Suiko
Empress Suiko ( Japanese 推 古 天皇 Suiko-tennō ; * 554 ; † April 15, 628 ) was the 33rd Tennō of Japan (592-628) and the first woman to hold this position. She was a daughter of Emperor Kimmei . Her proper name was Princess Nukatabe ( 額 田 部 ) and her posthumous name as Empress was Toyomikake shikihime no mikoto ( 豊 御 食 炊 屋 姫 ).
According to the description of the Nihonshoki , the empress is said to have been elegant and very modest in appearance. She was a clever woman and focused on maintaining the balance between Prince Umayado ( 厩 戸 , also: Shōtoku Taishi ) and the Soga clan , who vied for power.
After the accession to the throne, she appointed Prince Umayado as regent and transferred political power to him. During their reign, the Soga clan was politically at its peak. In addition, her uncle Soga no Umako was the chief of the clan's tribe. That is why he tried to use their power politically. But the empress let justice prevail and refused the request.
Once, when her uncle Umako asked her for the right to an area called Kazuragi no agata (in ancient times , all of the land belonged to the Yamato government) for a private reason , she refused, " You are my uncle, if only I your wish for this reason and had given the right belonging to the government, I would later be named by posterity as a stupid woman and you would be named as an unfaithful rabble ”.
Under their righteous rule, Prince Umayado demonstrated his talent. He formed an official system ( Kan'i jūni kai ) in 603 and the 17 article constitution in the next year. In 607 he sent Ono no Imoko to the Sui Dynasty . Since then, students and monks ( Sangha ) have been regularly sent to the Chinese Empire . This is how the old Japanese political system was introduced and Buddhism gained a foothold in Japan. The empress herself ordered in 594 that one should venerate three treasures , namely Buddha , the teaching ( Dharma ) and the monks (Sangha). It was also during their reign that the Hōryū-ji , known as the oldest surviving wooden structure in the world, was built (completion was in 607).
Prince Umayado and Soga no Umako edited two history books, namely Tennōki and Kokuki , and dedicated them to her in 620. Two years later, Prince Umayado died at the age of 49, Umako died in 624. In a very short time, the Empress lost two important people who they supported, and is said to have felt very lonely. She died in 628 at the age of 75.
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Sushun |
Empress of Japan 593–628 |
Jomei |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Suiko |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 推 古 天皇 (Japanese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | 33. Tennō of Japan |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 554 |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 15, 628 |