Yang Wendu (
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
: 楊文度; died 477) was a ruler of
Chouchi
Chouchi (), or Qiuchi (), was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Yang clan of Di ethnicity in modern-day Gansu Province. Its existence spanned both the Sixteen Kingdoms and Northern and Southern dynasties periods, but it is not listed among ...
during the
Northern and Southern dynasties
The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered as ...
period. He was the last King of Wudu before Chouchi was split into Wuxing and Yinping, although the rulers of Wuxing continued to use the title until 492. He can also be seen as the first ruler of Wuxing, as after succeeding his distant-cousin,
Yang Sengsi to the throne, Wendu proclaimed himself King of Wuxing and would only change his title to King of Wudu later.
Wendu came to power some time between 467 and 473. He initially sent envoys to the
Northern Wei
Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...
, but later betrayed them in favour of
Liu Song
Song, known as Liu Song (), Former Song (前宋) or Song of (the) Southern Dynasty (南朝宋) in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the first of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. ...
. Song bestowed Wendu numerous offices, all whilst he continued hostilities with Wei. He attacked Wei in 473, but was repelled. He attacked Wei again in 477, but Wei in response started a campaign to defeat him. Wendu was killed and his head was sent to
Pingcheng
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province in the People's Republic of China. It is located in the Datong Basin at an elevation of and borders Inner Mongolia to the north and west and Hebei to the east. As of the 2020 cens ...
. After his defeat, Wei installed his cousin,
Yang Guangxiang, as the Duke of Yinping (陰平; present-day
Wen County, Gansu
Wen County or Wenxian () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Longnan, in the southeast of Gansu province, China, bordering Sichuan province to the south and west. It has a land area of 4,994 square kilometers, and ...
). Meanwhile, Wendu's brother,
Yang Wenhong made peace with Wei and inherited his title, but would shift his base to Wuxing (武興縣; present-day
Lueyang County
Lueyang County, or Lüeyang County (), is a county of Hanzhong, in the southwest of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Gansu province to the north and west and located on the upper reaches of the Jialing River. It was first founded in 111 BC. As a ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
).
477 deaths
Year of birth unknown
Chouchi
{{China-royal-stub