Zhou (), known in historiography as the Northern Zhou (), was a Xianbei-led dynasty of China that lasted from 557 to 581. One of the Northern dynasties of China's

Northern and Southern dynasties The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered a ...

period, it succeeded the

Western Wei dynasty Wei (), known in historiography as the Western Wei (), was an imperial dynasty of China that followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei. One of the Northern dynasties during the era of the Northern and Southern dynasties, it ruled the wester ...

and was eventually overthrown by the

Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and la ...

History

The Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and Eastern Wei in 535. After Yuwen Tai's death in 556, Yuwen Tai's nephew Yuwen Hu forced Emperor Gong of Western Wei to yield the throne to Yuwen Tai's son Yuwen Jue (Emperor Xiaomin), establishing Northern Zhou. The reigns of the first three emperors (Yuwen Tai's sons) Emperor Xiaomin, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Wu were dominated by Yuwen Hu, until Emperor Wu ambushed and killed Yuwen Hu in 572 and assumed power personally. With Emperor Wu as a capable ruler, Northern Zhou destroyed rival Northern Qi in 577, taking over Northern Qi's territory. However, Emperor Wu's death in 578 doomed the state, as his son Emperor Xuan was an arbitrary and violent ruler whose unorthodox behavior greatly weakened the state. After his death in 580, when he was already nominally retired ('' Taishang Huang''), Xuan's father-in-law Yang Jian took power, and in 581 seized the throne from Emperor Xuan's son Emperor Jing, establishing Sui. The young Emperor Jing and the imperial Yuwen clan, were subsequently slaughtered by Yang Jian. The area was known as Guannei 關內. The Northern Zhou drew upon the Zhou dynasty for inspiration. The Northern Zhou military included Han Chinese.

Cultural artifacts

File:Tomb_of_Li_Xian,_panel_1.jpg, The Northern Zhou Xianbei-

Tuoba The Tuoba (reconstructed Middle Chinese pronunciation: *''tʰak-bɛt''), also known as the Taugast or Tabgach ( otk, 𐱃𐰉𐰍𐰲 ''Tabγač''), was a Xianbei clan in Imperial China.Wei Shou. ''Book of Wei''. Vol. 1 During the Sixteen Kingd ...

general Li Xian (504-569 CE) Northern Zhou Dynasty Tomb of Shijun (roof reconstructed).jpg, The tomb of Wirkak, a

Sogdia Sogdia ( Sogdian: ) or Sogdiana was an ancient Iranian civilization between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, and in present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sogdiana was also a province of the Achaemenid Emp ...

n official among the Northern Zhou, 580 CE,

Xi'an City Museum Xi'an Museum () is a museum on Youyi West Road, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. Xi'an Museum had its official opening on 18 May 2007, "National Museum Day", with a total investment of 220 million RMB and a total area of 160,000 ...

File:Chinese pavillion scene, Tomb of An Jia, 579 CE.jpg, Scene in a Chinese pavillion,

Tomb of An Jia The Tomb of Ān Jiā, also sometimes read Ān Qié (Chinese: 安伽墓石門圍屏石榻, "Stone tomb gate and couch of Anjia"), is a Northern Zhou period (557-581 CE) funeral monument to a Sogdian nobleman named "Anjia" in the Chinese epitaph. T ...

, 579 CE. File:Northern Zhou dish inspired by Western metalwork 557 581.jpg, Northern Zhou dish inspired by Western metalwork, 557–581. Northern Zhou Dynasty Stone Coffin (9923781185).jpg,

Tomb of Li Dan The Tomb of Li Dan (Chinese: 李诞墓, Lĭ Dàn mù), is a Northern Zhou period (557-581 CE) funeral monument to a foreigner named "Lĭ Dàn" (李诞) in the Chinese epitaph. The tomb was excavated in the east of the ancient city of Xi'an, capit ...

, an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...

" from Jibin,

Gandhara Gandhāra is the name of an ancient region located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, more precisely in present-day north-west Pakistan and parts of south-east Afghanistan. The region centered around the Peshawar Val ...

. 564 CE

. Northern Zhou Gilded Silver Ewer (9833405755).jpg, Northern Zhou gilded silver ewer in Greco-Roman style from the tomb of Li Xian.

Emperors

Emperors' family tree

Notes

References

Citations

Sources

* '' Book of Zhou'' * '' History of Northern Dynasties'' * ''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zhou Dynasties in Chinese history Former countries in Chinese history 557 establishments 581 disestablishments 6th-century establishments in China 6th-century disestablishments in China