Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t2: Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei Dynasty
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t2
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Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei Dynasty
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Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei Dynasty (408-452 CE, reign during 423-452 CE) was the third emperor of Northern Wei in the Northern and Southern Dynasty periods. He had unified Northern China, and carried out the policy of abolishing Buddhism in the later period of his reign.
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Emperor Taiwu, also known as Toba Tao, was of the Xianbei nationality and a great warrior. After coming to power, he personally led the army to defeat the Rouran Khanate (a confederation of nomadic tribes on the northern borders of Inner China), which was constantly attacking the borders of his kingdom. In the second year of Shenjia (429 CE), he campaigned a second time against the Rouran Khanate and reached Kehanting. He thereafter conquered the kingdoms of Huxia, Northern Yan, Northern Liang, Shanshan, Tuyuhun etc. In the fifth year of Taiyan (439 CE), he unified Northern China, and confronted the Liusong Dynasty in the Jiangdong area, thus starting the Southern and Northern dynasties period of Chinese history. He granted high positions to many Chinese Han officials led by Cui Hao, reorganised the bureaucracy and strove for a stronger kingdom. At the beginning of his reign, Emperor Taiwu had inherited the policy of respecting Buddhism as the earlier two emperors before him, and often held discourses with the Buddhist monk Gaode about Buddhist dharma. Then with the popularity of Buddhism on one hand and weakening of the army on the other, added to which Buddhism began to absorb some elements of the Divination School which was adverse to the authority of the emperor, Taiwu under the instigation of Taoist believer Cui Hao, began to eradicate Buddhism and promoted the worship of Taoism. In the fourth year of Taiyan (438 CE), he ordered the Buddhist monks under 50 to resume a secular life and join the army. Two years later, he followed the advice of Daoist priest Kou Qianzhi to change the reign title Taiyan into Taiping Zhenjun (440-450 CE). Later, he conferred the title of Tai Shi to Kou Qianzhi, so Northern Tianshi Daoism began to flourish. In the fifth year of Taiping Zhenjun (444 CE), he issued the imperial edict to kill all monks throughout the empire and destroy the temples, statues, and sutras. Buddhist monks and enchanters who did not leave the kingdom would have been killed, and their masters would also be put to death.
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Taiwu Tuobatao Ga Cave stone inscriptions
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In March of the seventh year of Taiping Zhenjun, he made a second attempt at eradicating Buddhism and ordered to bury Buddhist monks and to destroy Buddha statues, which was a big blow to Buddhism. However, most people from upper class with the leader of Tuobahuang from Xianbei nationality were followers of Buddhism, and they secretly protected some monks and saved a lot of Buddha statues and sutras. Many Buddhist monks who kept their faith, hid their cassocks and wares, lived in the mountains, and waited for the chance to return, like the famous monk Tanyao. In the second year of Zhengping (452 CE), Emperor Taiwu was murdered by Zhongchangshi (ancient official position) Zong'ai. Tabahuang had died the year before, so his son ascended the throne with the title of Emperor Wencheng. Influenced by his father Tuobahuang, Emperor Wencheng soon ordered the restoration of Buddhism under the support of his secretary after he ascended the throne.
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(*Ge Weijun*)