Northern Wei Dynasty

Southern and Northern Dynasties
(420-589)
Southern Dynasties: Northern Dynasties:

Song
Qi
Liang
Chen

Northern Wei
Eastern Wei
Western Wei
Northern Qi
Northern Zhou

Image:NorthernWeiMaitreya.JPG
Northern Wei Buddha Maitreya, 443 AD.
Image:Buddhist Stela Northern Wei period.jpg
A Buddhist stela from the Northern Wei period, build in the early 6th century.

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.

Sovereigns of the Northern Wei 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 Xiao Wen Di in 496 so we will also change from there.
Dao Wu Di (道武帝 dao4 wu3 di4) Tuoba Gui (拓拔珪 tou4 ba2 gui1) 386-409 Dengguo (登國 deng1 guo2) 386-396
Huangshi (皇始 huang2 shi3) 396-398
Tianxing (天興 tian1 xing1) 398-404
Tianci (天賜 tian1 ci4) 404-409
Ming Yuan Di (明元帝 ming2 yuan2 di4) Tuoba Si (拓拔嗣 tou4 ba2 si4) 409-423 Yongxing (永興 yong3 xing1) 409-413
Shenrui (神瑞 shen2 rui4) 414-416
Taichang (泰常 tai4 chang2) 416-423
Tai Wu Di (太武帝 tai4 wu3 di4) Tuoba Tao (拓拔燾 tou4 ba2 tao2) 424-452 Shiguang (始光 shi3 guang1) 424-428
Shenjia (神(鹿下加) shen2 jia1) 428-431
Yanhe (延和 yan2 he2) 432-434
Taiyan (太延 tai4 yan2) 435-440
Taipingzhenjun (太平真君 tai4 ping2 zhen1 jun1) 440-451
Zhengping (正平 zheng4 ping2) 451-452
Nan An Wang (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
Wen Cheng Di (文成帝 wen2 cheng2 di4) Tuoba Jun (拓拔濬 tou4 ba2 jun4) 452-465 Xingan (興安 xing1 an1) 452-454
Xingguang (興光 xing1 guang1) 454-455
Taian (太安 tai4 an1) 455-459
Heping (和平 he2 ping2) 460-465
Xian Wen Di (獻文帝 xian4 wen2 di4) Tuoba Hong (拓拔弘 tou4 ba2 hong2) 466-471 Tianan (天安 tian1 an1) 466-467
Huangxing (皇興 huang2 xing1) 467-471
Xiao Wen Di (孝文帝 xiao4 wen2 di4) Yuan Hong (元宏 yuan2 hong2) 471-499 Yanxing (延興 yan2 xing1) 471-476
Chengming (承明 cheng2 ming2) 476
Taihe (太和 tai4 he2) 477-499
Xuan Wu Di (宣武帝 xuan1 wu3 di4) Yuan Ke (元恪 yuan2 ke4) 500-515 Jingming (景明 jing3 ming2) 500-503
Zhengshi (正始 zheng4 shi3) 504-508
Yongping (永平 yong3 ping2) 508-512
Yanchang (延昌 yan2 chang1) 512-515
Xiao Ming Di (孝明帝 xiao4 ming2 di4) Yuan Xu (元詡 yuan2 xu3) 516-528 Xiping (熙平 xi1 ping2) 516-518
Shengui (神龜 shen2 gui1) 518-520
Zhengguang (正光 zheng4 guang1) 520-525
Xiaochang (孝昌 xiao4 chang1) 525-527
Wutai (武泰 wu3 tai4) 528
Xiao Zhuang Di (孝莊帝 xiao4 zhuang1 di4) Yuan Zi You (元子攸 yuan2 zi5 you1) 528-530 Jianyi (建義 jian4 yi4) 528
Yongan (永安 yong3 an1) 528-530
Chang Guang Wang (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
Jue Min Di (節閔帝 jie2 min3 di4) Yuan Gong (元恭 yuan2 gong1) 531-532 Putai (普泰 pu3 tai4) 531-532
An Ding Wang (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
Xiao Wu Di (孝武帝 xiao1 wu3 di4) Yuan Xiu (元脩 yuan2 xiu1) 532-535 Taichang (太昌 tai4 chang1) 532
Yongxing (永興 yong3 xing1) 532
Yongxi (永熙 yong3 xi1) 532-535
nl:Noordelijke Wei

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