, also known as ''Heijō-tennō'', was the 51st

emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...

, Emperor Heizei, Yamamomo Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional

order of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Emperor Kanmu , or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kanmu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the sco ...

and empress

Fujiwara no Otomuro Fujiwara no Otomuro (藤原乙牟漏; �u͍ʑiwaɽa no otomuɽo 760 – April 28, 790) was a Japanese noblewoman and Empress consort of Japan. Her sister was Fujiwara no Moroane. Fujiwara no Otomuro was a daughter of a noble called Fujiwara no ...

. Heizei had three Empresses and seven sons and daughters.Brown, p. 279. Heizei is traditionally venerated at his tomb; the

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it ...

designates , in

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

, as the location of Heizei's

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...

. The site is publicly accessible. Although one of the largest

kofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Northeast Asia. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century CE.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞典』� ...

monuments in Japan, archaeological investigations in 1962–1963 indicate that it was constructed in the early 5th century, and that portions of it were destroyed during the construction of Heijo-kyō, calling into question the designation by the Imperial Household Agency.

Events of Heizei's life

Before he ascended to the throne, his liaison with

Fujiwara no Kusuko Fujiwara no Kusuko (October 13, 810) was a Japanese court lady. She is best known for her role in the Kusuko Incident. Early life Fujiwara was the daughter of Fujiwara no Tanetsugu. She was known for her beauty. After her father's assassinatio ...

, the mother of his one consort, caused a scandal. Because of this scandal his father considered depriving him of the rank of

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

. * 785: (): Heizei was appointed Crown Prince at the age of 12. * April 9, 806 (): In the 25th year of Emperor Kanmu's reign, he died; and despite an ensuing dispute over who should follow him as sovereign, contemporary scholars then construed that the succession (''senso'') was received by his son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Heizei is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). His title Heizei was derived from the official name of the capital in Nara, Heizei Kyō. During Heizei's reign, the bodyguards were reorganized; the existing Imperial Bodyguards became the Left Imperial Bodyguards, while the Middle Bodyguards became the Right Imperial Bodyguards. Brown and Ishida, p. 280 Both sides were given a new Senior Commander; at this time Heizei appointed

Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was a court noble, general and ''shōgun'' of the early Heian period of Japan. He served as Dainagon, Minister of War and ''Ukon'e no Taisho'' (Major Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards). He held the ''kabane'' of Ōsukune and ...

(758–811) as Senior Commander of the Imperial Bodyguards of the Right. Under Emperor Kanmu, Tamuramaro had been appointed as ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

'' of a military expedition against the

Emishi The (also called Ebisu and Ezo), written with Chinese characters that literally mean "shrimp barbarians," constituted an ancient ethnic group of people who lived in parts of Honshū, especially in the Tōhoku region, referred to as in contemp ...

. * 809 (): After a reign of four years, Heizei fell ill; and fearing that he would not survive, Heizei abdicated in favor of his younger brother, who would later come to be known as

Emperor Saga was the 52nd emperor of Japan,#Kunaichō, Emperor Saga, Saganoyamanoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Saga's reign spanned the years from 809 through 823 ...

. After abdicating, Heizei moved to

and was henceforth known as ''Nara no Mikado'', the "Emperor of Nara". * May 18, 809 (): Emperor Saga was enthroned at age 24. * 810 ('' Kōnin 1''): In Heizei's name, the former emperor's ambitious third wife, , and her brother Nakanari organized an attempted rebellion, but their forces were defeated. Kusuko died in poison and her brother was executed. Heizei took the tonsure and became a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

monk.Ponsonby-Fane, p. 318. Brown and Ishida, pp. 281 * August 5, 824 (): Heizei died at age 51, 14 years after he had abdicated due to illness.

Era of Heizei's reign

The years of Heizei's reign are encompassed within one

era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year o ...

(''nengō''). * ''

Daidō was a after ''Enryaku'' and before '' Kōnin.'' This period spanned the years from May 806 through September 810. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * November 16, 806 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series o ...

'' (806–810)

Kugyō

is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...

in pre- Meiji eras. 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 Heizei's reign, this apex of the ''

Daijō-kan The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...

'' included: * ''

Sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the ini ...

'' (not appointed) * ''

Udaijin was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''udaijin'' in the context of a central administr ...

'', Miwa-no-Oh or Miwa-no-Ohkimi (神王), 798–806. * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Uchimaro (藤原内麿), 806–812. * ''

Naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese imperial court, Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre-Meiji period, Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remain ...

'' * ''

Dainagon was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainag ...

'', Fujiwara no Otomo (藤原雄友), 806–807 When the daughter of a ''

chūnagon was a counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. The role was eliminated from the Imperial hierarchy in 701, but it was re-established in 705. This advisory position remained a part of the I ...

'' became the favored consort of the Crown Prince Ate (later known as Heizei''-tennō''), her father's power and position in court was affected. Kanmu disapproved of , former wife of Fujiwara no Tadanushi; and Kanmu had her removed from his son's household. After Kanmu died, Heizei restored this one-time favorite as part of his household; and this distinction had consequences. * ''

Chūnagon was a counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. The role was eliminated from the Imperial hierarchy in 701, but it was re-established in 705. This advisory position remained a part of the I ...

'', Fujiwara no Tadanushi

Consorts and children

Empress (posthumously elevated '' Kōgō''): Fujiwara no Tarashiko/''Taishi'' (藤原帯子; d.794),

Fujiwara no Momokawa was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Nara period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Momokawa" in . His original name was . Career at court He was a minister during the reigns of Empress Kōken/Shōtoku and ...

’s daughterPonsonby-Fane, P. 318; in 806, 12 years after death, this is first time this posthumously elevated rank was bestowed ''Hi'': Imperial Princess Asahara (朝原内親王; 779–817),

Emperor Kanmu , or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kanmu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the sco ...

’s daughter ''Hi'': Imperial Princess Ōyake (大宅内親王; d.849),

’s daughter ''Hi'': Imperial Princess Kan'nabi (甘南美内親王; 800-817),

’s daughter ''Shōshi'' Court lady (''Naishi-no-kami''): , former wife of ''Chūnagon'' Fujiwara no Tadanushi and Fujiwara no Tanetsugu’s daughter ''Hi'': Fujiwara Tadanushi’s daughter Court lady: Ise no Tsuguko (伊勢継子; 772–812), Ise no Ōna’s daughter *Third Prince: Imperial Prince Takaoka (高丘親王; 799–881), the Crown Prince in 809 (deposed in 810) *Fourth prince: Imperial Prince Kose (巨勢親王; d. 882) *Imperial Princess Kamitsukeno (上毛野内親王; d. 842) *Imperial Princess Isonokami (石上内親王; d. 846) *Third princess: Imperial Princess Ōhara (大原内親王; d. 863), 14th

Saiō A , was an unmarried female member of the Imperial House of Japan, Japanese Imperial Family, sent to Ise, Mie, Ise to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century until the 14th century. The Saiō's residence, , was about 10 km north ...

Ise Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and . The Inner ...

(806–809) Court lady: Fujii no Fujiko/''Tōshi'' (葛井藤子), Fujii no Michiyori’s daughter *First Prince: Imperial

Prince Abo was a Japanese imperial prince of the early Heian period. Biography He was born in 792'' Britannica Kokusai Dai-Hyakkajiten'' article "Abo-shinnō". Britannica.'' MyPaedia'' article "Abo-shinnō". Hitachi.''Daijisen'' entry "Abo-shinnō". Sh ...

(阿保親王) Court lady: Ki no Iokazu (紀魚員), Ki no Kotsuo’s daughter *Imperial Princess Enu (叡努内親王; d. 835)

Ancestry

Notes

References

* * * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan''.
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''

Nihon Ōdai Ichiran , ', is a 17th-century chronicle of the serial reigns of Japanese emperors with brief notes about some of the noteworthy events or other happenings. According to the 1871 edition of the ''American Cyclopaedia'', the 1834 French translation of ...

''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon''.
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. * Varley, H. Paul. (1980)
''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns''.
New York: Columbia University Press. ; {{DEFAULTSORT:Heizei Japanese emperors 773 births 824 deaths People of Heian-period Japan People of Nara-period Japan 9th-century rulers in Asia 8th-century Japanese people 9th-century Japanese monarchs Heian period Buddhist clergy Japanese Buddhist monarchs Japanese retired emperors