General Survey of Governments Power over Rural Areas in the Sui and Tang Dynasties

Registered permanent residence and land had been the base for all dynasties in the Chinese history to have the controlling power over rural areas. The Sui dynasty controlled a large population and land from many rich households with great fortune, but in the Tang dynasty military leaders have more power over the land and population, and government had less power than before. To the middle of the Tang dynasty, land and population were in the hands of military leaders and local officials. In the early Song dynasty, rural areas were governed by governments at a county level.