Yoshitsugu Fujiwara

Japanese: 藤原良継 - ふじわらのよしつぐ

Year of death: 18 September 777 (23 October 777)
Year of birth: Reiki 2 (716)
An aristocrat from the Nara period. Son of Fujiwara no Ugo and Kunikan no Daitachiji, daughter of Soga no Kurayamada Ishikawamaro. Originally called Sukunamaro, he changed his name to Yoshitsugu around 770. In 740, he was exiled to Izu Province (Shizuoka Prefecture) for his involvement in the rebellion of his older brother Hirotsugu, but was pardoned in 741. In 742, he was promoted to Junior Fifth Rank. He served as local officials such as Echizen no Kami and Kazusa no Kami, as well as the junior assistant minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the assistant minister of the palace construction, but was criticized for having no achievements in governance. During the administration of Fujiwara no Nakamaro, Nakamaro's three sons became councilors and were ranked higher than Yoshitsugu. Dissatisfied with this, in 763, he plotted to assassinate Nakamaro with Saeki Imamunehito, Isonokami Yakatagu, and Otomo no Yakamochi, but this was discovered. He was arrested and interrogated, took the blame personally, and was stripped of his family name and rank. During the Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion (764), he led troops in pursuit of the rebels, and was awarded the 4th Order of the Sacred Treasure for his achievements. He subsequently served as the governor of Dazaifu (Dazaifu City), Minister of War, and governor of the Hokkeji Temple, and was promoted to the rank of Junior Third Rank. In 770, he became a councilor, and after Emperor Shotoku died in the same year, he supported Emperor Kōnin together with Fujiwara no Nagate (who died suddenly the following year). The following year, he became a newly established post of Naijin (with the same duties as Dainagon), assisted Kōnin, and later advanced to the position of Naidaijin. The head of the Imperial Court was the Minister of the Right, Onakatomi Kiyomaro, but it seems that politics were led by Yoshitsugu. He died as Naidaijin with the rank of Junior Second Rank, and was posthumously awarded the rank of Junior First Rank. It is known that he had a daughter, Otomurou (the Empress of Emperor Kanmu and the mother of Emperors Heizei and Saga), a wife, Ishikawa no Otome (not the woman known for the poems exchanged with Prince Otsu), a daughter, Morone (wife of Fujiwara no Momokawa), and a son, Takumi, with Abe no Komina.

(Toru Masubuch)

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

Japanese:

没年：宝亀8.9.18(777.10.23)
生年：霊亀2(716)
奈良時代の貴族。藤原宇合と蘇我倉山田石川麻呂の娘国咸大刀自の子。はじめ宿奈麻呂といい,宝亀1(770)年ごろ良継に改名。天平12(740)年,兄広嗣の乱に連座して伊豆国(静岡県)に配流されたが,同14年に赦免。同18年に従五位下。越前守,上総守などの地方官や,民部少輔,造宮大輔などを歴任したが,治績なしと評された。藤原仲麻呂政権下,仲麻呂の3人の子が参議になり良継の上位に立ったことを不満として,天平宝字7(763)年佐伯今毛人,石上宅嗣,大伴家持らと仲麻呂の殺害を図ったが発覚。逮捕糾問され一身に責を負い,姓と位階を剥奪された。藤原仲麻呂の乱(764)では兵を率いて追討し,功により従四位下勲4等。以後大宰府(太宰府市)の長官,兵部卿兼造法華寺長官を務め,従三位に昇った。宝亀1(770)年参議となり,同年の称徳天皇死去後は藤原永手(翌年急死)らと共に光仁天皇を擁立。翌年,新設のポスト内臣(職掌などは大納言と同じ)になり,光仁を補佐し,のち内大臣に進んだ。廟堂首座は右大臣大中臣清麻呂であったが,政治は良継が領導していたらしい。内大臣従二位で死去,従一位を追贈された。阿(安)部古美奈との間に娘乙牟漏(桓武天皇の皇后で平城・嵯峨両天皇の母),他に妻として石川郎女(大津皇子との贈答歌で知られる女性とは別人),娘として諸姉(藤原百川の妻),息子として託美の存在が知られている。<参考文献>中川収『奈良時代政治史の研究』

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