Li Yuan (Emperor Gaozu of Tang)
Rose in arms at Taiyuan, entered Chang'an and founded the Tang dynasty.
Life
Guanlong Aristocracy
Li Yuan came from the Guanlong Aristocracy; at seven he inherited the title Duke of Tang, and he was a cousin of Emperor Yang of Sui. In 617, as regent of Taiyuan amid the chaos of the late Sui, he rose in revolt at Taiyuan together with his second son Li Shimin and others.
Uprising at Taiyuan
He first declared himself a vassal of the Turks to borrow troops and secure the north, then led his army southward, killing Song Laosheng at the Battle of Huoyi, crossing the Yellow River and entering Chang'an, where he installed Yang You, Prince of Dai, as emperor. In 618, after Emperor Yang of Sui was killed at Jiangdu, he accepted the abdication and proclaimed himself emperor, naming his dynasty Tang.
Xuanwu Gate and Abdication
Over the following years Tang armies subdued one regional power after another, including Xue Ju, Liu Wuzhou, Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande. After the Xuanwu Gate Incident in 626, he was forced to name Li Shimin crown prince and soon abdicated, spending nine years as retired emperor.
Legacy
The Tang dynasty that Li Yuan founded lasted nearly 300 years. Later histories tended to stress Li Shimin's role in the uprising, but modern historians believe Li Yuan's own planning and decisiveness have been underrated.
Major works & achievements
- Rose at Taiyuan and founded the Tang dynasty
- Promulgated the Wude Code and the zu-yong-diao tax system
Did you know? His mother and the mother of Emperor Yang of Sui were sisters, making the two men first cousins.
Key dates
- 617Uprising at Taiyuan; entered Chang'an
- 618Accepted the abdication and founded the Tang dynasty
- 621Li Shimin defeats Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande
- 624Equal-field order and zu-yong-diao tax law issued
- 626Xuanwu Gate Incident; abdicated to become retired emperor
- 635Died