Centralization during Tang rule was achieved via administrative organization and authority over the populace – a perfect example is their success in widespread collection of taxes. Tang rulers were acutely aware that instability had been the downfall of nearly every former dynasty, and they consequently took measures to avoid a similar fate. This was the primary reason Tang would become the most secure and centralized dynasty China had theretofore experienced. However, tax revenue was not redistributed for the betterment of Chinese society, but rather to finance the lavish lifestyles of the Tang ruling class. The emperor lived his days in an opulent palace, and the capital had access to excessive stashes of wealth – as evidence, in the year
