Northern Court (Japan)

The Northern Court, also known as the Ashikaga Pretenders or Northern Pretenders, were a set of 6 claimants to the throne of Japan.

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The origins of the Northern Court go back to Emperor Go-Saga, reigning from 1242 to 1246. Go-Saga was succeeded in turn by two of his sons, Emperor Go-Fukakusa and Emperor Kameyama. The descendants of these two competed with each other for the throne. Go-Fukakusa's descendants were referred to as the Jimy?in-t? while Kameyama's descendants were known as the Daikakuji-t?.

Related Topics:
Emperor Go-Saga - Emperor Go-Fukakusa - Emperor Kameyama

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In 1333, when Emperor Go-Daigo (from the Daikakuji-t?) staged the Kemmu Restoration and revolted against the Kamakura shogunate, the Sh?gun responded by declaring Emperor K?gon, Go-Daigo's second cousin once removed and the son of an earlier emperor, Emperor Go-Fushimi of the Jimy?in-t?, as the new emperor. After the destruction of the Kamakura shogunate in 1333, K?gon lost his claim, but his brother, Emperor K?my?, and two of his sons were supported by the new Ashikaga shoguns as the rightful claimants to the throne. K?gon's family thus formed a northern court which was rivalled by the southern court of Go-Daigo and his descendants. In 1392, Emperor Go-Kameyama of the Southern Court was defeated and abdicated in favor of K?gon's great-grandson, Emperor Go-Komatsu, thus ending the divide. Go-Kameyama signed an agreement with Go-Komatsu to return to the old alternations on a ten-year plan. However, Go-Kameyama broke this promise, not only ruling for 20 years, but being succeeded by his own son, rather than by one from the former Southern Court. Because they were the ancestors of all the subsequent emperors, the Northern Court was for centuries afterward officially described as the true Imperial Family. However, since 1911, the Japanese government has declared the southern claimants were actually the rightful emperors because they retained possession of the three sacred treasures, making these six officially pretenders.

Related Topics:
Emperor Go-Daigo - Kemmu Restoration - Kamakura shogunate - Sh?gun - Emperor K?gon - Second cousin once removed - Emperor Go-Fushimi - Emperor K?my? - Emperor Go-Kameyama - Emperor Go-Komatsu - Three sacred treasures

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The Northern Pretenders were:

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• Emperor K?gon 1332-1333
• No Northern Court
• Emperor K?my? 1336-1348
• Emperor Suk? 1348-1351
• Brief interregnum
• Emperor Go-K?gon 1352-1371
• Emperor Go-En'y? 1371-1382
• Emperor Go-Komatsu 1382-1392 (then went on to reign as legitimate emperor 1392-1412)

The Southern Court Emperors were:

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• Emperor Go-Murakami 1339-1368
• Emperor Ch?kei 1368-1383
• Emperor Go-Kameyama 1383-1392
 
Northern Court (Japan): See also ►