Fujiwara no Tadahira
Fujiwara no Tadahira ( Japanese 藤原 忠 平 ; * 880 ; † 949 ) was a kuge (court nobleman), head of government and regent for two Japanese emperors of the early Heian period . Although two other members of the house had already acted as regents, the modalities of the sesshō system did not develop until his time.
He also distinguished himself as a poet and is immortalized in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu .
career
Fujiwara no Tadahira was a scion of the northern Fujiwara line. He was the fourth son of Fujiwara no Mototsune (836-891). Fujiwara no Yoshifusa (804-872) adopted him as his heir.
Declared of legal age at the age of 16 (895), he was awarded the 5th lower court rank by the Uda -Tennō († 942). The following year he became acting governor ( gon no kami ) of the province of Bingo , a post that secured a portion of the tax revenue for his living without having to leave the capital.
When Daigo took office (897), he was in the bottom 4th rank. In 900 he married Princess Nobuko , a daughter of the resigned Uda, who seems to have valued him very much. The fact that he was the son or grandson of the previous rulers certainly also promoted his ascent. He had at least one concubine, a daughter of Fujiwara no Tsunekuni .
As udaiben , he fulfilled an influential mediating position between the throne, the advisors, the State Council and the resigned emperor. In this position he also gained experience in the aspects of provincial administration. He is likely to have been involved in the formulation (905–927) of the Engi reforms ( Engishiki ), which among other things aimed to improve tax collection. His brother Tokihira (871-909) was Chancellor on the left ( sadaijin ) at this time .
This was followed by a continuous rise in the hierarchy, including advisor posts , the appointment as provisional governor of the province of Bizen (905/01) and in 908 the appointment as advisor to the State Council ( sangi ) and at the same time three director positions, all related to the personal safety of the "heavenly Majesty". At the death of his brother Tokihira (909/04) he becomes clan chief, thus also the patron of the family temple Kofuku -ji in Nara ; at this point he already has the 3rd lower court rank.
After being promoted to dainagon in 911 , he was appointed commander of the left inner guard two years later. In 914 he becomes chancellor on the right ( udaijn ). This position had a benefice of 2000 households. Since the higher offices in terms of protocol are vacant, he is an effective head of government. The appointment as sadaijin (Chancellor on the left) took place only 10 years later, although he had already been awarded the lower second court rank in 916/02.
See also: Ritsuryō (administrative organization and ranking system of the court)
Regency
Fujiwara no Tadahira was appointed regent ( sesshō ) for the 7-year-old Crown Prince Hiroakira in 930 by the retiring Daigo -Tennō, who was already dying . The later Suzaku-Tennō was the third son of Daigo with the Empress Yasuko, a biological sister of Tokihira. The two older crown princes Yasuaki and Yoshiori had died young. They were believed to have fallen victim to the spirit of revenge ( urami ) of Sugawara no Michizane . Suzaku should therefore be specially protected.
Tadahira was sesshō (regent) and thus an effective ruler until 941 . During this time he rose even further in terms of protocol: As early as 930/12 he received an escort of two udoneri and eight zuijin riders as a sign of his dignity . In 932 he was appointed to the first lower court rank; 938/08 as Grand Chancellor (benefice: 3,000 households). In the following year he was assimilated to the three empresses. After the accession to the throne of Suzaku-Tennō he became his advisor ( Kampaku ). During the time of the reign, the attempt was made to ensure the reliable delivery of tax revenue to the capital again (which, however, only succeeded effectively under his successors around 960). Furthermore, the uprising of the Taira no Masakado in Kantō were suppressed and the piracy of Fujiwara no Sumitomo († 941/07) was fought.
Suzaku resigned in 946/04 in favor of his younger brother. The new Tennō Murakami left Tadahira in his position until his death in 949. Two sons of Tadahira were at that time as Chancellor of the State Council: Saneyori and Moruske .
literature
- His journal (beginning in 907) has survived : Teishino ki .
- Joan Piggott: Court and Provinces under Regent Fujiwara no Tadahira. In: Heian Japan. Centers and Peripheries . Honolulu 2007, ISBN 978-0-8248-3013-7 .
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fujiwara no Tadahira |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 藤原 忠 平 (Japanese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Japanese Kuge (court nobleman) and regent under Emperor Suzaku, as well as poet |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 880 |
| DATE OF DEATH | 949 |