This is a timeline of the Tang dynasty. Information on areas and events relevant to the Tang dynasty such as the Wu Zhou interregnum, when Wu Zetian established her own dynasty, and other realms such as the Sui dynasty, Tibetan Empire, Nanzhao, the Three Kingdoms of Korea, Japan, and steppe nomads are also included where necessary.
7th century
610s
Year Date Event 617 Shibi Khan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate aids Li Yuan in his rebellion against the Sui dynasty 618 11 April Emperor Yang of Sui is killed by strangulation in a coup led by his general Yuwen Huaji in Jiangdu 12 June Li Yuan (Emperor Gaozu of Tang – note that Tang emperor naming convention uses the posthumous Temple Name) deposes Yang You and founds the Tang dynasty; so ends the Sui dynasty 29 November Battle of Qianshuiyuan: Li Shimin defeats pretender Xue Rengao and his short lived state of Qin 619 Wang Bo (王薄) and Du Fuwei surrender to Tang Some of the most powerful independent forces include Wang Shichong in Luoyang, Liu Wuzhou in north Shanxi, Dou Jiande in Hebei, and Shen Faxing in the south Yuwen Huaji is killed by Dou Jiande
620s
Year Date Event 620 Li Shimin defeats Liu Wuzhou 621 28 May Battle of Hulao: Tang forces defeat the warlord Dou Jiande and he is captured by Li Shimin Tang forces defeat Wang Shichong and take Luoyang Dou Jiande's general Liu Heita rebels 622 Rebel Li Zitong tries to flee from Chang'an but is arrested and executed Illig Qaghan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate attacks Tang 623 Tuyuhun invasion of Gansu: Chai Shao defeats a Tuyuhun invasion of Gansu Li Jiancheng defeats Liu Heita; Liu Heita is captured and killed Fu Gongshi declares himself emperor in Danyang, Jiangsu (Nanjing) 624 Fu Gongshi is killed; Tang forces conquer the south Zu Yong Diao tax system is implemented Illig Qaghan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and his nephew Tölis Qaghan (Ashina Shibobi) invade the Tang dynasty but Li Shimin contacts Tölis and persuades him not to attack, forcing the invasion to a halt 625 Eastern Turkic Khaganate launches repeated raids in northern frontier areas; some raids reach as far south as Shanxi; largest one was directed by Illig Qaghan against Shuozhou (in north Shanxi) but is repulsed 626 2 July Xuanwu Gate Incident: Li Shimin kills his brothers the crown prince Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji at Chang'an 4 September Emperor Gaozu of Tang is forced into retirement and Li Shimin becomes emperor (Taizong) Autumn Illig Qaghan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate raids to within a few miles of Chang'an and withdraws after Emperor Taizong of Tang agrees to a payment of tribute. 627 A large number of prefectures and counties are combined or abolished; the Ten Circuits are introduced Tang dynasty and Uyghur forces engage in battle with the Turks and Tibetans 628 3 June Rebel Liang Shidu dies from assassination 629 Buddhist monk Xuanzang sets off for the west
630s
Year Date Event 630 Tang campaign against the Eastern Turks: Illig Qaghan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate is defeated by Li Jing of the Tang dynasty and captured by Li Shiji but released; the Eastern Turkic Khaganate becomes a vassal of Tang; Emperor Taizong of Tang becomes heavenly qaghan Japanese missions to Tang China: Japan sends its first mission to the Tang dynasty 631 Gao Biaoren (高表仁) accompanies Japanese embassy back to Japan 632 Khotan (Yutian) and Kashgar (Shule) submit to the Tang dynasty as vassals Qibi Heli of the Tiele bring more than 1,000 households to Tang 634 Yong'an Palace (永安宮) (Daming Palace) is completed Songtsen Gampo of the Tibetan Empire sends an embassy to the Tang 635 Emperor Taizong's campaign against Tuyuhun: Emperor Taizong of Tang launches a campaign against Tuyuhun, a Xianbei empire to the west, and annexes the area Yarkand (Shache) submits to the Tang dynasty. Yong'an Palace renamed Daming Palace 636 The fubing system is revised to comprise 634 intrepid garrisons (zhechong fu 折衝府) 638 Gar Tongtsen Yulsung of the Tibetan Empire arrives in Tang to ask for a princess bride The Tibetan Empire attacks the city of Songzhou, now modern Songpan, in Sichuan 639 Census estimates a total population of 50 million residing within Tang administered territory
640s
Year Date Event 640 Tang campaign against Karakhoja: Hou Junji conquers Karakhoja and annexes Gaochang (Turpan, Xinjiang); the Protectorate General to Pacify the West is created Gar Tongtsen Yulsung of the Tibetan Empire arrives in Tang with tribute and successfully requests for a princess bride 641 Princess Wencheng, an imperial sororal kin of the Tang dynasty, arrives in Tibet as Songtsen Gampo's bride 643 Crown Prince Li Chengqian is deposed 644 Emperor Taizong of Tang starts preparations for a campaign against Goguryeo Tang campaigns against Karasahr: Tang general Guo Xiaoke attacks Karasahr and achieves military victory but Karasahr remains a vassal of the Western Turkic Khaganate Aksu (Gumo) submits to Tang 645 First campaign in the Goguryeo–Tang War: Emperor Taizong of Tang leads an invasion of Goguryeo in person but withdraws after failure to conquer Anshi (northeast of Yingkou, Liaoning) Xuanzang returns from India 646 Emperor Taizong's campaign against Xueyantuo: Tang forces defeat Xueyantuo in battle and their khan surrenders 647 Li Shiji leads another campaign against Goguryeo, but does not succeed 648 Emperor Taizong of Tang launches one more campaign against Goguryeo unsuccessfully Tang campaign against Kucha: Tang general Ashina She'er conquers Kucha (Qiuci) Songtsen Gampo of the Tibetan Empire attacks Arjuna, usurper of Harsha of Mithila, for accosting the Tang ambassador Wang Xuance Khitans submit to Tang as vassals 649 10 July Emperor Taizong of Tang succumbs to illness, possibly from the pills he took from his alchemists, and dies, his son Li Zhi succeeds him and becomes Emperor Gaozong of Tang The campaign against Goguryeo is called off
650s
Year Date Event 650 Earliest known extant piece of printed text appears in Chang'an: a fragment of a Buddhist dhāraṇī scroll written in Sanskrit, known as the Great spell of unsullied pure light (Wugou jingguang da tuoluoni jing 無垢淨光大陀羅尼經) 653 A woman claims the title of emperor and rises in rebellion, causing widespread disruption for a few weeks before she is defeated and dies 655 Wu Zetian is set up as empress 656 Cheng Yaojin defeats the Karluk and Turgesh forces of the Western Turkic Khaganate 657 Battle of Irtysh River: Ashina Helu of the Western Turkic Khaganate is defeated by Su Dingfang of the Tang dynasty 658 Conquest of the Western Turks: Ashina Helu of the Western Turkic Khaganate is defeated by Su Dingfang of the Tang dynasty and lives out the rest of his days in Chang'an; the Western Turkic Khaganate is annexed by Tang Luoyang becomes the Eastern Capital 659 Evidence of a dental amalgam appears in the medical text Newly Revised Herbal Foundation (, Xīnxiū Běncǎo) written by Su Gong (苏恭), manufactured from tin and silver.
660s
Year Date Event 660 Su Dingfang defeats Baekje Tibetan Empire and their Turkic allies attack Shule Tang attacks the Khitans and captures their leader Abugu, sending him back to Luoyang Emperor Gaozong of Tang begins suffering from severe headaches as well as loss of vision and yields decision-making power to Wu Zetian 661 Su Dingfang lays siege to Pyongyang Peroz III of the Sasanian Empire requests military aid from Tang against the Arab invasion of Persia 662 Tang troops lift siege of Pyongyang due to lack of food supplies Liu Rengui inflicts a fatal blow on Baekje The Daming Palace is rebuilt 663 Battle of Baekgang: Liu Rengui and others vanquish Baekje, having defeated a combined Baekje and Yamato fleet Tibetan Empire attacks Yutian but are repelled The Daming Palace is completed 664 Liu Rengui sends a memorial to the emperor reporting low morale of troops in Korea Emperor Gaozong of Tang makes a failed attempt to depose Wu Zetian 665 Wu Zetian becomes the de facto ruler Tibetan Empire and Turkic allies attack Yutian 667 Xue Rengui achieves a decisive victory against Goguryeo 668 Li Shiji sacks Pyongyang and conquers Goguryeo; the Protectorate General to Pacify the East is established 669 General Li Shiji dies
670s
Year Date Event 670 Battle of Dafei River: Tibetan Empire destroys Xue Rengui's allegedly 100,000 strong army, captures Qiuci, and attacks Gumo Peroz III arrives at the Tang court 673 Tang captures Qiuci Tang consolidates control over the Wudoulu Turks living in the area that came to be known as Dzungaria 675 Tang defeats Silla in Gyeonggi 676 Tibetan Empire attacks Die, Fu, and Jing prefectures. Fengtian and Wugong are sacked. The Protectorate General to Pacify the East relocates to Liaoyang 677 Tibetan Empire captures Qiuci Ashina Duzhi, previously a Tang general tasked with controlling the Wuduolu Turks, rebels and declares himself Onoq Khagan, ruler of all Turks. The Protectorate General to Pacify the East relocates to Xincheng, in modern Fushun, Liaoning 678 Tibetan Empire defeats a Tang army in the Qinghai region Pei Xingjian (裴行儉) attempts to escort Peroz III back to Persia and makes it as far as Suiye (Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan) 679 Pei Xingjian escorts Peroz's son Narsieh to Suiye, and Narsieh spends 20 years in Tukhara Pei Xingjian defeats a rebellion by Onoq Qaghan (Ashina Fuyan Duzhi 阿史那匐延都支) and Li Zhefu (李遮匐) Pei Xingjiang defeats the Tibetans and re-establishes control over the Tarim oasis states Ashide Wenfu and Ashide Fengzhi of the Chanyu Protectorate make Ashina Nishufu a Khagan and revolt against Tang dynasty.Sima Guang, Zizhi Tongjian, Vol. 202
680s
Year Date Event 680 Pei Xingjian defeats Ashina Nishufu and Ashina Nishufu is killed by his men. Ashide Wenfu makes Ashina Funian a Khagan and revolts against Tang dynasty. Pei Xingjian convinces Ashina Funian to surrender; Funian is executed in Chang'an Tibetan Empire expands aggressively into Xiyu (Western Regions) and captures of the fortress of Anrong in Sichuan 681 Ilterish Qaghan revolts with the remnants of Ashina Funian's men. Tibetan Empire invades the Qinghai region but is defeated by a Tang army 682 Ilterish Qaghan establishes the Second Turkic Khaganate and attacks Tang 683 27 December Emperor Gaozong of Tang succumbs to illness and dies, his son Li Xian succeeds him and becomes Emperor Zhongzong of Tang Ilterish Qaghan of the Second Turkic Khaganate attacks Tang 684 26 February Wu Zetian deposes Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, replaces him with Emperor Ruizong of Tang Xu Jingye rebels in Yangzhou and fails Ilterish Qaghan of the Second Turkic Khaganate attacks Tang 685 Ilterish Qaghan of the Second Turkic Khaganate attacks Tang 686 Tang troops withdraw from the Four Garrisons of Anxi after elements within the court argue for the decrease of military expenditures 687 Ilterish Qaghan of the Second Turkic Khaganate attacks Tang Lý Tự Tiên and Đinh Kiến revolt at Đại La in response to a raise in harvest tax 688 Wu Zetian carries out killing of Tang princes and princesses 689 The ritual structure Mingtang (Hall of Brightness) is set up in Luoyang
690s