Emperor Heizei

Japanese: 平城天皇 - へいぜいてんのう

Year of death: Tencho 1.7.7 (824.8.5)
Year of birth: Hōki 5 (774)
Emperor of the early Heian period. The first child of Emperor Kanmu and Empress Fujiwara no Otomuro (daughter of Yoshitsugu). Also known as Emperor Nara. He changed his name from Odono to Andono. In 785 (Enryaku 4), he was made Crown Prince in place of Prince Sawara, who was deposed on suspicion of involvement in the assassination of Fujiwara no Tanetsugu, and ascended to the throne in May of 806 (Daido 1). Although he was prone to "wind disease (a kind of neurosis)" from birth, he was active in politics at the beginning of his reign, dispatching inspectors to various provinces to inspect the local situation after the construction of Heian-kyo, and promoting the restructuring of the political and economic system by abolishing and consolidating government offices. However, in April of the 4th year of the same year, due to his worsening illness, he abdicated the throne to his younger brother Prince Kamino (later Emperor Saga) after three years on the throne, and in December of the same year, he moved to the old capital of Heijō. With the intervention of Fujiwara no Kusuko, whom he had favored since his days as Crown Prince, and her brother Nakanari, he created the "Two Imperial Courts" and in September of the following year he called on the aristocratic officials in Heian-kyo to return the capital to Heijo-kyo, but was preempted by the Saga side and, as he attempted to flee to the eastern provinces, he was captured in Koshidamura, Soekami-gun, Yamato Province (Nara City), and brought back to Heijo Palace where he was made a Buddhist monk (the Kusuko Incident). After Kusuko's death, in which he committed suicide by taking poison, he did not open his heart to women and spent the rest of his life alone at the old Heijo Palace. His remains were buried in the Yangmei Mausoleum, just north of Heijo-kyo, and in recognition of his kindness he was posthumously given the name Heijo. His Chinese and Japanese poetry are included in works such as "Ryounshu" and "Kokinshu". <References> Takinami Sadako, "Heian-kento"

(Takinami Sadako)

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

Japanese:

没年：天長1.7.7(824.8.5)
生年：宝亀5(774)
平安前期の天皇。桓武天皇と皇后藤原乙牟漏(良継の娘)の第1子。奈良帝とも。小殿のちに安殿に改名。延暦4(785)年,藤原種継暗殺事件の嫌疑を受けて廃太子された早良親王にかわって立太子,大同1(806)年5月に即位した。生まれつき「風病(一種のノイローゼ)」気味であったが,即位当初は政治に意欲的に取り組み,観察使を諸道に派遣して平安京造営事業後の地方情勢を視察させたり,官司の統廃合を行うなど,政治経済の立て直しを推し進めている。しかし同4年4月,病気の悪化を理由に在位3年で弟神野親王(のちの嵯峨天皇)に譲位し,同12月平城旧都に移っている。皇太子時代から寵愛した藤原薬子やその兄仲成の介入で「二所朝廷」を現出,翌年9月平安京にいる貴族官人たちに平城京への還都を呼びかけたが,嵯峨側に機先を制せられ,東国に逃れようとして大和国添上郡越田村(奈良市)で捕らえられ,平城宮に連れ戻されて落髪入道した(薬子の変)。服毒自殺をとげた薬子亡きあと女性には心を開かず,ひとり平城旧宮で余生を送った。遺骸は平城京のすぐ北,楊梅陵に葬られ,その心をくんで平城と諡された。『凌雲集』『古今集』などに漢詩,和歌を収める。<参考文献>瀧浪貞子『平安建都』

(瀧浪貞子)

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