Major political structures, social and economic life changes that occurred during the Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty. China is considered a cradle of civilization, with its known history beginning with an ancient civilization – one of the worlds’ earliest – that flourished in the fertile basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain. For millennia, China's political system was based on hereditary monarchies, known as dynasties, beginning with the semi-mythological Xia of the Yellow River basin (c. 2800 BCE). Since 221 BCE, when the Qin Dynasty first conquered several states to form a Chinese empire, the country has expanded, fractured and been reformed numerous times.SUI DYNASTYStarted from 581 and ended in 618, the Sui Dynasty lasted for only 38 years and had only three Emperors. With a tyrannical second emperor - Emperor Yang, the Sui Dynasty was often compared to the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC). However, the whole nation was reunited and certain economic and political advances were achieved in that era.In Northern Zhou (557 - 581), Yang Jian, who was born to the noble class and was the Chengxiang (Prime Minister) of the last emperor, monopolized the political and military power and suppressed the separatist forces as well as some other royal forces. In 581, Yang Jian replaced Northern Zhou with Sui and proclaimed himself Emperor Wen. Thus the Sui Dynastywas founded, with Chang'an (currently Xian) the capital and Luoyang the auxiliary capital. In
