Emperor Taizong of Tang

Emperor Taizong (r. 626-649) consolidated the Tang Dynasty after helping his father found it, eliminating rival kingdoms and defeating the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. His era, the Zhenguan period, became a byword for wise rulership: he listened to remonstrance, reduced taxes, and patronised scholarship. His aphorisms on governance, compiled in the Zhen Guan Zheng Yao, shaped Chinese political thought for centuries.

• Nationality: chinese
• Roles: ruler