Emperor Xuānzong of Tang

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Emperor Xuānzong 唐宣宗李忱 (810–859, reigned 846–859) was a later emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. Personally named Li Chen, he was one of the most revolutionary rulers in Chinese history. He contributed to Chinese cultural and technological advancements in various ways. During his reign the Uyghur empire disintegrated. He helped to centralize the faltering Tang government. Xuanzong also revived the Buddhist religion, helping the Buddhist leaders recover from the persecution they had faced under the previous emperor, Wuzong. Also during Xuanzong's rule, the first advances in chemistry began, Chinese chemists first experimented with fireworks.