ncreased
popularity among the masses but also the spread of ritual and
doctrinal corruption, for it is in these years that its connection
with ceremonies for the repose and honour of the dead became more
intimate.

These middle and later T'ang Emperors were not exclusive
Buddhists. According to the severe judgment of their own officials,
they were inclined to unworthy and outlandish superstitions. Many of
them were under the influence of eunuchs, magicians and soothsayers,
and many of those who were not assassinated died from taking the
Taoist medicine called Elixir of Immortality. Yet it was not a period
of decadence and dementia. It was for China the age of Augustus, not
of Heliogabalus. Art and literature flourished and against Han-Yu, the
brilliant adversary of Buddhism, may be set Liu Tsung Yuan,[656] a
writer of at least equal genius who found in it his inspiration. A
noble school of painting grew up in the Buddhist monasteries and in a
long line of artists may be mentioned the great name of Wu Tao-tzu,
whose religious pictures such as Kuan-yin, Purgatory and the death of
the Buddha obtained for him a fame which is still living. Among the
streams which watered this paradise of art and letters should
doubtless be counted the growing importance of Central and Western
Asia in Chinese policy and the consequent influx of their ideas. In
the mid T'ang period Manichaeism, Nestorianism and Zoroastrianism all
were prevalent in China. The first was the religion of the Uigurs. So
long as the Chinese had to keep on good terms with this tribe
Manichaeism was respected, but when they were defeated by the Kirghiz
and became unimportant, it was abruptly suppressed (843). In this
period, too, Tibet became of great importance for the Chinese. Their
object was to keep open the passes leading to Ferghana and India. But
the Tibetans sometimes combined with the Arabs, who had conquered
Turkestan, to close them and in 763 they actually sacked Chang An.
China endeavoured to defend herself by making treaties with the Indian
border states, but in 175 the Arabs inflicted a disastrous defeat on
her troops. A treaty of peace was subsequently made with Tibet.[657]

When Su-Tsung (756-762), the son of Hsuan-Tsung, was safely
established on the throne, he began to show his devotion to Buddhism.
He installed a chapel in the Palace which was served by several
hundred monks and caused his eunuchs and guards to dress up as
Bodhisattvas and Genii.