Yuan Zhao facts for kids
| (Bei) Wei Youzhu ((北)魏幼主) | |
|---|---|
| Family name: | Yuan (元, yuán) |
| Given name: | Zhao (釗, zhāo) |
| Posthumous name: | None |
Yuan Zhao (元釗) (526 – May 17, 528) was a very young boy who briefly became an emperor of the Northern Wei dynasty in ancient China. He is also known as Youzhu (幼主), which means "the young lord." He was only two years old when he was made emperor.
Early Life
Yuan Zhao was born in 526. His father was Yuan Baohui, who was a prince. Yuan Zhao was a grandson of Emperor Xiaowen. This made him a cousin to Emperor Xiaoming, who was the emperor at the time Yuan Zhao was born.
Becoming Emperor
In 528, the ruling emperor, Emperor Xiaoming, died suddenly. Many believed his mother, Empress Dowager Hu, was responsible. She wanted to keep her power and control the government.
Emperor Xiaoming did not have a son. At first, Empress Dowager Hu tried to pretend that Emperor Xiaoming's baby daughter was a boy. But this trick did not last long. So, she chose Yuan Zhao to be the new emperor. She picked him because he was only two years old. This meant she could easily control him and continue to rule the country herself.
End of His Reign
A powerful general named Erzhu Rong did not agree with Empress Dowager Hu's actions. He refused to accept Yuan Zhao as the new emperor. General Erzhu Rong quickly led his army to the capital city, Luoyang. He announced that another person, Yuan Ziyou, should be the true emperor.
Less than two months after Yuan Zhao was made emperor, General Erzhu Rong captured Luoyang. He arrested both Empress Dowager Hu and the young Yuan Zhao. After a short time, General Erzhu Rong had them both drowned in the Yellow River.
What Historians Say
Historians have different ideas about whether Yuan Zhao was a "real" emperor. He was not given a special imperial name after he died, which emperors usually received. However, the way his death was described in official records was usually only used for emperors. The official history book of the Northern Wei dynasty, called the Book of Wei, does not have a separate story for Yuan Zhao. Instead, his brief time as emperor is told as part of Emperor Xiaoming's story.
