Chang'an
Chang'an (traditional Chinese: 長安; simplified Chinese: 长安) is the traditional name for the modern city of Xi'an, and was the capital of successive Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE.
China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang of the Qin dynasty, held his imperial court in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, where he constructed a massive mausoleum guarded by the Terracotta Army.
During the Han dynasty, the imperial city of Chang'an was located northwest of today's Xi'an. Chang'an also served as the capital for other dynasties, including the Western Jin dynasty (briefly), and the Sui dynasty and the Tang dynasty.
During the Tang dynasty, Chang'an was one of the largest and most populous cities in the world. Around AD 750, Chang'an was called a "million-man city" in Chinese records, with modern estimates putting it potential population at around 800,000–1,000,000 within city walls.[1][2]
Much of Chang'an was destroyed after a series of events, including being repeatedly sacked during the An Lushan Rebellion (755 to 763), invasions from the Tibetan Empire and the Uyghur Khaganate, and continued internal strife.
The rulers of the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644) rebuilt a small part of the former city (see Figure 1) and changed its name to Xi'an.
Further reading
Chang'an, Wikipedia
Notes
- ↑ (a) Tertius Chandler, Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth: An Historical Census, Lewiston, New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1987. ISBN 0-88946-207-0. (b) George Modelski, World Cities: –3000 to 2000, Washington, D.C.: FAROS 2000, 2003. ISBN 0-9676230-1-4.
- ↑ Haywood, John; Jotischky, Andrew; McGlynn, Sean (1998). Historical Atlas of the Medieval World, AD 600-1492. Barnes & Noble. pp. 3.20, 3.31. ISBN 978-0-7607-1976-3. Archived from the original on 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2015-12-31. Unknown parameter
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