Emperor Taiwu

He was the third emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty (reigned 423-452) founded by the Xianbei Tuoba clan. His temple title was Shizu. His given name was Tong, and his style name was Futsuri. He ascended to the throne at the age of 16 and led a national army made up mainly of Xianbei soldiers to invade neighboring countries (Xia, Northern Yan, Northern Liang, and Rouran). When facing enemies, he personally led his soldiers, and in 439 unified northern China. During this time, he often used the Han bureaucrat Cui Hao, who assisted him in preparing for battle, as his brain, and furthermore, he favored the Taoist priest Kou Qianzhi, recommended by Cui Hao. In 440, he changed the era name to Taiping Zhenjun (Taiping True Prince), and in 442, he ascended to a Taoist altar and received a heavenly talisman (a record of a mysterious prophecy), thus protecting Taoism. Then, in 446, he carried out China's first policy of suppressing Buddhism (the Taiwu Anti-Buddhism) with the advice of Cui Hao. The reign of Emperor Taiwu was a transitional period in which the Xianbei ruling class of the Northern Wei dynasty was moving from a nomadic feudal system to a Chinese bureaucratic system, and while the appointment of Han Chinese bureaucrats was progressing, dissatisfaction among influential Xianbei people was also accumulating. After a symbolic incident in 450, when Cui Hao was accused of compiling a national history that insulted the Xianbei and executed, the issue of succession was going on behind the scenes, and in February 452, he was killed by the eunuch Zong Ai.

[Tomomi Sato]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鮮卑(せんぴ)系拓跋(たくばつ)氏が建てた北魏(ほくぎ)王朝の第3代皇帝（在位423～452）。廟(びょう)号は世祖。名は燾(とう)、字(あざな)は仏貍(ふつり)。16歳で即位すると、鮮卑兵を主力とする国軍を督率して周辺諸国（夏(か)、北燕(ほくえん)、北涼(ほくりょう)、柔然(じゅうぜん)）に侵略した。敵に臨んでは自ら士卒の先頭にたち、439年華北を統一した。その間よく臨戦体制を補佐した漢人官僚崔浩(さいこう)をブレーンとし、さらに崔浩の推挙により道士寇謙之(こうけんし)を寵用(ちょうよう)した。440年には年号を太平真君(たいへいしんくん)と改め、442年には道教の祭壇に昇って天の符籙(ふろく)（神秘な予言を記したもの）を授かるなど、道教を厚く保護した。ついで446年、崔浩の意見をいれて中国最初の仏教弾圧政策（太武の廃仏）を断行した。太武帝の時代は、北魏の鮮卑族支配層が遊牧封建制から中国的官僚制に移行する過渡期にあり、漢人官僚の登用が進められる一方、鮮卑系有力者の不満も蓄積していた。450年、崔浩が鮮卑を侮辱する国史を編纂(へんさん)したとして告発され刑死した象徴的な事件ののち、後継者問題が伏流するなかで、452年2月、宦官(かんがん)宗愛(そうあい)によって殺された。

［佐藤智水］

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