Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei

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Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei (May or June 483^[1] – February 12, 515^[2]) was an emperor of the Xianbei-led Chinese Northern Wei dynasty (499-515).^[3] He was born Tuoba Ke, but later changed his surname so that he became Yuan Ke. During Emperor Xuanwu's reign, Northern Wei appeared, outwardly, to be at its prime, but there was much political infighting and corruption, particularly by Emperor Xuanwu's uncle Gao Zhao.

Emperor Xuanwu was an avid Buddhist and often personally lectured on the Buddhist sutras. During his reign, Buddhism effectively^{[clarification needed]} became the state religion.