text: Greek

text: Stoic

text: philosopher

text: slave

text: Hierapolis

text: Phrygia

text: Pamukkale

text: Turkey

text: Rome

text: Nicopolis

text: Greece

text: Arrian

text: Discourses

text: Enchiridion

text: Hierapolis

text: Phrygia

text: Greek

text: Plato

text: Laws

text: slave

text: Epaphroditos

text: freedman

text: Nero

text: Stoic

text: Musonius Rufus

text: crippled

text: Origen

text: Simplicius

text: philosophy

text: Domitian

text: Nicopolis

text: Epirus

text: Greece

text: Arrian

text: Discourses

text: Socratic

text: Hadrian

text: Lucian

text: oil lamp

text: drachma

text: Arrian

text: Anabasis Alexandri

text: The Discourses

text: Enchiridion

text: Lucius Gellius

text: Logic

text: lie

text: prohairesis

text: phantasia

text: opinion

text: Reason

text: ataraxia

text: apatheia

text: prolepsis

text: Zeus

text: universe

text: destiny

text: inn

text: compassion

text: desire

text: Diogenes Laërtius

text: Cleanthes

text: Seneca

text: U.S. military

text: James Stockdale

text: vice presidential candidate

text: Ross Perot

text: fighter pilot

text: Vietnam War

text: Stanford University

text: solitary confinement

text: Roman Emperor

text: Marcus Aurelius

text: Parthia

text: Asia

text: Germanic tribes

text: Europe

text: Meditations

text: Neoplatonist

text: Simplicius

text: Justinian

text: George Long

text: Bernard Stiegler

text: France

text: Acting Out

text: Tom Wolfe

text: A Man in Full

text: Enchiridion of Epictetus

text: Joseph Campbell

text: hero's journey

text: Gladiator

text: A House for Mr Biswas

text: V.S. Naipaul

text: Disturbances in the Field

text: Lynne Sharon Schwartz

text: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

text: Laurence Sterne

text: Shakespeare

text: John Milton

text: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

text: James Joyce

text: Franny and Zooey

text: J. D. Salinger

text: Theodore Dreiser

text: Sister Carrie

text: John Berryman

text: Matthew Arnold

text: sonnet

text: Homer

text: Sophocles

text: François Rabelais

text: Pantagruel

text: Albert Ellis

text: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

text: psychotherapy

text: Kiyozawa Manshi

text: Higashi Honganji

text: Jodo Shinshu

text: Buddhism

text: David Mamet

text: William H. Macy

text: Practical Aesthetics

text: The Practical Handbook for the Actor

text: Enchiridion

text: List of slaves

text: Epicurus

text: Buddha

text: Elizabeth Carter

text: George Long

text: A. L. Burt

text: W. A. Oldfather

text: Loeb Classical Library

text: Elizabeth Carter

text: Open Library

text: The Ethics of the Stoic Epictetus

text: William O. Stephens

text: Michel Foucault

text: Épictète

text: A. A. Long

text: William O. Stephens

text: Stoic Ethics: Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom

text: Epicteti dissertationes ab Arriano digestae

text: Works by Epictetus

text: "Dialogue between Hadrian and Epictetus"

text: The Knickerbocker

text: "Commentary on the Enchiridion of Epictetus"

text: Simplicius of Cilicia

text: "Stockdale on Stoicism I: The Stoic Warrior's Triad"

text: James Stockdale

text: "Stockdale on Stoicism II: Master of My Fate"

text: James Stockdale

categories: History of ideas,2nd-century Romans,Roman-era Phrygians,Philosophers of culture,1st-century philosophers,Roman-era Stoic philosophers,Metaphysicians,Epistemologists,Philosophy of life,Roman Imperial era slaves and freedmen,Roman-era Epirotes,Philosophers of education,Stoicism,1st-century Romans,Ontologists,History of philosophy,2nd-century philosophers,Moral philosophers,Virtue ethicists,2nd-century Greek people,Philosophers of ethics and morality,Philosophers of mind,Philosophers of logic,Ancient Greek metaphilosophers,1st-century Greek people,55 births,Philosophers of love,Ancient Greek slaves and freedmen,Acting theorists,Virtue,Ancient Greek metaphysicians,Metaphilosophers,135 deaths

paragraph: Epictetus

paragraph: Epictetus (; , "Epíktētos"; 55 135 AD) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present day Pamukkale, Turkey) and lived in Rome until his banishment, when he went to Nicopolis in northwestern Greece for the rest of his life. His teachings were written down and published by his pupil Arrian in his "Discourses" and "Enchiridion".

paragraph: Epictetus taught that philosophy is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline. To Epictetus, all external events are beyond our control; we should accept calmly and dispassionately whatever happens. However, individuals are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline.

paragraph: Section::::Life.

paragraph: Epictetus was born c. 55 A.D., presumably at Hierapolis, Phrygia. The name his parents gave him is unknown; the word "epíktetos" (ἐπίκτητος) in Greek simply means "gained" or "acquired"; the Greek philosopher Plato, in his "Laws", uses the term as property that is "added to one's hereditary property". He spent his youth as a slave in Rome to Epaphroditos, a wealthy freedman and secretary to Nero.

paragraph: Early in life, Epictetus acquired a passion for philosophy and, with the permission of his wealthy owner, he studied Stoic philosophy under Musonius Rufus, which allowed him to rise in respectability as he grew more educated. Somehow, he became crippled. Origen stated that his leg was deliberately broken by his master. Simplicius stated that he had been lame from childhood.

paragraph: Epictetus obtained his freedom sometime after the death of Nero in 68 A.D., and he began to teach philosophy in Rome. About 93 A.D. Emperor Domitian banished all philosophers from the city, and Epictetus went to Nicopolis in Epirus, Greece, where he founded a philosophical school.

paragraph: His most famous pupil, Arrian, studied under him when a young man (c. 108 A.D.) and claimed to have written the famous "Discourses" from his lecture notes, which he argued should be considered comparable to the Socratic literature. Arrian describes Epictetus as being a powerful speaker who could "induce his listener to feel just what Epictetus wanted him to feel." Many eminent figures sought conversations with him. Emperor Hadrian was friendly with him, and may have listened to him speak at his school in Nicopolis.

paragraph: He lived a life of great simplicity, with few possessions. He lived alone for a long time, but in his old age he adopted a friend's child who otherwise would have been left to die, and raised him with the aid of a woman. It is unclear whether Epictetus and she were married. He died sometime around 135 A.D. After his death, according to Lucian, his oil lamp was purchased by an admirer for 3,000 drachmae.

paragraph: Section::::Thought.

paragraph: No writings by Epictetus are known. His discourses were transcribed and compiled by his pupil Arrian (author of the "Anabasis Alexandri"). The main work is "The Discourses", four books of which have been preserved (out of the original eight). Arrian also compiled a popular digest, entitled the "Enchiridion", or "Handbook." In a preface to the "Discourses" that is addressed to Lucius Gellius, Arrian states that "whatever I heard him say I used to write down, word for word, as best I could, endeavouring to preserve it as a memorial, for my own future use, of his way of thinking and the frankness of his speech."

paragraph: Epictetus maintains that the foundation of all philosophy is self-knowledge, that is, the conviction of our ignorance and gullibility ought to be the first subject of our study. Logic provides valid reasoning and certainty in judgment, but it is subordinate to practical needs. The first and most necessary part of philosophy concerns the application of doctrine, for example, that people should not lie. The second concerns reasons, e.g. why people should not lie. While the third, lastly, examines and establishes the reasons. This is the logical part, which finds reasons, shows what is a reason, and that a given reason is a correct one. This last part is necessary, but only on account of the second, which again is rendered necessary by the first.

paragraph: Both the "Discourses" and the "Enchiridion" begin by distinguishing between those things in our power ("prohairetic" things) and those things not in our power ("aprohairetic" things).

paragraph: That alone is in our power, which is our own work; and in this class are our opinions, impulses, desires, and aversions. What, on the contrary, is not in our power, are our bodies, possessions, glory, and power. Any delusion on this point leads to the greatest errors, misfortunes, and troubles, and to the slavery of the soul.

paragraph: We have no power over external things, and the good that ought to be the object of our earnest pursuit, is to be found only within ourselves. The determination between what is good and what is not good is made by the capacity for choice ("prohairesis"). Prohairesis allows us to act, and gives us the kind of freedom that only rational animals have. It is determined by our reason, which of all our faculties, sees and tests itself and everything else. It is the correct use of the impressions ("phantasia") that bombard the mind that is in our power:

paragraph: Practice then from the start to say to every harsh impression, "You are an impression, and not at all the thing you appear to be." Then examine it and test it by these rules you have, and firstly, and chiefly, by this: whether the impression has to do with the things that are up to us, or those that are not; and if it has to do with the things that are not up to us, be ready to reply, "It is nothing to me."

paragraph: We will not be troubled at any loss, but will say to ourselves on such an occasion: "I have lost nothing that belongs to me; it was not something of mine that was torn from me, but something that was not in my power has left me." Nothing beyond the use of our opinion is properly ours. Every possession rests on opinion. What is to cry and to weep? An opinion. What is misfortune, or a quarrel, or a complaint? All these things are opinions; opinions founded on the delusion that what is not subject to our own choice can be either good or evil, which it cannot. By rejecting these opinions, and seeking good and evil in the power of choice alone, we may confidently achieve peace of mind in every condition of life.

paragraph: Reason alone is good, the irrational is evil, and the irrational is intolerable to the rational. The good person should labour chiefly on their own reason; to perfect this is in our power. To repel evil opinions by the good is the noble contest in which humans should engage; it is not an easy task, but it promises true freedom, peace of mind ("ataraxia"), and a divine command over the emotions ("apatheia"). We should especially be on our guard against the opinion of pleasure because of its apparent sweetness and charms. The first object of philosophy, therefore, is to purify the mind.

paragraph: Epictetus teaches that the preconceptions ("prolepsis") of good and evil are common to all. Good alone is profitable and to be desired, and evil is hurtful and to be avoided. Different opinions arise only from the application of these preconceptions to particular cases, and it is then that the darkness of ignorance, which blindly maintains the correctness of its own opinion, must be dispelled. People entertain different and conflicting opinions of good, and in their judgment of a particular good, people frequently contradict themselves. Philosophy should provide a standard for good and evil. This process is greatly facilitated because the mind and the works of the mind are alone in our power, whereas all external things that aid life are beyond our control.

paragraph: The essence of divinity is goodness; we have all good that could be given to us. The deities too gave us the soul and reason, which is not measured by breadth or depth, but by knowledge and sentiments, and by which we attain to greatness, and may equal even with the deities. We should, therefore, cultivate the mind with special care. If we wish for nothing, but what God wills, we shall be truly free, and all will come to pass with us according to our desire; and we shall be as little subject to restraint as Zeus himself.

paragraph: Every individual is connected with the rest of the world, and the universe is fashioned for universal harmony. Wise people, therefore, will pursue, not merely their own will, but also will be subject to the rightful order of the world. We should conduct ourselves through life fulfilling all our duties as children, siblings, parents, and citizens.

paragraph: For our country or friends we ought to be ready to undergo or perform the greatest difficulties. The good person, if able to foresee the future, would peacefully and contentedly help to bring about their own sickness, maiming, and even death, knowing that this is the correct order of the universe. We have all a certain part to play in the world, and we have done enough when we have performed what our nature allows. In the exercise of our powers, we may become aware of the destiny we are intended to fulfill.

paragraph: We are like travellers at an inn, or guests at a stranger's table; whatever is offered we take with thankfulness, and sometimes, when the turn comes, we may refuse; in the former case we are a worthy guest of the deities, and in the latter we appear as a sharer in their power. Anyone who finds life intolerable is free to quit it, but we should not abandon our appointed role without sufficient reason. The Stoic sage will never find life intolerable and will complain of no one, neither deity nor human. Those who go wrong we should pardon and treat with compassion, since it is from ignorance that they err, being as it were, blind.

paragraph: It is only our opinions and principles that can render us unhappy, and it is only the ignorant person who finds fault with another. Every desire degrades us, and renders us slaves of what we desire. We ought not to forget the transitory character of all external advantages, even in the midst of our enjoyment of them; but always to bear in mind that they are not our own, and that therefore, they do not properly belong to us. Thus prepared, we shall never be carried away by opinions.

paragraph: The final entry of the "Enchiridion," or "Handbook," begins: "Upon all occasions we ought to have these maxims ready at hand":

paragraph: Conduct me, Zeus, and thou, O Destiny,

paragraph: Wherever thy decree has fixed my lot.

paragraph: I follow willingly; and, did I not,

paragraph: Wicked and wretched would I follow still.

paragraph: (Diogenes Laërtius quoting Cleanthes; quoted also by Seneca, Epistle 107.)"

paragraph: Whoe'er yields properly to Fate is deemed

paragraph: Wise among men, and knows the laws of Heaven.

paragraph: O Crito, if it thus pleases the gods, thus let it be.

paragraph: Anytus and Meletus may indeed kill me, but they cannot harm me.

paragraph: Section::::Influence.

paragraph: Section::::Influence.:Military.

paragraph: Section::::Influence.:Military.:James Stockdale.

paragraph: The philosophy of Epictetus is well known in the U.S. military through the writings and example of James Stockdale, the 1992 vice presidential candidate of Ross Perot and a fighter pilot who was shot down while serving in the Vietnam War. He was introduced to the works of Epictetus while at Stanford University. In "Courage under Fire: Testing Epictetus's Doctrines in a Laboratory of Human Behavior" (1993), Stockdale credits Epictetus with helping him endure his seven and a half years in captivity, which included torture and four years in solitary confinement. When he was shot down, he reportedly said to himself "I'm leaving the world of technology and entering the world of Epictetus!" as he bailed out.

paragraph: Quoting Epictetus, Stockdale concludes the book with: The emotions of grief, pity, and even affection are well-known disturbers of the soul. Grief is the most offensive; Epictetus considered the suffering of grief an act of evil. It is a willful act, going against the will of God to have all men share happiness.

paragraph: Section::::Influence.:Philosophy.

paragraph: Section::::Influence.:Philosophy.:Marcus Aurelius.

paragraph: The philosophy of Epictetus was an influence on the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121 to 180 A.D.) whose reign was marked by wars with the resurgent Parthia in western Asia and against the Germanic tribes in Europe. Aurelius quotes from Epictetus repeatedly in his own work, "Meditations", written during his campaigns in central Europe.

paragraph: Section::::Influence.:Philosophy.:Simplicius of Cilicia.

paragraph: In the sixth century, the Neoplatonist philosopher Simplicius, who was persecuted for his pagan beliefs during the reign of Justinian, wrote an extant commentary on the "Enchiridion". At the end of the commentary Simplicius wrote: "Nor does my writing this commentary prove beneficial to others only, for I myself have already found great advantage from it, by the agreeable diversion it has given me, in a season of trouble and public calamity." George Long considered the commentary "worth reading", but then opined, "But how many will read it? Perhaps one in a million."

paragraph: Section::::Influence.:Philosophy.:Bernard Stiegler.

paragraph: When Bernard Stiegler was imprisoned for five years for armed robbery in France, he assembled an "ensemble of disciplines," which he called (in reference to Epictetus) his "melete". This ensemble amounted to a practice of reading and writing that Stiegler derived from the writings of Epictetus. This led to his transformation, and upon being released from incarceration he became a professional philosopher. Stiegler tells the story of this transformation in his book, "Acting Out".

paragraph: Section::::Influence.:Literature.

paragraph: The philosophy of Epictetus plays a key role in the 1998 novel by Tom Wolfe, "A Man in Full". This was in part the outcome of discussions Wolfe had with James Stockdale (see above). The character Conrad, who through a series of mishaps finds himself in jail, and accidentally gets a copy of the Enchiridion of Epictetus, the Stoics manual, finds a philosophy that strengthens him to endure the brutality of the jail environment. He experiences Joseph Campbell's 'hero's journey' call to action and becomes a strong, honorable, undefeatable protagonist. The importance of Epictetus' Stoicism for Stockdale, its role in "A Man in Full", and its significance in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" is discussed by William O. Stephens in "The Rebirth of Stoicism?"

paragraph: Mohun Biswas, in the novel "A House for Mr Biswas" (1961), by V.S. Naipaul, is pleased to think himself a follower of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius; the irony is that he never actually behaves as a Stoic.

paragraph: “Everything has two handles, the one by which it may be carried, the other by which it cannot” is the theme of "Disturbances in the Field" (1983), by Lynne Sharon Schwartz. Lydia, the central character, turns often to "The Golden Sayings of Epictetus"—the latter being a modern selection from the writings of Epictetus, compiled and translated by Hastings Crossley.

paragraph: A line from the "Enchiridion" is used as a title quotation in "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman" by Laurence Sterne, which translates to, "Not things, but opinions about things, trouble men." The quotation alludes to a theme of the novel about how the suffering of many of its characters (above all Walter Shandy) is the result of the opinions and assumptions they make about reality. This is similar to Shakespeare's "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." - Hamlet: Act 2, Scene 2, and John Milton's "The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven."

paragraph: Epictetus is mentioned in "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce: in the fifth chapter of the novel the protagonist Stephen Daedalus discusses Epictetus's famous lamp with a dean of his college. Epictetus also is mentioned briefly in "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger, and is referred to by Theodore Dreiser in his novel "Sister Carrie". Both the longevity of Epictetus's life and his philosophy are alluded to in John Berryman's poem, "Of Suicide."

paragraph: Epictetus is referred to, but not mentioned by name, in Matthew Arnold's sonnet "To a Friend". Arnold provides three historical personalities as his inspiration and support in difficult times (Epictetus is preceded by Homer and succeeded by Sophocles):

paragraph: Much he, whose friendship I not long since won,br

paragraph: That halting slave, who in Nicopolisbr

paragraph: Taught Arrian, when Vespasian's brutal sonbr

paragraph: Cleared Rome of what most shamed him.

paragraph: Section::::Influence.:Literature.:François Rabelais.

paragraph: In the Chapter XXX of François Rabelais' "Pantagruel" (c.1532), Pantagruel's tutor Epistemon had his head cut off after a battle. After he had his head reattached and was brought back to life, he recounts his experience of the damned in hell:

paragraph: Section::::Influence.:Psychology.

paragraph: Psychologist Albert Ellis, the founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, credited Epictetus with providing a foundation for his system of psychotherapy.

paragraph: Section::::Influence.:Religion.

paragraph: Kiyozawa Manshi, a controversial reformer within the Higashi Honganji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism cited Epictetus as one of the three major influences on his spiritual development and thought.

paragraph: Section::::Influence.:Acting.

paragraph: Epictetus' philosophy is an influence on the acting method introduced by David Mamet and William H. Macy, known as Practical Aesthetics. The main book that describes the method, "The Practical Handbook for the Actor", lists the "Enchiridion" in the bibliography.

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- List of slaves

paragraph: BULLET::::- Epicurus also addressed the relationship between morality and suffering.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Buddha also addressed the relationship between morality and suffering.

paragraph: Section::::Notes.

paragraph: Note 70. http://williamostephens.com

paragraph: Section::::Further reading.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Primary sources

paragraph: BULLET::::- "All the Works of Epictetus, Which are Now Extant", Elizabeth Carter (trans.) (1758)

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Discourses, Fragments, Handbook", Robin Hard (trans.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Discourses and Selected Writings", Robert Dobbin (trans.), Oxford: Penguin Classics, 2008 .

paragraph: BULLET::::- "The Discourses (The Handbook, Fragments)", Robin Hard (trans.), Christopher Gill (contrib.), Everyman Edition, 2003 .

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Epictetus Discourses: Book 1", Robert Dobbin (trans.), (Clarendon Later Ancient Philosophers), Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1998 .

paragraph: BULLET::::- "The Handbook", Nicholas P. White (trans.), Indianapolis: Hackett, 1983 .

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Enchiridion", George Long (trans.), New York: A. L. Burt, 1955 (reprint: New York: Dover, 2004) .

paragraph: BULLET::::- "The Discourses," trans. W. A. Oldfather. 2 vols. (Loeb Classical Library edition.) Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 and 1928. and .

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Moral Discourses, Enchiridion and Fragments", Elizabeth Carter (trans.), W.H.D. Rouse (Ed.), London: J.M. Dent & Sons, 1910. at Open Library

paragraph: BULLET::::- Studies

paragraph: BULLET::::- Jonathan Barnes, "Logic and Imperial Stoa", Leiden: Brill, 1997 (Chapter Three: "Epictetuts", pp. 24–127).

paragraph: BULLET::::- Adolf Friedrich Bonhoffer, "The Ethics of the Stoic Epictetus", William O. Stephens trans., Bern: Peter Lang, 2000 .

paragraph: BULLET::::- Michel Foucault, "The Hermeneutics of the Subject: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1981–1982", New York: Picador, 2005 .

paragraph: BULLET::::- Pedro P. Fuentes González. art. "Épictète", in R. Goulet (ed.), "Dictionnaire des Philosophes Antiques" III, Paris, CNRS, 2000, pp. 106–151 .

paragraph: BULLET::::- Brian E. Johnson, "The Role Ethics of Epictetus: Stoicism in Ordinary Life", Lanham: Lexington Books, 2014 .

paragraph: BULLET::::- A. A. Long, "Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life", Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002 .

paragraph: BULLET::::- Theodore Scaltsas, Andrew S. Mason (ed.), "The Philosophy of Epictetus". Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007 .

paragraph: BULLET::::- Keith Seddon, "Epictetus' Handbook and the Tablet of Cebes: Guides to Stoic Living", Routledge, 2005.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Werner Sohn, "EPICTETUS: Ein erzkonservativer Bildungsroman mit liberalen Eselsohren" (German version) Norderstedt: BoD, 2010 .

paragraph: BULLET::::- William O. Stephens, "Stoic Ethics: Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom", London: Continuum, 2007 .

paragraph: Section::::External links.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Epicteti dissertationes ab Arriano digestae", (ed.), Lipsiae, in aedibus B. G. Teubneri, 1916.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Works by Epictetus at the Internet Classics Archive

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Dialogue between Hadrian and Epictetus" – a fictitious 2nd or 3rd century composition, translated into English in "The Knickerbocker" magazine, August 1857

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Commentary on the Enchiridion of Epictetus" by Simplicius of Cilicia (6th century)

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Stockdale on Stoicism I: The Stoic Warrior's Triad" by James Stockdale

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Stockdale on Stoicism II: Master of My Fate" by James Stockdale

description: philosopher from Ancient Greece (c.55 - 0135)

enwikiquote_title: Epictetus

wikidata_label: Epictetus

wikipedia_title: Epictetus


text: Emperor Tenmu

text: Empress Jitō

text: Nihon Shoki

text: Ankan

text: Senka

text: Emperor Senka

text: Emperor Keitai

text: Yamato

text: Ōomi

text: Soga no Iname

text: Ōmuraji

text: Mononobe no Okoshi

text: Ōmuraji

text: Ōtomo Kanamura Maro

text: Asuka

text: Asuka period

text: Yamato

text: Buddhism

text: Baekje

text: Buddha

text: Baekje

text: Jōgū Shōtoku Hōō Teisetsu

text: Mononobe clan

text: Japan's traditional deities

text: memorial

text: Shinto

text: shrine

text: Imperial Household Agency

text: mausoleum

text: graves

text: Emperor Keitai

text: Emperor Ninken

text: Emperor Senka

text: Emperor Bidatsu

text: Emperor Senka

text: Emperor Senka

text: Soga no Iname

text: Emperor Yōmei

text: Saiō

text: Empress Suiko

text: Emperor Bidatsu

text: Emperor Bidatsu

text: Emperor Yōmei

text: Soga no Iname

text: Emperor Yōmei

text: Emperor Yōmei

text: Emperor Sushun

text: Emperor Senka

text: Emperor Ankan

text: Emperor of Japan

text: List of Emperors of Japan

text: Imperial cult

text: Aston, William George.

text: Brown, Delmer M.

text: "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past."

text: Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon

text: "The Imperial House of Japan."

text: Titsingh, Isaac.

text: Nihon Ōdai Ichiran

text: "Annales des empereurs du Japon."

text: Varley, H. Paul.

categories: 6th-century monarchs in Asia,6th-century Japanese monarchs,Japanese emperors,571 deaths,509 births

paragraph: Emperor Kinmei

paragraph: His reign is said to have spanned the years from 539 through 571. Kinmei is the first Japanese Emperor for whom contemporary historiography is able to assign verifiable dates.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.

paragraph: Kinmei's contemporary title would not have been "tennō", as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. Rather, it was presumably , meaning "the great king who rules all under heaven". Alternatively, Kinmei might have been referred to as or the "Great King of Yamato".

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Events of Kinmei's life.

paragraph: Because of several chronological discrepancies in the account of Emperor Kinmei in the "Nihon Shoki", some believe that he was actually ruling a rival court to that of Emperors Ankan and Senka. Nevertheless, according to the traditional account, it was not until the death of Emperor Kinmei's older brother Emperor Senka that he gained the throne.

paragraph: According to this account, Emperor Senka died in 539 at the age of 73; and succession passed to the third son of Emperor Keitai. This Imperial Prince was the next youngest brother of Emperor Senka. He would come to be known as Emperor Kinmei. He established his court at in Yamato.

paragraph: The Emperor's chief counselors were:

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Ōomi" (Great Imperial chieftain): Soga no Iname no Sukune, also known as Soga no Iname.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Ōmuraji" (Great Deity chieftain): Monotobe Okoshi no Muraji, also known as Mononobe no Okoshi.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Ōmuraji" (Great Deity chieftain): Ōtomo Kanamura Maro, also known as Otomo no Kanamura.

paragraph: Although the imperial court was not moved to the Asuka region of Japan until 592, Emperor Kinmei's rule is considered by some to be the beginning of the Asuka period of Yamato Japan, particularly by those who associate the Asuka period primarily with the introduction of Buddhism to Japan from Baekje.

paragraph: According to the "Nihon Shoki", Emperor Kinmei received a bronze statue of Buddha as a gift from the king of Baekje King Song Myong (聖明王, "Seimei Ō") along with a significant envoy of artisans, monks, and other artifacts in 552. (However, according to the Jōgū Shōtoku Hōō Teisetsu, Buddhism was introduced in 538.) This episode is widely regarded as the official introduction of Buddhism to the country.

paragraph: With the introduction of a new religion to the court, a deep rift developed between the Mononobe clan, who supported the worship of Japan's traditional deities, and the Soga clan, who supported the adoption of Buddhism.

paragraph: According to the "Nihon Shoki", Emperor Kinmei ruled until his death in 571 and was buried in the . An alternate stronger theory holds that he was actually buried in the , located in .

paragraph: The Emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ("misasagi") at Nara. The Imperial Household Agency designates the Nara location as Kinmei's mausoleum. It is formally named "Hinokuma no saki Ai no misasagi"; however, the actual sites of the graves of the early Emperors remain problematic, according to some historians and archaeologists.

paragraph: Section::::Genealogy.

paragraph: Emperor Kinmei's father was Emperor Keitai and his mother was Emperor Ninken's daughter, . In his lifetime, he was known by the name .

paragraph: Kinmei had six Empresses and 25 Imperial children (16 sons and 9 daughters). According to Nihongi, he had six wives, but the "Kojiki" gives only five wives; identifying the third consort to be the same as the sixth one. The first three were his nieces, daughters of his half-brother Emperor Senka; two others were sisters, daughters of the Omi Soga no Iname.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Empress: , Emperor Senka's daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- First son:

paragraph: BULLET::::- Second son: , later Emperor Bidatsu

paragraph: BULLET::::- Consort: , Emperor Senka's daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- , in the "Kojiki" as

paragraph: BULLET::::- Consort: , Soga no Iname's daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- Fourth Son: , later Emperor Yōmei

paragraph: BULLET::::- , Saiō; had to resign her charge after being convicted of intrigue with her half-brother Imperial Prince Mubaragi

paragraph: BULLET::::- , also

paragraph: BULLET::::- , later Empress Suiko, married to Emperor Bidatsu

paragraph: BULLET::::- , also

paragraph: BULLET::::- , also

paragraph: BULLET::::- , married to her nephew, Prince Oshisako no Hikohito no Oe, Emperor Bidatsu's son

paragraph: BULLET::::- Sixth Son: , also

paragraph: BULLET::::- , also

paragraph: BULLET::::- , also , married to her nephew, Prince Maroko, Emperor Yōmei's son

paragraph: BULLET::::- , also

paragraph: BULLET::::- Third daughter: , married to her half brother, Emperor Yōmei, later married to her nephew and stepson, Prince Tame (Emperor Yōmei's son)

paragraph: BULLET::::- , later Emperor Sushun

paragraph: BULLET::::- , speculated as Emperor Senka's son

paragraph: BULLET::::- Consort: , Kasuga no Hifuri no Omi's daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- , married Emperor Ankan

paragraph: BULLET::::- , also

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Emperor of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- List of Emperors of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- Imperial cult

paragraph: Section::::References.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Aston, William George. (1896). "Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697." London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past." Berkeley: University of California Press. ;

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959). "The Imperial House of Japan." Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Nihon Ōdai Ichiran"; ou, "Annales des empereurs du Japon." Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Varley, H. Paul. (1980). "Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns." New York: Columbia University Press. ;

alias:
欽明天皇
Kinmei-tennō
Kinmei
Emperor Kinmei
Emperor Kimmei

description: Emperor of Japan

wikidata_label: Kimmei

wikipedia_title: Emperor Kinmei


text: Chrysanthemum Throne

text: imina

text: Emperor Kinmei

text: Soga no Iname

text: Soga clan

text: Emperor Yōmei

text: Emperor Kinmei

text: Emperor Tenmu

text: Empress Jitō

text: Empress Suiko

text: Emperor Bidatsu

text: Mononobe clan

text: Prince Anahobe

text: Battle of Shigisan

text: Soga no Umako

text: Mononobe no Moriya

text: grave

text: memorial

text: Shinto

text: shrine

text: Imperial Household Agency

text: mausoleum

text: Soga no Umako

text: Mononobe no Moriya

text: Emperor of Japan

text: List of Emperors of Japan

text: Imperial cult

text: Aston, William George.

text: "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past".

text: "Monumenta Nipponica"

text: Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon

text: "The Imperial House of Japan".

text: Titsingh, Isaac.

text: Nihon Ōdai Ichiran

text: "Annales des empereurs du Japon".

text: Varley, H. Paul.

categories: People of Asuka-period Japan,6th-century monarchs in Asia,6th-century Japanese monarchs,592 deaths,Japanese emperors,6th-century murdered monarchs

paragraph: Emperor Sushun

paragraph: Sushun's reign spanned the years from 587 through 592.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.

paragraph: Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his "imina") was Hatsusebe"-shinnō", also known as Hatsusebe no Waka-sazaki.

paragraph: His name at birth was . He was the twelfth son of Emperor Kinmei. His mother was , a daughter of Soga no Iname, who was the chief, or Ōomi, of the Soga clan.

paragraph: He succeeded his half-brother, Emperor Yōmei in 587, and lived in the Kurahashi Palace (Kurahashi no Miya) in Yamato.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 587: In the , the Emperor died, and despite a dispute over who should follow him as sovereign, the succession was received by another son of Emperor Kinmei, one of Yōmei's younger brothers. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Sushun is said to have acceded to the throne.

paragraph: Sushun's contemporary title would not have been "tennō", as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. Rather, it was presumably , meaning "the great king who rules all under heaven". Alternatively, Sushun might have been referred to as or the "Great King of Yamato".

paragraph: He came to the throne with the support of the Soga clan and Empress Suiko, his half sister and the widow of Emperor Bidatsu. Initially, the Mononobe clan, a rival clan of the Sogas, allied with Prince Anahobe, another son of Kimmei, and attempted to have him installed as Emperor. At the Battle of Shigisan, Soga no Umako, who succeeded his father as Ōomi of the Soga clan, eventually killed Mononobe no Moriya, the head of the Mononobe clan, which led to its decline. Umako then installed Emperor Sushun on the throne.

paragraph: As time went on, Sushun eventually became resentful of Umako's power, and wanted him deposed. It is said that one day, he saw a wild boar and proclaimed, "I want to kill Soga Umako like this wild boar". This angered Soga no Umako and, perhaps out of fear of being struck first, Umako had Sushun assassinated by in 592.

paragraph: Emperor Sushun's reign lasted for five years before his death at the age of 72.

paragraph: The actual site of Sushun's grave is known. The Emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ("misasagi") at Nara.

paragraph: The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Yōmei's mausoleum. It is formally named "Kurahashi no oka no e no misasagi".

paragraph: Section::::Genealogy.

paragraph: Sushun had one Empress and two Imperial children.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Consort: , Otomo-no-Nukateko's daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- Third Son:

paragraph: BULLET::::- Concubine: , Soga no Umako's daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- Mother Unknown

paragraph: BULLET::::- , older brother of Prince Hachiko, Nakahara clan's ancestor

paragraph: BULLET::::- Concubine: , Mononobe no Moriya's younger sister

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Emperor of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- List of Emperors of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- Imperial cult

paragraph: Section::::References.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Aston, William George. (1896). "Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697". London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past". Berkeley: University of California Press. ;

paragraph: BULLET::::- Jochi Daigaku. (1989). "Monumenta Nipponica", Vol. 44. Tokyo: Sophia University Press.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959). "The Imperial House of Japan". Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Nihon Ōdai Ichiran"; ou, "Annales des empereurs du Japon". Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Varley, H. Paul. (1980). "Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns". New York: Columbia University Press. ;

description: Emperor of Japan

wikidata_label: Sushun

wikipedia_title: Emperor Sushun


text: history of Japan

text: empress regnant

text: Kōgyoku/Saimei

text: Jitō

text: Genmei

text: Genshō

text: Kōken/Shōtoku

text: Meishō

text: Go-Sakuramachi

text: Emperor Kinmei

text: Soga no Iname

text: Soga no Kitashihime

text: Emperor Bidatsu

text: Emperor Yōmei

text: Soga clan

text: Mononobe clan

text: Prince Hatsusebe

text: Prince Anahobe

text: Emperor Sushun

text: Soga no Umako

text: Emperor Tenmu

text: Empress Jitō

text: Prince Shōtoku

text: earthquake

text: Yamato Province

text: Nara Prefecture

text: Buddhist

text: nun

text: Sui

text: Twelve Level Cap and Rank System

text: Seventeen-article constitution

text: Sexagenary cycle

text: Prince Tamura

text: Soga no Emishi

text: Prince Yamashiro

text: Emperor Jomei

text: Empress Genmei

text: Empress Genshō

text: grave

text: memorial

text: Shinto

text: shrine

text: Imperial Household Agency

text: mausoleum

text: Emperor Bidatsu

text: Emperor Kinmei

text: Crown Prince Shotoku

text: Crown Prince Shotoku

text: Emperor Jomei

text: Emperor Yomei

text: Empress Jingū

text: Japanese empresses

text: Emperor of Japan

text: List of Emperors of Japan

text: Imperial cult

text: Suiko period

text: Aston, William George.

text: "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past."

text: Simon & Schuster

text: "Japan encyclopedia."

text: Harvard University Press

text: Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon

text: "The Imperial House of Japan."

text: Titsingh, Isaac.

text: Nihon Ōdai Ichiran

text: "Annales des empereurs du Japon."

text: Varley, H. Paul

text: Columbia University Press

categories: 7th-century women rulers,554 births,7th-century monarchs in Asia,People of Asuka-period Japan,7th-century Japanese monarchs,6th-century women rulers,6th-century monarchs in Asia,7th-century Japanese women, Women rulers in Japan,6th-century Japanese monarchs,628 deaths,Japanese empresses regnant,Japanese monarchs

paragraph: Empress Suiko

paragraph: Suiko reigned from 593 until her death in 628.

paragraph: In the history of Japan, Suiko was the first of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The seven women sovereigns reigning after Suiko were Kōgyoku/Saimei, Jitō, Genmei, Genshō, Kōken/Shōtoku, Meishō and Go-Sakuramachi.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.

paragraph: Before her ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, her personal name (her "imina") was Mikekashiya-hime-no-mikoto, also called Toyomike Kashikiya hime no Mikoto.

paragraph: Empress Suiko had several names including Princess Nukatabe and (possibly posthumous) Toyomike Kashikiya. She was the third daughter of Emperor Kinmei. Her mother was Soga no Iname's daughter, Soga no Kitashihime. Suiko was the younger sister of Emperor Yōmei. They had the same mother.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Life.

paragraph: Empress Suiko was a consort to her half-brother, Emperor Bidatsu, but after Bidatsu's first wife died she became his official consort and was given the title Ōkisaki (official consort of the emperor). She bore seven children.

paragraph: After Bidatsu's death, Suiko's brother, Emperor Yōmei, came to power for about two years before dying of illness. Upon Yōmei's death, another power struggle arose between the Soga clan and the Mononobe clan, with the Sogas supporting Prince Hatsusebe and the Mononobes supporting Prince Anahobe. The Sogas prevailed once again and Prince Hatsusebe acceded to the throne as Emperor Sushun in 587. However, Sushun began to resent the power of Soga no Umako, the head of the Soga clan, and Umako, perhaps out of fear that Sushun might strike first, had him assassinated by in 592. When asked to accede to the throne to fill the power vacuum that subsequently developed, Suiko became the first of what would be several examples in Japanese history where a woman was chosen to accede to the throne to avert a power struggle.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 593 : In the 2nd year of Sushun"-tennō" 's reign (崇峻天皇二年), he died; and contemporary scholars then construed that the succession ("senso") was received by the consort of former Emperor Bidatsu. Shortly thereafter, Empress Suiko is said to have ascended to the throne ("sokui").

paragraph: Suiko's contemporary title would not have been "tennō", as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. Rather, it was presumably "Sumeramikoto" or "Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi" (治天下大王), meaning "the great Queen who rules all under heaven". Alternatively, Suiko might have been referred to as (ヤマト大王/大君) or the "Great Queen of Yamato".

paragraph: Prince Shōtoku was appointed regent the following year. Although political power during Suiko's reign is widely viewed as having been wielded by Prince Shōtoku and Soga no Umako, Suiko was far from powerless. The mere fact that she survived and her reign endured suggests she had significant political skills.

paragraph: In 599, an earthquake destroyed buildings throughout Yamato Province in what is now Nara Prefecture.

paragraph: Suiko's refusal to grant Soga no Umako's request that he be granted the imperial territory known as Kazuraki no Agata in 624 is cited as evidence of her independence from his influence. Some of the many achievements under Empress Suiko's reign include the official recognition of Buddhism by the issuance of the Flourishing Three Treasures Edict in 594. Suiko was also one of the first Buddhist monarchs in Japan and had taken the vows of a nun shortly before becoming empress.

paragraph: The reign of this empress was marked by the opening of relations with the Sui court in 600, the adoption of the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System in 603 and the adoption of the Seventeen-article constitution in 604.

paragraph: The adoption of the Sexagenary cycle calendar ("Jikkan Jūnishi") in Japan is attributed to Empress Suiko in 604.

paragraph: At a time when imperial succession was generally determined by clan leaders, rather than the emperor, Suiko left only vague indications of succession to two candidates while on her deathbed. One, Prince Tamura, was a grandson of Emperor Bidatsu and was supported by the main line of Sogas, including Soga no Emishi. The other, Prince Yamashiro, was a son of Prince Shōtoku and had the support of some lesser members of the Soga clan. After a brief struggle within the Soga clan in which one of Prince Yamashiro's main supporters was killed, Prince Tamura was chosen and he acceded to the throne as Emperor Jomei in 629.

paragraph: Empress Suiko ruled for 35 years. Although there were seven other reigning empresses, their successors were most often selected from amongst the males of the paternal Imperial bloodline, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained in the 21st century. Empress Genmei, who was followed on the throne by her daughter, Empress Genshō, remains the sole exception to this conventional argument.

paragraph: The actual site of Suiko's grave is known. This empress is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ("misasagi") at Osaka.

paragraph: The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Suiko's mausoleum. It's formally named "Shinaga no Yamada no misasagi".

paragraph: Section::::Spouse and Children.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Husband: Prince Nunakakura no Futo Tamashiki no Sumeramikoto (渟中倉太珠敷) later Emperor Bidatsu, Emperor Kinmei’s son

paragraph: BULLET::::- First Daughter: Princess Uji no Shitsukahi/Uji no Kahitako (菟道貝蛸皇女, b.570), married to Crown Prince Shotoku

paragraph: BULLET::::- First Son: Prince Takeda (竹田皇子)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Second Daughter: Princess Woharida (小墾田皇, b.572), married to Prince Oshisako-no-Hikohito-no-Oe

paragraph: BULLET::::- Third Daughter: Princess Umori/Karu no Mori (鸕鶿守皇女)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Second Son: Prince Wohari (葛城王)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Third Son: Prince Owari (尾張皇子), Father of Tachibana-no-Oiratsume (Crown Prince Shotoku’s consort)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Fourth Daughter: Princess Tame (田眼皇女), married to Emperor Jomei

paragraph: BULLET::::- Fifth Daughter: Princess Sakurawi no Yumihari (桜井弓張皇女), married to Prince Oshisako-no-Hikohito-no-Oe, later married to Prince Kume (Emperor Yomei’s son)

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Empress Jingū, semi-legendary, rule preceded Empress Suiko

paragraph: BULLET::::- Japanese empresses

paragraph: BULLET::::- Emperor of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- List of Emperors of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- Imperial cult

paragraph: BULLET::::- Suiko period

paragraph: Section::::References.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Aston, William George. (1896). "Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697." London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past." Berkeley: University of California Press. ;

paragraph: BULLET::::- Hammer, Joshua. (2006). "Yokohama Burning: The Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to World War II." New York: Simon & Schuster.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). "Japan encyclopedia." Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ;

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959). "The Imperial House of Japan." Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Nihon Ōdai Ichiran"; ou, "Annales des empereurs du Japon." Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Varley, H. Paul. (1980). "A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa." New York: Columbia University Press. ;

alias:
Empress Suiko
推古天皇
Suiko-tennō

description: Empress of Japan

wikidata_label: Suiko

wikipedia_title: Empress Suiko


text: monarch of Japan

text: order of succession

text: Soga no Iruka

text: Isshi Incident

text: Emperor Kōtoku

text: history of Japan

text: empress regnant

text: Suiko

text: Jitō

text: Genmei

text: Genshō

text: Kōken/Shōtoku

text: Meishō

text: Go-Sakuramachi

text: Chrysanthemum Throne

text: imina

text: hime

text: Emperor Bidatsu

text: Soga clan

text: Soga no Iruka

text: Emperor Tenmu

text: Empress Jitō

text: era name

text: nengō

text: Paekche

text: Korea

text: Yamato Province

text: Iyo Province

text: Dōgo Onsen

text: Kyūshū

text: Fukuoka Prefecture

text: Baekje

text: Silla

text: Korea

text: Osaka city

text: grave

text: Asuka

text: Nara Prefecture

text: memorial

text: Shinto

text: shrine

text: Imperial Household Agency

text: mausoleum

text: Emperor of Japan

text: Meiji

text: Daijō-kan

text: Sadaijin

text: Udaijin

text: Sadaijin

text: Udaijin

text: Naidaijin

text: Fujiwara no Kamatari

text: Emperor Yomei

text: Emperor Jomei

text: Emperor Bidatsu

text: Emperor Tenji

text: Emperor Kōtoku

text: Emperor Tenmu

text: The King's Dream

text: Japanese empresses

text: Emperor of Japan

text: List of Emperors of Japan

text: Imperial cult

text: Aston, William George.

text: "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past".

text: Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon

text: "The Imperial House of Japan".

text: Titsingh, Isaac.

text: Nihon Ōdai Ichiran

text: "Annales des empereurs du Japon".

text: Varley, H. Paul.

categories: 6th-century Japanese people,661 deaths,7th-century Japanese poets,7th-century women rulers,People of Asuka-period Japan,7th-century monarchs in Asia,7th-century Japanese monarchs,6th-century women,594 births,7th-century Japanese women, Women rulers in Japan,6th-century Japanese women,Japanese empresses regnant,Japanese monarchs

paragraph: Empress Kōgyoku

paragraph: , also known as , was the 35th and 37th monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.

paragraph: Kōgyoku's reign spanned the years from 642 to 645. Her reign as Saimei encompassed 655 to 661. In other words,

paragraph: BULLET::::- 642: She ascended the throne as Kōgyoku"-tennō", and she stepped down in response to the assassination of Soga no Iruka (see: Isshi Incident).

paragraph: BULLET::::- 645: She abdicated in favor of her brother, who would become known as Emperor Kōtoku.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 654: Kōtoku died and the throne was vacant.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 655: She re-ascended, beginning a new reign as Saimei"-tennō".

paragraph: BULLET::::- 661: Saimei ruled until her death caused the throne to be vacant again.

paragraph: The two reigns of this one woman spanned the years from 642 through 661.

paragraph: In the history of Japan, Kōgyoku/Saimei was the second of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The sole female monarch before Kōgyoku/Saimei was Suiko"-tennō". The six women sovereigns reigning after Kōgyoku/Saimei were Jitō, Genmei, Genshō, Kōken/Shōtoku, Meishō, and Go-Sakuramachi.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.

paragraph: Before her ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, her personal name ("imina") was . As empress, her name would have been "Ametoyo Takara Ikashi Hitarashi hime.

paragraph: Princess Takara ("Takara no miko") was a great-granddaughter of Emperor Bidatsu.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Events in Kōgyoku's reign.

paragraph: During her first reign the Soga clan seized power. Her son Naka no Ōe planned a coup d'état and slew Soga no Iruka at the court in front of her throne. The Empress, shocked by this incident, abdicated the throne.

paragraph: Kōgyoku's contemporary title would not have been "tennō", as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. Rather, it was presumably "Sumeramikoto" or "Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi" (治天下大王), meaning "the great queen who rules all under heaven". Alternatively, Kōgyoku might have been referred to as (ヤマト大王/大君) or the "Great Queen of Yamato".

paragraph: Empress Kōgyoku reigned for four years. The years of Kōgyoku's reign are not linked by scholars to any era or "nengō". The Taika era innovation of naming time periods – "nengō" – was yet to be initiated during her son's too-brief reign.

paragraph: In this context, Brown and Ishida's translation of "Gukanshō" offers an explanation about the years of Empress Jitō's reign which muddies a sense of easy clarity in the pre-Taiho time-frame:

paragraph: The years of Kōgyoku's reign are not more specifically identified by more than one era name or "nengō" which was an innovation of Kōtoku's brief reign.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Events in Saimei's reign.

paragraph: When Kōtoku died, his designated heir was Naka no Ōe. When Naka no Ōe's mother re-ascended, he continued in the role of her heir and crown prince. In this role, he could and did remain active in the political life of Japan.

paragraph: In the fifth year of Saimei's reign, Paekche in Korea was destroyed in 660. Japan assisted Paekche loyals in an attempt to aid the revival of Paekche dynasty. Early in 661, Saimei responded to the situation by leaving her capital in Yamato Province. Her plan was to lead a military expedition to Korea. The empress stayed in Ishiyu Temporary Palace in Iyo Province, today Dōgo Onsen. In May she arrived at Asakura Palace in the north part of Tsukushi province in Kyūshū, today a part of Fukuoka Prefecture. The allied army of Japan and Baekje was preparing for war against Silla, but the death of the empress thwarted those plans. In 661, Saimei died in the Asakura Palace before the army departed to Korea. In October her body was brought from Kyūshū by sea to Port Naniwa-zu (today Osaka city); and her state funeral was held in early November.

paragraph: Empress Saimei ruled for seven years. The years of Saimei's reign are not linked by scholars to any era or "nengō". The Taika era innovation of naming time periods – "nengō" – languished until Mommu reasserted an imperial right by proclaiming the commencement of Taihō in 701.

paragraph: The actual site of Kōgyoku/Saimei's grave is known, having been identified as the Kengoshizuka tomb in the village of Asuka, Nara Prefecture. This empress is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ("misasagi") at Nara.

paragraph: The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Kōgyoku/Seimei's mausoleum. It is formally named "Ochi-no-Okanoe no misasagi".

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:"Kugyō".

paragraph: "Kugyō" (公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras.

paragraph: In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Kōgyoku's reign, this apex of the "Daijō-kan" included:

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Sadaijin"

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Udaijin"

paragraph: The "kugyō" during Saimei's reign included:

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Sadaijin", Kose no Tokoda(巨勢徳太) (593–658), 649–658

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Udaijin" (not appointed)

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Naidaijin" (内臣), Nakatomi no Kamako(中臣鎌子) (Fujiwara no Kamatari, 藤原鎌足) (614–669), 645–669

paragraph: Section::::Spouses and Children.

paragraph: BULLET::::- First Husband: Prince Takamuku (高向王), Prince Tame’s son (also Emperor Yomei’s grandson)

paragraph: BULLET::::- First Son: Prince Kara (漢皇子)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Second Husband: Prince Tamura (田村皇子) later Emperor Jomei, Prince Oshisaka-no-hikohito-no-Ōe‘s son (also Emperor Bidatsu’s grandson)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Second Son: Prince Naka no Ōe (中大兄皇子) later Emperor Tenji)

paragraph: BULLET::::- First Daughter: Princess Hashihito (間人皇女, d. 665), married Emperor Kōtoku

paragraph: BULLET::::- Third Son: Prince Ōama (大海人皇子) later Emperor Tenmu

paragraph: Section::::Popular culture.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Portrayed by Kim Min-kyung in the 2012–2013 KBS1 TV series "The King's Dream".

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Japanese empresses

paragraph: BULLET::::- Emperor of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- List of Emperors of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- Imperial cult

paragraph: Section::::References.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Aston, William George. (1896). "Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697". London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past". Berkeley: University of California Press. ;

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959). "The Imperial House of Japan". Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Nihon Ōdai Ichiran"; ou, "Annales des empereurs du Japon". Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Varley, H. Paul. (1980). "Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns". New York: Columbia University Press. ;

alias:
Empress Samimei
Kōgyoku-tennō
Saimei-tennō
Empress Kogyoku
Empress Kougyoku
Empress Kōgyoku

description: Empress of Japan

wikidata_label: Kōgyoku

wikipedia_title: Empress Kōgyoku


text: emperor

text: Japan

text: order of succession

text: Emperor Jomei

text: Empress Saimei

text: Soga clan

text: Nakatomi no Kamatari

text: Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro

text: Soga no Iruka

text: Isshi Incident

text: Soga no Emishi

text: Ōmi Code

text: Asuka Kiyomihara "ritsu-ryō"

text: Paekche

text: Battle of Baekgang

text: Silla

text: Tang

text: Nihon Shoki

text: petrochemical oil

text: petroleum

text: Echigo Province

text: Niigata Prefecture

text: Prince Ōtomo

text: Prince Ōama

text: Emperor Kōnin

text: grave

text: memorial

text: Shinto

text: shrine

text: Yamashina-ku, Kyoto

text: Imperial Household Agency

text: mausoleum

text: Man'yōshū

text: Donald Keene

text: Fujiwara no Teika

text: Hyakunin Isshu

text: Empress Yamato

text: Daijō-daijin

text: Fujiwara no Kamatari

text: Tenji period

text: Yamato Hime no Ōkimi

text: Emperor Jomei

text: Princess Ōta

text: Emperor Tenmu

text: Empress Jitō

text: Princess Minabe

text: Prince Takechi

text: Empress Genmei

text: Prince Kusakabe

text: Princess Yamabe

text: Prince Ōtsu

text: Princess Asuka

text: Prince Osakabe

text: Princess Niitabe

text: Emperor Tenmu

text: Emperor Kōnin

text: Emperor Kōbun

text: Princess Ōe

text: Emperor Tenmu

text: Princess Izumi

text: Saiō

text: Ise Shrine

text: Princess Minushi

text: The King's Dream

text: Emperor of Japan

text: List of Emperors of Japan

text: Imperial cult

text: Kōryū-ji

text: Omi Shrine

text: Asakawa

text: Shueisha

text: Aston, William George.

text: "Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697".

text: "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past".

text: Hyakunin-Isshu

text: Manyoshu

text: Columbia University Press

text: Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon

text: "The Imperial House of Japan".

text: Titsingh, Isaac.

text: Nihon Ōdai Ichiran

text: "Annales des empereurs du Japon".

text: Varley, H. Paul.

text: "Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns".

categories: Man'yō poets,7th-century monarchs in Asia,People of Asuka-period Japan,7th-century Japanese monarchs,Emperor Tenji,Japanese emperors,626 births,672 deaths

paragraph: Emperor Tenji

paragraph: , also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.

paragraph: Tenji's reign spanned the years from 661 through 672.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.

paragraph: He was the son of Emperor Jomei, but was preceded as ruler by his mother Empress Saimei.

paragraph: Prior to his accession, he was known as .

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Events of Tenji's life.

paragraph: As prince, Naka no Ōe played a crucial role in ending the near-total control the Soga clan had over the imperial family. In 644, seeing the Soga continue to gain power, he conspired with Nakatomi no Kamatari and Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro to assassinate Soga no Iruka in what has come to be known as the Isshi Incident. Although the assassination did not go exactly as planned, Iruka was killed, and his father and predecessor, Soga no Emishi, committed suicide soon after. Following the Isshi Incident, Iruka's adherents dispersed largely without a fight, and Naka no Ōe was named heir apparent. He also married the daughter of his ally Soga no Kurayamada, thus ensuring that a significant portion of the Soga clan's power was on his side.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Events of Tenji's reign.

paragraph: Naka no Ōe reigned as Emperor Tenji from 661 to 672.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 661: In the , the empress designated her son as her heir; and modern scholars construe this as meaning that this son would have received the succession ("senso") after her death or abdication. Shortly after, she died, and Emperor Tenji could be said to have acceded to the throne ("sokui").

paragraph: BULLET::::- 662: Tenji is said to have compiled the first Japanese legal code known to modern historians. The Ōmi Code, consisting of 22 volumes, was promulgated in the last year of Tenji's reign. This legal codification is no longer extant, but it is said to have been refined in what is known as the Asuka Kiyomihara "ritsu-ryō" of 689; and these are understood to have been a forerunner of the Taihō "ritsu-ryō" of 701.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 666: Tenji invaded Korea in support of Japan's ally Paekche but was seriously defeated at the battle of Battle of Baekgang by the combined forces of Silla and Tang China.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 668: An account in Nihon Shoki becomes the first mention of petrochemical oil in Japan. In the , flammable water (possibly petroleum) was presented as an offering to Emperor Tenji from Echigo Province (now known as a part of Niigata Prefecture). This presentation coincided with the emperor's ceremonial confirmation as emperor. He had postponed formalities during the period that the mausoleum of his mother was being constructed; and when the work was finished, he could delay no longer. Up until this time, although he had been "de facto" monarch, he had retained the title of Crown Prince.

paragraph: Tenji was particularly active in improving the military institutions which had been established during the Taika reforms.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Death of the emperor.

paragraph: Following his death in 672, there ensued a succession dispute between his fourteen children (many by different mothers). In the end, he was succeeded by his son, Prince Ōtomo, also known as Emperor Kōbun, then by Tenji's brother Prince Ōama, also known as Emperor Tenmu. Almost one hundred years after Tenji's death, the throne passed to his grandson Emperor Kōnin.

paragraph: The actual site of Tenji's grave is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ("misasagi") at Yamashina-ku, Kyoto.

paragraph: The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Tenji's mausoleum. It is formally named "Yamashina no misasagi".

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Poetry.

paragraph: The "Man'yōshū" includes poems attributed to emperors and empresses; and according to Donald Keene, evolving "Man'yōshū" studies have affected the interpretation of even simple narratives like "The Three Hills." The poem was long considered to be about two male hills in a quarrel over a female hill, but scholars now consider that Kagu and Miminashi might be female hills in love with the same male hill, Unebi. This still-unresolved enigma in poetic form is said to have been composed by Emperor Tenji while he was still Crown Prince during the reign of Empress Saimei:

paragraph: One of his poems was chosen by Fujiwara no Teika as the first in the popular "Hyakunin Isshu" anthology:

paragraph: After his death, his wife, Empress Yamato wrote a song of longing about her husband.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:"Kugyo".

paragraph: The top during Emperor Tenji's reign included:

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Daijō-daijin": , 671–672.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Naishin"(内臣): Fujiwara no Kamatari (藤原鎌足) (614–669), 645–669.

paragraph: Prince Ōtomo (Ōtomo"-shinnō") was the favorite son of Emperor Tenji; and he was also the first to be accorded the title of "Daijō-daijin."

paragraph: Section::::Non"-nengō" period.

paragraph: The years of Tenji's reign are not linked by scholars to any era or "nengō". The Taika era innovation of naming time periods – "nengō" – languished until Mommu reasserted an imperial right by proclaiming the commencement of Taihō in 701.

paragraph: BULLET::::- See Japanese era name – ""Non-nengo periods""

paragraph: BULLET::::- See Tenji period (661).

paragraph: In this context, Brown and Ishida's translation of "Gukanshō" offers an explanation about the years of Empress Jitō's reign which muddies a sense of easy clarity in the pre-Taiho time-frame:

paragraph: Section::::Consorts and children.

paragraph: Empress: Yamato Hime no Ōkimi (倭姫王), Prince Furuhito-no-Ōe’s daughter (son of Emperor Jomei).

paragraph: "Hin": Soga no Ochi-no-iratsume (蘇我遠智娘, d. ), Soga no Kura-no-yamada no Ishikawa-no-maro’s daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- First Daughter: Princess Ōta (大田皇女), married to Emperor Tenmu

paragraph: BULLET::::- Second Daughter: Princess Uno-no-sarara (鸕野讃良皇女) later Empress Jitō

paragraph: BULLET::::- Second Son: Prince Takeru (建皇子, 651–658)

paragraph: "Hin": Soga no Mei-no-iratsume (蘇我姪娘), Soga no Kura-no-yamada no Ishikawa-no-maro’s daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- Third Daughter: Princess Minabe (御名部皇女), married to Prince Takechi

paragraph: BULLET::::- Fourth Daughter: Princess Abe/Ahe (阿閇皇女) later Empress Genmei, married to Prince Kusakabe

paragraph: "Hin": Soga no Hitachi-no-iratsume (蘇我常陸娘), Soga no Akae’s daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- Princess Yamabe (山辺皇女), married to Prince Ōtsu

paragraph: "Hin": Abe no Tachibana-no-iratsume (阿部橘娘, d. 681), Abe no Kurahashi-maro’s daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- Princess Asuka (明日香皇女), married to Prince Osakabe

paragraph: BULLET::::- Princess Niitabe (新田部皇女), married to Emperor Tenmu

paragraph: Court lady: Koshi-no-michi no Iratsume (越道伊羅都売)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Seventh Son: Prince Shiki (施基皇子/志貴皇子, d. 716), Father of Emperor Kōnin

paragraph: Court lady ("Uneme"): Yakako-no-iratsume, a lower court lady from Iga (伊賀采女宅子娘) ("Iga no Uneme")

paragraph: BULLET::::- First Son: Prince Ōtomo (大友皇子) later Emperor Kōbun

paragraph: BULLET::::- Prince Abe (阿閇皇子, b.648)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Princess Aga (阿雅皇女, 648-709)

paragraph: Court lady: Oshinumi no Shikibuko-no-iratsume (忍海色夫古娘), Oshinumi Zokuryu’s daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- Third Son: Prince Kawashima (川島皇子, 657–691)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Princess Ōe (大江皇女), married to Emperor Tenmu

paragraph: BULLET::::- Princess Izumi (泉皇女), Saiō in Ise Shrine (701–706)

paragraph: Court lady: Kurikuma no Kurohime-no-iratsume (栗隈黒媛娘), Kurikuma Tokuman’s daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- Princess Minushi (水主皇女)

paragraph: Section::::Popular culture.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Portrayed by Ahn Hong-jin in the 2012–2013 KBS1 TV series "The King's Dream".

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Emperor of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- List of Emperors of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- Imperial cult

paragraph: BULLET::::- Kōryū-ji

paragraph: BULLET::::- Omi Shrine

paragraph: Section::::References.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Asakawa, Kan'ichi. (1903). "The Early Institutional Life of Japan". Tokyo: Shueisha. ; "see" online, multi-formatted, full-text book at openlibrary.org

paragraph: BULLET::::- MacCauley, Clay. (1900). ""Hyakunin-Isshu": Single Songs of a Hundred Poets" in "Transactions of the Asia Society of Japan". Tokyo: Asia Society of Japan. ...Click link for digitized, full-text copy of this book (in English)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai (1969). "The Manyoshu: The Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai Translation of One Thousand Poems". New York: Columbia University Press.

alias:
天智天皇
Tenji-tennō
Emperor Tenji

description: Emperor of Japan

wikidata_label: Tenji

wikipedia_title: Emperor Tenji


text: Chrysanthemum Throne

text: imina

text: Emperor Tenmu

text: Empress Jitō

text: Emperor Tenji

text: Crown Prince Kusakabe

text: Emperor Tenmu

text: Empress Genmei

text: first cousin once removed

text: Fujiwara

text: Fujiwara no Fuhito

text: Emperor Shōmu

text: grave

text: memorial

text: Shinto

text: shrine

text: Imperial Household Agency

text: mausoleum

text: Emperor of Japan

text: Meiji

text: Daijō-kan

text: Daijō-daijin

text: Sadaijin

text: Udaijin

text: Naidaijin

text: Dainagon

text: era name

text: nengō

text: Taihō (era)

text: Keiun

text: Monmu period

text: Fujiwara no Fuhito

text: Emperor Shōmu

text: Emperor of Japan

text: List of Emperors of Japan

text: Imperial cult

text: Taihō Code

text: Brown, Delmer M.

text: "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past".

text: Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon

text: "The Imperial House of Japan".

text: Titsingh, Isaac.

text: Nihon Ōdai Ichiran

text: "Annales des empereurs du Japon".

text: Varley, H. Paul.

categories: 7th-century monarchs in Asia,7th-century Japanese monarchs,683 births,8th-century Japanese monarchs,Japanese emperors,707 deaths

paragraph: Emperor Monmu

paragraph: Monmu's reign spanned the years from 697 through 707.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.

paragraph: Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name ("imina") was Karu"-shinnō".

paragraph: He was a grandson of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. He was the second son of Prince Kusakabe. Monmu's mother was Princess Abe, a daughter of Emperor Tenji. Monmu's mother would later accede to the throne herself, and she would be known as Empress Genmei.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Events of Monmu's life.

paragraph: Karu"-shinnō" was only six years old when his father, Crown Prince Kusakabe, died.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 697: In the 10th year of Jitō"-tennō" 's reign (持統天皇十年), the empress abdicated; and the succession ("senso") was received by a grandson of Emperor Tenmu. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Monmu is said to have acceded to the throne ("sokui").

paragraph: Emperor Monmu ruled until his death in 707, at which point he was succeeded by his mother, Empress Genmei, who was also his first cousin once removed and his first cousin twice removed. He left a young son by Fujiwara no Miyako, a daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito: Obito no miko (Prince Obito), who eventually became Emperor Shōmu.

paragraph: Emperor Monmu's reign lasted 10 years. He died at the age of 25.

paragraph: The actual site of Monmu's grave is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ("misasagi") at Nara.

paragraph: The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Monmu's mausoleum. It is formally named "Hinokuma no Ako no oka no e no misasagi".

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Kugyō.

paragraph: is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras.

paragraph: In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Monmu's reign, this apex of the "Daijō-kan" included:

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Daijō-daijin", Osakabe"-shinnō".

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Sadaijin"

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Udaijin"

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Naidaijin", Nakatomi Kamako no Muraji.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Dainagon", Fujiwara Fuhito.

paragraph: Section::::Eras of Monmu's reign.

paragraph: Conventional modern scholarship seems to have determined that the years of Monmu's reign are encompassed within more than one era name or "nengō".

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Taihō (era)" (701–704)

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Keiun" (704–708)

paragraph: Section::::Eras of Monmu's reign.:Non"-nengō" period.

paragraph: The initial years of Monmu's reign are not linked by scholars to any era or "nengō". The Taika era innovation of naming time periods – "nengō" – languished until Monmu reasserted an imperial right by proclaiming the commencement of Taihō in 701.

paragraph: BULLET::::- See Japanese era name – ""Non-nengo periods""

paragraph: BULLET::::- See Monmu period (697–701).

paragraph: In this context, Brown and Ishida's translation of "Gukanshō" offers an explanation about the years of Empress Jitō's reign which muddies a sense of easy clarity in the pre-Taiho time-frame:

paragraph: Section::::Consorts and children.

paragraph: "Bunin": Fujiwara no Miyako (藤原宮子, d. 754), Fujiwara no Fuhito’s daughter

paragraph: BULLET::::- First Son: Prince Obito (首皇子) later Emperor Shōmu

paragraph: "Hin": Ki no Kamado-no-iratsume (紀竃門娘)

paragraph: "Hin": Ishikawa no Tone-no-iratsume (石川刀子娘)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Takamado Hironari (Hiroyo)

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Emperor of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- List of Emperors of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- Imperial cult

paragraph: BULLET::::- Taihō Code

paragraph: Section::::References.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past". Berkeley: University of California Press. ;

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959). "The Imperial House of Japan". Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Nihon Ōdai Ichiran"; ou, "Annales des empereurs du Japon". Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Varley, H. Paul. (1980). "Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns". New York: Columbia University Press. ;

alias:
Monmu
Emperor Mommu
Emperor Monmu
文武天皇
Monmu-tennō

description: Emperor of Japan

wikidata_label: Mommu

wikipedia_title: Emperor Monmu


text: history of Japan

text: empress regnant

text: Suiko

text: Kōgyoku

text: Jitō

text: Genmei

text: Kōken

text: Meishō

text: Go-Sakuramachi

text: Chrysanthemum Throne

text: imina

text: Emperor Monmu

text: Prince Kusakabe

text: Empress Genmei

text: Emperor Tenmu

text: Empress Jitō

text: Emperor Tenji

text: Emperor Shōmu

text: Empress Genmei

text: Reiki

text: Empress Regnant

text: Fujiwara no Fuhito

text: Nagaya

text: Nihon Shoki

text: ritsuryō

text: Fujiwara no Nakamaro

text: Yōrō ritsuryō

text: Empress Jitō

text: grave

text: memorial

text: Shinto

text: shrine

text: Imperial Household Agency

text: mausoleum

text: Nara City

text: Emperor of Japan

text: Meiji

text: Daijō-kan

text: Daijō-daijin

text: Emperor Tenmu

text: Sadaijin

text: Isonokami no Maro

text: Udaijin

text: Fujiwara no Fuhito

text: Udaijin

text: Dainagon

text: Dainagon

text: Dainagon

text: era name

text: nengō

text: Reiki

text: Yōrō

text: Jinki

text: Japanese empresses

text: Emperor of Japan

text: List of Emperors of Japan

text: Imperial cult

text: "Gukanshō: The Future and the Past".

text: Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon

text: "The Imperial House of Japan".

text: Titsingh, Isaac

text: Nihon Ōdai Ichiran

text: "Annales des empereurs du Japon".

text: Varley, H. Paul

categories: 8th-century Japanese people,683 births,8th-century Japanese monarchs,7th-century Japanese people,748 deaths,7th-century Japanese women, Women rulers in Japan,8th-century women rulers,Japanese empresses regnant,Japanese monarchs,Women of medieval Japan,People of Nara-period Japan

paragraph: Empress Genshō

paragraph: Genshō's reign spanned the years 715 through 724.

paragraph: In the history of Japan, Genshō was the fifth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The four female monarchs before Genshō were: Suiko, Kōgyoku, Jitō and Genmei. The three women sovereigns reigning after Genshō were Kōken, Meishō, and Go-Sakuramachi.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.

paragraph: Before her ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, her personal name ("imina") was Hidaka"-hime".

paragraph: Genshō was an elder sister of Emperor Monmu and daughter of Prince Kusakabe and his wife who later became Empress Genmei. Therefore, she was a granddaughter of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō by her father and a granddaughter of Emperor Tenji through her mother.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Events of Genshō's life.

paragraph: Empress Genshō's succession to the throne was intended as a regency until Prince Obito, the son of her deceased younger brother Monmu, was mature enough to ascend the throne. Obito would later become the Emperor Shōmu.

paragraph: Obito was appointed Crown Prince in 714 by Empress Genmei. In the next year, 715, Empress Genmei, then in her fifties, abdicated in favor of her daughter Genshō. Obito was then 14 years old.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 715 ("Reiki 1, 9th month"): In the 7th year of Genmei"-tennō" 's reign (元明天皇七年), the empress abdicated; and the succession ("senso") was received by her daughter, who held the throne in trust for her younger brother. Shortly thereafter, Empress Genshō acceded to the throne ("sokui") as Empress Regnant.

paragraph: Obito remained the crown prince, heir to the new empress. Fujiwara no Fuhito, the most powerful courtier in Genmei's court, remained at his post until his death in 720. After his death, Prince Nagaya, a grandson of Tenmu and the Empress Genshō's cousin, seized power. This power shift was a background for later conflicts between Nagaya and Fuhito's four sons during the reign of Emperor Shōmu (formerly Prince Obito).

paragraph: Under Genshō's reign, the "Nihon Shoki" was finished in 720. This was the first Japanese history book. Organization of the law system known as the "ritsuryō" was continued under the initiatives of Fuhito until his death. These laws and codes were edited and enacted by Fujiwara no Nakamaro, a grandson of Fuhito, and published as "Yōrō ritsuryō" under the name of Fuhito. The taxation system which had been introduced by Empress Jitō in the late 7th century began to malfunction. To compensate for the decreased tax revenue, the "Act of possession in three generations", an initiative of Prince Nagaya, was enacted in 723. Under this act, people were allowed to possess a newly cultivated field once every three generations. In the fourth generation, the right of possession would revert to the national government. This act was intended to motivate new cultivation, but it only remained in effect for about 20 years.

paragraph: Empress Genshō reigned for nine years. Although there were seven other reigning empresses, their successors were most often selected from amongst the males of the paternal Imperial bloodline, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained in the 21st century. Empress Genmei, who was succeeded by her daughter, remains the sole exception to this conventional argument.

paragraph: In 724, Genshō abdicated in favor of her nephew, who would be known as Emperor Shōmu. Genshō lived for 25 years after she stepped down from the throne. She never married and had no children. She died at age 65.

paragraph: Empress Genshō's grave is located in Nara. This empress is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ("misasagi"), also in Nara. The Imperial Household Agency has designated this location as Monmu's mausoleum, and has been formally named "Nahoyama no nishi no misasagi". The Imperial tomb can be visited today in Narazaka-chō, Nara City.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Kugyō.

paragraph: is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras.

paragraph: In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Genshō's reign, this apex of the "Daijō-kan" included:

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Daijō-daijin" ("Chi-daijō-kanji" 知太政官事), Toneri"-shinnō" (Prince Toneri) (舎人親王). (9th son of Emperor Tenmu) 720–735

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Sadaijin", Isonokami no Maro (石上麻呂). 708–717

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Udaijin", Fujiwara no Fuhito (藤原不比等). 708–720

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Udaijin", Prince Nagaya (長屋王). 721–724

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Dainagon", Abe no Sukunamaro (阿倍宿奈麻呂). 718–720

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Dainagon", Prince Nagaya (長屋王). 718–721

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Dainagon", Tajihi no Ikemori (多治比池守). 721–730

paragraph: Section::::Eras of Genshō's reign.

paragraph: The years of Genshō's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or "nengō".

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Reiki" (715–717)

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Yōrō" (717–724)

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Jinki" (724–729)

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Japanese empresses

paragraph: BULLET::::- Emperor of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- List of Emperors of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- Imperial cult

paragraph: Section::::References.

alias:
元正天皇
Genshō-tennō
Empress Genshō
Gensho
Genshou

description: Empress of Japan

wikidata_label: Genshō

wikipedia_title: Empress Genshō


text: monarch of Japan

text: order of succession

text: Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion

text: Dōkyō

text: history of Japan

text: Suiko

text: Kōgyoku/Saimei

text: Jitō

text: Genmei

text: Genshō

text: Meishō

text: Go-Sakuramachi

text: imina

text: Emperor Shōmu

text: Empress Kōmyō

text: Imperial Household Agency

text: Nara, Nara

text: mausoleum

text: Emperor Junnin

text: Emperor Kōnin

text: era name

text: Tenpyō-kanpō

text: Tenpyō-shōhō

text: Tenpyō-hōji

text: era name

text: Tenpyō-jingo

text: Jingo-keiun

text: Tachibana no Naramaro

text: Fujiwara no Nakamaro

text: Buddhist monk

text: Dōkyō

text: Usa Shrine

text: Usa

text: Empress Genmei

text: Empress Genshō

text: Hyakumantō Darani

text: Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

text: Arashiyama

text: Kyoto

text: Emperor of Japan

text: Meiji

text: Daijō-kan

text: Taihō

text: Emi no Oshikatsu

text: Fujiwara no Nakamaro

text: Daijō-daijin

text: Sadaijin

text: Empress Kōmyō

text: Udaijin

text: Fujiwara no Muchimaro

text: Fujiwara no Nakamaro

text: Naidaijin

text: Dainagon

text: Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon

text: "The Imperial House of Japan".

text: Titsingh, Isaac

text: Nihon Ōdai Ichiran

text: "Annales des empereurs du Japon".

text: Varley, H. Paul

text: Emperor of Japan

text: Japanese empresses

text: Hyakumantō Darani

categories: Infectious disease deaths in Japan,718 births, Women rulers in Japan,Deaths from smallpox,8th-century women rulers,Japanese empresses regnant,770 deaths,Japanese monarchs,People of Nara-period Japan

paragraph: Empress Kōken

paragraph: , also known as , was the 46th (with Empress Kōken name) and the 48th monarch of Japan (with Empress Shōtoku name), according to the traditional order of succession.

paragraph: Empress Kōken first reigned from 749 to 758, then, following the Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion, she reascended the throne as Empress Shōtoku from 765 until her death in 770. Empress Kōken was involved in an affair with priest Dōkyō and appointed him Grand Minister in 764. In 766, he was promoted to Hōō (priestly emperor) and in 770 had tried to ascend the throne by himself. The death of the Empress and resistance from the aristocracy destroyed his plans. This incident was a reason for the later move of the Japanese capital from Nara (Heijō).

paragraph: In the history of Japan, Kōken/Shōtoku was the sixth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The five female monarchs before Kōken/Shōtoku were Suiko, Kōgyoku/Saimei, Jitō, Genmei, and Genshō; and the two women sovereigns reigning after Kōken/Shōtoku were Meishō, and Go-Sakuramachi.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.

paragraph: Empress Kōken's personal name ("imina") was . Her father was Emperor Shōmu, and her mother was Empress Kōmyō.

paragraph: Kōken is traditionally venerated at her tomb; the Imperial Household Agency designates , in Nara, Nara, as the location of Kōken's mausoleum. The site is publicly accessible.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Events of Kōken's life.

paragraph: BULLET::::- August 19, 749 (): In the 25th year of Shōmu"-tennō" 's reign (聖武天皇二十五年), the emperor renounced his throne and the succession ("senso") was received by his daughter. Shortly thereafter, Kōken is said to have acceded to the throne.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 757: Conspiracy to overthrow Empress Kōken was not successful.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 758: Kōken abdicated in favor of a cousin who would become known as Emperor Junnin. The Empress had reigned for about ten years.

paragraph: BULLET::::- 764: In the sixth year of Junnin"-tennō" 's reign, the emperor was deposed by his adoptive mother, and the succession was received by former-Empress Kōken.

paragraph: BULLET::::- January 26, 765 (): Kōken formally reascended the throne ("sokui") as Empress Shōtoku.

paragraph: BULLET::::- August 28, 770 (: Empress Shōtoku died at age 57, leaving the throne vacant. She was succeeded by her first cousin twice removed, Emperor Kōnin. Empress Shōtoku had reigned for five years.

paragraph: Section::::Traditional narrative.:Eras of her reigns.

paragraph: The years of Kōken's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Tenpyō-kanpō" (749)

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Tenpyō-shōhō" (749–757)

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Tenpyō-hōji" (757–765)

paragraph: The years of Shōtoku's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Tenpyō-hōji" (757–765)

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Tenpyō-jingo" (765–767)

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Jingo-keiun" (767–770)

paragraph: Section::::Legacy.

paragraph: Koken's reign was turbulent, and she survived coup attempts by both Tachibana no Naramaro and Fujiwara no Nakamaro. Today, she is remembered chiefly for her alleged affair with a Buddhist monk named Dōkyō (道鏡), a man she honored with titles and power. An oracle from Usa Shrine, the shrine of the kami in Usa, is said to have proclaimed that the monk should be made emperor; but when the empress sent to verify the pronouncement, Hachiman decreed that only one of imperial blood should ascend to the throne.

paragraph: As with the seven other reigning empresses whose successors were most often selected from amongst the males of the paternal imperial bloodline, she was followed on the throne by a male cousin, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained in the 21st century. Empress Genmei, who was followed on the throne by her daughter, Empress Genshō, remains the sole exception to this conventional argument.

paragraph: She is also known for sponsoring the Hyakumantō Darani, one of the largest productions of printed works in early Japan.

paragraph: Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, a Buddhist temple in the Arashiyama neighborhood of Kyoto, was founded by Shōtoku in the middle of the eighth century.

paragraph: Section::::Kugyō.

paragraph: In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Kōken's reign, this apex of the "Daijō-kan" included:

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Taihō", Emi no Oshikatsu (formerly Fujiwara no Nakamaro).

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Daijō-daijin"

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Sadaijin", Tachibana no Moroe (formerly Katsuragi"-ō", Prince Katsuragi) (half brother of Empress Kōmyō).

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Udaijin", Fujiwara no Toyonari (first son of Fujiwara no Muchimaro).

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Udaijin", Fujiwara no Nakamaro (second son of Fujiwara no Muchimaro).

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Naidaijin"

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Dainagon"

paragraph: The "kugyō" during Shōtoku's reign included:

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Daijō-daiji", Dōkyō.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Sadaijin"

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Udaijin", Kibi Makibi.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Nadaijin"

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Dainagon", Fujiwara Matate.

paragraph: Section::::References.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959). "The Imperial House of Japan". Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Nihon Ōdai Ichiran"; ou, "Annales des empereurs du Japon". Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Varley, H. Paul. (1980). "Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns". New York: Columbia University Press. ;

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Emperor of Japan

paragraph: BULLET::::- Japanese empresses

paragraph: BULLET::::- Hyakumantō Darani

alias: Shōtoku Koken Kouken

description: Empress of Japan

wikidata_label: Kōken

wikipedia_title: Empress Kōken