The Chinese at the court now formed the leading element, and they tried to persuade the emperor to claim dominion over all China, at least in theory, by installing his capital in Loyang, the old centre of China.  This transfer had the advantage for them personally that the territories in which their properties were situated were close to that capital, so that the grain they produced found a ready market.  And it was indeed no longer possible to rule the great Toba empire, now covering the whole of North China from North Shansi.  The administrative staff was so great that the transport system was no longer able to bring in sufficient food.  For the present capital did not lie on a navigable river, and all the grain had to be carted, an expensive and unsafe mode of transport.  Ultimately, in 493-4, the Chinese gentry officials secured the transfer of the capital to Loyang.  In the years 490 to 499 the Toba emperor Wen Ti (471-499) took further decisive steps required by the stage reached in internal development.  All aliens were prohibited from using their own language in public life.  Chinese became the official language.  Chinese clothing and customs also became general.  The system of administration which had largely followed a pattern developed by the Wei dynasty in the early third century, was changed and took a form which became the model for the T’ang dynasty in the seventh century.  It is important to note that in this period, for the first time, an office for religious affairs was created which dealt mainly with Buddhistic monasteries.  While after the Toba period such an office for religious affairs disappeared again, this idea was taken up later by Japan when Japan accepted a Chinese-type of administration.

[Illustration:  6 Sun Ch’uean, ruler of Wu. From a painting by Yen Li-pen (c. 640-680).]

[Illustration:  7 General view of the Buddhist cave-temples of Yuen-kang.  In the foreground, the present village; in the background, the rampart. Photo H. Hammer-Morrisson.]

Owing to his bringing up, the emperor no longer regarded himself as Toba but as Chinese; he adopted the Chinese culture, acting as he was bound to do if he meant to be no longer an alien ruler in North China.  Already he regarded himself as emperor of all China, so that the South Chinese empire was looked upon as a rebel state that had to be conquered.  While, however, he succeeded in everything else, the campaign against the south failed except for some local successes.

The transfer of the capital to Loyang was a blow to the Toba nobles.  Their herds became valueless, for animal products could not be carried over the long distance to the new capital.  In Loyang the Toba nobles found themselves parted from their tribes, living in an unaccustomed climate and with nothing to do, for all important posts were occupied by Chinese.  The government refused to allow them to return to the north.  Those who did not become Chinese by finding their way into Chinese families grew visibly poorer and poorer.