Emperor Wu of Liang (464–549), personal name Xiao Yan, courtesy name Shuda, nickname Lian'er, is the founding emperor of the Liang Dynasty of Chinese history.
His reign, until the end, is one of the most stable and prosperous during the Southern Dynasties.
Emperor Wu creates universities and extends the Confucian civil service exams, demanding that sons of nobles study.
He is well read and writes poetry and patronizes the arts.
Although for governmental affairs he is Confucian in values, he embraces Buddhism as well.
He is attracted to many Indian traditions.
He bans the sacrifice of animals and wis against execution.
It is 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 , a widely read and major Buddhist text.
At the end of his reign, his overly lenient attitude on his clan's and officials' corruption and lack of dedication to the state comes at a heavy price; when the general Hou Jing rebels, few come to his aid, and Hou captures the capital Jiankang, holding Emperor Wu and his successor Emperor Jianwen under close control and plunging the entire Liang state into anarchy.
Emperor Liang dies while under house arrest; some historians believe that Hou starved him to death.
