HIST 270: Chapter 5 Reading Guide

Ebrey, A History of China — Chapter 5: The Cosmopolitan Empires of Sui and Tang China (581–960)

Note: This is a reading guide, not a study guide. It is designed to be completed while you read — directing you to specific passages, keeping you engaged, and holding you accountable as you move through the text. The goal is comprehension and evidence-gathering, not review.

Chinese history can feel unfamiliar at first. This guide will help you identify and understand the most important events and processes, so that by the time you finish the chapter, you will have a solid grasp of the material your professor wants you to know — and be well prepared for the Chapter Quiz.

Step 1: Find the sentence using the page and opening words provided. Type it verbatim into the first box.
Step 2: Answer the question in your own words. No outside research needed or permitted.
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Review Question 1

On Page 76, find the sentence beginning with the words: "The Sui helped..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Evaluate the strategies utilized by the Sui Dynasty to reunify China and the factors that ultimately led to its swift collapse.

Review Question 2

On Page 78, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Both Sui and..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Analyze the institutional foundations of the early Tang Dynasty under rulers like Taizong. How did the Tang structure its military, land distribution, and civil service systems to ensure stability?

Review Question 3

On Page 79, find the sentence beginning with the words: "At these cosmopolitan..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Describe the cosmopolitan nature of the Tang capital, Chang’an. How did foreign interactions and the Silk Road shape the cultural and religious landscape of the Tang empire?

Review Question 4

On Page 81, find the sentence beginning with the words: "In 845, a..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Trace the trajectory of Buddhism during the Tang Dynasty, from its deep integration into Chinese society to its eventual state suppression.

Review Question 5

On Page 82, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Even if the..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did the composition and character of the educated elite change from the Northern and Southern Dynasties through the Tang period?

Review Question 6

On Page 83, find the sentence beginning with the words: "She found support..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Assess the political rise and reign of Empress Wu. By what ideological and political methods did she legitimize her unprecedented position as a female emperor?

Review Question 7

On Page 84, find the sentence beginning with the words: "In key areas..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

What were the underlying military causes and the immediate political consequences of the An Lushan Rebellion during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign?

Review Question 8

On Page 85, find the sentence beginning with the words: "This retreat from..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Analyze the fundamental shifts in the Tang government’s economic policies following the An Lushan Rebellion. How did the state’s retreat from direct economic management inadvertently stimulate commerce?

Review Question 9

On Page 86, find the sentence beginning with the words: "The Tang Dynasty..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Why is the Tang Dynasty considered the great age of Chinese poetry, and how did poets like Du Fu reflect the era’s social and political realities?

Review Question 10

On Page 90, find the sentence beginning with the words: "As a writer..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Examine the intellectual shifts within the late Tang scholarly community. How did thinkers like Han Yu attempt to redefine and revive the Confucian tradition?

Review Question 11

On Page 90, find the sentence beginning with the words: "An even greater..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

What is the historical significance of the Dunhuang documents, and how have they reshaped historians’ understanding of everyday Tang society?