Northern Wei

Northern Wei

The Northern Wei Dynasty (Chinese: 北魏朝; pinyin: Běi Wèi Cháo), also known as the Tuoba Wei (拓拔魏), Later Wei (後魏), or Yuan Wei (元魏), was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 (de jure until 535). Described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change", the Northern Wei Dynasty is particularly noted for unifiying northern China in 439: this was also a period of introduced foreign ideas; such as Buddhism, which became firmly established. Many antiques and art works, both Daoist and Buddhist, from this period have survived. During the Taihe period (477-499) of Emperor Xiaowen, court advisers instituted sweeping reforms and introduced changes that eventually led to the dynasty moving its capital from Datong to Luoyang, in 494. It was the time of the construction of the Buddhist cave sites of Yungang by Datong during the mid-to-late 5th century, and towards the latter part of the dynasty, the Longmen Caves outside the later capital city of Luoyang, in which more than 30,000 Buddhist images from the time of this dynasty have been found. It is thought the dynasty originated from the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei tribe. The Tuoba renamed themselves the Yuan as a part of systematic Sinicization. Towards the end of the dynasty there was significant internal dissension resulting in a split into Eastern Wei Dynasty and Western Wei Dynasty.

Read more about Northern WeiSovereigns of The Northern Wei Dynasty

Other articles related to "northern, northern wei, wei":

Battle Of Canhe Slope
... state Later Yan, then ruling over northern and central China, had launched a punitive campaign against its former vassal Northern Wei, also of Xianbei extraction ... some initial successes, but after being frustrated by the containment strategy by Northern Wei's prince Tuoba Gui (the later Emperor Daowu), withdrew ... but in fear that releasing them would allow a later Later Yan campaign against Northern Wei, slaughtered them ...
Sovereigns of The Northern Wei Dynasty
... Born Names Period of Reigns Era Names (Nian Hao 年號) and their according ranges of years Northern Wei Dynasty 386-535 Convention Northern Wei + posthumous name ...
Dou Can - Background
... His ancestors were originally Xianbei nobles of Northern Wei with the clan name Gedouling (紇豆陵), and further claimed that they were descended from the Han ... Dou Shen's Northern Wei ancestors, after assuming the surname of Dou during the change of Xianbei names to Han names regime that Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei instituted, were ancestors in ...
Battle Of Canhe Slope - Aftermath
... of Murong Bao and Murong De, both of whom believed that Northern Wei would pose a future threat, Murong Chui personally commanded another campaign against Northern Wei in 396 ... He scored major victories against Northern Wei, killing Tuoba Qian ... Northern Wei took over most of Later Yan's territory, save for a small northern area still controlled by Later Yan and a small southern strip, where Murong De declared himself ...
Shiwei - Events
... was Wuluohun, it was called Wuluohou in the Yuan Wei ... and paid tributes continually since the fourth year of Taiwu Zhenjun (444) (of the Northern Wei), throughout the Northern Qi, Zhou and Sui until the years ... chieftain Chaniandoufa brought gifts from his homeland to the Tuoba Wei court ...

Famous quotes containing the word northern:

    That we can come here today and in the presence of thousands and tens of thousands of the survivors of the gallant army of Northern Virginia and their descendants, establish such an enduring monument by their hospitable welcome and acclaim, is conclusive proof of the uniting of the sections, and a universal confession that all that was done was well done, that the battle had to be fought, that the sections had to be tried, but that in the end, the result has inured to the common benefit of all.
    William Howard Taft (1857–1930)