A universal guide for China studiesChinese History - Western Wei Dynasty 西魏 (535-556) |
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Western Wei Dynasty | period before (Jin) -- Southern Dynasties -- 16 Kingdoms next period (Sui) | ||||||||||||||||
Map and Geography | |||||||||||||||||
To escape the power of the potentate Gao Huan 高歡, Northern Wei (Beiwei 北魏) emperor Yuan Xiu 元修 in 534 fled to Chang’an 長安 (modern Xi’an) where the Xiongnu 匈奴 general Yuwen Tai 宇文泰 resided. But only one year later, Yuwen Tai killed Yuan Xiu and installed Yuan Baoju 元寶炬 (posthumous Xiwei Wendi 西魏文帝 - see titles of emperors) as emperor of Western Wei (Xiwei 西魏). Yuwen Tai, as the virtual ruler, promulgated a set of laws (liutiao zhaoshu 六條詔書 “edicts in six articles”) to enforce economy, agriculture and tax revenue, as well as the moral of his officials. The two most important initiatives are the further implementation of the equal field system (juntianfa 均田法) and the garrison militia system (fubingzhi 府兵制) with eight commanding generals (ba zhu guo 八柱國 “pillars of the state”) that should envigorate the central government. The state of Western Wei - although smaller than Eastern Wei (Dongwei 東魏) in territory and population - could withstand the attacks of the eastern empire, also due to its better economical conditions Eastern Wei was even able to conquer the whole eastern part of the Liang 梁 empire in the south and occupied the territory of modern Sichuan. In 557 Yuwen Jue 宇文覺 deposed emperor Yuan Kuo 元廓 (posthumous Xiwei Gongdi 西魏恭帝) and founded his own dynasty, the Northern Zhou (Beizhou 北周). See also titles of rulers.
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