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The few centuries of Tang dynasty existence (618–907) are supersaturated with brilliant imperial growth and cultural flourishing as well as military and natural disasters. Such a rich loam of good and bad nourished a most fascinating era of music history. The more-formal imperial ceremonies revitalized the ancient orchestras of bells, stone chimes, flutes, drums, and zithers, plus large bands of courtly dancers. In reality, imperial power was based perhaps less on the mandate of heaven (tianming)—the notion that an emperor’s right to rule was divinely conferred—than on the “liberation” of neighbouring countries, the establishment of more-thorough tax systems, and the ...(100 of 8576 words)