Sui dynasty

Sui 隋
581–618[a]
Sui dynasty c. 609
Capital	Daxing (581–618)
Common languages	Middle Chinese
Religion	Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion, Zoroastrianism
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
• 581–604	Emperor Wen
• 604–617	Emperor Yang
• 617–618	Emperor Gong
Historical era	Post-classical era
• Ascension of Yang Jian	4 March 581
• Abolished by Li Yuan	23 May 618[a]
Area
589[1]	3,000,000 km2 (1,200,000 sq mi)
Currency	Chinese coin, Chinese cash
Preceded by Succeeded by Northern Zhou Chen dynasty Western Liang Tang dynasty
Today part of	China Vietnam

Sui dynasty
"Sui dynasty" in Chinese characters
Chinese	隋朝
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Suí cháo Bopomofo ㄙㄨㄟˊ ㄔㄠˊ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Swei chaur Wade–Giles Sui2 ch'ao2 Tongyong Pinyin Suéi cháo IPA [swěɪ ʈʂʰǎʊ] Wu Romanization Zoe zau Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Chèuih chìuh Jyutping Ceoi4 ciu4 IPA [tsʰɵy˩ tsʰiːu˩] Southern Min Tâi-lô Suî-tiâo Middle Chinese Middle Chinese ziuᴇ ʈˠiᴇu

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The Sui dynasty ([swěɪ], Chinese: 隋朝; pinyin: Suí cháo) was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged period of political division since the War of the Eight Princes. The Sui endeavoured to rebuild the country, re-establishing and reforming many imperial institutions; in so doing, the Sui laid much of the foundation for the subsequent Tang dynasty, who after toppling the Sui would ultimately preside over a new golden age in Chinese history.

The dynasty was founded by Yang Jian (Emperor Wen), who had been a member of the military aristocracy that had developed in the northwest during the prolonged period of division.^[2] The Sui capital was initially based in Daxing (Chang'an, modern Xi'an), but later moved to Luoyang in 605, which had been re-founded as a planned city. Wen and his successor Emperor Yang undertook various centralising reforms, most notably among them the equal-field system that aimed to reduce economic inequality and improve agricultural productivity, the Five Departments and Six Boards [zh] system, which preceded the Three Departments and Six Ministries system, and the standardisation and re-unification of the coinage. The Sui also encouraged the spread of Buddhism throughout the empire. By the dynasty's mid-point, the state experienced considerable prosperity, enjoying a vast agricultural surplus that supported rapid population growth.

The Sui engaged in many construction mega-projects, including the Grand Canal, the extension of the Great Wall, and the reconstruction of Luoyang.^[3] The canal linked Luoyang in the east with Chang'an in the west, with the eastern economic and agricultural centres towards Jiangdu (now Yangzhou, Jiangsu) and Yuhang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang), and with the northern frontiers (near modern Beijing). While the initial motivations of the canal were improving grain shipments to the capital and military logistics—including the transport of troops—the new, reliable inland route would ultimately facilitate domestic trade, the flow of people, and cultural exchange for centuries. These mega-projects were led by an efficient centralised bureaucracy, but forcibly conscripted millions of workers at a heavy human cost.

After a series of disastrous military campaigns against Goguryeo on the Korean peninsula,^[4][5][6] ended in defeat by 614, the dynasty disintegrated under a series of popular revolts culminating in the assassination of Emperor Yang by his minister, Yuwen Huaji in 618. The dynasty, which lasted only thirty-seven years, was undermined by ambitious wars and construction projects, which overstretched its resources. Particularly, under Emperor Yang, heavy taxation and compulsory labour duties would eventually induce widespread revolts and brief civil war following the fall of the dynasty.

The dynasty is often compared to the earlier Qin dynasty, who also unified China after a prolonged period of division. Wide-ranging reforms and construction projects were undertaken to consolidate the newly unified state, with long-lasting influences beyond their short dynastic reigns.

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