Emperor Xiaomin of Northern Zhou

Emperor Xiaomin of Northern Zhou
北周孝閔帝
Heavenly King of Zhou
Ruler of Northern Zhou
ReignFebruary 15, 557[1][2] – late October 557[1]
SuccessorEmperor Ming
RegentYuwen Hu
Born542[3]
Died557[1](aged 15)
Burial
Jing Mausoleum (靜陵)
ConsortsEmpress Xiaomin
IssueYuwen Kang
Full name
Era dates
None
Posthumous name
Emperor Xiàomǐn (孝閔皇帝, "filial and careful")
HouseYuwen
DynastyNorthern Zhou
FatherYuwen Tai
MotherLady Yuan of Henan
In this Chinese name, the family name is Yuwen.

Emperor Xiaomin of Northern Zhou ((北)周孝閔帝) (542 – c. early November 557[4]), personal name Yuwen Jue (宇文覺), nickname Dharani (陀羅尼), was the founder of the Xianbei-led Northern Zhou dynasty of China, ruling as Heavenly Prince (Tian Wang). He was the heir of Western Wei's paramount general Yuwen Tai, and after Yuwen Tai's death in 556, his cousin Yuwen Hu, serving as his guardian, forced Emperor Gong of Western Wei to yield the throne to Yuwen Jue in spring 557, establishing Northern Zhou. Later in 557, however, Yuwen Jue, wanting to assume power personally, plotted to kill Yuwen Hu, who in turn deposed him and replaced him with his brother Yuwen Yu (Emperor Ming). Later that year, Yuwen Hu had Yuwen Jue executed.

  1. ^ a b c Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 167
  2. ^ Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.
  3. ^ Book of Zhou, vol. 3.
  4. ^ Volume 167 of Zizhi Tongjian placed Yuwen Jue's abdication and death between the xinchou day and the guihai day of the 9th month of the 1st year of the Yongding era of Chen Baxian's reign. The dates correspond to 25 Oct and 4 Nov 557 in the Julian calendar. Yuwen Jue's biography in Zhou Shu indicate that he was 16 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died.