The Central Court at the Turn of the Xuanzong and Suzong Reigns

The Central Court at the Turn of the Reigns of Xuanzong and Suzong in the Tang Dynasty examines political change through the lens of institutional transformation. Taking an unconventional approach to the central court during the reigns of Emperor Xuanzong and Emperor Suzong, it investigates the political relationship between the chancellors and the crown prince within the imperial system, and how that relationship changed. It gives a detailed account of how shifts in political institutions during the two reigns interacted with developments at the central court.

With its distinctive perspective and clear arguments, the book goes beyond the surface of personnel disputes and historical events. It probes the true nature of the conflict between Xuanzong’s chancellors and the crown prince, and incisively reveals the deeper causes of the Tang dynasty’s decline from prosperity.