Viewpoint essay structure and techniques

History Of China

A study of the many important cultures of China offers a fascinating picture of how one very influential nation has grown and evolved over the centuries. The historical significance of the dynasties of China relates to philosophy, religion, and politics. The Rise of the Sui dynasty (589-618) presents information about the building of huge palaces, the digging of long canals, and the reestablishment of a "strong centralized government" in China during that era. The founder of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian had previously conquered the Chen dynasty (in 589) and as a result had restored a unified Chinese empire. The second ruler of the Sui dynasty was Yang Di, who wasn't satisfied with China as it was, he pushed south to conquer what is now Vietnam and Taiwan, along with Tibet in the Himalayas. But the many wars that he pushed his people into, and the enormous amount of human labor that he required to continue the building of canals and walls and palaces, caused a rift between he and his people, hence citizens revolted and forced him to halt his military march on the Korean peninsula. He was assassinated in 618.

The Sui dynasty is probably better known for its Buddhist sculpture than it is for the demise of Yang Di. In fact there are an estimated 51,000 statues of Buddha in the Yungang Caves, which near the city of Luoyang in Henan province. Those caves are now (since 2001) part of the "World Heritage List" by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The authors of the PowerPoint "The Cosmopolitan Empires of Sui and Tang China" assert that the Sui rulers "may have been too ambitious" as they apparently tried to grab too much land and get too much done as far as building walls and canals and palaces. But, the authors continue, what the Sui dynasty did paved the way for the Tang dynasty; "the Sui created the foundation for the Tang dynasty, which lasted more than 300 years," the authors explain.

On the subject of the Tang empire, there was quite a "free-for-all" among would be conquerors after the Sui dynasty was crushed. The new powerful leader who emerged from that struggle starting in 618 was Li Shimin. Some of the more notable accomplishments of Li Shimin involved restoring stable government, developing technological advances, and by utilizing the "free labor and military service of millions of peasants" he helped bring in enormous tax revenues to the point that the government was "more affluent than it had ever been."