Xuanzong and YangThe relationship established by Xuanzong, Yang Gifei and An Lushan has been cited as the thread that tied the history of the Tang Dynasty for years she existed. Xuanzong led the Tang Dynasty as the seventh emperor during the Golden Age. During his reign, Xuanzong elevated Wu Zetian as a popular religion in Tang China. However, the emperor later felt that Buddhism had abandoned teaching the ideologies of Taoism. Accordingly, Xuanzong ordered that all families keep a copy of the teachings of the Tao. Interestingly, in 741 AD Xuanzong fell in love with his son's wife, Yang Guefei (Pu 113). As a result, Yang went to live with the emperor in the palace. Yang managed to lure Xuanzong to hire her family members, some of whom could not perform their tasks. As Yang's family members abused their positions, An Lushan, one of the senior army commanders, led soldiers to overthrow Xuanzong. He overthrew Xuanzong and tried to establish his rule, but was subsequently defeated by Tang forces. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Historically, the relationship between Xuanzong and Yang revealed the prosperity that the Tang Dynasty had achieved during the Golden Age and which began to crumble when the two reunited. Historians use the marriage between Yang and Xuanzong as the basis to explain how the Tang Dynasty nearly fell after the Golden Age (Pu 143). Before the two married, the dynasty was thriving. Xuanzong had managed to convince his people that Taoism could unite them and live in harmony. Under Xuanzong's leadership, the Tang Dynasty's economy flourished thanks to maritime trade and sound financial reforms. The empire saw improvement in road networks during Xuanzong's reign. However, her engagement to Yang led to the collapse of the once thriving economy. Yang's relatives employed by Xuanzong were unskilled and mismanaged the economy to the disadvantage of many people in the Tang Dynasty. The revolt organized by a Lushan against Xuanzong contributed to the historical study of rebellion against empires in Chinese dynasties. Lushan felt that Xuanzong did not rule according to God's will and therefore should be ousted (Pu 137). He tried to show the military prowess of the Chinese army he led. The revolution led by Lushan contributed to the history of Tang China as it can be used to study how emperors and empires fell. Xuanzong fell because he complied with all the demands Yang made of him. Furthermore, the relationship between the trees shows that the leadership of Tang China was to be ordained by God. For example, Lushan claimed that Xuanzong went against the purpose of God's anointing and was therefore unfit to lead the Tang Dynasty. As for literary contribution, the love between Xuanzong and Yang is said to have been "romanticized" by various poets of the Tang Dynasty. 800 AD For example, in the Song of Eternal Sorrow, Bai Juyi reveals that Yang may have offered to be killed to save Xuanxzong as an indication of her love for him. Xuanzong is said to have mourned Yang for the rest of his life (Juyi 80). Therefore, their relationship contributed to the growth of literature in China. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Therefore, the history of the golden age of the Tang Dynasty cannot be complete without the mention of Xuanzong, his love Yang, and the man who overthrew him, Lushan. Historians have used Yang as the catalyst that prompted it..