Yuwen Tai

Yuwen Tai (507–556), nickname Heita, formally Duke Wen of Anding, later further posthumously honored by Northern Zhou initially as Prince Wen then as Emperor Wen with the temple name Taizu, is the paramount general of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Wei, a branch successor state of Northern Wei.

In 534, Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei, seeking to assert power independent of the paramount general Gao Huan, flees to Yuwen's domain, and when Gao subsequently proclaims Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei emperor, a split of Northern Wei is effected, and when Yuwen subsequently poisons Emperor Xiaowu to death around the new year 535 and declares his cousin Yuan Baoju emperor (as Emperor Wen), the split is formalized, with the part under Gao's and Emperor Xiaojing's control known as Eastern Wei and the part under Yuwen's and Emperor Wen's control known as Western Wei.

For the rest of his life, Yuwen endeavors to make Western Wei, then much weaker than its eastern counterpart, a strong state, and after his death, his son Yuwen Jue seizes the throne from Emperor Gong of Western Wei, establishing Northern Zhou.

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