Posted 2017/7/5
With the personal name Li Yuan, Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty(566-635 AD) was the founder and the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Yuan was the maternal cousin of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, who set great store by him. In the late Sui Dynasty, peasant revolts broke out all across the country. Knowing that he was in no position to put down the revolts and well aware of Emperor Yang of Sui's suspicious and jealous nature and his fondness of killing, Li Yuan felt that he was in a unfavorable situation, and together with his second son Li Shimin, he rose in rebellion in May of the 13th year of the Daye Period. In May of 618 AD, Li Yuan proclaimed himself emperor, changed the reign title to Tang, and made Chang’an the capital. Shortly afterwards, the Tang Dynasty reunified the whole country.
When he was in power, Li Yuan reestablished administrative systems for central and local governments based on the old systems during Emperor Wen's reign of the Sui Dynasty, laying a foundation for the code establishment for official ranking, criminal law, military system, land, taxes etc.
After the Xuanwumen Mutiny, Li Yuan abdicated the throne in favor of his son Li Shimin. In 635 AD, he died in Tai'an Palace and buried in the Xianling Mausoleum.
