Emperor Jiemin of Northern Wei

Emperor Jiemin of Northern Wei
北魏節閔帝
Emperor of Northern Wei
Reign1 April 531 – 6 June 532[1]
PredecessorYuan Ye
SuccessorYuan Lang
Born498
Died21 June 532
Names
Family name: Yuán (元)
Given name: Gōng (恭)
Era name and dates
Pǔtài (普泰): 531-532
Posthumous name
Emperor Jiemin (節閔皇帝; lit. "self-controlled and careful")
HouseYuan
DynastyNorthern Wei

Emperor Jiemin of Northern Wei ((北)魏節閔帝) (498 – 21 June 532[2]), also known as Emperor Qianfei (前廢帝),[3] at times referred to by pre-ascension title Prince of Guangling (廣陵王), personal name Yuan Gong (元恭), courtesy name Xiuye (脩業), was an emperor of the Xianbei-led Northern Wei dynasty of China. He became emperor after the clan members of the paramount general Erzhu Rong, after Erzhu Rong was killed by Emperor Xiaozhuang, overthrew Emperor Xiaozhuang. Emperor Jiemin tried to revive the Northern Wei state, but with his power curbed by the Erzhus, was not able to accomplish much. After the general Gao Huan defeated the Erzhus in 532, Emperor Jiemin was imprisoned by Gao and subsequently poisoned to death by Emperor Xiaowu, whom Gao made emperor.

  1. ^ xin'si day of the 4th month of the 2nd year of the Pu'tai era, per vol.05 of Bei Shi
  2. ^ bing'shen day of the 5th month of the 2nd year of the Zhong'xing era, per vol.11 of Book of Wei. The same volume indicate that Yuan Gong was 35 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died.
  3. ^ As he was removed from the throne, he initially received no imperial posthumous name. The Book of Wei, written by Wei Shou, an official of the branch successor state Eastern Wei, referred to him as Emperor Qianfei ("the former deposed emperor"), but the competing successor dynasty, Western Wei, probably because of requests by his older brother Yuan Xin (元欣) the Prince of Guangling, gave him the relatively honoring posthumous name Emperor Jiemin. Historians generally referred to him as Emperor Jiemin.