The Sui dynasty (SWEE) would in many ways resemble the Ch'in, which first unified China and built its Great Wall. Both were shortlived, but extremely important; both saw great public works projects; and both were ruled by fierce tyrants. The Sui founder was Wen Ti (DEE; also known by his
The teachings of the philosopher Confucius formed the basis of Confucianism, which valued such principles as loyalty, respect, hard work, and obedience to authority figures.
Reproduced by permission of Archive Photos, Inc.
Birth name, Yang Chien; ruled 589-604), who seized the throne in one of the many small states that controlled China during the period of upheaval. After eight years spent consolidating his power, he took the imperial throne.
It was Wen Ti's aim to build a strong central government, so he abolished inheritance of office, a corrupt practice that had spread among civil servants. To make sure government workers were qualified, he instituted a civil-service examination system, based on Confucian principles, which would remain in use up to the twentieth century. Furthermore, he introduced a new law code and moved aggressively against Mongol and Turkic nomads in northern China.
Remembered as one of China's greatest rulers, Wen Ti may have been assassinated by his son, Yang Ti (ruled 604-618). Yang Ti built a huge network of canals, most notably the Grand Canal, a thousand-mile waterway that connected the Yangtze (YAHNG-zay) River with the Yellow River to the north. But Yang Ti was ruthless, and his military campaigns proved costly. Though he enjoyed a measure of success in Vietnam and Central Asia, an expedition into Korea (612-14) failed. Yang Ti was assassinated, and thus the Sui dynasty ended, like the Ch'in, after the reign of just two emperors.
World History
