Sui Dynasty Introduction

Sui Dynasty Introduction

By Patrick Lindstrand

a military commander, especially an aggressive regional commander with individual autonomy.

Warlord

a war between citizens of the same country.

​​Civil War

come or bring together for a common purpose or action.

Unite

​Dynasty

​a line of hereditary rulers of a country.

What happened after the fall of the Han Dynasty?

With the central government weakened, ambitious generals and warlords took advantage of the power vacuum to try to seize control of China. The result was constant, brutal war that cost many thousands of lives. As a result of this fighting, the most powerful warlords eventually took control and divided China into three separate kingdoms: Wei, Wu, and Shu-Han. Without a strong emperor or central government, China descended into chaos and civil war.

Multiple Choice

After the fall of the Han Dynasty, who took control of various parts of China?

• warlords

• peasants

• farmers

• Confucius

China during the Han Dynasty.

China After the Han Dynasty Fell

Reuniting China

Emperor Wendi, the man who would finally reunite China, was not entirely Chinese. He was also partly Mongolian, the country to the north of China. In the 400 years after the fall of the Han dynasty, constant warfare and rapid changes of leadership fragmented China. Wendi was an official in the Bei Zhou court of northern China. When the system collapsed in 581, Wendi took advantage of the chaos and established the Sui dynasty. During the 580s, Wendi conquered the western and southern regions of China. He united the entire country under a single emperor for the first time in 400 years.

Multiple Choice

Emperor Wendi established this dynasty that would unite China for the first time in 400 years.

• Tang

• Han

• Qin

• Sui