Princess Tuoba also known by her Dynasty of Northern Wei (386 to 534/535) title Princess Wuwei (武威公主), was the daughter of Emperor Mingyuan of Northern Wei and who later was a princess of the Chinese/

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of Nomad, nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese historiography, Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, t ...

state

Northern Liang The Northern Liang (; 397–439) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China and one of the Sixteen Kingdoms in Chinese history. It was ruled by the Juqu (沮渠) family of Lushuihu ethnicity, though they are sometimes categorized ...

. Her husband was Juqu Mujian (Prince Ai). It is not known when she was created Princess Wuwei, either by her father or by her brother Emperor Taiwu. In a move to ensure Juqu Mujian's loyalty, Emperor Taiwu married her to Juqu Mujian in 437, forcing Juqu Mujian to divorce his prior wife, Princess Li Jingshou. However, Juqu Mujian also carried on an affair with his brother's wife, Lady Li, and Lady Li and Juqu Mujian's sisters carried out a plot to poison Princess Tuoba. Emperor Taiwu, hearing that his sister had been poisoned, sent a number of doctors to the Northern Liang capital Guzang (姑臧, in modern

Wuwei, Gansu Wuwei ( zh, c=武威 , p=Wǔwēi) is a prefecture-level city in northwest central Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia, in the southwest, Qinghai. Its central location between three western capitals, Lanzhou, Xining, and Yinc ...

), and they were able to save her. Emperor Taiwu demanded that Lady Li be turned over, but Juqu Mujian refused and sent Lady Li away instead. In 439, Emperor Taiwu conquered Northern Liang, and took Juqu Mujian as a captive to the Northern Wei capital Pingcheng (平城, in modern Datong,

Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...

), but because of Princess Wuwei's sake, continued to honor Juqu Mujian as a brother-in-law with the title Prince of Hexi. During the marriage, Princess Wuwei bore Juqu Mujian a daughter ( Princess Wuwei), but no sons. In 447, Emperor Taiwu suspected Juqu Mujian of planning a rebellion and forced him to commit suicide, but buried him with honors. Princess Wuwei survived her husband, and later after her death was buried with her husband. (Some historical records indicate that she married Li Gai (李蓋) the Duke of Nan Commandery,'' Book of Wei'', vol. 83, part 1. but these are not conclusive.) Her daughter inherited her title as Princess Wuwei.

Notes and references

* '' Book of Wei'', vol. 99. * ''

Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...

'', vol. 123. Neither Juqu Wuhui nor

Juqu Anzhou Juqu Anzhou (; died 460) is viewed by some historians as a ruler of the Lushuihu-led Chinese Northern Liang, Northern Liang dynasty. After the state's territory was largely seized by the Northern Wei in 439, and his older brother Juqu Mujian (Prin ...

, Juqu Mujian's brothers who are sometimes regarded as succeeding princes of Northern Liang, was recorded to have created a princess, although they probably did; their wives' names, however, are lost to history. , - {{Sixteen Kingdoms empresses and queens, state=collapsed Tuoba, Princess Tuoba, Princess 5th-century deaths Year of birth unknown