Northern Wei dynasty

Northern Wei territory. They were bordered to the south by the Southern Qi from 479 to 502, and by the Liang from 502.

Wei, known in historiography as the Northern Wei (Chinese: 北魏; pinyin: Běi Wèi), Tuoba Wei (Chinese: 拓跋魏; pinyin: Tuòbá Wèi), Yuan Wei (Chinese: 元魏; pinyin: Yuán Wèi) and Later Wei (Chinese: 後魏; pinyin: Hòu Wèi), was the first of the Northern dynasties; it ruled northern China from 386 to 535 during the period of the Northern and Southern dynasties.

Described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change", the Northern Wei dynasty is particularly noted for unifying northern China in 439, bringing an end the chaotic Sixteen Kingdoms period, and strengthening imperial control over the rural landscape via reforms in 485.

This was also a period when Buddhism became firmly established.

Many works of art from this period have survived, including both Daoist and Buddhist art. It was the time of the construction of the Yungang Grottoes near Datong during the mid-to-late fifth 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.

During the Taihe period (477–499), Empress Dowager Feng and Emperor Xiaowen instituted sweeping reforms that deepened the dynasty's control over the local population in the Han hinterland. Emperor Xiaowen also introduced changes that eventually led to the dynasty moving its capital from Datong to Luoyang, in 494.

Towards the end of the dynasty there was significant internal dissension resulting in a split into the Eastern Wei and the Western Wei dynasties.

The Northern Wei were referred to as "Plaited Barbarians" (索虜 suolu) by writers of the Southern dynasties, who considered themselves the true upholders of Chinese culture.

Further reading

• Northern Wei, Wikipedia