Seikake

The name of a noble family next to the Gosekke (Five Regent Families). It is also written as Qinghua, and is also called the flower family, the nobility, or the hero family. It appears in the ancient Chinese "Northern History," where famous families in the Six Dynasties period were called Qinghua. An early example in Japan is the "Goukeshidai," where a note on dancers for the Iwashimizu temporary festival reads, "Tenjou Shii, Seikajin (fourth rank in the palace, Seikajin) was used," and it can also be found in "Heiji Monogatari" and "Heike Monogatari." It means a noble family, and the highest official position is the Minister. The seven families of Shichi Seika were: the Koga family of the Murakami Genji clan, the Sanjo (Tenpōrin), Saionji, and Tokudaiji families of the Kan'in line of the Fujiwara clan, the Kazan'in and Oimikado families that branched off from the Sekke family, and the Imadegawa family (Kikutei), a branch of the Saionji family. These were later expanded to nine families by adding the Hirohata family of the Genji clan and the Daigo family, a branch of the Sekke family. In his official career, he was bestowed a peerage (Ju Fifth Rank) when he was a child and appointed as a Chamberlain, then when he was a Junior Fourth Rank, he was allowed to attend the coming-of-age ceremony and enter the palace, and was promoted to Sho Shii Lower Rank, then he became Gon Shosho of the Konoe (Provisional Major General of the Imperial Guard), and then Gon Chujo and Junior Third Rank. This was the so-called Sanmi Chujo, and he was then appointed Gon Chunagon (Provisional Middle Counselor) without passing through the Councillors, and advanced to Shoni Rank, then Gon Dainagon (Provisional Minister of the Imperial Guard), and concurrently held the post of Konoe Taisho (Provisional Chief Minister of the Imperial Guard), after which he was appointed as Naidaijin (Minister of the Interior), Udaijin (Minister of the Right), Sadaijin (Minister of the Left), and finally Daijojin (Minister of the State). However, in later generations, the posts of left and right ministers were rotated among the regent families, and rarely anyone was appointed to a position higher than Naidaijin (Minister of the Interior).

[Shinichi Kikuchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

五摂家(ごせっけ)に次ぐ公家(くげ)の家柄の称。清花とも書き、花族、華族、英雄家などともいう。古くは中国の『北史』にみえて、六朝(りくちょう)時代の名高い家柄を清華と称した。日本での早い例は『江家次第(ごうけしだい)』で、石清水(いわしみず)臨時祭の舞人の注に「殿上四位、用清花人」（殿上(てんじょう)の四位、清花の人を用ふ）とあり、『平治物語』『平家物語』などにも散見する。貴い家柄の意で、大臣を極官とする。村上源氏の久我(こが)、藤原氏閑院(かんいん)流の三条(さんじょう)（転法輪(てんぽうりん)）・西園寺(さいおんじ)・徳大寺(とくだいじ)、摂家から分かれた花山院(かざんいん)・大炊御門(おおいみかど)、西園寺の分家である今出川(いまでがわ)（菊亭(きくてい)）の7家を七(しち)清華といい、のち源氏の広幡(ひろはた)、摂家の分家醍醐(だいご)の2家を加えて9家となった。官歴は、童形(どうぎょう)のとき叙爵（従(じゅ)五位下(げ)）して侍従に任ぜられ、従四位下のとき元服・昇殿を許されて正(しょう)四位下に進み、近衛権少将(このえごんのしょうしょう)を経て権中将・従三位(さんみ)となる。これがいわゆる三位中将で、ついで参議を経ずに権中納言(ちゅうなごん)に任ぜられ正二位まで進み、権大納言となり近衛大将を兼任、その後、内大臣、右大臣、左大臣を経て太政(だいじょう)大臣を極官とした。しかし後世、左右大臣は摂家の回り持ちとなり、内大臣以上にはほとんど任ぜられなかった。

［菊池紳一］

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