![[Media/Cheui_Dynasty_581_CE.png]] In Asia, nearly four centuries of division following the end of the Han Dynasty ended with reunification under the Sui in 581. A general named Yang Jian deposed a child emperor of the Northern Zhou, killed his rivals, and declared himself Emperor Wen. He reinstated Confucian administration, supported Buddhists who had been suppressed by his predecessors, and consolidated support through diplomacy and marriage alliances. After consolidating the north by 588, Wen's army of over 500,000 troops invaded the south and captured Nanjing in 589. ![[Media/Sui_Yangdi_Tang.jpg]] *Emperor Yang* Emperor Wen and his son, Emperor Yang, ruled until 618 and set the stage for the Tang Dynasty. They redistributed land to peasants, standardized laws blending Han Chinese with northern traditions, and began the Grand Canal to link the north and south. The Canal connected the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, allowing goods to flow safely between the north and south without being endangered by coastal pirates. This tied the two regions into an economic whole. But Emperor Yang's repeated unsuccessful attempts to conquer the Goguryeo kingdom on the Korean Peninsula led to rebellion and ultimately to his assassination and the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, which lasted nearly three hundred years and is regarded as one of China's most prosperous and culturally significant. ----- Next: [[9.8 - Muhammad]] Back: [[9.6 - Lombards]]