Emperor Gosanjo

Japanese: 後三条天皇 - ごさんじょうてんのう

Year of death: May 7, 5th Enkyu (June 15, 1073)
Year of birth: July 18, 1034 (September 3, 1034)
An emperor in the mid-Heian period. His name was Takahito. He was born to Princess Teishi (Yomeimon'in, his mother was Fujiwara no Michinaga's daughter Kenshi), the daughter of Emperor Sanjo, while he was the Crown Prince of Emperor Gosuzaku. He was proclaimed a prince at the age of three, and when his father died, he became the crown prince at the age of 12 when his brother-in-law Emperor Go-Reizei ascended to the throne. When he came of age the following year, he married Dainagon Fujiwara no Yoshinobu's adopted daughter Shigeko (whose real father was Chunagon Fujiwara no Kinnari), and Emperor Shirakawa, who later began ruling as an innkeeper, was born. He ascended to the throne in 1068 (Jiriyaku 4) at the age of 35. In addition to his experience as Crown Prince for 24 years, he was able to push ahead with direct rule as he was not related by marriage to the regent Fujiwara no Norimichi. During his reign in the Enkyu era (1069-1074), he established the Record Office for Shoen Kenkeisho (record office) and promoted the consolidation of manors, instituted an official measuring box called Senjimasu, and rectified imbalances in the measurement of weights, among other notable actions. The consolidation of manors was particularly devastating to the Sekkanke family, and many of the confiscated manors became the property of Emperor Gosanjo. However, after less than five years on the throne, he abdicated in favor of his first son, Emperor Shirakawa, and made his second son, Prince Sanehito (Shirakawa's half-brother), Crown Prince. There has long been a theory that the reason for his abdication was to carry out cloistered rule (Gukansho and others), but no conclusive evidence has been found, and the more popular theory is that it was due to illness and the establishment of Prince Sanehito as Crown Prince. Six months later, due to illness, he became a monk (his posthumous Buddhist name was Kongo-gyo), and died shortly thereafter. His remains were cremated at Kaguraoka, east of the capital. His tomb is the Ensoji tomb in Shuzan, Ryoanji, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City.

(Oboriya Hisashi)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：延久5.5.7(1073.6.15)
生年：長元7.7.18(1034.9.3)
平安中期の天皇。名は尊仁。後朱雀天皇の東宮時代に三条天皇の皇女禎子内親王(陽明門院,母は藤原道長の娘妍子)を母として誕生。3歳で親王宣下を受け,父の死去で義兄の後冷泉天皇の即位にともない12歳のとき皇太弟となった。翌年に元服すると大納言藤原能信の養女茂子(実父は中納言藤原公成)を妃とし,ここに誕生したのがのちに院政を開始した白河天皇である。治暦4(1068)年,義兄の死去にともない即位,ときに35歳。24年におよぶ東宮の経験に加え,関白藤原教通と外戚関係がなかったことから親政をおし進めた。在位中の延久年間(1069～1074)に記録荘園券契所(記録所)を設置して荘園整理を推進し,宣旨枡という公定枡を制定し,秤量における不均衡を是正したことなど見るべきものがあった。特に荘園整理による摂関家の打撃は大きく,収公された荘園の多くは後三条天皇領となった。しかし在位5年足らずで第1皇子の白河天皇に譲位し,第2皇子の実仁親王(白河の異母弟)を東宮とした。譲位の理由として院政を行うためという説が早くからあるが(『愚管抄』ほか)決め手を欠き,病気と実仁親王の立太子とが原因という説が有力。半年後,病のため出家し(法名は金剛行),まもなく崩じた。遺骸は京外東の神楽岡で荼毘に付された。陵は京都市右京区竜安寺朱山の円宗寺陵。

(朧谷寿)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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