was the 59th

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

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 ...

(''Kunaichō'')
宇多天皇 (59)
/ref> 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.Chrysanthemum Throne The is the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term also can refer to very specific seating, such as the throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace. Various other thrones or seats that are used by the Emperor during official functions ...

, his personal name (''

imina in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, in that order. Nevertheless, when a Japanese name is written in the Roman alphabet, ever since the Meiji era, the official policy has been to cater to Western expecta ...

'') was or ''Chōjiin-tei''. Emperor Uda was the third son of

Emperor Kōkō was the 58th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 光孝天皇 (58)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Kōkō reigned from 884 to 887. Traditional narrative Before the emperor's ascension to the Chry ...

. His mother was Empress Dowager Hanshi, a daughter of Prince Nakano (who was himself a son of

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 s ...

). Uda had five Imperial consorts and 20 Imperial children.Brown, p. 289. Particularly important sons include: * Prince Atsuhito (884–930). * Prince Atsuzane (敦実親王) (893–967).

Historical background

In ancient Japan, there were four noble clans, the '' Gempeitōkitsu'' (源平藤橘). One of these clans, the

Minamoto clan was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during th ...

(源氏), is also known as Genji. Some of Uda's grandchildren were granted the surname ''Minamoto'' (Minamoto is the most used surname for former Japanese royalty.). In order to distinguish Uda's descendants from other Minamoto clan families (源氏) or Genji, they became known as the

Uda Genji The {{nihongo, Uda Genji, 宇多源氏} were the successful and powerful line of a Japanese Minamoto clan that were descended from Emperor Uda (宇多天皇). Overview Many of the famous Minamoto warriors, including Sasaki clan (佐々木� ...

(宇多源氏). Some of the

moved to

Ōmi Province was a province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. Its nickname is . Under the '' Engishiki'' classification system, Ōmi was ranked as one of the 13 "great countr ...

and known as Sasaki clan (佐々木氏) or Ōmi Genji (近江源氏). Among the Uda Genji, Minamoto no Masazane (源雅信), a son of

Prince Atsumi A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

(敦実親王) succeeded in the court. Masazane became ''

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 in ...

'' (Minister of the Left). One of Masazane's daughters, Minamoto no Rinshi (源倫子) married

Fujiwara no Michinaga was a Japanese statesman. The Fujiwara clan's control over Japan and its politics reached its zenith under his leadership. Early life Michinaga was born in Kyōto, the son of Kaneiye. Kaneiye had become Regent in 986, holding the position unt ...

and from this marriage three empresses dowagers and two regents (''sesshō'') were born. From Masanobu, several

kuge The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese Imperial Court in Kyoto. The ''kuge'' were important from the establishment of Kyoto as the capital during the Heian period in the late 8th century until the rise of the Kamak ...

families originated including the Niwata, Ayanokōji, Itsutsuji, Ōhara and Jikōji. From his fourth son Sukeyosi, the Sasaki clan originated, and thus Kyōgoku clan originated. These descendants are known as Ōmi Genji today. From this line, Sasaki Takauji made a success at the Muromachi shogunate and the

Amago clan Amago (尼子) is a Japanese word meaning "child of a nun", and has various other uses: People * Amago clan, a Japanese daimyō clan * Amago Haruhisa (1514–1561), Japanese daimyō * Amago Katsuhisa (1553–1578), Japanese daimyō * Amago Kuni ...

originated from his brother.

Events of Uda's life

Uda's father, Emperor Kōkō, demoted his sons from the rank of imperial royals to that of subjects in order to reduce the state expenses, as well as their political influence. Sadami was given the clan name of

Minamoto was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...

and named Minamoto no Sadami. Later, in 887, when Kōkō needed to appoint his successor, Sadami was once again promoted to the Imperial Prince rank with support of '' kampaku''

Fujiwara no Mototsune , also known as , was a Japanese statesman, courtier and aristocrat of the early Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Mototsune" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). He was the first '' kampaku'', a regent of an adult ...

, since Sadami was adopted by a half-sister of Mototsune. After the death of his father in November of that year, Sadami''-shinnō'' ascended to the throne. * September 17, 887 ('' Ninna 3, 26th day of the 8th month'') NengoCalc
仁和三年八月二十六日 -->: Emperor Kōkō died; and his third son received the succession (''senso''). Shortly thereafter, Emperor Uda formally acceded to the throne (''sokui''). * December 5, 887 (''Ninna 3, 17th day of the 11th month''): Mototsune asked Uda for permission to retire from his duties; but the emperor is said to have responded, "My youth limits my ability to govern; and if you stop offering me your good counsel, I will be obliged to abdicate and to retire to a monastery." Therefore, Mototsune continued to serve as the new emperor's ''kampaku''.Titsingh
p. 126.
/ref> * 888 (''Ninna 4, 8th month''): Construction of the newly created Buddhist temple of was completed; and a former disciple of Kōbō-daishi was installed as the new abbot. * 889 ('' Kanpyō 1, 10th month''): The former emperor Yōzei became deranged, and afflicted by mental illness. Yōzei would enter the palace and address courtiers he would meet with the greatest rudeness. He became increasingly furious. He garroted women with the strings of musical instruments and then threw the bodies into a lake. While riding on horseback, he directed his mount to run over people. Sometimes he simply disappeared into the mountains where he chased wild boars and red deer. In the beginning of Uda's reign, Mototsune held the office of ''kampaku'' (or chancellor). Emperor Uda's reign is marked by a prolonged struggle to reassert power by the Imperial Family away from the increasing influence of the Fujiwara, beginning with the death of Mototsune in 891. Records show that shortly thereafter, Emperor Uda assigned scholars Sukeyo and Kiyoyuki, supporters of Mototsune, to provincial posts in the remote provinces of Mutsu and

Higo Higo may refer to: * Higo Province, old province in what is now Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan * Higo Ko-ryu, Japanese koryū martial art * Higo Magalhães (born 1982), Brazilian football manager and former defensive midfielder * Higo (footballer) ...

respectively. Meanwhile, non-Fujiwara officials mainly from the

family were promoted to prominent ranks, while his trusted counselor,

Sugawara no Michizane was a scholar, poet, and politician of the Heian Period of Japan. He is regarded as an excellent poet, particularly in Kanshi poetry, and is today revered in Shinto as the god of learning, . In the poem anthology '' Hyakunin Isshu'', he is know ...

rapidly rose in rank within five years to reach the third rank in the court, and supervision of the Crown Prince's household. Meanwhile, Mototsune's son and heir, Fujiwara no Tokihira, rose in rank, but only just enough to prevent an open power struggle. Meanwhile, Emperor Uda attempted to return Court politics to the original spirit envisioned in the

Ritsuryō , , is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (律令制). ''Kyaku'' (格) are amendments of Ritsuryō, ''Shiki' ...

Codes, while reviving intellectual interest in Confucian doctrine and culture. In the seventh month of 896, Emperor Uda dispatched Sugawara no Michizane to review prisoners in the capitol and provide a general amnesty for the wrongfully accused, in keeping with Chinese practices. Emperor Uda also issued edicts reinforcing peasant land rights from encroachment by powerful families in the capital or monastic institutions, while auditing tax collections made in the provinces. Emperor Uda stopped the practice of sending ambassadors to China ("ken-toh-shi" 遣唐使). The emperor's decision was informed by what he understood as persuasive counsel from Sugawara Michizane. The Special Festival of the Kamo Shrine was first held during Uda's reign.Brown, p. 290. In 897, Uda abdicated in favor of his eldest son, Prince Atsuhito, who would later come to be known as

Emperor Daigo was the 60th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 醍醐天皇 (60)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Daigo's reign spanned the years from 897 through 930. He is named after his place of burial. G ...

. Uda left behind an hortatory will or testament which offered general admonitions or precepts for his son's guidance (''see excerpt at right''). The document praises Fujiwara no Tokihira as an advisor but cautions against his womanizing; and Sugawara no Michizane is praised as Uda's mentor. Both were assigned by Emperor Uda to look after his son until the latter reach maturity. Three years later, he entered the Buddhist priesthood at age 34 in 900. Having founded the temple at Ninna-ji, Uda made it his new home after his abdication. His Buddhist name was Kongō Kaku. He was sometimes called "the Cloistered Emperor of Teiji(亭子の帝)," because the name of the Buddhist hall where he resided after becoming a priest was called Teijiin. Uda died in 931 (''

Shōhei was a Japanese era (年號, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kōkoku and before Kentoku. This period spanned the years from December 1346 to July 1370. The Southern Court ...

1, 19th day of the 7th month'') at the age of 65. The actual site of Uda's

grave A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grav ...

is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of ...

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shint ...

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

(''misasagi'') at Kyoto. The

designates this location as Uda'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 cons ...

. It is formally named ''Kaguragaoka no Higashi no misasagi''. The former emperor is buried amongst the "Seven Imperial Tombs" at Ryōan-ji Temple in Kyoto. The mound which commemorates the Hosokawa Emperor Uda is today named ''O-uchiyama''. The emperor's burial place would have been quite humble in the period after Uda died. These tombs reached their present state as a result of the 19th century restoration of imperial sepulchers which were ordered by Emperor Meiji.

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 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 position is derived from "the ...

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 Uda'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 J ...

'' included: * '' Kampaku'',

　 (藤原基経), 836–891. * '' Daijō-daijin'', Fujiwara no Mototsune. * ''

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 in ...

'', Minamoto no Tōru　 (源融). * ''Sadaijin'', Fujiwara no Yoshiyo　 (藤原良世). * ''

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 administ ...

'', Minamoto no Masaru (源多). * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Yoshiyo 　(藤原良世). * ''Udaijin'', Minamoto no Yoshiari　 (源能有). * ''

Naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre- Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remained as a significant post under the Ta ...

'' (not appointed) * ''

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 ...

Eras of Uda's reign

The years of Uda's reign are more specifically identified by more than 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 of ...

, or ''

nengō The , also known as , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being ""), followed by the literal ...

''.Titsingh
p. 125.
/ref> * '' Ninna'' (885–889) * '' Kanpyō'' (889–898)

Consorts and children

Consort ( Nyōgo): Fujiwara no ''Onshi'' (藤原温子; 872–907),

’s daughter *Imperial Princess ''Kinshi'' (均子内親王; 890–910), married to Imperial Prince Atsuyoshi Consort ( Nyōgo): Fujiwara no ''Inshi'' (藤原胤子; d.896),

Fujiwara no Takafuji , the second son of Yoshikado, was a '' kugyo'' (Japanese noble) of the Heian period. His mother was Takada no Haruko (高田春子), daughter of Takada no Shamimaro. His daughter was mother of Emperor Daigo, and he moved up by his grandson Emper ...

’s daughter *First Son: Imperial Prince Atsugimi (敦仁親王; 885–930) later

*Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Atsuyoshi (敦慶親王; 887–930) *Imperial Prince Atsukata (敦固親王; d.926) *Imperial Princess ''Jūshi'' (柔子内親王; 892–958), 25th

Saiō A , was an unmarried female member of the Japanese Imperial Family, sent to 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-west of the shrine. The remains of ...

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 ...

(897–930) *Eighth Son: Imperial Prince Atsumi (敦実親王; 893–967) Consort ( Nyōgo): Tachibana no Yoshiko/''Gishi'' (橘義子), Tachibana no Hiromi’s daughter *Second Son: Imperial Prince Tokinaka (斉中親王; 885–891) *Third Son: Imperial Prince Tokiyo (斉世親王; 886–927) later Imperial Prince Priest Shinjaku (真寂法親王) *Imperial Prince Tokikuni (斉邦親王) *Fourth Daughter: Imperial Princess ''Kunshi'' (君子内親王; d.902), 10th Saiin in Kamo Shrine (893–902) Consort ( Nyōgo): Sugawara no Hiroko/''Enshi'' (菅原衍子),

’s daughter * Minamoto no Junshi (源順子; 875-925) married Fujiwara no Tadahira Consort ( Nyōgo): Tachibana no Fusako (橘房子; d.893) Court Attendant ( Koui): Minamoto no Sadako (源貞子), Minamoto no Noboru’s daughter *Imperial Princess ''Ishi'' (依子内親王; 895–936) Court Attendant ( Koui): Princess ''Norihime'' (徳姫女王), Prince Tōyo’s daughter *Imperial Princess ''Fushi'' (孚子内親王; d.958) Court Attendant ( Koui): Fujiwara no Yasuko (藤原保子), Fujiwara no Arizane’s daughter *Imperial Princess ''Kaishi'' (誨子内親王; 894–952), married to Imperial Prince Motoyoshi (son of Emperor Yōzei) *Imperial Princess ''Kishi'' (季子内親王; d.979) Court Attendant ( Koui): Minamoto no Hisako (源久子) Court Attendant ( Koui): Fujiwara no Shizuko (藤原静子) Lady-in-waiting: Fujiwara no ''Hōshi'' (藤原褒子), Fujiwara no Tokihira’s daughter *Imperial Prince Masaakira (雅明親王; 920–929) *Imperial Prince Noriakira (載明親王) *Imperial Prince Yukiakira (行明親王; 926–948) Court lady: A daughter of Fujiwara no Tsugukage, ''

Ise Ise may refer to: Places *Ise, Mie, a city in Japan ** Ise Grand Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in Ise, Mie * Ise Ekiti, a city in Nigeria * Ise, Norway, a village in Norway * Ise Province, an ancient province of Japan * River Ise, a tributary of ...

'' (伊勢; 875/7–ca. 939) *prince (died young) (from unknown women) *Imperial Prince Yukinaka (行中親王; d.909) *Imperial Princess ''Seishi'' (成子内親王; d.979) *Minamoto no ''Shinshi'' (源臣子)

Ancestry

Notes

References

* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''
Berkeley: University of California Press. ; * Kitagawa, Hiroshi and Bruce T. Tsuchida. (1975). ''The Tale of the Heike''. Tokyo:

University of Tokyo Press The is a university press affiliated with the University of Tokyo in Japan. It was founded in 1951, following the post-World War II reorganization of the university. Honors * Japan Foundation: Special Prize, 1990. Location The headquarters o ...

. * Moscher, Gouverneur. (1978). ''Kyoto: A Contemplative Guide.'' ; * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''

Nihon Odai Ichiran Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

''; 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. ;