Empress Suiko - Suikotennou

Japanese: 推古天皇 - すいこてんのう

Year of death: 36.3.7 (628.4.15)
Year of birth: 15th year of Emperor Kinmei (554)
An empress of the Asuka period. She reigned from December 5th year of Sushun (592) to March 36th year of Suiko (628). Her childhood name was Princess Nukatabe. She was the daughter of Emperor Kinmei and Soga no Iname's daughter Katashiohime. She is also known as Empress Toyomikuchiyahime. She was the full sister of Emperor Yomei, and at the age of 18 she married her half-brother Emperor Bidatsu, and after the death of Empress (Dowager Empress) Hirohime, she became empress and gave birth to two sons and five daughters. When Bidatsu died at the age of 32, an incident occurred in which Prince Anahobe, who was aiming for the throne, attempted to rape Suiko at the funeral palace. This incident shows that the previous king's dowager empress had power over the succession to the throne. After that, Yomei and Sushun were the successive emperors who were related by marriage to the Soga clan, but when Mononobe no Moriya, who had allied with the Anahobe clan, was killed by Soga no Umako, and then Sushun, who was in conflict with Umako, was assassinated, creating a political crisis, and 39-year-old Suiko was recommended by Umako to ascend the throne at Toyoura Palace. This was the first confirmed example of a female emperor. The palace was later moved to Okinada. In the second year of Sushun's reign (589), the Sui dynasty unified China, and the countries of East Asia were about to be incorporated into a new order centered on the Sui and Tang dynasties. In terms of domestic affairs, Suiko, Umako, and Prince Shotoku attempted to create a new government office system that aimed to centralize power in the hands of the great king, through the establishment of the Twelve Ranks of Caps system in the 11th year of Suiko's reign (603), the establishment of the Seventeen-Article Constitution in the following year, and the compilation of the Tenno-ki and Kokki. On the other hand, in terms of diplomacy, while continuing the conflict with Silla from the 6th century, they introduced Korean culture and technology, as represented by the Baekje monk Kanroku and the Goguryeo monk Donjong, and also sent envoys to Sui in the 8th, 15th, and 16th years of the reign of Suiko, aiming at direct diplomacy with China and the introduction of Chinese culture. Furthermore, the Soga clan and Prince Shotoku actively protected Buddhism, building temples such as Hōkō-ji, Shitenno-ji, and Hōryū-ji. Asuka culture blossomed, the Sōgō system to control monks and nuns was also started. During this period, the Soga clan, as maternal relatives of the successive great kings, had enormous power, as symbolized by the reburial of Katashiohime. However, Suiko acted as the head of the great royal family, as seen in her refusal to accept Umako's request for Katsuragi Prefecture, the land of her ancestors. When Suiko died at the age of 75, her successors, including Prince Shotoku, had already died. As a result, conflicts arose between powerful clans over Suiko's will regarding the next great king. At her request, Suiko was buried in the grave of her son, Prince Takeda, but was later reburied at Isonaga.

(Yukiko Nishino)

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

Japanese:

没年：推古36.3.7(628.4.15)
生年：欽明15(554)
飛鳥時代の女帝。在位は崇峻5(592)年12月から推古36(628)年3月。幼名は額田部皇女。欽明天皇と蘇我稲目の娘堅塩媛の間の皇女。豊御食炊屋姫天皇とも。用明天皇の同母妹,18歳で異母兄敏達天皇と結婚,皇后(大后)広姫の死後皇后となり2男5女を生む。32歳のとき敏達が死去,その殯宮で皇位をねらう穴穂部皇子が推古を犯そうとする事件が起こった。この事件は皇位継承に関して先王の大后が力を持っていたことを示す。以後用明,崇峻と蘇我氏を外戚とする天皇が続くが,穴穂部と結んだ物部守屋が蘇我馬子に滅され,次いで馬子と対立した崇峻が暗殺されて政治的危機が生じると,39歳の推古は馬子に推され豊浦宮で即位。女帝の確実な最初の例である。宮はのち,小墾田に移される。崇峻2(589)年隋が中国を統一し,東アジア諸国は隋・唐中心の新たな秩序に組み込まれようとしていた。推古,馬子,聖徳太子らは内政面では推古11(603)年の冠位十二階制・翌12年憲法十七条の制定,『天皇記』『国記』の編纂などを通じ,大王への権力の一元的集中をめざす新たな官司制の創出を計った。一方外交面では6世紀以来の新羅との紛争を引きずりつつ,百済僧観勒や高句麗僧曇徴に代表される朝鮮文化・技術を導入,また推古8年,15年,16年などに遣隋使留学生を派遣して中国との直接外交,中国文化の導入を計った。さらに蘇我氏や聖徳太子は仏教を積極的に保護し,法興寺,四天王寺,法隆寺などを建立。飛鳥文化が開花,その一方僧尼統制のための僧綱制も開始された。この時期の蘇我氏は歴代大王の外戚として,堅塩媛改葬に象徴される巨大な権力を有していた。しかし祖先の地として大王家の葛城県を馬子が要求したとき拒否したように,推古は大王家の長として行動している。75歳で推古が死去したとき,聖徳太子ら推古の後継者はすでに亡くなっていた。そのため次の大王についての推古の遺詔をめぐり,豪族間の対立が起こっている。推古はその希望によって息子竹田皇子の墓に合葬されたが,のちに磯長に改葬された。

(西野悠紀子)

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

<<: Suikoden Mono - Suikoden Mono

>>: Suikoden - Suikoden