| Emperor Wu of Liang 梁武帝 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Emperor of the Liang dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 30 April 502[1] – 12 June 549 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | dynasty established, Emperor He as Emperor of Southern Qi | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Emperor Jianwen | ||||||||||||||||
| Pretender | Xiao Zhengde (from 548 to 549) | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | Xiao Lian'er (蕭練兒) 464 | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 549 (aged 84–85) | ||||||||||||||||
| Burial | Xiu Mausoleum (修陵, in present-day Danyang, Jiangsu) | ||||||||||||||||
| Consorts | Empress Wude Empress Dowager Mu Empress Dowager Wenxuan | ||||||||||||||||
| Issue | See § Family | ||||||||||||||||
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| House | Lanling Xiao | ||||||||||||||||
| Father | Xiao Shunzhi | ||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Zhang Shangrou[2] | ||||||||||||||||
Emperor Wu of Liang (Chinese: 梁武帝) (464 – 12 June 549[3]), personal name Xiao Yan (蕭衍), courtesy name Shuda (叔達), childhood name Lian'er (練兒), was the founding emperor of the Chinese Liang dynasty, during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. His reign, until its end, was one of the most stable and prosperous among the Southern dynasties. He came from the same Xiao clan of Lanling (蘭陵蕭氏) that ruled the preceding Southern Qi dynasty, but from a different branch.
Emperor Wu established universities and extended the Confucian civil service exams, demanding that sons of nobles (士族) study. He was well read himself and wrote poetry and patronized the arts. Although for governmental affairs he was Confucian in values, he embraced Buddhism as well. He himself was attracted to many Indian traditions. He banned the sacrifice of animals and was against execution. It was said that he received the Buddhist precepts during his reign, earning him the nickname The Bodhisattva Emperor. The emperor is the namesake of the Emperor Liang Jeweled Repentance (梁皇寳懺; Liang Huang Bao Chan), a widely read and major Buddhist text in China and Korea.
At the end of his reign, his unduly lenient attitude towards his clan's and officials' corruption and lack of dedication to the state came at a heavy price; when the general Hou Jing rebelled (侯景之亂), few came to his aid, and Hou captured the imperial capital Jiankang, holding Emperor Wu and his successor Emperor Jianwen under close control and plunging the entire Liang state into anarchy. After Emperor Wu was imprisoned, he was thirsty and asked Hou for honey, but Hou refused to give it to him. After shouting several times, the Emperor supposedly died of hunger and thirst.[4]
- ^ According to Xiao Yan's biography in Book of Liang, he ascended the throne on the bingyin day of the 4th month of the 1st year of the Tianjian era of his reign. This corresponds to 30 Apr 502 in the Julian calendar.(天监元年夏四月丙寅，高祖即皇帝位于南郊。) Liang Shu, vol.02
- ^ Lady Zhang was a descendant (5x-great-granddaughter) of Zhang Hua (父穆之，字思静，晋司空华六世孙。) Liang Shu, vol.07.
- ^ According to Xiao Yan's biography in Book of Liang, he died aged 86 (by East Asian reckoning) on the bingchen day of the 5th month of the 3rd year of the Taiqing era of his reign. This corresponds to 12 Jun 549 in the Julian calendar.[(太清三年)五月丙辰，高祖崩於净居殿，時年八十六.] Liang Shu, vol.03
- ^ ([太清三年]五月，丙辰，上卧净居殿，口苦，索蜜不得，再曰：“荷！荷！”遂殂。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.162