Emperor Gong of Sui

Who was Emperor Gong of Sui?

Emperor Gong of Sui, personal name Yang You, was an emperor of the Chinese Sui Dynasty. Traditionally, he was considered the last emperor of the dynasty because he was the one who formally yielded the throne to the founding emperor to the succeeding Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu of Tang, although after him, his brother Yang Tong claimed the throne and continued to do so until 619. Li had rebelled against the rule of Yang You's grandfather Emperor Yang of Sui in 617 and captured the capital Chang'an later that year, seizing Yang You and declaring him emperor, although only the commanderies under Li's control recognized him as emperor; the rest of the commanderies continued to recognize Emperor Yang as emperor. In 618, after news arrived that Emperor Yang had been killed by the general Yuwen Huaji, Li had the young emperor yield the throne to him. The former emperor died the following year, probably on the new emperor's orders.