Konoe Motomichi

Konoe Motomichi ( Japanese 近衛 基 通 ; * 1160 ; † 1233 ), outdated: Konoye Motomichi , was a Japanese sesshō and kampaku ( regent ) for three emperors around 1180.

Life path

Konoe Motomichi was the son of the actual founder of the Konoe branch of the Fujiwara Motozane ( 近衛 基 実 ). His mother was a daughter of Fujiwara no Tadataka .

His career at the imperial court began with the elevation to the following third court rank in 1174. The next year he was Gon-Chūnagon ( 権 中 納 言 ; extraordinary middle cabinet councilor). Five years later, he was called to Naidaijin , a post he resigned from the same year he became Kampaku . Motomichi was a favorite of the ex-emperor Go-Shirakawa (r. 1155-58). Until January 1180 he was Kampaku for Takakura , then Sesshō for the 2-year-old Antoku until 1183 and again from 1184 to 1186 (also for Go-Toba ). The promotion to the following first rank took place in 1180. During this time the conspiracy against the Taira, which had been dominant since 1160, fell with great brutality . The following uprising developed into the Genpei War . Motomichi left the emperor fleeing westward in 1183 and supported Go-Toba in the capital. 1196-98 he was then again Kanpaku for Tsuchimikado , then until 1202 Sesshō for the same Tennō.

He was married to Hiraiko ( 平 位子 ), with whom he had at least seven children. The eldest son Iezane ( 近衛 家 実 ; 1179-1242) succeeded him as head of the family and later regent. Several younger sons were high-ranking Buddhist clergy, so Enchō (1180-1234; 円 忠 ), Enjō ( 円 浄 ) and Jizuchō (1190-1263, 静 忠 ) in the Kōfuku-ji a temple of the Hossō sect in Nara; famous for its monk warriors in the Middle Ages.

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . Thus Konoe is the family name, Motomichi the first name.

source

• Berend Wispelwey (Ed.): Japanese Biographical Archive . Fiche 167, KG Saur, Munich 2007, ISBN 3-598-34014-1