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The Tang Empire covered a larger expanse of territory than any previous dynasty, extending into modern-day Vietnam in the south, and as far as the oasis towns of [[Turfan]] and [[Dunhuang]] in the northwest. Some of these areas would not again be controlled by China until the [[Qing Dynasty]]. The Tang ruled this vast territory populated by perhaps as many as 60 million people from its capital at [[Chang'an]], employing a government administration of only 17,000 officials and 50,000 clerks. Many counties, inhabited by as many as 25-30,000 people, were administered by only a single magistrate and a staff of roughly 5-15 assistants and clerks.<ref>Hansen, 214.</ref> Prior to the [[An Lushan Rebellion]] ([[755]]-[[763]]), the Court maintained extensive registries of families throughout the provinces, performing frequent demographic and land surveys, information which was used for taxation purposes, and to redistribute land in the so-called [[equal-field system]]. The Court never managed, however, after the Rebellion, to regain the same level of power or control over the provinces, and many of its administrative programs fell apart.

The Tang Empire covered a larger expanse of territory than any previous dynasty, extending into modern-day Vietnam in the south, and as far as the oasis towns of [[Turfan]] and [[Dunhuang]] in the northwest. Some of these areas would not again be controlled by China until the [[Qing Dynasty]]. The Tang ruled this vast territory populated by perhaps as many as 60 million people from its capital at [[Chang'an]], employing a government administration of only 17,000 officials and 50,000 clerks. Many counties, inhabited by as many as 25-30,000 people, were administered by only a single magistrate and a staff of roughly 5-15 assistants and clerks.<ref>Hansen, 214.</ref> Prior to the [[An Lushan Rebellion]] ([[755]]-[[763]]), the Court maintained extensive registries of families throughout the provinces, performing frequent demographic and land surveys, information which was used for taxation purposes, and to redistribute land in the so-called [[equal-field system]]. The Court never managed, however, after the Rebellion, to regain the same level of power or control over the provinces, and many of its administrative programs fell apart.

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