Emperor Yuan of Liang

Emperor Yuan of Liang
梁元帝
Emperor of the Liang dynasty
ReignDecember 13, 552[1][2] – January 7, 555[3][1]
PredecessorXiao Dong
SuccessorEmperor Min
Emperor Xuan (Western Liang)
Pretender(s)Xiao Ji (from 16 May 552 to 5 August 553)
Hou Jing (from 1 January 552 to August 552)
BornXiao Qifu (蕭七符)
September 16, 508[3][1]
DiedJanuary 27, 555(555-01-27) (aged 46)[1][4]
ConsortsXu Zhaopei of Donghai
Xia Wangfeng
IssueSee § Family
Full name
Era name and dates
Chéngshèng (承聖): December 13, 552 – July 1, 555[1][5]
Posthumous name
Emperor Yuán (元皇帝, "discerning") (short)
Emperor Xiàoyuán (孝元皇帝, "filial and discerning") (full)
Temple name
Shìzǔ (世祖)
DynastyLiang dynasty
FatherEmperor Wu
MotherEmpress Dowager Wenxuan

Emperor Yuan of Liang (Chinese: 梁元帝; pinyin: Liáng Yuándì) (16 September 508 – 27 January 555), personal name Xiao Yi (蕭繹), courtesy name Shicheng (世誠), childhood name Qifu (七符), was an emperor of the Chinese Liang dynasty. After his father Emperor Wu and brother Emperor Jianwen were successively taken hostage and controlled by the rebel general Hou Jing, Xiao Yi was largely viewed as the de facto leader of Liang, and after defeating Hou in 552 declared himself emperor. In 554, after offending Yuwen Tai, the paramount general of rival Western Wei, Western Wei forces descended on and captured his capital Jiangling (江陵, in modern Jingzhou, Hubei), executing him and instead declaring his nephew Xiao Cha (Emperor Xuan) the Emperor of Liang.

Emperor Yuan was a renowned writer and collector of ancient books, but was criticized by historians for concentrating on eliminating potential contenders for the throne rather than on fighting Hou Jing. As Jiangling was besieged by Western Wei troops, Emperor Yuan set his collection of more than 140,000 volumes of ancient books on fire, and this is commonly considered one of the greatest disasters for the study of ancient works in Chinese history.


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