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Northern Wei Dynasty 北魏 (386-534)

Oct 30, 2011 © Ulrich Theobald

The Northern Wei Dynasty Beiwei 北魏 (386-534), also called Later Wei (Houwei 後魏), was one of the Northern Dynasties Beichao 北朝 (386-581) that ruled over northern China during the 5th and 6th centuries CE.

Table 1. Rulers of the Northern Wei Dynasty 北魏 (386-534)
Capital: Pingcheng 平城 (modern Taiyuan 太原, Shanxi), later Luoyang 洛陽 (modern Luoyang, Henan)
Ethnicity: Xianbei 鮮卑, branch of the Taɣbač (Tuoba 拓跋)
dynastic title {temple name}
-----reign-periods
personal name
Beiwei Daowudi 北魏道武帝 {Taizu 太祖} (r. 376/386-408)
-----Dengguo 登國 386-395
-----Huangshi 皇始 396-397
-----Tianxing 天興 398-403
-----Tianci 天賜 404-408
386 King of Dai 代, then of Wei 魏
Tuoba Gui 拓跋珪
Beiwei Mingyuandi 北魏明元帝 {Taizong 太宗} (r. 409-423)
-----Yongxing 永興 409-413
-----Shenrui 神瑞 414-415
-----Taichang 泰常 416-423
Tuoba Si 拓跋嗣
Beiwei Taiwudi 北魏太武帝 {Shizu 世祖} (r. 423-451)
-----Shiguang 始光 424-427
-----Shenjia 神[鹿/加] 428-431
-----Yanhe 延和 432-434
-----Taiyan 太延 435-439
-----Taiping zhenjun 太平真君 440-450
-----Zhengping 正平 451

Dynasty renamed Wei 魏.
Tuoba Tao 拓跋燾
The Prince of Nan'an 南安王 (r. 452)
-----Yongping 永平 ( Chengping 承平) 452
Tuoba Yu 拓跋余
Beiwei Wenchengdi 北魏文成帝 {Gaozong 高宗} (r. 452-465)
-----Xing'an 興安 452-453
-----Xingguang 興光 454
-----Taian 太安 455-459
-----Heping 和平 460-465
Tuoba Jun 拓跋濬
Beiwei Xianwendi 北魏獻文帝 {Xianzu 顯祖} (r. 465-470)
-----Tianan 天安 466
-----Huangxing 皇興 467-470
Tuoba Hong 拓跋弘
Beiwei Xiaowendi 北魏孝文帝 {Gaozu 高祖} (r. 471-499)
-----Yanxing 延興 471-475
-----Chengming 承明 476
-----Taihe 太和 477-499
Capital shifted to Luoyang; adopted surname Yuan 元.
Yuan Hong 元宏
Beiwei Xuanwudi 北魏宣武帝 {Shizong 世宗} (r. 499-515)
-----Jingming 景明 500-503
-----Zhengshi 正始 504-507
-----Yongping 永平 508-511
-----Yanchang 延昌 512-515
Yuan Ke 元恪
Beiwei Xiaomingdi 北魏孝明帝 {Suzong 肅宗} (r. 515-528)
-----Xiping 熙平 516-517
-----Shengui 神龜 518-519
-----Zhengguang 正光 520-524
-----Xiaochang 孝昌 525-527
-----Wutai 武泰 528

Counter-Emperors
Poliuhan Baling 破六韓拔陵 (also written 破落汗 Poluohan, 523-525)
-----Zhenwang 真王 523-525
Moxi Niansheng 莫析念生 (524-527)
-----Tianjian 天建 (524-527)
Du Luozhou 杜洛周 525-528
-----Zhenwang 真王 (525-528)
Xianyu Xiuli 鮮于修禮 (526)
-----Luxing 魯興 526
Ge Rong 葛榮 (526-528)
-----Guang'an 廣安 526-528
Moqi Chounu 萬俟醜奴 (528-530)
----Shenshou 神獸 (Shenhu 神虎) 528-530
Yuan Xu 元詡
Beiwei Xiaozhuangdi 北魏孝莊帝 {Jingzong 敬宗} (r. 528-529)
-----Jianyi 建義 528
-----Yongan 永安 528-529
Yuan Ziyou 元子攸
The Prince of Changguang 長廣王, Prince of Donghai 東海王 (r. 530)
-----Jianming 建明 530
Yuan Ye 元曄
The First Deposed Emperor (Qianfeidi) of Northern Wei 北魏前廢帝, Beiwei Jiemindi 北魏節閔帝, Prince of Guangling 廣陵王 (r. 531)
-----Putai 普泰 531
Yuan Gong 元恭
The Later Deposed Emperor (Houfeidi) of Northern Wei 北魏後廢帝, Prince of Anding 安定王 (r. 531)
-----Zhongxing 中興 531
Yuan Lang 元朗
Beiwei Xiaowudi 北魏孝武帝, Beiwei Chudi 北魏出帝, Prince of Pingyang 平陽王 (r. 532-534)
-----Taichang 太昌 532
-----Yongxing 永興 532
-----Yongxi 永熙 532-534
Yuan Xiu 元脩
534 Northern Wei empire divided into Eastern Wei 東魏 (534-550) and Western Wei 西魏 (535-556).
Sources:
Lu Kaiwan 盧開萬 (1992). "Beiwei 北魏", in Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, part Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史 (Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), Vol. 1, 37-40.
Zhongguo lishi da cidian bianzuan weiyuanhui 中國歷史大辭典編纂委員會, ed. (2000). Zhongguo lishi da cidian 中國歷史大辭典 (Shanghai: Shanghai cishu chubanshe), Vol. 2, 3320, 3322, 3324,3326.