685 – 3 May 762), personal name Li Longji, was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 44 years was the longest during the Tang dynasty. Through two palace coups, he seized the throne and inherited an empire still in its golden age. He was initially assisted by capable chancellors like Yao Chong, Song Jing and Zhang Yue who were already serving as government officials before Xuanzong ascended the throne. Under Emperor Xuanzong, the empire reached its turning point and went into sharp decline and near collapse, due to political missteps, such as over-trusting chancellors Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong and general An Lushan, with Tang's golden age ending in the An Lushan rebellion.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, personal name Li Longji, was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, reigning from 712 to 756. Emperor of the Tang dynasty of China from 712 to 756, ascending the throne at age 14 and ruling for 44 years, overseeing both the dynasty’s cultural flourishing and its eventual crisis. Reigning for 44 years, the longest during the Tang dynasty, he presided over the empire’s golden age of poetry, arts, and administrative reforms before the An Lushan rebellion triggered decline.

Historical significance

Initially assisted by capable chancellors to maintain the empire's golden age, his reign saw the compilation of the *Quan Tang Wen* and significant legal codifications that shaped Chinese governance. Marked the turning point of the empire's decline and near collapse, his later years exposed systemic corruption, military overextension, and the devastating impact of the An Lushan rebellion on Tang authority. Faced internal conflicts and power struggles, including the An Lushan rebellion, which began in 755, leading to massive loss of territory, heavy taxation, and the eventual flight from the capital.