History of Asia

Customs politics and the glory of Mr. Fujiwara

During the time of Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Saga, the emperor had strong power over the aristocrats and was leading the national affairs. However, Fujiwara no Fuhito The Fujiwara Kita family, the family of the second son of the emperor, was expanding his power by strengthening his relationship with the emperor.

The rise of the Fujiwara Kita family

The Fujiwara Kita family at that time, Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu After the deep trust of Emperor Saga, he became the head of the brewery and formed an affinity with the imperial family. Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu's child, Yoshifusa Is 842 Jōwa Incident While establishing the power of the Fujiwara Kita family, he rejected the power of Mr. Otomo and Mr. Tachibana.

858 In addition, Emperor Seiwa Yoshifusa became the first regent of the emperor's grandfather in 866 . The turbulence of Otenmon destroyed the companion Ki. After that, Emperor Kouko, who was enthroned by Fujiwara no Mototsune, was 884 . I started Mototsune and was appointed to Kampaku.

However, Mototsune protested against the edict issued by Emperor Uda on his coronation and demanded withdrawal. The emperor's concession and withdrawal made Fujiwara's power known to the world, proving that the emperor is effectively puppet . The result was that.

After the death of Mototsune, Emperor Uda, who did not have Mr. Fujiwara as a consort kin, did not place regents and Kampaku Sugawara no Michizane . However, when Emperor Daigo took the throne, Mr. Fujiwara used a plot to drive Michizane out of politics.

In the first half of the 10th century, when Emperor Murakami ruled, he held a pro-government [ Enki, the rule of the heavenly calendar . ] Was praised. However, during the pro-government period, Fujiwara no Tadahira served as regent and Kanpaku, and took control over the Daijo-kan.

After the death of Emperor Murakami, the power of the Fujiwara Kita family became immovable due to the relegation of the Minister of the Left, Takaaki Tachibana. It has become customary to have.

Customs politics

In the regent, the emperor acted for politics in his childhood, and in Kampaku, the emperor was in charge of assisting politics as a post-adult. As mentioned earlier, the political form of this era, when Sessho and Kampaku were appointed and was in the highest position of the administration, was described as [ Sessho and Kampaku . ] Is called.

In addition, the family that produces regents and kampaku is called the regents, and Mr. Fujiwara held tremendous power until the end of the Heian period. Inside Mr. Fujiwara, there were frequent power struggles, but with the advent of Fujiwara no Michinaga, the power struggles were settled.

During the time of Fujiwara no Michinaga, who was proud of his glory, he had four daughters empress and crown princess . For 30 years, he wielded power in the imperial court. Go-Ichijo, Go-Suzaku, Go-Reizen Emperor Is Michinaga's grandson The son of Michinaga, Yorimichi, served as regent and Kampaku for 50 years, and the Fujiwara no Michinaga was stable.

In the aristocratic society at that time, married men and women generally lived with their wives'parents or set up new homes, husbands were under the patronage of their wives' fathers, and their children were raised by their mothers. The maternal edge was very important.

Sessho and Kampaku approached the emperor as a relative of his mother and took advantage of his high authority to seize great power. In particular, since Sessho and Kampaku were deeply involved in the right to appoint officials, middle and lower aristocrats came to belong to the regents and the higher aristocrats connected to them, and the speed and limits of promotion were determined by family characteristics and consort kin relations. became.

Political management was a form in which the emperor commanded central and local officials through the Daijo-kan under the regent and Kampaku, and ruled nationwide. Gradually, it became a formal one that emphasized precedents and rituals, and was a annual event in the court. Has developed.

As a result, local politics was entrusted to the Kokushi, and the imperial court no longer actively took measures regarding national politics.

The situation in East Asia from the 10th century to the 12th century

Sugawara no Michizane, who was appointed Ambassador to Tang in 894, has already declined due to the civil war [ Tang ] I was thinking of canceling the dispatch to. As a result, this envoy to Tang ended without being dispatched.

In 907, [Tang], which was the central nation of East Asia, was destroyed, and [ Song ] Has unified the Chinese continent. Japan did not actively open diplomatic relations with Song, but various goods were imported through Song merchants who visited Hakata in Kyushu, and licensed monks and others went to Japan to interact at the private level. Was actively done.

In northeastern China, Balhae, which has been interacting with Japan since the Nara period, is [ Liao . ] Was destroyed. On the Korean Peninsula, Goryeo destroyed Silla and unified the peninsula, but Japan did not actively open diplomatic relations with these countries.