S15: Rise and Fall of Tang Aristocracy

Bamboo rustles as the washerwomen return, the lotus stirs as the fishing boats descend.

Wang Wei, “Autumn Evening in the Mountain Retreat”

• Words should not be repeated in a poem (in general).
• Parallelism: Different words that are semantically parallel. (e.g. “The mountain is high, the valley is low.”)
• Middle couplets, 2 and 3, are parallel, while the first and last are free.
• Words are in the same position in the two halves of the couplet and must be syntactically or semantically parallel. Sometimes similar - birds and beasts - and sometimes opposite - mountains and valleys.
• Look for yin and yang within each pattern.

How Are the Lines Organized?

• Exposition (qi) introduces images and themes
• Elaboration of the theme (cheng),
• The turn: Change in the direction;
• Conclusion (he): a response, solution, answer.

Wang Wei’s “Autumn Evening in the Mountain Retreat”

After the new rain on the empty mountain,
the weather turns to autumn in the evening.
The bright moon shines between the pines,
and the clear spring flows over the stones.
Bamboo rustles as the washerwomen return,
and the lotus stirs as the fishing boats descend.
As the spring flowers fade at will,
the sons of kings may choose to stay.

臨洞庭上張丞相

八月湖水平，
涵虛混太清。
氣蒸雲夢澤，
波撼岳陽城。
欲濟無舟楫，
端居恥聖明。
坐觀垂釣者，
徒有羨魚情。

To Prime Minister Zhang On Dongting Lake

In August, the lake is calm and level, Its vastness blends with the clear sky. The air steams over the Yunmeng Marsh, Waves shake the city of Yueyang. Wanting to cross, there are no boats or oars, Sitting idly feels like a shame to the wise. I watch the fishermen at their lines, Only to feel envy for those who catch fish.

春望

國破山河在，
城春草木深。
感時花濺淚，
恨別鳥驚心。
烽火連三月，
家書抵萬金。
白頭搔更短，
渾欲不勝簪。

The View in Spring

A kingdom smashed, its hills and rivers still here, spring in the city, plants and trees grow deep. Moved by the moment, flowers splash with tears, alarmed at parting, birds startle the heart. War’s beacon fires have gone on three months, letters from home are worth thousands in gold. Fingers run through white hair until it thins, cap-pins will almost no longer hold.

早發白帝城

朝辭白帝彩雲間，
千里江陵一日還。
兩岸猿聲啼不住，
輕舟已過萬重山。

Early Departure from Baidi City

At dawn, I bid farewell to Baidi amidst the colorful clouds; In one day, I return to Jiangling, a thousand miles away. The cries of the monkeys on both banks continue without ceasing, As my light boat has already passed through countless mountains.

Li Bai (701-762):

• Celebrated for his romantic and imaginative style.
• He traveled extensively throughout China, which influenced his poetry and allowed him to meet various figures of his time.
• Free-spirited nature and love for wine often reflected in his works.

Du Fu (712-770):

• The greatest Tang poet
• He faced significant hardships, including poverty and the turmoil of the An Lushan Rebellion, which profoundly influenced his writing.
• Unlike Li Bai, Du Fu’s poetry often focused on social issues, the struggles of the common people, and the moral responsibilities of the poet.

Gao Shi (704-765):

• Recognized for his poetry that often reflected military themes and the experiences of the frontier.
• Served in various official capacities and was known for his connections within the literary and political circles.

• In the Tang dynasty, Chang’an (now Xi’an, Shaanxi) had a population of one million.
• Chang’an’s outer walls stretched 9.5 kilometers (5.92 miles) east-west and 8.4 kilometers (5.27 miles) north-south, standing five meters high and forming a rectangle.
• Inside, the city was divided into over one hundred quarters for security, with gates that operated based on curfew.
• The government used household registers for tax collection and military recruitment.
• The imperial palace was located against the north wall, with markets to the south.

• In 751, Chinese forces suffered a major defeat against the Islamic Abbasid caliphate at the Battle of Talas in modern Kazakhstan.
• This battle marked the farthest eastward spread of Islam in Eurasia and the Tang Empire’s western frontier.
• Following this, Central Asia shifted its loyalty from China to the Islamic world, with both regions mainly interacting over the Silk Road and the steppe.
• The secret of paper-making passed from China to the Islamic world and eventually reached Europe after 1000.

Li Linfu

The chief minister established in 736, who wielded immense power and became a de facto dictator by 747. He conducted purges of potential adversaries and created a court devoid of real talent, contributing to a disconnect between the court and external realities.

Yang Guozhong

Yang Guifei’s relative who ascended rapidly in the court, challenging Li Linfu’s authority and establishing a local power base in Sichuan. Following Li Linfu’s death in 752, he took control of the court and sought to eliminate An Lushan, escalating tensions that led to rebellion.

An Lushan

A powerful non-Chinese general and commander of significant military forces in the northeast. Initially a client of Li Linfu, he became a major threat after Yang Guozhong’s rise and hostility toward him, ultimately leading to his rebellion against the Tang dynasty.

• After An Lushan’s assassination in early 757, his rebel forces divided into factions led by his son and a rival general.
• Emperor Suzong (reigned 756–762) regained Chang’an with Uighur mercenaries’ help.
• The rebellion ended in 763 after the leading rebel general’s suicide, but the court had to grant a pardon due to reliance on Uighur troops.
• This unstable peace was disrupted when Tibetan troops pillaged Chang’an in late 763 and continued attacking every autumn for twenty years.
• By the eighth century, Tibet became China’s most powerful neighbor, posing a threat until its disunity in the ninth century.

• After 755, eunuchs gained power at the Tang court, mostly coming from poorer southern communities.
• In the capital, these boys joined the Palace Domestic Service, were adopted by senior eunuchs, and took their names.
• While their main duties were in the women’s quarters, some served as messengers and spies for military leaders.
• After the An Lushan rebellion, eunuchs took control of the emperor’s personal army, independent of military governors.
• They advised the emperor on state issues, threatening regular court ministers, and acted as his personal spies.