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 then 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 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 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) 386-396 Huangshi (皇始 huang2 shi3) 396-398 Tianxing (天興 tian1 xing1) 398-404 Tianci (天賜 tian1 ci4) 404-409
Emperor Mingyuan 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
Emperor Taiwu 太武帝 tai4 wu3 di4	Tuoba Tao|拓拔燾 tou4 ba2 tao2	424-452	Shiguang (始光 shi3 guang1) 424-428 Shenjia (神麚 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
Nanan|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) 452-454 Xingguang (興光 xing1 guang1) 454-455 Taian (太安 tai4 an1) 455-459 Heping (和平 he2 ping2) 460-465
Emperor Xianwen 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
Emperor Xiaowen 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
Emperor Xuanwu|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
Emperor Xiaoming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
Emperor Xiaozhuang 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
Changguang|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
Anding|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) 532 Yongxing (永興 yong3 xing1) 532 Yongxi (永熙 yong3 xi1) 532-535

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