In summer 618, when news arrived at Chang'an that Emperor Yang had been killed at Jiangdu in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji, Li Yuan had Emperor Gong yield the throne to him, establishing Tang Dynasty as its Emperor Gaozu.
The Tang Dynasty was a monarchy. Although the government possessed most of the power, they tried to make sure that the people had some too. They divided land from large land owners, and split it between those who had none. This allowed all to have some power and property.
