Emperor Shirakawa

Emperor Shirakawa (???? Shirakawa Tenn?) (July 7, 1053 - July 24, 1129) was the 72nd imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from January 18, 1073 to January 5, 1087. His personal name was Sadahito. (??). He was the first emperor to ostensibly retire to a monastery, but in fact continue to exert considerable influence over his successor. This process would become known as cloistered rule.

Life

When he was very young, his relations with his father were very cold, but in 1068, when his father was enthroned, he was proclaimed a shinn? (Imperial Prince), becoming Imperial Prince Sadahito. (????). In 1069, he became Crown Prince and in 1073, at the age of 19, he became emperor.

Related Topics:
Father - 1068 - Proclaimed a ''shinn?'' - 1069 - Crown Prince - 1073

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A kampaku was put in place, but when his father died later that year, he attempted to rule directly, like his father. He attempted to regulate the sh?en (manor) system, working to weaken the influence of the sekkan lines.

Related Topics:
Kampaku - Sekkan

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Go-Sanj? wished for Shirakawa's younger half-brother Imperial Prince ?? (????) to succeed him to the throne. Upon Shirakawa's enthronement, ?? became k?taitei (heir who is a younger brother). Shirakawa opposed this, but in 1085, the prince died of illness, and his own son, Imperial Prince Taruhito (????) became Crown Prince. On the same day as Taruhito's establishment as Crown Prince, Shirakawa abdicated, and Taruhito became Emperor Horikawa. The now-retired Emperor Shirakawa began the custom of cloistered rule, ruling from the Shirakawa-in (lit. "White River Mansion/Temple"). Nominal sessh? and kampaku continued to exist for a long time.

Related Topics:
1085 - Emperor Horikawa - Cloistered rule

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However when Horikawa came of age, Shirakawa did not relinquish power, and continued to rule as an autocrat.

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Believing strongly in Buddhism, in 1096, on the occasion of his daughter's death, he entered a monastery under the name of Y?kan? (??), becoming a h?? (??), a former emperor who has become a monk.

Related Topics:
Buddhism - 1096

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After the death of Emperor Horikawa, his son became Emperor Toba. Shirakawa was still alive when Toba abdicated in turn to his son, who became Emperor Sutoku. By the time of his death in 1129, he had ruled as cloistered Emperor for 41 years and through the reigns of three de jure emperors.

Related Topics:
Emperor Toba - Emperor Sutoku - 1129 - Cloistered Emperor - De jure

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