Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei
| Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei | |||||||||||||||||
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| Reign | October 31, 452 – June 20, 465 | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 440 | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | June 20, 465 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Dynasty | Northern Wei | ||||||||||||||||
| Full name | |
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| Era dates | |
| Xīng'ān (興安) (452-454) Xīngguāng (興光) (454-455) Tài'ān (太安) (455-459) Hépíng (和平) (460-465) |
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| Posthumous name | |
| Emperor Wénchéng (文成皇帝, "civil and successful") | |
| Temple name | |
| Gāozōng (高宗) |
Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei ((北)魏文成帝) (440–465), personal name Tuoba Jun
(拓拔濬), was an emperor of the Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. He became emperor in the aftermaths of the eunuch Zong Ai's assassination of his grandfather Emperor Taiwu and uncle Tuoba Yu, and he was generally described by historians as a ruler who sought foremost to allow his people to rest after his grandfather's expansionist policies and extensive campaigns, who also reformed the laws to become more lenient.
Tuoba Jun was born in 440, when his father Tuoba Huang was the crown prince of his grandfather, Emperor Taiwu. (Some historical sources give his birthdate as 448, a date that appears rather unlikely because that would make him only six years older than his son, Emperor Xianwen.) His mother, Consort Yujiulü, was the sister of the general Yujiulü Pi (郁久閭毗), who had been a member of the Rouran royal house but who had surrendered to Northern Wei. When he was little, he was much favored by his grandfather Emperor Taiwu, and often accompanied Emperor Taiwu, even on military campaigns. While he carried no official titles, he was known as the Prime Imperial Grandson (嫡皇孫). Around the new year 452, after his father Tuoba Huang had died in 451 after falling ill over his fear of false accusations by the eunuch Zong Ai, Emperor Taiwu created him the Prince of Gaoyang, but then reconsidered, believing that a princely title was inappropriate for his oldest grandson, and therefore cancelled the title—signifying strongly that he intended for Tuoba Jun to succeed him.
However, Zong Ai, in fear that Emperor Taiwu would punish him over his false accusations against Crown Prince Huang, assassinated Emperor Taiwu in spring 452, and, skipping over Tuoba Jun, made Tuoba Huang's younger brother Tuoba Yu the Prince of Nan'an emperor. Zong controlled all important matters of state, and when Tuoba Yu, displeased about Zong's arrogance, tried to strip him of power in fall 452, Zong assassinated him as well. The officials Dugu Ni (獨孤尼), Yuan He, Baba Kehou (拔拔渴侯), and Buliugu Li, however, then overthrew Zong and executed him, making Tuoba Jun emperor at the age of 12, as Emperor Wencheng.
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