The making of the Tuoba Northern Wei: constructing material cultural expressions in the Northern Wei Pingcheng Period (398-494 CE)

Thesis

The Tuoba’s success in the making of the Northern Wei as a conquest dynasty in fifth century northern China will be argued in this thesis as a result of their ability to cross between the traditions and practices of the Chinese sphere and those of the Eurasian steppe, through the construction of a "dual presence" in the Pingcheng period (398-494 CE). A negotiation of material culture in this formative phase of state-building allowed for new notions of kingship, dynastic identity, and represen...

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Authors: Tseng, C

• Publication date: 2012
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: Oxford University, UK
• Language: English
• Keywords: Xianbei; Northern Wei; Pingcheng; Northern and Southern dynasties; capital cities; Buddhism; Tuoba; Nomadic dynasties; Northern China; Yungang
• Subjects: Architecture; History of the ancient world; Chinese; Archeology; Buddhism; History of Asia & Far East; History