Prince Sawara

He was the crown prince from the end of the Nara period to the early Heian period. His father was Emperor Kōnin and his mother was the posthumous Empress Dowager Takano no Niigasa. His siblings were Emperor Kanmu and Princess Noto. His mother was of Baekje descent and of humble origin, so he was placed in a temple in Nara when he was young. Thanks to the efforts of Fujiwara no Momokawa and others, when Emperor Kōnin ascended to the throne, he became a prince, and when his elder brother became Emperor Kanmu, he was made crown prince at his father's request. The emperor made major decisions himself, but left everyday affairs to the crown prince and Momokawa's nephew Fujiwara no Tanetsugu. As the construction of the Nagaoka Palace progressed, the relationship between the crown prince and Tanetsugu gradually deteriorated. When Otomo no Yakamochi, the head of the Crown Prince's Office, died, Otomo no Yakamochi's men and those who served in the Crown Prince's Office assassinated Tanetsugu in September 785 (Enryaku 4). The Emperor was extremely angry and deposed the Crown Prince, confined him to Otokuni Temple, and then exiled him to Awaji. The deposed Prince stopped eating and drinking and died at Takase Bridge (near Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture). Later, fearing the Prince's vengeful spirit, the Emperor bestowed the title of Emperor Sudou on the deposed Prince and reburied him at Yashima Mausoleum (Yashimacho, Nara City) in the south of Nara. He is enshrined at Kami-Goryo Shrine (Kyoto City).

[Shuichi Nakayama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

奈良時代末から平安時代初期の皇太子。父は光仁(こうにん)天皇、母は贈皇太后高野新笠(たかののにいがさ)、同腹の兄弟に桓武(かんむ)天皇、能登(のと)内親王がある。母は百済(くだら)系の卑母であったので、若いとき奈良の寺に入れられた。藤原百川(ももかわ)らの努力により光仁天皇が即位すると、親王となり、兄が桓武天皇となると、父の希望により皇太子にたてられた。天皇は大事は自分で決したが、平常の事務は皇太子と百川の甥の藤原種継(たねつぐ)にゆだねた。長岡造宮のことが進むと、皇太子と種継の仲がしだいに悪くなっていった。皇太子の役所の長官大伴家持(おおとものやかもち)が死ぬと、大伴氏の若人や皇太子の役所に仕える人々が、785年（延暦4）9月種継を暗殺した。天皇は大いに怒り皇太子を廃し、乙訓(おとくに)寺に幽閉し、ついで淡路(あわじ)へ流した。廃太子は自ら飲食を絶って高瀬橋（大阪府門真(かどま)市付近）で絶命した。のちその怨霊(おんりょう)を恐れた天皇は廃太子に崇道(すどう)天皇の号を贈り、奈良南方の八嶋(やしま)陵（奈良市八島町）に改葬した。上御霊(かみごりょう)神社（京都市）に祀(まつ)る。

［中山修一］

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