Online Encyclopedia
Northern Wei Dynasty
The Northern Wei Dynasty (北魏 386-534) is most noted for the unification of northern China in 440, it was also heavily involved in funding the arts and many antiques and art works from this period have survived.
In 493 AD the dynasty moved its capital from Datong to Luoyang and started the construction of the artificial Longmen Caves. More than 30,000 Buddhist images from the time of this dynasty have been found in the caves.
It is thought the dynasty originated from the Tuoba clan of the non-Han Xianbei tribe. The Tuobas renamed themselves the Yuans as a part of systematic Sinicization.
The official state religion was Taoism as a result of the influence of K'ou Ch'ien-chih
Towards the end of the dynasty there was signicant internal dissidence resulting in a split into Eastern and Western Wei.
| This article is part of the Southern and Northern Dynasties series. |
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| Southern Dynasties | Northern Dynasties |
| Song Dynasty (420-479) | Northern Wei Dynasty |
| Qi Dynasty | Eastern Wei Dynasty |
| Liang Dynasty | Western Wei Dynasty |
| Chen Dynasty | Northern Qi Dynasty |
| Northern Zhou Dynasty | |
| Posthumous Names ( Shi Hao 諡號) | Born Names | Period of Reigns | Era Names (Nian Hao 年號) and their according range of years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern dynasty | |||
| Northern Wei Dynasty 386-535 | |||
| Convention: Northern Wei + posthumous name | |||
| As a well known fact Tuoba family changed their family name to 元 (yuan2) during the reign of Xiaowen in 496 so we will also change from there. | |||
| Emperor Daowu 道武帝 dao4 wu3 di4 | Tuoba Gui|拓拔珪 tou4 ba2 gui1 | 386-409 |
Dengguo (登國 deng1 guo2) 386-396Huangshi (皇始 huang2 shi3) 396-398 |
| Emperor Mingyuan 明元帝 ming2 yuan2 di4 | Tuoba Si|拓拔嗣 tou4 ba2 si4 | 409-423 |
Yongxing (永興 yong3 xing1) 409-413Shenrui (神瑞 shen2 rui4) 414-416 |
| Emperor Taiwu 太武帝 tai4 wu3 di4 | Tuoba Tao|拓拔燾 tou4 ba2 tao2 | 424-452 |
Shiguang (始光 shi3 guang1) 424-428Shenjia (神麚 shen2 jia1) 428-431 |
| 南安王 nan2 an1 wang2 | Tuoba Yu|拓拔余 tou4 ba2 yu2 | 452 |
Yongping (永平 yong3 ping2) or Chengping (承平 cheng2 ping2) 452 |
| Emperor Wencheng|文成帝 wen2 cheng2 di4 | Tuoba Jun|拓拔濬 tou4 ba2 jun4 | 452-465 |
Xingan (興安 xing1 an1) 452-454Xingguang (興光 xing1 guang1) 454-455 |
| Emperor Xianwen 獻文帝 xian4 wen2 di4 | Tuoba Hong|拓拔弘 tou4 ba2 hong2 | 466-471 |
Tianan (天安 tian1 an1) 466-467Huangxing (皇興 huang2 xing1) 467-471 |
| Emperor Xiaowen 孝文帝 xiao4 wen2 di4 | Yuan Hong|元宏 yuan2 hong2 | 471-499 |
Yanxing (延興 yan2 xing1) 471-476Chengming (承明 cheng2 ming2) 476 |
| Emperor Xuanwu|宣武帝 xuan1 wu3 di4 | Yuan Ke|元恪 yuan2 ke4 | 500-515 |
Jingming (景明 jing3 ming2) 500-503Zhengshi (正始 zheng4 shi3) 504-508 |
| Emperor Xiaoming孝明帝 xiao4 ming2 di4 | Yuan Xu|元詡 yuan2 xu3 | 516-528 |
Xiping (熙平 xi1 ping2) 516-518Shengui (神龜 shen2 gui1) 518-520 |
| Emperor Xiaozhuang 孝莊帝 xiao4 zhuang1 di4 | Yuan Zi You|元子攸 yuan2 zi5 you1 | 528-530 |
Jianyi (建義 jian4 yi4) 528Yongan (永安 yong3 an1) 528-530 |
| 長廣王 chang2 guang3 wang2 or Jing Di|敬帝 jing4 di4 | Yuan Ye|元曄 yuan2 ye4 | 530-531 |
Jianming (建明 jian4 ming2) 530-531 |
| Emperor Juemin 節閔帝 jie2 min3 di4 | Yuan Gong|元恭 yuan2 gong1 | 531-532 |
Putai (普泰 pu3 tai4) 531-532 |
| 安定王 an1 ding4 wang2 or Chu Di|出帝 chu1 di4 | Yuan Lang|元朗 yuan2 lang3 | 531-532 |
Zhongxing (中興 zhong1 xing1) 531-532 |
| Emperor Xiaowu 孝武帝 xiao1 wu3 di4 | Yuan Xiu|元脩 yuan2 xiu1 | 532-535 |
Taichang (太昌 tai4 chang1) 532Yongxing (永興 yong3 xing1) 532 |