Yuwen Tai (宇文泰) (507-556), nickname Heita (黑獺), formally Duke Wen of Anding (安定文公), later further posthumously honored by Northern Zhou as Emperor Wen (文皇帝), was 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, fled to Yuwen's domain, and when Gao subsequently proclaimed Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei emperor, a split of Northern Wei was effected, and when Yuwen subsequently poisoned Emperor Xiaowu to death around the new year 535 and declared his cousin Yuan Baoju emperor (as Emperor Wen), the split was 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 endeavored to make Western Wei, then much weaker than its eastern counterpart, a strong state, and after his death, his son Yuwen Jue seized the throne from Emperor Gong of Western Wei, establishing Northern Zhou. Events Battle of Vouillé: Clovis I defeats the Visigoths near Poitiers, ends Visigothic power in Gaul. ... Events End of the Western Wei Dynasty in China. ... The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. ... The Xianbei (Simplified Chinese: 鲜卑; Traditional Chinese: 鮮卑; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsien-pei) were a significant nomadic people residing in modern Manchuria and eastern Mongolia, or Xianbei Shan, a historic term for Greater Khingan, before migrating into areas of the modern Chinese provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Hebei, Inner Mongolia... The Western Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556. ... The Northern Wei Dynasty (北魏 386-534) is most noted for the unification of northern China in 440, it was also heavily involved in funding the arts and many antiques and art works from this period have survived. ... Events January 1 - Decimus Theodorius Paulinus appointed consul, the last to hold this office in the West. ... Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei ((北)魏孝武帝) (510-535), personal name Yuan Xiu (元脩 or 元修), courtesy name Xiaoze (孝則), at times known as Emperor Chu (出帝, the emperor who fled),[1] was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. ... Gao Huan (高歡) (496-547), nickname Heliuhun (賀六渾), formally Prince Xianwu of Qi (齊獻武王), later further formally honored by Northern Qi as Emperor Shenwu (神武皇帝, literally the unnamable and martial emperor) with the temple name Gaozu (高祖), was the paramount general of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei and Northern Weis branch successor state... Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei ((東)魏孝靜帝) (524-552), personal name Yuan Shanjian (元善見), was the only emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Eastern Wei -- a branch successor state to Northern Wei. ... Events Beginning of the Western Wei Dynasty in China. ... The Eastern Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 534 to 550. ...

Personal information

• Father
  • Yuwen Gong (宇文肱) (d. 526?), posthumously honored as Emperor De
• Wife
  • The Princess Fengyi (d. 541), sister of Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei, posthumously honored as Empress Yuan, mother of Yuwen Jue
• Major Concubines
  • Lady Yao, mother of Yuwen Yu
  • Lady Chinu, mother of Yuwen Yong and Yuwen Zhi
  • Lady Dabugan, mother of Yuwen Xian
  • Lady Wang, mother of Yuwen Zhao
• Children
  • Yuwen Yu (宇文毓), initially the Duke of Ningdu (created 548), later Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou
  • Yuwen Zhen (宇文震), initially the Duke of Wuyi (created 550), later Duke Xian of Song
  • Yuwen Jue (宇文覺), initially the Duke of Lueyang (created 550), later the Duke of Zhou (created 556), later Emperor Xiaomin of Northern Zhou
  • Yuwen Yong (宇文邕), initally the Duke of Fǔcheng (note different tone than his brother's title) (created 554), later the Duke of Lu (created 559), later Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou
  • Yuwen Xian (宇文憲) (b. 544), initially the Duke of Fúcheng (note different tone than his brother's title), later the Duke of Ancheng (created 554), later Prince Yang of Qi (created 574, executed by Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou 578)
  • Yuwen Zhi (宇文直), initially the Duke of Qin Commandery (created 556), later the Duke of Wei, later Prince La of Wei (created, demoted to commoner rank, and executed by Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou 574)
  • Yuwen Zhao (宇文招), initially the Duke of Zhengping (created 556), later the Duke of Zhao, later Prince Jian of Zhao (created 574, executed by Yang Jian 580)
  • Yuwen Jian (宇文儉), initially the Duke of Qiao, later Prince Xiao of Qiao (created 574, executed by Yang Jian 581)
  • Yuwen Chun (宇文純), initially the Duke of Chen, later Prince Huo of Chen (created 574, executed by Yang Jian 580)
  • Yuwen Sheng (宇文盛), initially the Duke of Yue, later Prince Ye of Yue (created 574, executed by Yang Jian 580)
  • Yuwen Da (宇文達), initially the Duke of Dai, later Prince Bei of Dai (created 574, executed by Yang Jian 580)
  • Yuwen Tong (宇文通), initially the Duke of Ji, later Prince Kang of Ji (created 574, executed by Yang Jian 581)
  • Yuwen You (宇文逌), initially the Duke of Teng, later Prince Wen of Teng (created 574, executed by Yang Jian 580)
  • Empress Yuwen of Emperor Fei of Western Wei
  • Princess Xiangyang
  • Princess Pingyuan
  • Princess Yongfu
  • Princess, wife of Heba Wei (賀拔緯)
  • Princess, wife of Ruogan Feng (若干鳳)
  • Princess Xihe
  • Princess Yigui
  • Princess Xiangle