| Emperor Wen of Western Wei 西魏文帝 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emperor of Western Wei | |||||||||||||
| Reign | 18 February 535[1] – 28 March 551 | ||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Emperor Xiaowu (Northern Wei) | ||||||||||||
| Successor | Yuan Qin | ||||||||||||
| Regent | Yuwen Tai | ||||||||||||
| Born | 507 | ||||||||||||
| Died | 28 March 551 | ||||||||||||
| Burial | Yong Mausoleum (永陵) | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| House | Yuan | ||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Western 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.