Temmu

The emperor Temmu (天武天皇, Temmu Tennnō , 622 or 631 - October 1st 686) was the fortieth emperor Japan, according to the traditional order of the succession. He reigned of 672 to his death.

Geneaology

Temmu was youngest wire of the emperor Jomei and the empress Saimei, and the younger brother of the emperor Tenji. Its personal name was Prince Ō-ama . Her death, his wife and niece succeed to him on the throne and become the empress Jitō.

Biography

Only and single document on its life is the Nihonshoki . However, as it was written by his son prince Toreni, and than this work was carried out during the reigns of his wife and of his/her children, his impartiality is questioned.

Reign of Tenji

When his/her older brother goes up on the throne, prince Ō-ama (the future Temmu emperor) becomes crown prince, Tenji at the time of wire not having adapted, their mothers not having a row sufficiently raised to give them the political support necessary. Tenji suspects that Ō-ama could be enough ambitious to try to take the throne, and feels the need for reinforcing its allegiances through the above-mentioned marriages.

In its old age, Tenji has a son, prince Ōtomo, by a concubine of low row. As Ōtomo has only weak supports through its maternal relationship, the general feeling, at the time, is that it is not an good idea to make a heir to it, but Tenji becomes obsessed with this idea. In 671, Ō-ama feels in danger and voluntarily gives up its title of crown prince to become monk. It goes in the mountains, with Yoshino in the Province of Yamato, officially to seek insulation. It takes with him its sons and one of its wives, the princess Unonosarara, a girl of Tenji. It however leaves its other wives and concubines to the capital of the time, Omikyō in the Province of Ōmi (current the Ōtsu).

Reign

One year later, in 672, Tenji dies and prince Ōtomo goes up on the throne as an emperor Kōbun. Ō-ama returns with an army to dispute this succession with its nephew. During this confrontation called War of Jinshin, the army of Kōbun is overcome and it commits suicide.

In 673, Ō-ama redéplace its capital in the province of Yamato, in Asuka Kiyomihara and goes up then officially on the throne, becoming the Temmu emperor. It makes of Unonosarara its empress consort and reign of this new capital until its death in 686.

Policy

In the Nihonshoki , Temmu is described like a large innovator. If this source cannot be described as neutral, it seems however clear that Temmu reinforced the capacity of the empire, giving to its sons the highest places of the government and thus reducing the traditional influence of powerful the clans such as the clans Ōtomo and Soga. It reforms the system of the Kabane , the traditional titles of official loads and rows. The highest kabane of the previous period, Omi and Muraji , see their value reduced in this new hierarchy consisting of eight rows of kabane . Each clan then receives new a kabane in relation to his proximity with the imperial line and his honesty towards Temmu.

Temmu tried to preserve a balance of power between its sons. It went to Yoshino with its sons, and there tried to make them cooperate together and to make sure that they would not be made the war. That appeared ineffective and one of these wire, prince Ōtsu, was carried out later for treason after the death of Temmu.

The foreign politics of Temmu went in favor of the Korean kingdom of Silla, which took the complete control of the Korean peninsula in 676. After the unification of Korea by Silla, Temmu decided to break all diplomatic relations with the Dynastie Tang of China, in order to remain in good terms with Silla.

Temmu used religious structures to increase the authority of the imperial throne. During its reign, he insisted on the bond between the imperial house and the Temple of Ise (dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu, judicious being the ancestor of the emperors of Japan), and several festivals were financed with the expenses of the State. He also showed favors towards the Bouddhisme, and made build several temples and monasteries. On another side, all the Buddhist priests, monks and moniales were controlled by the State, and nobody was authorized with becoming monk without his authorization, this in order to control the worships and to prevent the farmers from becoming priests.

Genealogy

During the reign of his older brother the emperor Tenji, Temmu was forced to marry several of the girls of Tenji, this last thinking that these marriages reforceraient the political bonds between the two brothers. The nieces whom he married include the princesses Unonosarara (become the Jitō empress thereafter) and Ōta. Temmu also had several other consorts, whose fathers were influential members of the court.

Temmu had many children, including his crown prince Kusakabe by the princess Unonosarara, the prince Ōtsu by the Ōta princess, and the prince Toreni, who compiled the Nihon Shoki and be the father of the emperor Junnin. By prince Kusakabe, Temmu had two emperors and two empresses among its descendants. The empress Shōtoku was the last of the imperial leaders going down from her line.

Empress and consorts

  • Princess Ohota (Ota), her niece, born in 643, girl of the emperor Tenji and Soga Ochi No Iratsume, died in 667, of which it had 2 children:
    • Ohoki Princess (Oku), born in 661, Princess vestal of Ise from 673 to 686; died in 701.
    • Prince Ohotsu (Otsu), born in 662 and killed in 686, married with the Yamabe princess, committed suicide into 686, girl of the Tenji emperor and Soga Hitachi No Iratsume.

  • Unosarara Princess, her niece, born in 645, girl of the Tenji emperor and Soga Ochi No Iratsume, married in 660, raised with the row of empress in 672; reach the throne in 686 under the name of Jito¯, of which it had a child:

    • Prince Kusakabe, born in 662, designated heir in 681, married with the Princess Abe, her aunt, (661 + 721), girl of the Tenji emperor and Soga Mei No Iratsume, died in 689 of which it had:
      • Princess Hitaka (future empress Gensho¯)
      • Kibi Princess, died into 729; married with prince Nagaya, wire of prince Takechi (wire of the Temmu emperor) and of the princess Minabe (girl of the Tenji emperor)
      • Prince Karu (Emperor Mommu)

  • Ohoye Princess, her niece, died into 699; girl of the Tenji emperor and Oshinumi No Shikobuko No Iratsume; imperial wife; it had 2 children:

    • Prince Naga, died in 715
    • Prince Yuge, died in 699

  • Niitabe Princess, her niece, died into 699; girl of the Tenji emperor and Abe No Tachibana No Iratsume; imperial wife; it had a child:

    • Prince Toneri, born in 676, died in 735; married to Taima No Yamashiro; it had
      • Prince Mihara
      • Prince Mishima
      • Prince Fune
      • Prince Ikeda
      • Prince Moribe
      • Prince Miyura
      • Empereur Junnin

  • Fujiwara (Nakatomi) No Higami No Iratsume, died into 682; girl of Fujiwara Nakatomi No Kamatari; imperial wife; it had a child:

    • Tajima Princess, died into 708; married to its half brother prince Takechi (654 + 696)

  • Fujiwara (Nakatomi) No Ioe No Iratsume, girl of Fujiwara (Nakatomi) No Kamatari; imperial wife; it had a child:

    • Prince Niitabe, death 735; father of:
      • Prince Funado, titrated crown prince into 756; killed 757
      • Prince Shioyaki, married with the Fuwa princess, died after 795, girl of the emperor Shomu

  • Soga No UNO No Iratsume, died into 724; girl of Soga No Akae; imperial wife; it had 3 children:

    • Prince Hozumi, died in 715
    • Ki Princess, died after 647.
    • Tagata Princess, died into 728; princess vestal of Ise from 706 to 707; married with the prince Mutobe

  • Princess Nukada No Okimi, girl of prince Kagami; concubine; imperial wife; it had a child:

    • Toochi Princess, born in 648; married with the prince Otomo (future emperor Ko¯bun); named imperial wife in 672; + 678

  • Munakata No Amako No Iratsume, girl of Munakata No kimi Tokuzen; imperial concubine; it had a child:

    • first wire: Prince Takechi, born in 654, named chancellor in 690; died in 696; married (A) its half sister the Tajima princess, died into 708, girl of the Temmu emperor; married (B) the Minabe princess, born towards 658, girl of the Tenji emperor and Soga Mei No Iratsume; father of:
      • Prince Nagaya, born in 684, died into 729; married (A) Kibi princess, died into 729, girl of the crown prince Kusakabe and the Abe princess, including 3 wire; married (B) Fujiwara No Nagako, girl of Fujiwara No Fuhito and Kamo No Hime, including 4 children; married (C) Abe No Otoji, of which a girl; married (D) Chinu Princess, of which a girl; father of
        • Prince Kashiwade, dead 729
        • Prince Katsuragi, dead 729
        • Prince Kagitori, dead 729
        • prince Asukabe
        • Prince Kibumi, dead 757
        • Prince Yamashiro, dead 763
        • Princess Kyosho
        • Princess Kamo
        • Princess Madokata
      • Prince Suzuka

  • Shishibito No Kajihime No Iratsume, girl of Shishibito No omi Ohomaro; imperial concubine; it had 4 children:

    • Prince Osakabe, died into 705; married to his/her cousin the Asuka princess, died into 700, girl of the Tenji emperor and Abe Tachibana No Iratsume
    • Prince Shiki
    • Hatsusebe Princess, died into 741; married to his/her cousin prince Kawajima (659 + 691), file of the Tenji emperor and Oshinumi No Shikobuko No Iratsume
    • Taki Princess, died into 751; princess vestal of Ise in 698; married to his/her cousin prince Shiki (+ 716), wire of the Tenji emperor and Koshi No Mishi No Iratsume

References

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