Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei
| Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei | |||||||||||||||||
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| Reign | December 27, 423 – March 11, 452 | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 408 | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | March 11, 452 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Dynasty | Northern Wei | ||||||||||||||||
| Full name | |
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| Era dates | |
| Shǐguāng (始光) 424–428 Shénjiā (神䴥) 428–431 Yánhé (延和) 432–434 Tàiyán (太延) 435–440 Tàipíngzhēnjūn (太平真君) 440–451 Zhèngpíng (正平) 451–452 |
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| Posthumous name | |
| Emperor Tàiwǔ (太武皇帝) ("grand and martial emperor") |
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| Temple name | |
| Shìzǔ (世祖) |
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei ((北)魏太武帝) (408–452), personal name Tuoba Tao (拓拔燾), nickname Bili (佛貍), was an emperor of Northern Wei. He was generally regarded as a capable ruler, and during his reign, Northern Wei roughly doubled in size and united all of northern China, thus ending the Sixteen Kingdoms period and, together with the southern dynasty Liu Song, started the Southern and Northern Dynasties period of Chinese history. He was a devout Taoist, under the influence of his prime minister Cui Hao, and in 444, at Cui Hao's suggestion and believing that Buddhists had supported the rebellion of Gai Wu (蓋吳), he ordered the abolition of Buddhism, at the penalty of death. This was the first of the Three Disasters of Wu for Chinese Buddhism. Late in his reign, his reign began to be cruel, and his people were also worn out by his incessant wars against Liu Song. In 452, he was assassinated by his eunuch Zong Ai, who put his son Tuoba Yu on the throne but then assassinated Tuoba Yu as well. The other officials overthrew Zong and put Emperor Taiwu's grandson Tuoba Jun (son of Tuoba Huang the Crown Prince, who predeceased him) on the throne as Emperor Wencheng.
Tuoba Tao was born in 408, while his father Tuoba Si was still the Prince of Qi under his grandfather, Emperor Daowu, without having officially been made crown prince but was the heir presumptive, as the oldest and most favored son of Emperor Daowu. (Tuoba Tao's mother was later referred to in history as Consort Du (杜貴嬪), but was likely actually named Duguhun, as by the time that Wei Shu (the official history of Northern Wei) was written, the Duguhuns had their name changed to Du by Emperor Xiaowen.) He was Tuoba Si's oldest son. After Tuoba Si became emperor in 409 (as Emperor Mingyuan) following Emperor Daowu's assassination by his son Tuoba Shao (拓拔紹) the Prince of Qinghe, Tuoba Tao was assumed to be the eventual heir, but not given that title for a while. In Tuoba Tao's childhood, he was given the nickname Foli. In 420, Consort Du died, and he was thereafter raised by his wet nurse Lady Dou.
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