Western Wei

Western Wei
西魏
535–557
Western Wei in orange
Capital		Chang'an
Government		Monarchy
Emperor
•	535–551	Emperor Wen of Western Wei
•	552–554	Emperor Fei of Western Wei
•	554–557	Emperor Gong of Western Wei
History
•	Establishment of Eastern Wei, start of division of Northern Wei	8 November 534[1]
•	Emperor Wen's ascension, often viewed as establishment	18 February 535[2] 535
•	Disestablished	14 February 557[3] 557
Area
•	557[4]	1,300,000 km² (501,933 sq mi)
Preceded by Succeeded by Northern Wei Liang Dynasty Northern Zhou

The Western Wei (Chinese: 西魏; pinyin: Xī Wèi) followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556. As with the Northern Wei state that preceded it, the ruling family of Western Wei were members of the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei.

After the Xianbei general Yuwen Tai killed the Northern Wei emperor Yuan Xiu, he installed Yuan Baoju as emperor of Western Wei while Yuwen Tai would remain as the virtual ruler. Although smaller than the Eastern Wei in territory and population, Western Wei was able to withstand the attacks from the eastern empire. Due to its better economical conditions, Western Wei was even able to conquer the whole western part of the Liang empire in the south and occupied the territory of modern Sichuan. In 557 Yuwen Tai's nephew Yuwen Hu deposed Emperor Gong and placed Yuwen Tai's son Yuwen Jue on the throne, ending Western Wei and establishing Northern Zhou.

Rulers

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
Western Wei Dynasty 535-556
Convention: Western Wei + posthumous name
Wen Di (文帝 wén dì)	Yuan Baoju (元寶炬 yuán bǎo jù)	535-551	Datong (大統 dà tǒng) 535-551
Fei Di (廢帝 fèi dì)	Yuan Qin (元欽 yuán qīn)	552-554	Did not exist
Gong Di (恭帝 gōng dì)	Tuoba Kuo (拓拔廓 tuò bá kuò)	554-556	Did not exist

Notes

1. Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 156.
2. Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 157.
3. Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 166.
4. Rein Taagepera "Size and Duration of Empires: Growth-Decline Curves, 600 B.C. to 600 A.D.", Social Science History Vol. 3, 115-138 (1979)

References

• History of Northern Dynasties.
• Zizhi Tongjian.