Home Region: North China (East Asia)

Tang Dynasty II

763 CE 907 CE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 cn_tang_dyn_2 / CnTangL

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General Description

The Tang Dynasty is widely considered a cultural and political high point of imperial China. The dynasty was founded by Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, when the threat of insurrection forced the previous Sui dynasty court to flee from Luoyang, the capital, to Yangzhou. Li Yuan marched to Luoyang and seized the abandoned capital in 618 CE. ^[1] He became the first emperor of the Tang dynasty (r. 618-626 CE) and is posthumously known as Gaozu. Under the Early Tang Dynasty, the capital was moved from Chang’an to Luoyang. ^[2] We divide the Dynasty into an Early period (618-763 CE) and Late period (763-907 CE), separated by the decline in imperial authority and instability of experienced by the Tang in the 750s, culminating in the An Lushan rebellion to close out the Early period (755‒763 CE).
The Tang Dynasty continued to rule China after the defeat of the An Lushan rebellion (755‒763 CE). ^[3] However, the government never fully recovered from its impact. ^[3] Tang border defences were devastated, leading to attacks from outsiders and pirates. The Tang government maintained an often-uneasy alliance with the Uighurs against the Tibetans. ^[4] In 790, Tibetan forces occupied Chinese land in eastern Turkestan and ended Chinese rule in the region for almost a thousand years. ^[5] ^[6]
Late Tang China was marked by conflict, with the occasional brief period of peace. Emperor Xianzong’s campaigns against rebel governors in the early 9th century restored almost all of China back to direct rule under the Tang government. ^[5] Xianzong was successful in restoring stability to the Tang Empire and his death was followed by 40 years of peace. ^[7] Later, Emperor Wuzong persecuted Buddhists and adherents of other non-indigenous religions. His movement reached its height in 845 CE and most monasteries were destroyed, but his successors reversed his anti-Buddhist policies. ^[8]
The dynasty fell in 881 CE after a series of internal rebellions, leading to about a century characterized by the rise of powerful warlords in the south and political turmoil in the north ^[9] before another period of Chinese efflorescence under the Northern Song Dynasty. ^[10]
Population and political organization
The Late Tang Dynasty was marked by tensions between the central government and military garrisons. ^[11] In 763 CE, two-thirds of the provincial governors were military commanders. ^[4] Tang emperors attempted to weaken the central bureaucracy by having military governors pay direct tribute instead of taxes. ^[12] The Tang government implemented the two-tax system in 780 CE, which replaced the ’equal land’ distribution system of the Early Tang. ^[13] This system of taxation represented an attempt to weaken military garrison governments and to divert taxation income to the central government. ^[13]
The Late Tang central government was marked by the rise of eunuchs. Eunuchs did not hold powerful positions in the Early Tang government, but in the later period the Department of the Inner Palace, staffed by eunuchs, became a powerful governmental authority ‒ more powerful than the emperor’s chief ministers. ^[14]
Because the dynasty was marked by almost constant conflict, the population of Late Tang China is difficult to estimate. In 766 CE there were between 40 million and 55 million citizens, ^[15] and in 900 CE there were between 60 million and 80 million. ^[16]

[1]: (Benn 2002, 1) Charles Benn. 2002. China’s Golden Age: Everyday Life in the Tang Dynasty. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[2]: (Lewis 2009, 37) Mark Edward Lewis. 2009. China’s Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

[3]: (Perkins 1999, 11) Dorothy Perkins. 1999. Encyclopedia of China. New York: Routledge.

[4]: (Benn 2002, 12) Charles Benn. 2002. Daily Life in Traditional China: The Tang Dynasty. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

[5]: (Lewis 2009, 64) Mark Edward Lewis. 2009. China’s Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

[6]: (Benn 2002, 11) Charles Benn. 2002. Daily Life in Traditional China: The Tang Dynasty. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

[7]: (Benn 2002, 16) Charles Benn. 2002. Daily Life in Traditional China: The Tang Dynasty. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

[8]: (Benn 2002, 16-17) Charles Benn. 2002. Daily Life in Traditional China: The Tang Dynasty. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

[9]: (Ebrey 1996, 136) Patricia Buckley Ebrey. 1996. The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[10]: (Benn 2002, 18) Charles Benn. 2002. Daily Life in Traditional China: The Tang Dynasty. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

[11]: (Lewis 2009, 60) Mark Edward Lewis. 2009. China’s Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

[12]: (Lewis 2009, 63) Mark Edward Lewis. 2009. China’s Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

[13]: (Lewis 2009, 65) Mark Edward Lewis. 2009. China’s Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

[14]: (Dalby 1979, 571-72) Michael T. Dalby. 1979. ’Court Politics in Late T’ang Times’, in The Cambridge History of China, Volume 3: Sui and T’ang China, 589-906 AD, Part One, edited by D. C. Twitchett, 561-681. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[15]: (Rodzinski 1979, 130) Witold Rodzinski. 1979. A History of China, Volume 1. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

[16]: (Lorge 2005, 182) Peter A. Lorge. 2005. War, Politics and Society in Early Modern China, 900‒1795. Abingdon: Routledge.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

2 Capital

2 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

15 Polity Territory

2 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

1 Occupational Complexity

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

2 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Donkey

1 Dog

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

2 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions

13 Power Transition

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2) was in:
(763 CE 907 CE)	Middle Yellow River Valley

Home NGA: Middle Yellow River Valley

General Variables

Identity and Location Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	50 S	763 CE 907 CE
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Original Name	Tang Dynasty II	763 CE 907 CE
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Capital	Chang'an	763 CE 907 CE
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Capital	Luoyang	763 CE 907 CE
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Alternative Name	Li Dynasty	763 CE 907 CE
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Alternative Name	T'ang Empire	763 CE 907 CE
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Temporal Bounds Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	820 CE
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Duration	[763 CE ➜ 907 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none	763 CE 907 CE
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Supracultural Entity	China	763 CE 907 CE
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Succeeding Entity	China - Five Dynasties Period and Ten Kingdoms Period	763 CE 907 CE
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction	[5,000,000 to 6,000,000] km²	763 CE 907 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	763 CE 907 CE
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Preceding Entity	continuity; Early Tang Dynasty [continuity] Update here
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Degree of Centralization	confederated state	763 CE 907 CE
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Language Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Sino-Tibetan	763 CE 907 CE
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Language	Chinese	763 CE 907 CE
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Religion Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	1,000,000 people	764 CE 800 CE
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Polity Territory	3,600,000 km²	770 CE
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Polity Territory	3,350,000 km²	780 CE
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Polity Territory	3,100,000 km²	790 CE
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Polity Territory	3,243,000 km²	800 CE
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Polity Territory	3,386,000 km²	810 CE
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Polity Territory	3,529,000 km²	820 CE
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Polity Territory	3,671,000 km²	830 CE
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Polity Territory	3,814,000 km²	840 CE
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Polity Territory	3,957,000 km²	850 CE
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Polity Territory	4,100,000 km²	860 CE
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Polity Territory	3,600,000 km²	870 CE
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Polity Territory	3,100,000 km²	880 CE
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Polity Territory	2,600,000 km²	890 CE
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Polity Territory	1,500,000 km²	900 CE
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Polity Territory	800,000 km²	907 CE
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Polity Population	[40,000,000 to 55,000,000] people	766 CE
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Polity Population	[60,000,000 to 80,000,000] people	900 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[3 to 6]	763 CE 907 CE
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Religious Level	3	763 CE 907 CE
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Military Level	5	763 CE 907 CE
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Administrative Level	7	763 CE 907 CE
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Professions Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Occupational Complexity	Uncoded Undecided	763 CE 907 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Merit Promotion	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Examination System	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Law Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Judge	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Court	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Irrigation System	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Food Storage Site	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Port	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Canal	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Bridge	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Information / Writing System Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Script	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	763 CE 907 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Mnemonic Device	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Sacred Text	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Religious Literature	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Practical Literature	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Philosophy	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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History	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Fiction	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Calendar	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Information / Money Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Uncoded Undecided	763 CE 907 CE
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Precious Metal	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Paper Currency	Absent Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Foreign Coin	Uncoded Undecided	763 CE 907 CE
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Article	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Information / Postal System Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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General Postal Service	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Courier	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Information / Measurement System Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Unknown Suspected	763 CE 907 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	763 CE 907 CE
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Moat	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Fortified Camp	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Earth Rampart	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Ditch	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Complex Fortification	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Long Wall	48 km	763 CE 907 CE
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Military use of Metals Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Iron	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Copper	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Bronze	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Projectiles Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Present Disputed	763 CE 907 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent Disputed	763 CE 907 CE
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Sling	Absent Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Self Bow	Absent Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Javelin	Unknown Suspected	763 CE 907 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	763 CE 907 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Crossbow	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Composite Bow	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	763 CE 907 CE
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Handheld weapons Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Sword	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Spear	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Polearm	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Dagger	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Battle Axe	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Animals used in warfare Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Donkey	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Dog	Absent	763 CE 907 CE
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Armor Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Shield	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Scaled Armor	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Plate Armor	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Limb Protection	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Laminar Armor	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Helmet	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Chainmail	Absent Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Breastplate	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Naval technology Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Absent	763 CE 907 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present Inferred	763 CE 907 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Present	763 CE 907 CE
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Human Sacrifice Tang Dynasty II (cn_tang_dyn_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More