Eastern Wei: Map & History
Wei, known in historiography as the Eastern Wei, was an imperial dynasty of China that followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei dynasty.
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Wei, known in historiography as the Eastern Wei, was an imperial dynasty of China that followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei dynasty. One of the Northern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period, the Eastern Wei ruled the eastern part of northern China from 534 to 550 AD. As with the Northern Wei, the ruling family of the Eastern Wei were members of the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei.
Modern Countries Once Part of Eastern Wei
At its mapped extent, Eastern Wei covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Eastern Wei's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Eastern Wei in Depth
History
Gao Huan was the potentate of the eastern half of what was Northern Wei territory. In 534, following the disintegration of the Northern Wei dynasty, he installed Yuan Shanjian as ruler of Eastern Wei. Yuan Shanjian was a descendant of the Northern Wei imperial family, and was installed as a puppet ruler, as the real power lay in the hands of Gao Huan. Several military campaigns, such as the Battle of Shayuan, were launched against the neighboring Western Wei in an attempt to reunify the territory once held by the Northern Wei. However, these campaigns were not successful. In 547, Gao Huan died. His sons Gao Cheng and Gao Yang were able to pursue his policy of controlling the emperor, but in 550 Gao Yang deposed Yuan Shanjian and founded his dynasty, the Northern Qi.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Eastern Wei (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Eastern Wei: Key Facts
| Capital | Luoyang |
|---|---|
| Founded | 534 CE |
| Dissolved | 550 CE |
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q307069 (CC0).
Eastern Wei Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 623,760 km² in 550 CE.
Eastern Wei: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Eastern Wei exist?
Eastern Wei is dated to 534 CE – 554 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Eastern Wei?
The capital of Eastern Wei was Luoyang (534), Yecheng (534–550).
How large was Eastern Wei at its peak?
At its peak in 550 AD Eastern Wei covered about 623,760 km².