May 12, 907: China falls to pieces, chaos

They say a swift death is the best kind – so after the Tang dynasty spent nearly a century in decline, the fallout was bound to be disastrous.

On this day in 907, the Tang dynasty finally collapsed, and China split into several warring kingdoms.

The Tang dynasty had ruled since 618 – nearly 300 mostly peaceful years over a united China. Trade flourished along the Silk Road all the way to Persia (today: Iran), and scholars made important advances.

The last hundred years were fraught with rebellion and natural calamities, however, and as the dynasty weakened, its grip on outer regions faded. Once the dynasty had come to an end, several warlords declared the independence of their territories, and many regions fell into fighting.

Chaos would continue until 960, when Emperor Taizu established order and began the Song Dynasty, which would last for almost as long as the Tang.

Some facts about the Tang dynasty:

– its capital was Chang’an (today: Xi’an), then the most populous city in the world

– woodblocks were used to create books for the first time (early-to-mid 7th century)

– it was interrupted for 15 years by Wu Zetian, concubine of multiple emperors, who seized power for herself in 690; she has been the only solo female ruler in China’s 4,000-year history

– in 798, the imperial army of Chang’an had 240,000 members

For more on the Tang dynasty, and for some photos of its art, visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art.