Abstract:

After the Former Qin Dynasty conquered the state of Dai, the tribal union under the surname of Tuoba was disbanded. This policy adopted by Emperor Daowu of the Northern Wei Dynasty was actually learned from the Former Qin Dynasty, which aimed to divide the tribal union into smaller tribes and integrate them into the national system of the Northern Wei. However, the tribal institution as well as the domination of tribal chiefs remained. These tribal chiefs were authorized in the Northern Wei Dynasty. In fact, this practice can be traced back to the Sixteen Kingdom Period.

Key words: Northern Wei Dynasty, Sixteen Kingdom Period, disbandment of tribes, authorized tribal chiefs, origins of a system