The Northern Wei was an imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern dynasties, it ruled northern China from 386 to 535 AD during the period of the Northern and Southern dynasties. It is particularly noted for unifying northern China in 439 AD, bringing an end to the chaotic Sixteen Kingdoms period, and for strengthening imperial control over the rural landscape through reforms in 485 AD. Buddhism became firmly established in this period, and the Yungang Grottoes near Datong and the Longmen Grottoes outside Luoyang date from it. Changes under Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital from Datong to Luoyang in 494 AD, and in 534 and 535 AD the state split into the Eastern Wei and the Western Wei, which were replaced by the Northern Qi and the Northern Zhou.
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Source Kou Qianzhi (Wikipedia)Lead, first paragraphQuote, Lead, first paragraph
His influence was such that he had Taoism established as the official state religion of the Northern Wei dynasty (386–535); this act, however, embroiled Taoism in long and often bloody factional political struggles.
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1. Wikipedia: Northern Wei
Lead, first paragraph
The first of the Northern dynasties, it ruled northern China from 386 to 535 AD during the period of the Northern and Southern dynasties.
Lead, second paragraph
Emperor Xiaowen also introduced changes that eventually led to the dynasty moving its capital from Datong to Luoyang, in 494 AD.
Lead, first sentence
Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (Chinese: 北魏; pinyin: Běi Wèi), Tuoba Wei (Chinese: 拓跋魏; pinyin: Tuòbá Wèi), Yuan Wei (Chinese: 元魏; pinyin: Yuán Wèi) and Later Wei (Chinese: 後魏; pinyin: Hòu Wèi), was an imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei.
Lead, fourth paragraph
Towards the end of the Northern Wei dynasty there was significant internal dissension, resulting in a split into the Eastern Wei and the Western Wei dynasties under the rule of the same imperial house in 534-535 AD, which were soon replaced by the Northern Qi and the Northern Zhou dynasties respectively.
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