Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou 周明帝

Other names

Family

• Spouse of Lady Dugu (獨孤氏)
  queen 王后 · Primary marriage · Widowed · AD 558 二年春正月癸丑 · Until Source Date: Text: 夏四月甲戌 · Western Year: AD 558
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passages 26, 45
• Spouse of Consort Xu (徐妃)
  consort 妃 · Secondary marriage
  Sources vary in certainty · Book of Zhou 13, passage 68
• Child of Yuwen Tai (周文帝)
  eldest son 長子 · paternal line
  Emperor Ming 明帝
  Sources vary in certainty · Book of Zhou 4, passage 1; Book of Zhou 9, passages 1, 39
• Spouse of Elder sister of Empress Wenxian (文獻皇后之姊)
  empress 后
  Directly stated · Book of Sui 36, passage 100
• Sibling of Yuwen Zhao (宇文招)
  imperial younger brother 皇弟 · Uncertain siblings
  Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 4, passage 131
• Sibling of Yuwen Sheng (宇文盛)
  imperial younger brother 皇弟 · Uncertain siblings
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 131
• Sibling of Yuwen Zhi (宇文直)
  imperial younger brother 皇弟 · Uncertain siblings
  Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 4, passages 81, 131
• Sibling of Yuwen Xian (宇文憲)
  imperial younger brother 皇弟 · Uncertain siblings
  Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 4, passages 127, 131
• Sibling of Yuwen You (宇文逌)
  imperial younger brother 皇弟 · Uncertain siblings
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 131
• Sibling of Yuwen Da (宇文達)
  imperial younger brother 皇弟 · Uncertain siblings
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 131
• Sibling of Yuwen Chun (宇文純)
  imperial younger brother 皇弟 · Uncertain siblings
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 131
• Sibling of Yuwen Jian (宇文儉)
  imperial younger brother 皇弟 · Uncertain siblings
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 131
• Sibling of Yuwen Tong (宇文通)
  imperial younger brother 皇弟 · Uncertain siblings
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 131
• Child of Lady Yao (姚夫人)
  mother 母
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 2
• Parent of Son of Emperor Ming (明帝之子)
  son 兒
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 151
• Parent of Yuwen Zhen (宇文貞)
  son 男
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passages 67-68
• Parent of Yuwen Xian (宇文賢)
  son 男
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passages 67-68
• Parent of Yuwen Shi (宇文寔)
  son 男
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passages 67-68
• Spouse of Empress Dugu (獨孤皇后)
  taken as lady 納為夫人 · Marriage
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passage 40
• Sibling of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou (周武)
  younger brother 介弟 · Uncertain siblings
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 152

• Kinship Role meritorious ministers granted paired sacrifice · Count 13
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 78
• Kinship Role sons · Count 3
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 67

Career and standing

• Pillar of State 柱國
  AD 557 元年 · Appointed
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 3, passage 155
• administrator of Hua Province 行華州事
  AD 550 十六年 · Appointed
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 4
• grand general 大將軍
  AD 556 魏恭帝三年 · Appointed
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 6
• commissioner with Three Excellencies protocol 開府儀同三司
  Appointed
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 5
• governor of Yi Province 宜州刺史
  Appointed
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 5
• pillar-of-state 柱國
  AD 557 孝閔帝踐阼 · Promoted
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 7

Places and affiliations

• Polity Northern Zhou 北周 · Relation Ruled
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 67
• Polity Northern Zhou 周 · Relation Ruled
  Directly stated · Book of Sui 36, passage 100
• Polity Name Northern Zhou 周 · Relation Ruled
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passages 12, 41
• Polity Name Western Wei 魏 · Relation Served
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passages 3, 6
• AD 560 五月辛未
  At Zhaoling 昭陵 · Relation Buried at
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 174
• AD 556 魏恭帝三年
  At Longyou 隴右 · Relation Posted to
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 6

Learning and skills

• Skill literary composition 屬文 · Level skilled
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 176

Works and attributed material

• collected literary works 文章
  Extent 10 scrolls
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 179
• genealogical record of generations 世譜
  Relation Compiler · Extent 500 scrolls
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 178
• Edict · Author · Direct quotation
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passages 16-17, 22-23, 29-34, 40-41, 57-65, 86-96, 99-105, 109-124, 141-172
• Poem · Author · Direct quotation
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passages 69-72

Events and relationships

• Assumed emperor title
  AD 560 秋八月己亥 · Ritual · Ruler
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 126
• Brought to capital
  AD 557 秋九月癸亥 · Political · Subject · With Yuwen Hu (宇文護)
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passages 9-10
• Gathered scholars to collate classics
  Scholarly · Sponsor · At Linzhi Hall 麟趾殿
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 177
• Praised and summoned Wang Ban and began his sequence of appointments
  Political · Patron · With Wang Ban (王頒)
  Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 72, passage 120
• Proclaimed general amnesty
  AD 557 甲子 · Ritual · Ruler
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 12

Assessments and attributes

• Assessment governance won praise; people held him in affection · Mode historian-judgment
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 8
• Assessment wide, clear, benevolent, generous; had the measure of a ruler · Mode historian-judgment
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passages 175, 180, 183

Source notes

• Historicity historical
  Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 67