Hierarchy classification:

1. top of the aat hierarchies
2. Styles and Periods Facet
3. Styles and Periods (hierarchy name)
4. [styles, periods, and cultures by region]
5. Asian
6. East Asian
7. Chinese (culture or style)
8. Chinese dynastic styles and periods
9. Southern and Northern Dynasties
10. Northern Dynasties

Anotations

Scope note:

Refers to the culture, style, and period of a northern Chinese dynasty 557-581 CE. The Yuwen family of the Xianbei tribe created the Northern Zhou dynasty out of the puppet state of Western Wei. The dynasty was based in the Wei River valley and had its capital at Chang'an in Shaanxi province. Buddhists were persecuted during the reign of Emperor Wudi (reigned 561-577) because the monasteries were considered a drain on the state. Wudi's conquer of the Northern Qi dynasty, which temporarily reunited northern China, was largely financed by the confiscation of monastery property and supported by the forced labor of the million monks and nuns forcibly laicized. Nevertheless, Buddhist art was still created during this period, most notably at Chang'an. Indian Gupta sculptures were the models for several massive Buddha sculptures and there are a few Northern Zhou style wall paintings in the Thousand Buddha Caves in Dunhuang. In such paintings the landscape is important yet subordinate to figural elements. The Northern Zhou dynasty was succeeded by the Sui dynasty, founded by a royal maternal relative named Yang Jian in 581.