was a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

courtier (''

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 ...

'') and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, ...

of the late Asuka and early

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the c ...

. He founded the Nanke ("Southern") branch of the

Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

.'' MyPedia'' entry for "Fujiwara no Muchimaro His court rank is

Senior First Rank The court ranks of Japan, also known in Japanese as ''ikai'' (位階), are indications of an individual's court rank in Japan based on the system of the state. ''Ikai'' as a system was originally used in the Ritsuryo system, which was the politi ...

Life

Muchimaro is the eldest son of Fujiwara no Fuhito, and her mother Soga no Shōshi is the daughter of Soga no Murajiko. He married a granddaughter of Abe no Miushi, with whom he had two sons

Fujiwara no Toyonari was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Nara period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Toyonari" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). Career Toyonari served as a minister during the reigns of Emperor Shōm ...

and

Fujiwara no Nakamaro , also known as , Brown, Delmer M. (1979). ''Gukanshō,'' p. 274 was a Japanese aristocrat (''kuge''), courtier, and statesman. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Fujiwara no Nakamaro"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 207. He was Chancellor ('' Daij ...

. Among his daughters was consort of

Emperor Shōmu was the 45th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 聖武天皇 (45)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 749, during the Nara period. Traditional narrative ...

. Muchimaro became the head of Ministry of Civil Services in 718. When Fuhito, Muchimaro's father, died in 720,

Prince Nagaya Nagaya ( ') (684 – 20 March 729) was a politician of the Nara period and an imperial prince of Japan, a son of Prince Takechi (grandson of Emperor Tenmu). His father was Prince Takechi and his mother Princess Minabe (a daughter of Emperor ...

was at the highest rank in the state government. Prince Nagaya was grandson of

Emperor Tenmu was the 40th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 天武天皇 (40) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. Tenmu's rei ...

, but not a son of Fujiwara family, therefore was seen as a threat by Muchimaro and his three brothers. After successfully removing Prince Nagaya in 729, Muchimaro rose to ''

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 ...

'' (Counselor of the first rank). In 734, he was promoted to ''

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 ...

'' or "Minister of the Right". In 737, he was made ''

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 ...

'' or "Minister of the Left", but died of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

the following day. The History of the Fujiwara House (''Tōshi Kaden'' 藤氏家伝) included his biography and states the following: "Muchimaro, the Fujiwara Great Minister of the Left, was a man from the Sakyō district. He was the oldest son of the Head of the Council of State Fuhito, and his mother was a daughter of the Soga Great Minister of the Treasury. He was born in the mansion at Ōhara on the fifteenth day of the fourth month of 680, the ninth year since the enthronement of the sovereign

Tenmu was the 40th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 天武天皇 (40) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. Tenmu's rei ...

. Because he cultivated righteousness, he received this name."

Family

*Father: Fujiwara no Fuhito *Mother: Soga no Shōshi (蘇我娼子, ?–?), daughter of Soga no Murajiko (蘇我連子). **Main Wife: Sada-hime (阿倍貞媛, 阿倍貞吉 or 阿倍真虎), grand-daughter of Abe no Miushi (阿倍御主人). ***1st son:

(藤原豊成, 704–765) ***2nd son:

(藤原仲麻呂, 706–764) **Wife: name unknown, daughter of Ki no Maro (紀麻呂). ***3rd son: Fujiwara no Otomaro (藤原乙麻呂, ?–760?) **Wife: (阿祢姫), daughter of (小治田功麻呂). ***4th son: Fujiwara no Kosemaro (藤原巨勢麻呂, ?–764) **Wife: name unknown ***Daughter: Minamidono (南殿, ?–748), consort of

Notes

References

* Bauer, Mikael. ''The History of the Fujiwara House''. Kent, UK: Renaissance Books, 2020. . * Hall, John Whitney. The Cambridge History of Japan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. (pp. 247–249) * Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...

.
OCLC 58053128

External links

Sonpi Bunmyaku is a Japanese genealogical text. Originally written by Tōin Kinsada in the late 14th century, it was either 15 or 16 volumes in length. This was followed by re-edited editions eventually bringing the text to thirty volumes in length. The full tit ...

, viewable through the Digital Archive of National Diet Library (Japan). Fujiwara clan 680 births 737 deaths People of Asuka-period Japan People of Nara-period Japan Deaths from smallpox Infectious disease deaths in Japan Japanese nobility {{japan-noble-stub

Life

Family

See also

Notes

References

External links