Xiaowen Di
Xiaowen Di was a significant figure in the history of the Northern Wei Dynasty, ascending to the throne at the young age of four in 471 CE. His grandmother, Dowager Empress Feng, played a crucial role in guiding his early governance. The Northern Wei, rooted in the Toba branch of the Xianbei people, faced the challenge of balancing the interests of the Xianbei and the Chinese aristocracy. Xiaowen Di implemented extensive reforms aimed at sinicization, reorganizing land and rural households to enhance tax collection and military efficiency. In 493 CE, he notably moved the capital from Datong to Luoyang and initiated further reforms that included promoting interethnic marriages and discouraging the use of the Xianbei language at court.
Under his rule, policies were established to encourage his Xianbei subjects to adopt Chinese customs, names, and attire, while he also emphasized agricultural development over nomadic traditions. His patronage of Buddhism led to the creation of notable Buddhist cave temples, further integrating cultural practices. Xiaowen Di's efforts not only unified northern China but also contributed to the feudalization of the Xianbei, shaping the socio-political landscape of the region during a pivotal time in Chinese history.
Xiaowen Di
Related civilizations: China, Xianbei
Major role/position: Emperor
Life
Xiaowen Di (SHEE-AH-OH-when dee) was enthroned in 471 c.e. at the age of four; his grandmother, the Dowager Empress Feng (d. 490 c.e.), assisted him in governing the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-533 c.e.). Because Wei was a state with origins in the Toba branch of the Xianbei, who conquered all of north China, the two rulers recognized a dire need to regulate the claims of both the Xianbei and the Chinese aristocracy to high office, and they enforced sinicization. The state reallocated land under an equal land system and reorganized rural households under a three-headman system, grouping them into units of 5, 25, and 125, with the headmen responsible for tax collection and military recruitment.
In 493 c.e., Xiaowen Di relocated his capital from Datong to Luoyang and adopted a more drastic reform program. He outlawed the use of the Xianbei language at court, encouraged interethnic marriages, and insisted that Xianbei subjects adopt Chinese family names, follow Chinese customs, and wear Chinese clothing. He stressed agriculture (as opposed to nomadism), patronized Buddhism, and carved the Buddhist cave temples in Longmen. He also decreed that all Xianbei subjects in Luoyang regard the city as their home and not ask to be buried back in Datong. Xiaowen Di relentlessly crushed resisting Xianbei aristocrats, including Prince Xun, whom he put to death.
Influence
Xiaowen Di’s reforms greatly unified north China, expedited the feudalization of the Xianbei, and promoted national harmony.
Bibliography
Dien, Albert E. State and Society in Early Medieval China. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 1990.
Perkins, Dorothy. Encyclopedia of China: The Essential Reference to China, Its History and Culture. New York: Roundtable, 1999.