You can mark you interesting snippets of text that will be available through a unique link in your browser.


Change of Xianbei names to Han names

Change of Xianbei names to Han names

The Change of Xianbei family names to Han names was part of a larger sinicization campaign.[1][2] It was at its peak intensity under Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei dynasty in 496.[2]

Contents

Background

To formalize sinification, a number of actions were taken prior to the name changes.[2]

  • In 493 the capital was moved to Luoyang, closer to the agricultural Han and away from the nomadic roots.
  • In 494 nomadic style clothing were abandoned.
  • In 495 nomadic languages at court were abandoned.

Changes

Northern Wei ordered Xianbei family names that were two-to-three syllables to be shortened to one-to-two syllables, converting them to Han names. Later historians, including Wei Shou, the author of the official history of Northern Wei, Book of Wei, found shortened Han-style names to be easier to write about, and therefore used post-496 family names even where pre-496 events involving Northern Wei were described. Later, after the division of Northern Wei into two in 534, the paramount general of Western Wei, Yuwen Tai, tried to reverse these name changes and restore Xianbei names. A number of generals and officials changed their names back to Xianbei names, but after the destruction of Western Wei's successor state, Northern Zhou (which was ruled by Yuwen Tai's descendants), the Han names were restored for Han and Xianbei alike. There were some exceptions, for example, the clan of Emperor Wen of Sui's wife Empress Dugu Qieluo kept their Xianbei name of Dugu and did not once again change the name into Liu. Yuwen Tai further had Han officials and generals change their names to Xianbei names, although this change was itself rescinded by the regent Yang Jian near the end of Northern Zhou.[1]

Name correspondence

Below is a list of the Xianbei names that are known to have been changed into Han names:

  • Tuoba (拓拔) (imperial clan name) -> Yuan (元)
  • Gegu (紇骨) -> Hu (胡)
  • Pu (普) -> Zhou (周)
  • Baba (拔拔) -> Zhangsun (長孫)
  • Daxi (達奚) -> Xi (奚)
  • Yilou (伊婁) -> Yi (伊)
  • Qiudun (丘敦) -> Qiu (丘)
  • Xiqihai (係俟亥) -> Hai (亥)
  • Yizhan (乙旃) -> Shusun (叔孫)
  • Chekun (車焜) -> Che (車)
  • Qiumuling (丘穆陵) -> Mu (穆)
  • Buliugu (步六孤) -> Lu (陸)
  • Helai (賀賴) -> He (賀)
  • Dugu (獨孤) -> Liu (劉)
  • Helou (賀樓) -> Lou (樓)
  • Wuniuyu (勿忸于) -> Yu (于)
  • Shilian (是連) -> Lian (連)
  • Pulan (僕闌) -> Pu (僕)
  • Ruogan (若干) -> Gou (苟)
  • Balielan (拔列蘭) -> Liang (梁)
  • Bolue (撥略) -> Su (蘇)
  • Ruokouyin (若口引) -> Kou (寇)
  • Chiluo (叱羅) -> Luo (羅)
  • Pulouru (普陋茹) -> Ru (茹)
  • Hege (賀葛) -> Ge (葛)
  • Shiben (是賁) -> Feng (封)
  • Afugan (阿扶干) -> A (阿)
  • Kediyan (可地延) -> Yan (延)
  • Aluhuan (阿鹿桓) -> Lu (鹿)
  • Taluoba (他駱拔) -> Luo (駱)
  • Boxi (薄奚) -> Bo (薄)
  • Wuwan (烏丸) -> Huan (桓)
  • Suhe (素和) -> He (和)
  • Hugukouyin (胡古口引) or Gukouyin (古口引) -> Hou (侯)
  • Yuhun (谷渾) -> Hun (渾)
  • Pilou (匹婁) -> Lou (婁)
  • Qilifa (俟力伐) -> Bao (鮑)
  • Tufulu (吐伏盧) -> Lu (盧)
  • Dieyun (牒云) -> Yun (云)
  • Shiyun (是云) -> Shi (是)
  • Chili (叱利) -> Li (利)
  • Fulü (副呂) -> Fu (副)
  • Ruluo (如羅) -> Ru (如)
  • Qifu (乞扶) -> Fu (扶)
  • Kedan (可單 or 渴單) -> Dan (單)
  • Qiji (俟幾) -> Ji (幾)
  • He'er (賀兒) -> Er (兒)
  • Tuxi (吐奚) -> Gu (古)
  • Chulian (出連) -> Bi (畢)
  • Heba (賀拔) -> He (何)
  • Chilü (叱呂) -> Lü (呂)
  • Monalou (莫那婁) -> Mo (莫)
  • Xidoulu (奚斗盧) -> Suolu (索盧)
  • Molu (莫蘆) -> Lu (蘆)
  • Budahan (步大汗) -> Han (韓)
  • Moluzhen (沒路真) -> Lu (路)
  • Hudigan (扈地干) -> Hu (扈)
  • Muyu (慕輿) -> Yu (輿)
  • Gegan (紇干) -> Gan (干)
  • Qifujin (俟伏斤) -> Fu (伏)
  • Shilou (是樓) -> Gao (高)
  • Qutu (屈突) -> Qu (屈)
  • Talu (沓盧) -> Ta (沓)
  • Washilan (嗢石蘭) -> Shi (石)
  • Jiepi (解枇) -> Jie (解)
  • Qijin (奇斤) -> Qi (奇)
  • Xubu (須卜) -> Bu (卜)
  • Qiulin (丘林) -> Lin (林)
  • Damogan (大莫干) -> Ge (郃)
  • Ermian (尒綿) -> Mian (綿)
  • Gailou (蓋樓) -> Gai (蓋)
  • Suli (素黎) -> Li (黎)
  • Yidoujuan (壹斗眷) -> Ming (明)
  • Chimen (叱門) -> Men (門)
  • Suliujin (宿六斤) -> Su (宿)
  • Bibi (馝纰) -> Bi (纰)
  • Tunan (土難) -> Shan (山)
  • Wuyin (屋引) -> Fang (房)
  • Shuluogan (樹洛干) -> Shu (樹)
  • Yifu (乙弗) -> Yi (乙)
  • Maojuan (茂眷) -> Mao (茂)
  • Youlian (宥連) -> Yun (雲)
  • Gedouling (紇豆陵) -> Dou (竇)
  • Houmochen (侯莫陳) -> Chen (陳)
  • Kudi (庫狄) -> Di (狄)
  • Tailuoji (太洛稽) -> Ji (稽)
  • Keba (柯拔) -> Ke (柯)
  • Yuchi (尉遲) -> Yu (尉)
  • Bulugen (步鹿根) -> Bu (步)
  • Poduoluo (破多羅) -> Pan (潘)
  • Chigan (叱干) -> Xue (薛)
  • Qinu (俟奴) -> Qi (俟)
  • Nianchi (輾遲) -> Zhan (展)
  • Feilian (費連) -> Fei (費)
  • Qilian (其連) -> Qi (綦)
  • Qujin (去斤) -> Ai (艾)
  • Kehou (渴侯) -> Gou (緱)
  • Chilu (叱盧) -> Zhu (祝)
  • Heji (和稽) -> Huan (緩)
  • Tulai (菟賴) -> Jiu (就)
  • Wapen (嗢盆) -> Wen (溫)
  • Dabo (達勃) -> Bao (褒)
  • Duguhun (獨孤渾) -> Du (杜)
  • Helan (賀蘭) -> He (賀)
  • Yuyuanzhen (郁原甄) -> Zhen (甄)
  • Gexi (紇奚) -> Ji (嵇)
  • Yuele (越勒) -> Yue (越)
  • Chinu (叱奴) -> Lang (狼)
  • Kezhuhun (渴燭渾) -> Zhu (朱)
  • Kuruguan (庫褥官) -> Ku (庫)
  • Wuluolan (烏洛蘭) -> Lan (蘭)
  • Yinalou (一那蔞) -> Lou (蔞)
  • Yufu (羽弗) -> Yu (羽)

Major Xianbei names that were not changed

Several major Xianbei clan names were apparently judged by Emperor Xiaowen to be sufficiently Han-like to not to be changed. These included:

  • Tuyuhun (吐谷渾)
  • Heruo (賀若)
  • Na (那)
  • Yu (庾)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Book of Wei volume 113
  2. ^ a b c Branner, David Prager. [2006] (2006). John Benjamins Publishing. The Chinese Rime Tables: Linguistic Philosophy And Historical-comparative. ISBN 9027247854

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

  
Share  

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Han (surname) — Han is a common transliteration of the Chinese surname 韩 (simp. han2) or 韓 (trad. han2) and the Korean surname 한 (hanja 韓). Han is based on China s pinyin system and so used throughout Mainland China. Spelling can vary from Hon in Cantonese… …   Wikipedia

  • Xianbei — The Xianbei (zh stpw|s=鲜卑|t=鮮卑|p=Xiānbēi|w=Hsien pei) were a significant nomadic people residing in Manchuria and eastern Mongolia, or Xianbei Shan. They were descendants of Donghu (Eastern Hu) before migrating into areas of the modern Chinese… …   Wikipedia

  • Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei — ((北)魏孝文帝) (467–499), personal name né Tuoba Hong (拓拔宏), later Yuan Hong (元宏), was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei.Emperor Xiaowen implemented a drastic policy of sinicization, intending to centralize the government and make …   Wikipedia

  • Emperor Hui of Jin — Emperor Hui of Jin, sim. ch. 晋惠帝, trad. ch. 晉惠帝, py. jìn huì dì, wg. Chin Hui ti (259 poisoned January 8, 307), personal name Sima Zhong (司馬衷), courtesy name Zhengdu (正度), was the second emperor of the Jin Dynasty (265 420). Emperor Hui was a… …   Wikipedia

  • Emperor Ling of Han — Chinese Emperor birth = 156 death = 189 family name = Liu (劉; liú) clan name = given name = Hong (宏, hóng) begin reign = 168 end reign = 189 dynasty = Han Dynasty era name = *Jianning (建寧) 168 – 172 *Xiping (熹平) 172 – 178 *Guanghe (光和) 178 184… …   Wikipedia

  • Book of Wei — The Book of Wei (Zh cp|c=魏書/魏书|p=Wèishū) is a classic Chinese historical writing compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and serves as an important historical text describing the Northern Wei from 386 to 535.In compiling the work, Wei Shou was… …   Wikipedia

  • Xiongnu — Nomadic confederation 3rd cent. BC–460s AD …   Wikipedia

  • Northern Wei — For Northern Wei of Three Kingdoms Period, see Cao Wei. Northern Wei 北魏 ↓ 386–535 …   Wikipedia

  • National Amusements — National Amusements, Inc. Type Private Industry Entertainment Theaters Founded Dedham, Massachusetts (1936 (1936)) …   Wikipedia

  • Shi Hu — (石虎) (295 349), courtesy name Jilong (季龍), formally Emperor Wu of (Later) Zhao ((後)趙武帝), was an emperor of the Chinese/Jie state Later Zhao. He was the founding emperor Shi Le s distant nephew, who took power in a coup after Shi Le s death from… …   Wikipedia