Cause & Context
In the mid-to-late Tang, Buddhist monasteries accumulated immense untaxed estates, sheltered dependent populations, and melted bronze currency for statues, causing severe fiscal distress.
Epochal Overview
Emperor Wuzong, supported by Chancellor Li Deyu, issued imperial decrees destroying 4,600 monasteries and 40,000 shrines, returning 260,000 monks and nuns to the taxable census and reclaiming tens of millions of acres.
Key Figures
Emperor Wuzong and Chancellor Li Deyu executed the policy; Japanese pilgrim monk Ennin provided a vivid eyewitness account in his travel diary.
Civilizational Impact
The campaign reclaimed vital tax bases and labor for the state, reshaped the socio-religious landscape, and led to the ascendancy of Chan and Pure Land Buddhism in later dynasties.