The Northern Wei Dynasty (北魏, pinyin: běi wèi, 386-534), also known as the Tuoba Wei (拓拔魏), Later Wei (後魏), or Yuan Wei (元魏), is most noted for the unification of northern China in 439, it was also heavily involved in funding the arts and many antiques and art works from this period have survived. This article is about the Southern and Northern Dynasties in China. Events By Place Europe Pharamond leads the Franks across the Rhine. Events By Place Europe October 17 — The Adige River overflows its banks flooding the church of St The Southern dynasties 南朝 ( nanchao in Pinyin: nán cháo comprise the Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang Dynasty and Chen The Northern Dynasties (北朝 běi cháo included Northern Wei Dynasty, Eastern Wei Dynasty, Western Wei Dynasty, Northern Qi Dynasty, The Song Dynasty (宋朝 Pinyin: Sòng cháo Wade-Giles: Sung ( 420 – 479) was first of the four Southern Dynasties in China The Southern Qi Dynasty 齊朝 ( Pinyin: Qí cháo ( 479 - 502) was the second of the Southern dynasties in China, followed by the Liang Dynasty ( 梁[[wikt 朝|朝]] Pinyin: Liáng cháo (502-557 also known as Southern Liang Dynasty (南梁 was the third of Southern dynasties Chen Dynasty (陳朝 ( Pinyin: Chén cháo (557-589 was the fourth and the last of the Southern dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui The Eastern Wei Dynasty (Chinese 東魏 followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 534 to 550. The Western Wèi Dynasty (Chinese西魏 followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556. The Northern Qi Dynasty (Chinese 北齊 Běiqí was one of the Northern dynasties of Chinese history and ruled northern China from 550 to 577. The Northern Zhou Dynasty (Chinese北周 followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Events By Place Roman Empire Theodosius I concludes peace with Persia, dividing Armenia between them Events By Place Byzantine Empire January 1 — Decimus Theodorius Paulinus is appointed Consul (the last to hold this China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Events By Place Western Roman Empire Licinia Eudoxia, wife of the Emperor Valentinian III, is granted the title of ''Augusta'' In 494 AD the dynasty moved its capital from Datong to Luoyang and started the construction of the artificial Longmen Caves. Events By Place Byzantine Empire An earthquake devastates Latakia. Datong ( is a city in the northern Shanxi Province in China, and is located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of Luoyang ( is a Prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China. The Longmen Grottoes ( ch 龍門石窟/ 龙门石窟 lóngmén shíkū lit More than 30,000 Buddhist images from the time of this dynasty have been found in the caves. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices It is thought the dynasty originated from the Tuoba clan of the non-Han Xianbei tribe, who are believed to have spoken a Turkic language^[1]. Tuoba (拓拔 Pinyin Tuòbá or T'o-pa in Wade-Giles was a Clan of the Xianbei people in the early centuries of the 1st millennium The Xianbei ( were a significant nomadic people residing in Manchuria and eastern Mongolia, or Xianbei Shan. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the The Tuobas renamed themselves the Yuans as a part of systematic Sinicization. Sinicization, Sinicisation or Sinification, (in Mandarin: 中国化 Zhōngguóhuà) is the linguistic assimilation or Towards the end of the dynasty there was significant internal dissidence resulting in a split into Eastern Wei Dynasty and Western Wei Dynasty. The Eastern Wei Dynasty (Chinese 東魏 followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 534 to 550. The Western Wèi Dynasty (Chinese西魏 followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556.

Rise of the Tuoba

Northern Wei Buddha Maitreya, 443 CE. Events By Place Western Roman Empire The Burgundians create a kingdom on the banks of the Rhone.

Northern Wei Buddhist statue. Dated 489. Tokyo National Museum.

The Jin Dynasty had developed an alliance with the Tuoba against the Xiongnu state Han Zhao. The Jìn Dynasty ( 265 – 420) one of the Six Dynasties, followed the Three Kingdoms period and preceded the Southern and Northern Dynasties The Xiongnu ( Turkish: Doğu Hun were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin and other subjugated tribes The Han Zhao ( 304 - 329) was a State of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Chinese Jin Dynasty (265-420. In 315 the Tuoba chief was granted the title of the Prince of Dai. Dai ( was a state of the Xianbei clan of Tuoba, during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. After the death of its founding prince, Tuoba Yilu, however, the Dai state stagnated and largely remained a partial ally and a partial tributary state to Later Zhao and Former Yan, finally falling to Former Qin in 376. Tuoba Yilu (拓跋猗盧 Pinyin: Tuòbá Yīlú (?-316 was the chieftain of the western Tuoba territory from 295-307 supreme chieftain of the Tuoba from 307-316 The Later Zhao ( 319 - 351) was a State of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty (265-420 in China. The Former Yan ( 337 - 370) was a State of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. The Former Qin ( 351 - 394) was a State of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Events By Place Roman Empire Many Goths appear on the Danube and request entry into the Roman Empire in their flight from the

After Former Qin's emperor Fu Jiān was defeated by Jin forces at the Battle of Fei River in his failed bid to unify China, the Former Qin state began to break apart. Early life Fú Jiān was born in 337 when the family name was still Pu (蒲 to Fu Xiong (苻雄 and his wife Lady Gou. The Battle of Fei River or “Feishui” ( was a battle in 383, where Fu Jiān (T By 386, Tuoba Gui, the grandson (or son) of the final Prince of Dai, Tuoba Shiyijian, had reasserted independence, initially with the title of Prince of Dai, and then as the Prince of Wei, and his state was therefore known in history as Northern Wei. Events By Place Roman Empire Theodosius I concludes peace with Persia, dividing Armenia between them Life before founding of Northern Wei Birth and childhood According to official accounts Tuoba Gui was born in 371 after his father Tuoba Shi (拓拔寔 Tuoba Shiyijian ( (320-376 was the last prince of the Tuoba Dai and ruled from 338 to 376 when Dai was conquered by the Former Qin. Northern Wei was initially a vassal of Later Yan, but by 395 had rebelled against Later Yan, and by 398 had conquered most of Later Yan territory, establishing itself over the territory north of the Yellow River. The Later Yan ( 383 - 407 or 409) was a Murong - Xianbei state locate in north-east of current China during the era of Sixteen Events By Place Roman Empire After the death of emperor Theodosius I, the Empire is re-divided into an eastern and a western half Events By Place Western Roman Empire An imperial Edict obliges Roman landowners to yield 1/3 of their fields to the barbarians who have The Yellow River or Huang He / Hwang Ho ( Hatan Gol Queen river) is the second-longest river in China (after the Yangtze River) and the In 399, he declared himself emperor, and that title was used by Northern Wei's rulers for the rest of the state's history. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Flavius Mallius Theodorus becomes Roman Consul.

Policies

Early in Northern Wei history, the state inherited a number of traditions from its initial history as a Xianbei tribe, and some of the more unusual ones, from a traditional Chinese standpoint:

• The officials did not receive salaries, but were expected to requisition the necessities of their lives directly from the people they governed. As the empire's history progressed, this appeared to be a major contributing factor leading to corruption among officials. Not until the second century of the empire's existence did the state begin to distribute salaries to its officials.

• Empresses were not named according to imperial favors or nobility of birth, but required that the candidates submit themselves to a ceremony where they had to personally forge golden statues, as a way of discerning divine favor. Only an imperial consort who was successful in forging a golden statue could become the empress.

• All men, regardless of ethnicity, were ordered to tie their hair into a single braid that would then be rolled and placed on top of the head, and then have a cap worn over the head.

• When a crown prince is named, his mother, if still alive, must be forced to commit suicide. Crown Princess redirects here for the ship see Crown Princess (ship. (Some historians do not believe this to be a Tuoba traditional custom, but believed it to be a tradition instititued by the founding emperor Emperor Daowu based on Emperor Wu of Han's execution of his favorite concubine Consort Zhao, the mother of his youngest son Liu Fuling (the eventual Emperor Zhao), before naming Prince Fuling crown prince. Life before founding of Northern Wei Birth and childhood According to official accounts Tuoba Gui was born in 371 after his father Tuoba Shi (拓拔寔 Background birth and years as crown prince Emperor Wu was the tenth child of Emperor Jing, and was born to one of Emperor Jing's favorite Concubines, Birth and childhood before ascending the throne In 94 BC then-Prince Fuling was born to a favorite concubine of Emperor Wu Consort Zhao who carried the title Lady Gouyi (鉤弋夫人 )

• As a result, because emperors would not have mothers, they often honored their wet nurses with the honorific title, "Nurse Empress Dowager" (保太后, bǎo tài hòu). A wet nurse is a woman who breast feeds a baby that is not her own Nurse empress dowager ( Chinese language: 保太后 Pinyin Bǎo Tàihòu was an honorific title given to emperors' Wet nurses during the Chinese

As sinicization of the Northern Wei state progressed, these customs and traditions were gradually abandoned.

Organization of the Peasants

• Five families formed a neighborhood (lin)^[2]
• Five lin formed a village (li)
• Five li formed a commune (tang)

A Northern Wei stone sarcophagus displaying the story of the filial grandson Yuan Gu, along with landscape art. A sarcophagus is a Funeral receptacle for a Corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone For the art of designing external spaces see Landscape architecture.

At each of these levels, leaders that were associated with the central government were appointed. In order for the state to reclaim dry, barren areas of land, the state further developed this system by dividing up the land according to the number of men of an age to cultivate it. The Sui and Tang Dynasties later resurrected this system in the 7th century. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by The Equal-field system ( (Also Land-equalization system land system was a historical system of land ownership and distribution in China used from the Six Dynasties to Mid- The 7th century is the period from 601 to 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. ^[3]

Deportations

During the reign of Emperor Daowu (386-409), the total number of deported people from the regions east of Taihangshan (the former Later Yan territory) to Datong was estimated to be around 460,000. Life before founding of Northern Wei Birth and childhood According to official accounts Tuoba Gui was born in 371 after his father Tuoba Shi (拓拔寔 The Taihang Mountains ( are a Chinese Mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Henan, Shanxi and Hebei Datong ( is a city in the northern Shanxi Province in China, and is located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of Deportations typically took place once a new piece of territory had been conquered. ^[4]

^[5]

Sinicization

Asia in 500 AD, showing Northern Wei territories and their neighbors. Datong ( is a city in the northern Shanxi Province in China, and is located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of Datong ( is a city in the northern Shanxi Province in China, and is located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of

As the Northern Wei state grew, the emperors' desire for Han Chinese institutions and advisors grew. Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. Cui Hao (381-450), an advisor at the courts in Datong played a great part in this process. Cui Hao (崔浩 (died 450 Courtesy name Boyuan (伯淵 was a prime minister of the Chinese / Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei Datong ( is a city in the northern Shanxi Province in China, and is located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of ^[6] He introduced Han Chinese administrative methods and penal codes in the Northern Wei state, as well as creating a Taoist theocracy that lasted until 450. The Northern Celestial Masters type of the Way of the Celestial Master (Simplified Chinese天师道 Traditional Chinese天師道 pinyin Tiān Shī Dào Daoist The attraction of Han Chinese products, the royal courts taste for luxury, the prestige of Chinese culture at the time, and Taoism were all factors in the influence the Chinese in the Northern Wei state. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Chinese influence accelerated during the capital's move to Luoyang in 494 and Emperor Xiaowen continued this by establishing a policy of systematic sinicization that was continued by his successors. Luoyang ( is a Prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China. Events By Place Byzantine Empire An earthquake devastates Latakia. Early life and regency of Emperor Xianwen Tuoba Hong was born in 467 when his father Emperor Xianwen was himself young -- at the age of 13 and not yet ruling by himself Sinicization, Sinicisation or Sinification, (in Mandarin: 中国化 Zhōngguóhuà) is the linguistic assimilation or Xianbei traditions were largely abandoned. The royal family took the sinicization a step further by changing their family name to Yuan. Sinicization, Sinicisation or Sinification, (in Mandarin: 中国化 Zhōngguóhuà) is the linguistic assimilation or Marriages to Chinese families were encouraged. With this, Buddhist temples started appearing everywhere, displacing Taoism as the state religion. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The temples were often created to appear extremely lavish and extravagant on the outside of the temples. ^[7]

Breakup and Division

A Buddhist stela from the Northern Wei period, build in the early 6th century. A stele (from Greek:, stēlē, ˈstiːli plural stelae,, stēlai, ˈstiːlaɪ also found Latinised singular stela The 6th century is the period from 501 to 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era.

The heavy Chinese influence that had came into the Northern Wei state which went on throughout the 5th century had mainly affected the courts and the upper ranks of the Tuoba aristocracy. The 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in Anno Domini / Common Era. Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations ^[8] Armies that guarded the Northern frontiers of the empire and the Xianbei people who were less sinicized began showing feelings of hostility towards the aristocratic court and the upper ranks of civil society. ^[9] Early in Northern Wei history, defense on the northern border against Rouran was heavily emphasized, and military duty on the northern border was considered honored service that was given high recognition. Rouran ( Wade-Giles: Jou-jan) Ruanruan/Ruru ( also known as Tan Tan ( was the name of a confederation of Nomadic tribes on After all, throughout the founding and the early stages of the Northern Wei, it was the strength of the sword and bow that carved out the empire and kept it. But once Emperor Xiaowen's sinicization campaign began in earnest, military service, particularly on the northern border, was no longer considered an honorable status, and traditional Xianbei warrior families on the northern border were disrespected and disallowed many of their previous privileges, these warrior families who had originally being held as the upper-class now find themselves considered a lower-class on the social hierarchy.

In 523, rebellions broke out on six major garrison-towns on the northern border and spread like wildfire throughout the north. These rebellions lasted for a decade. Exacerbating the situation, Empress Dowager Hu poisoned her own son Emperor Xiaoming in 528 after Emperor Xiaoming showed disapproval of her handling of the affairs as he started coming of age and got ready to reclaim the power that had been held by the empress in his name - due to the emperor being an infant at the time he ascended to the throne, so the Empress Dowager had the actual rule of the country for more than a decade. Background Yuan Xu was born in 510 He was the only son of Emperor Xuanwu to be alive at that point Soon after, the general Erzhu Rong moved south and sacked Luoyang, who originally had already mobilised on secret orders of the emperor to support him in the struggle in retaking the ruleship from the Empress Dowager Hu, but he was stopped by the emperor's orders again before he could move towards the capital, and as he waited for the emperor's call, the Empress got to the emperor first and poisoned him dead. Erzhu Rong (爾朱榮 ( 493 - November 1, 530) Courtesy name Tianbao (天寶 formally Prince Wu of Jin (晉武王 was On Erzhu Rong's orders, the Empress Hu and the new child emperor Yuan Zhao(another puppet child selected by the empress only shortly before) was thrown into the Yellow River and drowned and 2,000 courtiers were gathered on the banks and killed, as it was an effective cry that it was the many embellishments of the Empress Dowager and her crime of poisoning the rightful emperor, her own flesh and blood, that must be punished. Erzhu Rong (爾朱榮 ( 493 - November 1, 530) Courtesy name Tianbao (天寶 formally Prince Wu of Jin (晉武王 was Notes and references The Yellow River or Huang He / Hwang Ho ( Hatan Gol Queen river) is the second-longest river in China (after the Yangtze River) and the A courtier is a person who attends the court of a Monarch or other powerful person.

The Two Generals

Northern Wei wall murals and painted figurines, Yungang Grottoes, 5th to 6th centuries. The Yungang Grottoes ( are ancient Buddhist temple grottoes near the city of Datong in the Chinese province of Shanxi.

Erzhu dominated the imperial court thereafter, the emperor was virtually in power in name only and most decisions actually went through the Erzhu, although he did put out most of the rebellions, largely reunifying the Northern Wei state. However, Emperor Xiaozhuang, not wishing to remain a puppet emperor and highly wary of the Erzhu clan's widespread power and questionable loyalty and intentions towards the throne (after all, this man had ordered a massacre of the court and put to death a previous emperor and empress before), killed Erzhu in 530 in an ambush at the palace, which lead to a resumption of civil war, initially between Erzhu's clan and Emperor Xiaozhuang, and then, after their victory over Emperor Xiaozhuang in 531, between the Erzhu clan and those who resisted their rule. Early life Yuan Ziyou was born in 507 during the reign of his cousin Emperor Xuanwu, as the third son of the highly regarded imperial prince Emperor Xuanwu's uncle In the aftermaths of these wars, the generals Gao Huan(originally a member of the rebel soldiers from the northern frontier who surrendered to Erzhu, then became one of Erzhu clan's top lieutenants; after the Erzhu clan's open war with the emperor, he immediately gathered his own men and turned against his former leader) and Yuwen Tai established themselves in the eastern and western parts of the state, respectively, and they declared for rival claimants on the Northern Wei throne, leading to the state's division in 534-535 into Eastern Wei and Western Wei. Gao Huan (高歡 (496-547 nickname Heliuhun (賀六渾 formally Prince Xianwu of Qi (齊獻武王 later further formally honored by Northern Qi initially Yuwen Tai (宇文泰 (507-556 nickname Heita (黑獺 formally Duke Wen of Anding (安定文公 later further posthumously honored by Northern Zhou The Eastern Wei Dynasty (Chinese 東魏 followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 534 to 550. The Western Wèi Dynasty (Chinese西魏 followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556.

Fall

Neither Eastern Wei nor Western Wei was long-lived. In 534, Gao Huan's son Gao Yang forced Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei to yield the throne to him, ending Eastern Wei and establishing Northern Qi. Events By Place Byzantine Empire January 1 — Decimus Theodorius Paulinus is appointed Consul (the last to hold this Early life Gao Yang was born in 529 while his father Gao Huan was a general under Northern Wei 's paramount general Erzhu Rong. Background Yuan Shanjian was born in 524 His father Yuan Dan (元亶 the Prince of Qinghe was a son of the well-regarded Yuan Yi (元懌 also Prince of Qinghe and a son of The Northern Qi Dynasty (Chinese 北齊 Běiqí was one of the Northern dynasties of Chinese history and ruled northern China from 550 to 577. Similarly, in 536, Yuwen Tai's nephew Yuwen Hu forced Emperor Gong of Western Wei to yield the throne to Yuwen Tai's son Yuwen Jue, ending Western Wei and establishing Northern Zhou, finally extinguishing Northern Wei's imperial rule. Events By Place Byzantine Empire April — Belisarius, a general in the service of Justinian I, lands in Italy Yuwen Hu (宇文護 (515-572 Courtesy name Sabao (薩保 formally Duke Dang of Jin (晉蕩公 was a Regent of the Chinese / Background Yuan Kuo was born in 537 as the fourth son of Emperor Wen. Background Yuwen Jue was born in 542 as the son of Yuwen Tai, then the paramount general of Western Wei, and Yuwen Tai's wife Princess Fengyi the sister of The Northern Zhou Dynasty (Chinese北周 followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581.

Sovereigns of the Northern Wei Dynasty

See also

• Empress Dowager Wenming tomb

Notes, References & Sources

See also

• Change of Xianbei names to Han names
• Middle Binyang Cave