The Kusuko Incident - Kusuko no Hen

This was a conflict that occurred between the retired Emperor Heizei and Emperor Saga in the early Heian period. When Fujiwara no Kusuko (Shiki-ke)'s daughter entered the harem of Emperor Heizei, who was still the Crown Prince, Fujiwara no Kusuko also served the Crown Prince and was favored by him. After he ascended to the throne, she became Naishi-no-kami and acted as she pleased without any fear or hesitation. However, when Emperor Heizei abdicated in favor of Emperor Saga due to illness in 809 (Daido 4), she lost her power. So she conspired with her brother Nakanari, who had gained influence through Kusuko's connections, to have the retired Emperor restored to the throne, and plotted with him to move the capital to Heizei. Emperor Saga's side maintained their guard against the retired emperor's side while pretending to cooperate on the surface, but in June 810 (Kōnin 1), the retired emperor suddenly issued an imperial edict to stop the inspectors and restore the title of councilor, and in September he began to formally plot to move the capital to Heijō. Emperor Saga followed the retired emperor's orders and appointed Sakanoue no Tamuramaro and others as palace construction envoys, but as government decrees began to appear like two courts issuing from the retired emperor's side and the emperor's side, finally on September 10, the emperor arrested Nakanari and demoted him to Sado Gon no Kami, and exiled Kusuko. In response, the retired emperor tried to head east from Heijo-kyo with Kusuko to oppose them, but Sakanoue no Tamuramaro and others prepared to intercept them, so they were forced to return to Heijo-kyo, shaved their heads, and Kusuko committed suicide. The rebellion ended in three days and did not amount to anything more than an internal dispute within the imperial court, but as a result of this incident, Crown Prince Takaoka, whose father was the retired Emperor Heizei, was deposed and his younger brother, Prince Otomo, became crown prince, and Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu, who was highly trusted by Emperor Saga, rose to prosperity, marking the beginning of the prosperity of the Northern Fujiwara clan.

[Morita Tei]

“Heian Cultural History Theory” by Tokue Mezaki (1968, Sakurakaedesha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安時代初期に起こった平城(へいぜい)上皇と嵯峨(さが)天皇の間の抗争事件。藤原薬子（式家(しきけ)）は、その女(むすめ)が春宮(とうぐう)時代の平城天皇の後宮に入った際、自分も春宮に仕え、その愛寵(あいちょう)を被り、即位後は尚侍(ないしのかみ)となり、恐憚(きょうたん)するところなく思いのままふるまっていたが、809年（大同4）病により平城天皇が嵯峨天皇に譲位すると権勢を失ったため、薬子の縁で勢力を得ていた兄仲成(なかなり)と謀り、上皇の復位をねらい、上皇と画策し、平城(へいじょう)遷都を実施しようとした。嵯峨天皇側では上皇方に対し、表面的には協力を装いながら警戒を怠らずにいたところ、810年（弘仁1）6月、上皇は突如、観察使(かんさつし)をやめて参議の号に復せとの詔(みことのり)を発し、9月に入ると平城遷都を正式に謀ってきた。嵯峨天皇はいちおう上皇の命に従い坂上田村麻呂(さかのうえのたむらまろ)らを造宮使に任命したが、政令が上皇方と天皇方とから出る二所朝廷の様相を呈することになってしまったので、ついに9月10日に至り天皇は仲成を逮捕して佐渡権守(ごんのかみ)に貶降(へんこう)し、薬子を追放に処した。これに対し上皇は薬子とともに平城京から東国に向かい対抗しようとしたが、坂上田村麻呂らが迎撃態勢をとったので、やむをえず平城京に戻り剃髪(ていはつ)し、薬子は自殺した。乱は3日間で終息し、宮廷内の抗争以上を出なかったが、この変の結果、皇太子高岳(たかおか)親王は、その父が平城上皇であったために廃され、皇弟大伴(おおとも)親王が皇太弟となり、嵯峨天皇の信任厚い藤原冬嗣(ふゆつぐ)の台頭が著しく、藤原北家(ほっけ)繁栄の端緒となった。

［森田　悌］

『目崎徳衛著『平安文化史論』（1968・桜楓社）』

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