EMPEROR KAMMU

(737–806) was the '50th' imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 781 through 806.^[1]

Contents

Genealogy

Events of Kanmu''-tennō's life

Kugyō

Politics

Eras of Kanmu''-tennō's reign

References

Notes

Further reading

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Genealogy

Kanmu was the eldest son of Prince Shirakabe later, Emperor Kōnin.^[2] According to the ''Shoku Nihongi,'' (続日本紀), Emperor Kanmu's mother Yamato no Niigasa, later Takano no Niigasa, was a descendant of King Muryeong of Baekje. Kanmu was born before his father ascended to the throne.
After his father Kōnin became emperor, Kanmu's half brother was appointed to the rank of crown prince. But instead of his half brother, it was Kanmu who was later named to succeed their father.
Later, when he ascended to the throne, Kanmu appointed his young brother, Prince Sawara, whose mother was Takano no Niigasa, as crown prince. Prince Sawara was later expelled and died in exile.
Kanmu had many consorts and concubines, and as a result he had many sons and daughters. Among them, three sons would eventually ascend to the imperial throne: Emperor Heizei, Emperor Saga and Emperor Junna.
Some of his descendants (known as the Kanmu Taira or Kanmu Heishi) took the Taira hereditary clan title, and in later generations became prominent warriors. Examples include Taira no Masakado, Taira no Kiyomori, and (with a further surname expansion) the Hōjō clan. The waka poet Ariwara no Narihira was one of his grandsons.

Events of Kanmu''-tennō's life

During his reign, from 781 to 806, the Capital of Japan was moved from Heijō-kyō in Nara, first to Nagaoka, and then to Heian-kyō, Kyoto. This marks the beginning of the Heian era in Japanese history. He was an active emperor who consolidate government organisations and fought with the Buddhism Temples in Nara or the Ezo tribes in the north of the country.

★ '''Enryaku 1''', in the 6th month (延暦元年, 782): The ''sadaijin'' Fujiwara no Uona was removed from his office and exiled to Kyushi. Som time later, the emperor did permit him to return to the capital where he died. In the same general time frame, Fujiwara no Tamaro was naemd Udaijin. During these days in which the offices of ''sadaijin'' and ''udaijin'' were vacant, the major counselors (the ''dainagon'') and the emperor assumed responsibilities and powers which would have been otherwise delegated.^[3]

★ '''Enryaku 3''', in the 3rd month (783): The ''udaijin'' Tamaro died at the age of 62 years.^[4]

★ '''Enryaku 3''', in the 7th month (783): Fujiwara no Korekimi became the new ''udaijin'' to replace the late Fujiwara no Tamaro.^[4]
Emperor Kammu's reign lasted for 25 years. He died at the age of 70.^[6]

Kugyō

''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.-- ''kugyō'' of Kammu-tennō (French)
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 Kammu's reign (781-806), this ''kugyō'' included:

★ ''Sadaijin'', Fujiwara no Uona　(藤原魚名),　781-782^[7]

★ ''Sadaijin'', Fujiwara no Tamaro　(藤原田麿),　783

★ ''Uadaijin'', Fujiwara no Tamaro　(藤原田麿),　781-783^[8]

★ ''Udaijin'', Ōo Nakatomi no Kiyomaro　(大中臣清麿),　771-781

★ ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Tamaro　(藤原田麿),　782-883

★ ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Korekimi　(藤原是公),　783-789^[8]

★ ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Tsugutada　(藤原継縄),　790-796^[8]

★ ''Udaijin'', Miwa ookimi ou Miwa oh　(神王),　798-806

★ ''Nadaijin'', Fujiwara Uchimaro (756-812)^[8]

Politics

Earlier Imperial sponsorship of Buddhism, beginning with Prince Shōtoku (574–622), had lead to a general politicization of the clergy, along with an increase in intrigue and corruption. In 784 Kanmu shifted his capital from Nara to Nagaoka in a move that was said to be designed to edge the powerful Nara Buddhist establishments out-of-state politics—while the capital moved, the major Buddhist temples, and their officials, stayed put. Indeed there were a steady stream of edicts issued from 771 right through the period of Kūkai's studies which, for instance, sought to limit the number of Buddhist priests, and the building of clan temples. However the move was to prove disastrous and was followed by a series of natural disasters including the flooding of half the city. In 785 the principal architect of the new capital, and royal favourite, Fujiwara no Tanetsugu, was assassinated.
Meanwhile, Kanmu's armies were pushing back the boundaries of his empire. This led to an uprising, and in 789 a substantial defeat for Kanmu's troops. Also in 789 there was a severe draught and famine—the streets of the capital were clogged with the sick, and people avoiding being drafted into the military, or into forced labour. Many disguised themselves as Buddhist priests for the same reason. Then in 794 Kanmu suddenly shifted the capital again, this time to Heian-kyō, which is modern day Kyoto. The new capital was started early the previous year, but the change was abrupt and led to even more confusion amongst the populace.
Politically Kanmu shored up his rule by changing the syllabus of the university. Confucian ideology still provided the raison d'être for the Imperial government. In 784 Kanmu authorised the teaching of a new course based on the Annals of Spring and Autumn based on two newly imported commentaries: Kung-yang, and Ku-liang. These commentaries used political rhetoric to promote a state in which the Emperor, as "Son of Heaven," should extend his sphere of influence to barbarous lands, thereby gladdening the people. In 798 the two commentaries became required reading at the government university.
Kanmu also sponsored the travels of the monks Saichō and Kūkai to China, from where they returned to found the Japanese branches of, respectively, Tendai and Shingon Buddhism.

Eras of Kanmu''-tennō's reign

The years of Kammu's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or ''nengō''.^[4]

★ ''Ten'ō'' (781-782)

★ ''Enryaku'' (782-806)

References

Notes

1. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du Japon,'' p. 86.
2. Varley, H. Paul. ''Jinnō Shōtōki,'' p. 149.
3. Titsingh, p.86.
4. Titsingh, p. 86.
5. Titsingh, p. 86.
6. Varley, p. 150.
7. Brown, D. (1979). ''Gukanshō,'' p. 278.
8. Brown, p. 278.
9. Brown, p. 278.
10. Brown, p. 278.
11. Brown, p. 278.
12. Titsingh, p. 86.

Further reading

★ Brown, Delmer and Ichiro Ishida, eds. (1979). ''Gukanshō; "The Future and the Past: a translation and study of the 'Gukanshō,' an interpretive history of Japan written in 1219" translated from the Japanese and edited by Delmer M. Brown & Ichirō Ishida.'' Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-03460-0

★ Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō (1652)], ''Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, tr. par M. Isaac Titsingh avec l'aide de plusieurs interprètes attachés au comptoir hollandais de Nangasaki; ouvrage re., complété et cor. sur l'original japonais-chinois, accompagné de notes et précédé d'un Aperçu d'histoire mythologique du Japon, par M. J. Klaproth.'' Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland.--''Two copies of this rare book have now been made available online: (1) from the library of the University of Michigan, digitized January 30, 2007; and (2) from the library of Stanford University, digitized June 23, 2006.'' Click here to read the original text in French.

★ Varley, H. Paul , ed. (1980). [Kitabatake Chitafusa (1359)], ''Jinnō Shōtōki ("A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa" translated by H. Paul Varley).'' New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-04940-4

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★ Heian kyō