Yang Jian | |||||||||||||||||
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1st Emperor of the Sui Dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
Reign | 4 March 581 – 13 August 604 | ||||||||||||||||
Coronation | 4 March 581 | ||||||||||||||||
Successor | Emperor Yangdi | ||||||||||||||||
Born | 21 July 541 Chang'an, Northern Zhou |
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Died | 13 August 604 Renshou Palace, Baoji, Sui China |
(aged 63)||||||||||||||||
Spouse |
Dugu Qieluo, Empress Wen Xian Consort Chen, concubine Consort Chai, concubine Consort Yuchi, concubine |
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Issue |
Yang Lihua, Empress Tianyuan of Northern Zhou Yang Yong, Prince of Fangling Yang Guang, Emperor Yang Yang Jun, Prince Xiao of Qin Yang Xiu, Prince of Shu Yang Awu, Princess Lanling Yang Liang, Prince of Han Princess Xiangguo Princess Guangping Princess Wanan, Duchess of Chen |
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Father | Yang Zhong, Duke of Sui | ||||||||||||||||
Mother | Lü Gutao |
Full name | |
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Family name: Yang (楊, Yáng) Given name: Jian (堅, Jiān) |
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Era dates | |
Kāihuáng 開皇 (581–600) Rénshòu 仁壽 (601–604) |
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Posthumous name | |
Wen (文, wén) literary meaning: "civil" |
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Temple name | |
Gaozu (高祖, gāo zǔ) |
Emperor Wen of Sui (隋文帝; 21 July 541 – 13 August 604), personal name Yang Jian (楊堅), Xianbei name Puliuru Jian (普六茹堅), nickname Naluoyan (那羅延), was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty (581–618 AD). He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. The Sui Shu records him as having withdrawn his favour from the Confucians, giving it to "the group advocating Xing-Ming and authoritarian government." As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state. He is regarded as one of the most important emperors in Chinese history, reunifying China in 589 after centuries of division since the fall of Western Jin Dynasty in 316. During his reign began the construction of the Grand Canal.
As a Northern Zhou official, Yang Jian served with apparent distinction during the reigns of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou and Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou. When the erratic Emperor Xuan died in 580, Yang, as his father-in-law, seized power as regent. After defeating the general Yuchi Jiong, who resisted him, he seized the throne for himself, establishing the new Sui Dynasty (as its Emperor Wen). He was the first Chinese to rule North China after the Xianbei invasion which conquered that area from the Liu Song dynasty (not counting the brief reconquest of that region by Emperor Wu of Liang).
Generally speaking, Emperor Wen's reign was a great period of prosperity not seen since the Han Dynasty. Economically, the dynasty prospered. It was said that there was enough food stored for 50 years. The military was also powerful. At the beginning of his reign, Sui faced the threat of the Göktürks to the north, and neighbored Tibetan tribes to the west, Goguryeo in the northeast, and Champa (Linyi) threatening the south. By the end of Emperor Wen's reign, the Göktürks had split into an eastern and a western kaganate, the eastern one being nominally submissive to Sui, as was Goguryeo. Champa was defeated and, while not conquered, did not remain a threat.