The An'wa Incident - The An'na Incident

In 969 (Anwa 2), the Fujiwara clan started a corruption scandal to exclude other clans. The Minister of the Right, Fujiwara no Morotada, demoted the Minister of the Left, Minamoto no Takaakira (son of Emperor Daigo, given the surname Minamoto clan), and as a result became the Minister of the Left himself. The incident began in March of that year, when the Left Minister, Minamoto no Mitsunaka, former Musashi no Suke, Fujiwara no Yoshitoki, and others informed on the Junior Assistant Minister of the Center, Tachibana no Shigenobu, Minamoto no Tsurane, and former Sagami no Suke, Fujiwara no Chiharu. After an investigation, the Imperial Court found that the incident was closely related to Minamoto Takaakira, demoted Takaakira to Dazai Gon no Sotsu, exiled Shigenobu to Tosa (Kochi Prefecture), and exiled Chiharu to Oki. Prior to this, Minamoto Takaakira had married the daughter of Fujiwara no Morosuke (Morotada's older brother), and his wife's elder sister was Emperor Murakami's Empress Yasuko. Between Murakami and Yasuko there were three princes: Norihira (Emperor Reizei), Tamehira, and Morihira, and Emperor Murakami and Yasuko were planning to make Prince Tamehira the crown prince after Prince Norihira ascended to the throne. However, when Emperor Murakami abdicated, Fujiwara clan members Saneyori, Koretada, and Kaneie feared that Prince Tamehira would one day ascend to the throne from the position of crown prince, and the Minamoto clan would prosper, so they removed Prince Tamehira because he was the son-in-law of Minamoto Takaakira, and made Prince Morihira the crown prince. In addition, because Michisuke's daughter was Takaakira's wife, Michisuke's elder brother Saneyori and younger brother Michitada were also strongly opposed to Michisuke, and when Michisuke and Anshi died, Takaakira lost his support, and rumors began to spread that Takaakira was trying to support Prince Tamehira, raise an army in the eastern provinces, and have him ascend to the throne. It is said that Minamoto no Mitsunaka, who was initially an ally, had a change of heart and reported the matter to the people. The turmoil within the Imperial Court was similar to the Johei-Tengyo Rebellion, as described in the Nihon Kiryaku, and Michitada was the mastermind behind it, according to the Rekidai Henkenshusei. Takaakira became a monk and his house was burned down. This incident marked the start of Minamoto no Mitsunaka's advance as a samurai and the final event in the Fujiwara clan's drive to exclude other clans, but it also marked the first step in a dispute between the Fujiwara clan and their brothers.

[Yutaka Yamanaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

969年（安和2）藤原氏が起こした他氏排斥の疑獄事件。右大臣藤原師尹(もろただ)が、左大臣源高明(たかあきら)（醍醐(だいご)天皇の皇子。賜姓源氏）を左遷し、その結果、自ら左大臣となる。事件の発端は同年3月、左馬助(さまのすけ)源満仲(みつなか)、前武蔵介(むさしのすけ)藤原善時(よしとき)らが、中務少輔(なかつかさのしょう)橘繁延(たちばなのしげのぶ)、源連(つらね)、前相模介(さがみのすけ)藤原千晴(ちはる)らを密告したことに始まる。朝廷は取調べの結果、源高明に関係深い事件とし高明を大宰権帥(だざいのごんのそつ)に貶(お)とし、繁延を土佐（高知県）、千晴を隠岐(おき)に配流した。これより先、源高明は藤原師輔(もろすけ)（師尹の兄）の娘を妻としており、妻の姉は村上天皇の中宮(ちゅうぐう)安子である。村上と安子の間には、憲平(のりひら)（冷泉(れいぜい)天皇）、為平(ためひら)、守平(もりひら)の3親王があり、村上天皇と安子は為平親王を憲平親王の即位後皇太子にしようと考えていた。しかるに、村上天皇退位のとき、藤原氏の実頼(さねより)、伊尹(これただ)、兼家(かねいえ)らは、為平親王が皇太子からいずれ即位して源氏の繁栄することを恐れ、為平親王が源高明の娘婿であることを理由にこれを排除、守平親王を皇太子とした。また、師輔の娘が高明の妻であることから、師輔の兄実頼、弟師尹は師輔に対しての反発も強く、師輔、安子の死により高明は支柱を失ったところ、高明が為平親王を擁立し東国に軍兵を起こし即位させようとしているなどのうわさがたち、源満仲は、初めは仲間であったのが心変わりして密告したという。朝廷内の騒動は、承平(じょうへい)・天慶(てんぎょう)の乱のようであったと『日本紀略』に伝え、師尹が主謀者と『歴代編年集成』にある。高明は出家し、邸(やしき)は焼失した。源満仲の武士としての進出、藤原氏の他氏排斥最後の事件であると同時に、藤原氏同士、兄弟の争いの第一歩がこの事件である。

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