Northern Wei

The Northern Wei Dynasty (北魏, pinyin: běi wèi, 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 Kou Qianzhi (K'ou Ch'ien-chih).

Towards the end of the dynasty there was signicant internal dissidence resulting in a split into Eastern Wei Dynasty and Western Wei Dynasty.

Unusual features of the early Northern Wei state

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 place 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. (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.)

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).

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

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 Wei Dynasty 386-535
Convention: Northern Wei + posthumous name
The imperial Tuoba family changed their family name to 元 (yuán) during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen in 496 so their names in this table will also thus be "Yuan" subsequently.
Dao Wu Di (道武帝 daò wǔ dì)	Tuoba Gui (拓拔珪 tuò bá guī)	386-409	Dengguo (登國 dēng guó) 386-396 Huangshi (皇始 huáng shǐ) 396-398 Tianxing (天興 tiān xīng) 398-404 Tianci (天賜 tiān cì) 404-409
Ming Yuan Di (明元帝 míng yuán dì)	Tuoba Si (拓拔嗣 tuò bá sì)	409-423	Yongxing (永興 yǒng xīng) 409-413 Shenrui (神瑞 shén ruì) 414-416 Taichang (泰常 tài cháng) 416-423
Tai Wu Di (太武帝 tài wǔ dì)	Tuoba Tao (拓拔燾 tuò bá táo)	424-452	Shiguang (始光 shǐ guāng) 424-428 Shenjia (神(鹿 over 加) shén jiā) 428-431 Yanhe (延和 yán hé) 432-434 Taiyan (太延 tài yán) 435-440 Taipingzhenjun (太平真君 tài píng zhēn jūn) 440-451 Zhengping (正平 zhèng píng) 451-452
Nan An Wang (南安王 nán ān wáng)	Tuoba Yu (拓拔余 tuò bá yú)	452	Chengping (承平 chéng píng) 452
Wen Cheng Di (文成帝 wén chéng dì)	Tuoba Jun (拓拔濬 tuò bá jùn)	452-465	Xingan (興安 xīng ān) 452-454 Xingguang (興光 xīng guāng) 454-455 Tai'an (太安 tài ān) 455-459 Heping (和平 hé píng) 460-465
Xian Wen Di (獻文帝 xiàn wén dì)	Tuoba Hong (拓拔弘 tuò bá hóng)	466-471	Tian'an (天安 tiān ān) 466-467 Huangxing (皇興 huáng xīng) 467-471
Xiao Wen Di (孝文帝 xiào wén dì)	Yuan Hong (元宏 yuán hóng)	471-499	Yanxing (延興 yán xīng) 471-476 Chengming (承明 chéng míng) 476 Taihe (太和 tìi hé) 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)	Yuan Lang (元朗 yuan2 lang3)	531-532	Zhongxing (中興 zhong1 xing1) 531-532
Xiao Wu Di (孝武帝 xiao1 wu3 di4) or Chu Di (出帝 chu1 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

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Unusual features of the early Northern Wei state

Sovereigns of the Northern Wei Dynasty

See also