The South & North Dynasties (420-589)

The Period Ethnic Minority Powers Continued to Occupied North China

56 Yuan Hong

An Ethnic Minority Leader Carrying out Learning Han Culture Movement

Yuan Hong, the name might not ring a bell in Chinese history. He was Emperor Wendi of North Wei State founded by ethnic minority Xian Bei in the South & North Dynasties Period. China had seen 300 years of separation between south and north (from East Jin to the South & North Dynasties), because five powerful minorities occupied and set up regimes in the north. But the five minority nationalities were mostly dissolved into Han majority. What’s the matter? The story of Yuan Hong might explain how the things turned out.

North Wei Kingdom of ethnic Xian Bei was originally founded in Inner Mongolia, and its royal family surnamed Tuoba, sounded a clear alien term. When Emperor Wendi took the throne (471- 499 in reins), he firstly disregarded the opposition from the royal and aristocrat families, carrying out a series of political and cultural reforms, stressing for learning Confucius teachings and following Han people lifestyle. He also moved the capital to Luoyang City in central China. Secondly, Wendi announced a much more radical policy: Took Han names to replace their original Xian Bei name. He himself pioneered to give up his original name Tuoba, and made a new name as Yuan Hong (surnamed Yuan). The policy also included the using of Han language to replace their original Xian Bei one. Even the Xian Bei language was banned to speak at court, any high official who failed to speak Han language should be dismissed. Yuan Hong’s reform met with fierce opposition of his crown prince. Yuan at first deposed him. When knowing the prince took an undercover scheme, Yuan killed him.

As Han government performed ruling by system (feudalism) while the minorities performed ruling by force, so the minorities regimes were usually short-lived. After Yuan Hong’s reform, his North Wei State had lasted for as long as 130 years. The period of “five Hu made turmoil in China” became an important time for the combination and expansion of Chinese nationalities.