Draft Discussion on the Military History of the Early Tang Dynasty

Author: Wang Yongxing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: "A Brief Discussion on the Military History of the Early Tang Dynasty," divided into two parts. The first part discusses the military system of the early Tang Dynasty, including the Central Ministry of War and its corresponding institutions, the system of fubing (local levies), the system of juren (imperial guards), the system of jiedushi (military governors), and the system of Chengbang (city garrisons). It focuses on explaining the transition from the fubing system to the jiedushi system. The second part showcases the military achievements of the early Tang Dynasty, namely the wars to establish and defend the Tang Empire and to expand its territory for its prosperity. It discusses battles such as Li Shimin's conquest of the seven northern separatist forces, Li Jing's strategic campaigns to suppress the two separatist regimes in Jianghuai, Li Jing and Li Xun's campaign to eliminate the Eastern Turkic Xielihuan state, Su Dingfang's campaign to suppress the Western Turkic Xielihuan state, Su Dingfang's campaign to subdue the Turkic tribes, and the long-term conflict between Tang and Tibet over the Western Regions. The late Tianbao period saw the Tang rely on the Shuofang Army to suppress the Jiehu (Jiehu chaos) for an extended period.