Emperor Gaozu of Tang
唐高祖
“Founded a dynasty, and was retired from it by his own son”
A Sui aristocrat and garrison commander at Jinyang who rebelled as the Sui collapsed, took Chang'an in 617 and declared the Tang in 618. He ruled eight years, set up the legal code and land system the dynasty would run on, and then lost the throne to his second son in the coup at the Xuanwu Gate.
The traditional account, written down under the son who succeeded him, has Li Shimin pushing a reluctant father into rebellion. Modern historians give Li Yuan more of the plan. Either way the founding institutions are his: the Tang Code, the equal-field land allocations and the militia system that let the dynasty field armies without a standing one.
In 626 Li Shimin killed his elder brother, the heir apparent, and his younger brother at the Xuanwu Gate of the palace. Li Yuan abdicated within two months and lived nine more years as retired emperor, in a palace, with nothing to do.
His wife Dou died in 613, five years before there was a dynasty for her to be empress of. She was given the title posthumously, as Empress Taimu — the first of many women in this collection who held the rank only after death.
The empress of this reign
Painted on silk in gemstone mineral pigments by Xiang Li.
About this page
Written for this site to place Gaozu's reign around the paintings. For the full biography, the dynastic histories and the scholarship behind them, start at Wikipedia.
Every Tang emperor
| Reign | Emperor | Painted empresses |
|---|---|---|
| 618 – 626 | Gaozu 唐高祖 Li Yuan 李淵 / 李渊 | |
| 626 – 649 | Taizong 唐太宗 Li Shimin 李世民 | |
| 649 – 683 | Gaozong 唐高宗 Li Zhi 李治 | |
| 690 – 705 | Wu Zetian 武則天 / 武则天 Wu Zhao 武曌 | |
| 684, and 705 – 710 | Zhongzong 唐中宗 Li Xian 李顯 / 李显 | |
| 684 – 690, and 710 – 712 | Ruizong 唐睿宗 Li Dan 李旦 | |
| 712 – 756 | Xuanzong (Li Longji) 唐玄宗 Li Longji 李隆基 | |
| 756 – 762 | Suzong 唐肅宗 / 唐肃宗 Li Heng 李亨 | |
| 762 – 779 | Daizong 唐代宗 Li Yu 李豫 | |
| 779 – 805 | Dezong 唐德宗 Li Kuo 李适 | |
| 805, for 186 days | Shunzong 唐順宗 / 唐顺宗 Li Song 李誦 / 李诵 | |
| 805 – 820 | Xianzong 唐憲宗 / 唐宪宗 Li Chun 李純 / 李纯 | |
| 820 – 824 | Muzong 唐穆宗 Li Heng 李恆 / 李恒 | |
| 824 – 826 | Jingzong 唐敬宗 Li Zhan 李湛 | |
| 826 – 840 | Wenzong 唐文宗 Li Ang 李昂 | |
| 840 – 846 | Wuzong 唐武宗 Li Yan 李炎 | |
| 846 – 859 | Xuanzong (Li Chen) 唐宣宗 Li Chen 李忱 | |
| 859 – 873 | Yizong 唐懿宗 Li Cui 李漼 | |
| 873 – 888 | Xizong 唐僖宗 Li Xuan 李儇 | — |
| 888 – 904 | Zhaozong 唐昭宗 Li Ye 李曄 / 李晔 | |
| 904 – 907 | Ai (Aidi) 唐哀帝 Li Zhu 李柷 | — |