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| Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong) |
| Birth date | 8 September 685 |
| Death date | 3 May 762 |
| Reign | 712–756 (as Emperor Xuanzong of Tang) |
| Predecessor | Emperor Ruizong |
| Successor | Emperor Suzong |
| Dynasty | Tang dynasty |
| Temple name | Xuanzong |
| Posthumous name | Emperor of Great Tang |
| Spouse | Empress Wang, Consort Yang Yuhuan |
Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong) was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty whose nearly forty-four-year life spanned the late 7th century and mid 8th century. His reign inaugurated the Kaiyuan era, notable for administrative reform, cultural flourishing, and later catastrophic upheaval during the An Lushan Rebellion. Xuanzong's patronage shaped poetry, music, and painting while his political decisions influenced relations with the Turgesh, Tibetan Empire, Uyghur Khaganate, and internal aristocratic factions.
Li Longji was born into the imperial house of Li Yuan's Tang dynasty as a son of Li Dan, Emperor Ruizong and a member of the extended lineage descending from Gaozu of Tang. His youth coincided with the reigns of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang and the usurpation by Empress Wu Zetian, whose establishment of the Zhou dynasty (Wu Zetian) reshaped court politics. The court environment featured rivalries involving figures such as Zhangsun Wuji, Princess Taiping, and ministers associated with the Six Ministries and the Censorate. Li Longji's familial connections intersected with aristocratic clans including the Li family of Zhaojun and officials connected to the Examination system and the offices of Shangshu Sheng and Jiedushi.
During the power struggle after Emperor Zhongzong of Tang's death, Li Longji allied with faction leaders opposed to Princess Taiping and maneuvered with military support from generals and governors tied to circuits such as Hebei Circuit and Henan Circuit. He orchestrated a coup that restored his father, Emperor Ruizong, and subsequently assumed de facto control as crown prince and regent, displacing rival courtiers including members of the Imperial Clan Bureau and associates of Princess Taiping. His consolidation involved appointments from the Three Departments and Six Ministries and elevation of allies like Yao Chong, Song Jing, and Wang Hong while sidelining opponents linked to the Eastern Turks and regional jiedushi such as Li Yuanhong.
Upon taking the throne, Xuanzong implemented reforms across institutions: revitalizing the Six Ministries (Tang dynasty), reforming tax collection tied to the Equal-field system, and restructuring personnel management in the Imperial Examination and Censorate. Fiscal and administrative measures targeted corruption associated with local prefects in Jiedushi circuits and restored centralized authority over revenue drawn from the Food transport to Chang'an and the Salt monopoly. Key chancellors including Yao Chong, Song Jing, and Huangfu Weiming executed legal revisions influencing the Tang Code and reasserted imperial control over former power centers like Luoyang and Chang'an. Xuanzong's court engaged diplomatically with emissaries from Nara period Japan, the Silla kingdom, and envoys from Samarkand and Kashgar.
The Kaiyuan era under Xuanzong fostered a renaissance in poetry, music, and painting. He patronized poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu, and Wang Wei while court musicians like Li Longji's own protégés and performers from Kudara and Central Asia enriched the Yanyue repertoire; the emperor supported compilation projects and sponsored painters influenced by schools linked to Gu Kaizhi traditions. The imperial academy and institutions such as the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Library of the Tang expanded, with scholars like Zhang Yue and Gao Lishi rising to prominence. The Kaiyuan prosperity saw urban growth in Chang'an and Luoyang, expansion of Silk Road trade with Talas and Khotan, and cultural exchange with the Arab Caliphate and Tibetan Empire that brought instruments, textiles, and iconography to court ateliers.
Xuanzong's foreign policy combined diplomacy with selective military campaigns. He maintained tributary relations with the Tibetan Empire under Songtsen Gampo's successors and engaged militarily against Turgesh remnants and local powers in Gansu and the Hexi Corridor. Tang forces, commanded by generals such as Gao Xianzhi and An Lushan prior to rebellion, campaigned in Central Asia to secure Samarkand and protect Silk Road arteries. The court negotiated alliances with the Uyghur Khaganate and deployed jiedushi to stabilize borders in Dunhuang and the Ordos Loop. These policies relied on veteran administrators in the Ministry of War and logistics coordinated with granaries in provincial prefectures.
The later reign was undermined by favoritism, factionalism, and the rise of military governors. An influential court circle around Consort Yang Yuhuan and eunuch officials like Li Fuguo altered appointments, empowering jiedushi including An Lushan and Geshu Han. In 755 An Lushan rebelled, seizing key cities including Luoyang and capturing routes to Chang'an, prompting a collapse of central authority. The rebellion involved forces from Kumo Xi-linked auxiliaries and regional commanders, provoking mass displacement along the Yellow River and devastation in capitals. Attempts to counter the revolt included appeals to the Uyghur Khaganate and campaigns by generals such as Guo Ziyi, but the crisis marked the end of Kaiyuan-era stability and precipitated the fragmentation of Tang military governance.
Facing the crisis, Xuanzong abdicated in favor of his son Li Heng (Emperor Suzong) while retreating to Shangyang Palace and moving through Shaanxi routes. His later years were marked by loss of authority, the execution of former favorites, and strained relations with successors who negotiated with regional powers and rebel remnants. Xuanzong died in 762; his death closed a turbulent chapter that deeply influenced subsequent Tang restorations under figures like Emperor Suzong and military leaders who negotiated with the Uyghur Khaganate and reconstructed provincial administration. Xuanzong's legacy persists in the corpus of Tang poetry, court music lineages, and the administrative precedents established during the Kaiyuan era.