Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei

Names
	Family name: Yuán (元) ; Given name: Xiū (脩 or 修)
Era dates
	tài chāng (太昌): 532; yǒng xīng (永興): 532; yǒng xī (永熙): 532–534;
Posthumous name
	Emperor Xiàowǔ (孝武皇帝, lit. "filial and martial")

Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei
北魏孝武帝
Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei; 北魏孝武帝
Emperor of Northern Wei
Reign	June 13, 532 – February 3, 535
Predecessor	Yuan Lang
Successor	Emperor Xiaojing (Eastern) ; Emperor Wen (Western)
Regent	Gao Huan (532–534); Yuwen Tai (534–535)
Born	510
Died	February 3, 535 (aged 25)
Consorts	Empress Yongxi
Issue	Yuan Guangji
Names
Names
	Family name: Yuán (元) ; Given name: Xiū (脩 or 修)
Era dates
	tài chāng (太昌): 532; yǒng xīng (永興): 532; yǒng xī (永熙): 532–534;
Posthumous name
	Emperor Xiàowǔ (孝武皇帝, lit. "filial and martial")
House	Yuan
Dynasty	Northern Wei
Father	Yuan Huai
Mother	Lady Li

Emperor Xiaowu^[1] of Northern Wei ((北)魏孝武帝) (510 – February 3, 535^[2]), personal name Yuan Xiu (元脩 or 元修), courtesy name Xiaoze (孝則), at times known as Emperor Chu (出帝, "the emperor who fled"),^[3] was the last emperor of the Xianbei-led Chinese Northern Wei dynasty. After the general Gao Huan rebelled against and defeated the clan of the deceased paramount general Erzhu Rong in 532, he made Emperor Xiaowu emperor. Despite Gao's making him emperor, however, Emperor Xiaowu tried strenuously to free himself from Gao's control, and in 534, he, aligning with the general Yuwen Tai, formally broke with Gao. When Gao advanced south to try to again take control of the imperial government, Emperor Xiaowu fled to Yuwen's territory, leading to Northern Wei's division into two (as Gao then made Yuan Shanjian (Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei) the heir apparent, establishing Eastern Wei). Emperor Xiaowu's relationship with Yuwen, however, soon deteriorated over Yuwen's refusal to condone his incestuous relationships with his cousins, and around the new year 535, Yuwen poisoned him to death. Emperor Xiaowu's successor, Yuan Baoju (Emperor Wen of Western Wei), is typically regarded, then, as the first emperor of Western Wei, formalizing the division of the empire.

^ In the Twenty-Four Histories, the name "Xiaowu" was not used to refer to Yuan Xiu in Book of Wei; it was first used in Book of the Northern Qi. Later, Zizhi Tongjian also used this posthumous name to refer to him.
^ guisi day of the leap 12th month of the 3rd year of the Taichang era, per Emperor Chu's biography in Book of Wei
^ Emperor Xiaowu's posthumous name of "Xiaowu" was bestowed by Western Wei. Eastern Wei did not recognize it, and instead referred to him as Emperor Chu. Thus, the official history of Northern Wei, the Book of Wei, written by Wei Shou who served in Eastern Wei's successor state Northern Qi, referred to him as Emperor Chu. However, Chinese historians, following the lead of History of the Northern Dynasties, generally refer to him as Emperor Xiaowu.

[1] In the Twenty-Four Histories, the name "Xiaowu" was not used to refer to Yuan Xiu in Book of Wei; it was first used in Book of the Northern Qi. Later, Zizhi Tongjian also used this posthumous name to refer to him.

[2] guisi day of the leap 12th month of the 3rd year of the Taichang era, per Emperor Chu's biography in Book of Wei

[3] Emperor Xiaowu's posthumous name of "Xiaowu" was bestowed by Western Wei. Eastern Wei did not recognize it, and instead referred to him as Emperor Chu. Thus, the official history of Northern Wei, the Book of Wei, written by Wei Shou who served in Eastern Wei's successor state Northern Qi, referred to him as Emperor Chu. However, Chinese historians, following the lead of History of the Northern Dynasties, generally refer to him as Emperor Xiaowu.

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