Discussion # 9, Hist 1.1: Tang Dynasty

Topic: Political Marriage?

Emperor Xuanzong, reigning from 713 to 756. His early reign was peaceful and prosperous, full of impressive achievements. He patronized the arts, lengthened the Grand Canal, reformed the bureaucracy and coinage, and maintained a magnificent court. But later he fell madly in love with a princess called Yang Guifei, neglected his duties, and let her relatives run the government. In 751, as the empire drifted without strong direction, Islamic forces drove its armies from Central Asia at the battle of the Talas River. In 755 a massive revolt led by An Lushan, a Chinese general of Turkish descent, forced the emperor and Yang Guifei to flee. Thus began a civil war that resulted in Yang Guifei’s strangulation, Xuanzong’s abdication, and China’s devastation. The Tang dynasty survived the An Lushan revolt but never regained its earlier strength. Local warlords took advantage of the turmoil to assert their power, while palace eunuchs guarding the emperor’s concubines increasingly ran the court. In the eastern borders, both the Uighurs and Tibetans posed a major threat to imperial security and stability. The Uighurs had a volatile relationship with the Tang, sometimes peaceful and sometimes hostile, on this occasion they asked that a Chinese princess marry a Uighur prince and that China pay for the cost of the wedding. 

Directions: Two Points of View

Read the Tang Dynasty Document, your text and notes, do some careful research, and watch the videos. This involves some role-playing: pretend you are a court official in China and that your emperor has asked your opinion on the matter of the marriage. You believe that a marriage is not necessary and that although your armies have been weakened, they are still strong enough to withstand the Uighurs. What do you say to the emperor to convince him to refuse the marriage? Would you strike at the Uighurs? Maybe make an alliance with the Tibetans?

This post is your opinion and there is no right or wrong answer. Your points will be based on completion of the assignment (based on the rubric) and whether you use support from the text, lecture, or internet. 6 points total, 3 for your initial post and 3 for replying to someone's post. Your post should be about a paragraph long and your reply to someone's post should be a paragraph as well.

I recommend that you create your initial post by May 12 at 11:59 pm so that others may have an opportunity to reply.

You must also contribute a Response to 1 classmate's post: Read another student's post and pretend you are a different court official and you believe the marriage is a good idea. How do you respond to the first court official and what do you think will be the main benefit of the marriage?

Posts can have more than one reply. Follow the netiquette guidelines below and use evidence to support or disagree with the original post. This is not a place for insults or arguments so use proper language.

Your Response is due by May 13, at 11:59 pm

• Turning this assignment in late will result in loss of 1 point per day, up to 3 points.
• Click on the reply button, below to get started.

Purpose:

To evaluate student's critical analysis of historical events.

Rubric:

To view the rubric attached to this discussion, click on the gear box in the upper right and select Show Rubric. 

Netiquette:

• Be kind and respectful to others
• Use full sentences
• Avoid jargon and acronyms
• Use language that supports others