Emperor Wen of Western Wei

Emperor Wen of Western Wei
西魏文帝
Emperor of Western Wei
Reign18 February 535[1] – 28 March 551
PredecessorEmperor Xiaowu (Northern Wei)
SuccessorYuan Qin
RegentYuwen Tai
Born507
Died28 March 551
Burial
Yong Mausoleum (永陵)
Names
Family name: Yuán (元)
Given name: Bǎojù (寶炬)
Era name and dates
Dàtǒng (大統): 535-551
Posthumous name
Emperor Wén (文皇帝, lit. "civil")
HouseYuan
DynastyWestern Wei

Emperor Wen of Western Wei ((西)魏文帝) (507 – 28 March 551[2]), personal name Yuan Baoju (元寶炬), was the first emperor of the Western Wei dynasty of China. In 534, Yuan Baoju, then the Prince of Nanyang, followed his cousin Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei in fleeing from the capital Luoyang to Chang'an, after a fallout between Emperor Xiaowu and the paramount general Gao Huan. However, Emperor Xiaowu's relationship to the general that he then depended on, Yuwen Tai, soon deteriorated as well, and around the new year 535, Yuwen Tai poisoned Emperor Xiaowu to death, making Yuan Baoju emperor. As Gao Huan had, late in 534, made Yuan Shanjian (Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei)—the son of Emperor Wen's cousin Yuan Dan (元亶)—emperor, thus establishing the Eastern Wei, Emperor Wen is therefore regarded as Western Wei's founding emperor, formalizing the division of the Northern Wei dynasty. Emperor Wen's relationship with Yuwen Tai appeared cordial, but he was unable to exercise much real power.

  1. ^ wu'shen day of the 1st month of the 1st year of the Da'tong era, per Emperor Wen's biography in Bei Shi
  2. ^ gengxu day of the 3rd month of the 17th year of the Datong era, per Emperor Wen's biography in volume 5 of Bei Shi. His biography also indicated that he was 45 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died.