Emperor Daowu of Northern Wei

Emperor Daowu of Northern Wei 北魏道武帝
Statue of Emperor Daowu at Yungang Grottoes
Emperor of Northern Wei
Reign	February 20, 386[1] – November 6, 409
Successor	Emperor Mingyuan
Born	August 4, 371
Died	November 6, 409(409-11-06) (aged 38)
Burial	Jin Mausoleum of Shengle (盛樂金陵)
Consorts	Empress Murong
Issue	Emperor Mingyuan Tuoba Shao Tuoba Xi Tuoba Yao Tuoba Xiu Tuoba Chuwen Tuoba Lian Tuoba Li Tuoba Hun Tuoba Cong Princess Huayin
Names Initially: Tuoba Shegui (拓拔渉珪) or Tuoba Shiyigui (拓跋什翼圭), later Tuoba Gui (拓拔珪) Era dates Dēng guó (登國): 386–396 Huáng shǐ (皇始): 396–398 Tiān xīng (天興): 398–404 Tiān cì (天賜): 404–409 Posthumous name Initially: Xuanwu (宣武, lit. "responsible and martial") later Daowu (道武, lit. "marga and martial") Temple name Initially Lièzǔ (烈祖), later Tàizǔ (太祖)
House	Tuoba
Dynasty	Northern Wei
Father	Tuoba Shi
Mother	Lady He

Emperor Daowu of Northern Wei ((北)魏道武帝) (4 August 371^[2] – 6 November 409^[3]), personal name Tuoba Gui (拓拔珪), né Tuoba Shegui (拓拔渉珪), was the founding emperor of the Northern Wei dynasty of China.^[4] He was the grandson of the last prince of Dai, Tuoba Shiyijian. After the fall of the Dai state to the Former Qin in 376, he was presumed to be the eventual successor to the Dai throne. After the Former Qin fell into disarray in 383 following its defeat by Eastern Jin forces at the Battle of Fei River, Tuoba Gui took the opportunity to reestablish Dai in 386. He soon changed the dynasty's name to Wei and declared himself a prince. He was initially a vassal of the Later Yan, but after defeating Later Yan emperor Murong Bao in 397 and seizing most of Later Yan's territory, he claimed the imperial title in 398.

Emperor Daowu was commonly regarded as a brilliant general, but cruel and arbitrary in his rule, particularly toward the end of his reign. In 409, as he considered killing his concubine Consort Helan, his son Tuoba Shao (拓拔紹) the Prince of Qinghe, by Consort Helan, killed him, but was soon defeated by the crown prince Tuoba Si (Emperor Mingyuan) who then took the throne.