Empire · 581–618 · East Asia

Sui dynasty

Also known as Sui Empire

For nearly three centuries after the fall of the Han, China was divided among rival northern and southern dynasties. In 581 Yang Jian, a general of the Northern Zhou, seized the throne and founded the Sui, and in 589 he conquered the southern Chen dynasty, reunifying China.

As Emperor Wen he reformed the laws, redistributed land, rebuilt the bureaucracy and began selecting officials by examination. His son Emperor Yang undertook vast projects, above all the Grand Canal linking the Yellow and Yangtze rivers; he also rebuilt the Great Wall and built a new capital at Luoyang, using millions of forced labourers. His three disastrous invasions of the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo drained the treasury and provoked widespread rebellion. Yang was murdered in 618, and his general Li Yuan founded the Tang.

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Years

581–618

Capital

Daxing (Chang'an) and Luoyang

Greatest extent

610, about 3.10 million km²

Region

East Asia

c. 3.0M km² (Taagepera 1979), after reunifying north and south China; c. 3.1M km² in 610 (Taagepera 1997) and c. 3.0M km² at reunification in 589 (Taagepera 1979)