Origins & Early Life

Emperor Yang of Sui (Chinese: 隋煬帝, 569 – 11 April 618), personal name Yang Guang (楊廣), alternative name Ying (英), childhood name Amo (阿摩), Xianbei name Puliuru Guang (普六茹廣), was the second emperor of the Sui dynasty of China. Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but he was renamed by his father Emperor Wen, after consulting with oracles, to Yang Guang. Yang Guang was made the Prince of Jin after Emperor Wen established the Sui dynasty in 581. In 588, he was granted command of the five armies that invaded the Chen dynasty in southern China and was widely praised for the success of this campaign.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

These military achievements, as well as his machinations against his older brother Yang Yong, led to him becoming crown prince in 600. After the death of his father in 604, generally considered, though unproven, by most traditional historians to be a murder ordered by Yang Guang, he ascended the Sui throne. Emperor Yang, ruling from 604 to 618, committed to several large construction projects, most notably the completion of the Grand Canal, and the reconstruction of the Great Wall. He also ordered several military expeditions that brought Sui to its greatest territorial extent, one of...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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