Cloistered rule
Encyclopedia
The Insei system or cloistered rule, was a specific form of government in Japan
during the Heian period
. In this bifurcated system, an Emperor abdicated, but he retained power and influence. The emperors who withdrew to live in monasteries (in) continued to act in ways which were intended to counterbalance the influence of Fujiwara regents and the warrior class. Simultaneously, the titular emperor (the former emperor's successor) would fulfill all the ceremonial roles and formal duties of the monarch.
Retired emperors are called Daijō Tennō or Jōkō. Those emperors who entered a buddhist monastic community became a Daijō Hōō
(太上法皇) or cloistered emperor.
There were Daijō Tennō and Daijō Hōō
before and after the Heian period, but the Insei system usually refers to the governing system put in place by Emperor Shirakawa
in 1086 and remained in force until the rise of the Kamakura shogunate
in 1192.
code provided for abdicated emperors to exert some kind of powers. There are indeed early examples of abdicating emperors, such as Empress Jitō
, Emperor Shōmu
or Emperor Uda
in the 7th, 8th and 9th centuries. Retired Emperor Uda
was probably one of the first examples of the insei system, his successor Emperor Daigo
being often sick.
At the end of the 10th century, the Hokke Family of the Fujiwara clan held political power in Japan through the Sesshō and Kampaku
regency system, and the emperor was more of a figurehead.
In 1068, Emperor Go-Sanjō
was the first Emperor in almost two centuries not being of Hokke Family descent. After reaching the throne, he exerted personal power while the Hokke family was dealing with internal conflicts of interests between Fujiwara no Yorimichi
and his brother Fujiwara no Norimichi
. He was in position to edict several laws and regulations (most notably the Enkyū Shōen
Regulation Decree) during his rule, thus weakening the regency. Sick, he abdicated in 1072 in favor of Emperor Shirakawa
, and died the following year. Although not having the time to exert rule by himself after his retirement, he had weakened the regency and had paved the way for the apparition of the cloistered rule.
In 1086, Emperor Shirakawa
in his turn, abdicated in favor of his son, Emperor Horikawa
, who was 4 at the time. The objective of the Emperor may have been to protect his young son against his own younger brother, who was a serious pretendent to the throne, but strongly exerting his personal power after his retirement he set up in effect the Insei system and definitively weakened the regency.
The end of the Heian period
was marked with a succession of cloistered emperors :
There could be several retired emperors
living at the same time.
There was only one ruler (emperor or retired emperor), the Chiten (治天). It is important to understand that the Chiten was not ruling instead of the Emperor, but was exercising his power of patriarch of the Imperial family.
The insei system can also be seen as a means of stabilization.
The Hōgen Rebellion
, at the death of Toba, was nonetheless an example of direct opposition between the Emperor and the retired Emperor.
The end of the rule of Go-Shirakawa was marked by civil war (the Genpei War
) and the rise of Minamoto no Yoritomo
as the first Kamakura Shogun
.
marks the beginning of Kamakura period
. Yet this did not immediately end the Insei system. Though Kamakura Bakufu took over the police force and ruled Eastern Japan, the authority of Emperor and retired Emperors remained. The court and shogunate coexisted till the end of Edo period
. At least at the early Kamakura period, Chiten kept substantial power over many important decisions.
However, when Go-Toba
, a grandson of Go-Shirakawa and Chiten at the time, planned to overthrow Kamakura Bakufu and failed (Jōkyū War
), the power of the court, namely that of (retired) Emperors was markedly cut down by the shogunate.
Even after the Jōkyū War, the Insei System continued to exist, at least formally, for two centuries. There were movements to take the authority back into the hands of Emperor at the throne, such as the Kemmu restoration
by Emperor Go-Daigo
, but in general a retired emperor presided as the head of the Kyoto court, with the approval of Bakufu.
There were a few examples of retired Emperors supervising their successor later in the Edo period
. The last to bear the title Daijō Hōō was Emperor Reigen
in 1686.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
. In this bifurcated system, an Emperor abdicated, but he retained power and influence. The emperors who withdrew to live in monasteries (in) continued to act in ways which were intended to counterbalance the influence of Fujiwara regents and the warrior class. Simultaneously, the titular emperor (the former emperor's successor) would fulfill all the ceremonial roles and formal duties of the monarch.
Retired emperors are called Daijō Tennō or Jōkō. Those emperors who entered a buddhist monastic community became a Daijō Hōō
Cloistered Emperor
Daijō Hōō or Daijō Hō , term sometimestranslated in English as cloistered Emperor, was a Japanese Emperor who abdicated and entered the Buddhist monastic community by receiving the Pravrajya rite...
(太上法皇) or cloistered emperor.
There were Daijō Tennō and Daijō Hōō
Cloistered Emperor
Daijō Hōō or Daijō Hō , term sometimestranslated in English as cloistered Emperor, was a Japanese Emperor who abdicated and entered the Buddhist monastic community by receiving the Pravrajya rite...
before and after the Heian period, but the Insei system usually refers to the governing system put in place by Emperor Shirakawa
Emperor Shirakawa
was the 72nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shirakawa's reign lasted from 1073 to 1087.-Genealogy:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Sadahito-shinnō ....
in 1086 and remained in force until the rise of the Kamakura shogunate
Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
in 1192.
Background of the Insei system
The ritsuryōRitsuryo
is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei"...
code provided for abdicated emperors to exert some kind of powers. There are indeed early examples of abdicating emperors, such as Empress Jitō
Empress Jito
was the 41st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Jitō's reign spanned the years from 686 through 697.In the history of Japan, Jitō was the third of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The two female monarchs before Jitō were Suiko and Kōgyoku/Saimei...
, Emperor Shōmu
Emperor Shomu
was the 45th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 723.-Traditional narrative:...
or Emperor Uda
Emperor Uda
was the 59th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897.-Name and legacy:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was or Chōjiin-tei....
in the 7th, 8th and 9th centuries. Retired Emperor Uda
Emperor Uda
was the 59th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897.-Name and legacy:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was or Chōjiin-tei....
was probably one of the first examples of the insei system, his successor Emperor Daigo
Emperor Daigo
was the 60th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Daigo's reign spanned the years from 897 through 930. He is named after his place of burial.-Traditional narrative:...
being often sick.
At the end of the 10th century, the Hokke Family of the Fujiwara clan held political power in Japan through the Sesshō and Kampaku
Sessho and Kampaku
In Japan, was a title given to a regent who was named to assist either a child emperor before his coming of age, or an empress. The was theoretically a sort of chief advisor for the emperor, but was the title of both first secretary and regent who assists an adult emperor. During the Heian era,...
regency system, and the emperor was more of a figurehead.
In 1068, Emperor Go-Sanjō
Emperor Go-Sanjo
was the 71st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Sanjō's reign spanned the years from 1068 through 1073.This 11th century sovereign was named after Emperor Sanjō and go- , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Sanjō"...
was the first Emperor in almost two centuries not being of Hokke Family descent. After reaching the throne, he exerted personal power while the Hokke family was dealing with internal conflicts of interests between Fujiwara no Yorimichi
Fujiwara no Yorimichi
' , son of Michinaga, was a Japanese Court noble. He succeeded his father to the position of Sesshō in 1017, and then went on to become Kampaku from 1020 until 1068...
and his brother Fujiwara no Norimichi
Fujiwara no Norimichi
, fifth son of Michinaga, was a kugyo of the Heian period. His mother was Minamoto no Rinshi , daughter of Minamoto no Masanobu. Regent Yorimichi, Empress Shōshi , Empress Kenshi were his brother and sisters from the same mother...
. He was in position to edict several laws and regulations (most notably the Enkyū Shōen
Shoen
A was a field or manor in Japan. The Japanese term comes from the Tang dynasty Chinese term zhuangyuan.Shōen, from about the 8th to the late 15th century, describes any of the private, tax-free, often autonomous estates or manors whose rise undermined the political and economic power of the...
Regulation Decree) during his rule, thus weakening the regency. Sick, he abdicated in 1072 in favor of Emperor Shirakawa
Emperor Shirakawa
was the 72nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shirakawa's reign lasted from 1073 to 1087.-Genealogy:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Sadahito-shinnō ....
, and died the following year. Although not having the time to exert rule by himself after his retirement, he had weakened the regency and had paved the way for the apparition of the cloistered rule.
In 1086, Emperor Shirakawa
Emperor Shirakawa
was the 72nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shirakawa's reign lasted from 1073 to 1087.-Genealogy:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Sadahito-shinnō ....
in his turn, abdicated in favor of his son, Emperor Horikawa
Emperor Horikawa
was the 73rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Horikawa's reign spanned the years from 1087 through 1107.-Traditional narrative:...
, who was 4 at the time. The objective of the Emperor may have been to protect his young son against his own younger brother, who was a serious pretendent to the throne, but strongly exerting his personal power after his retirement he set up in effect the Insei system and definitively weakened the regency.
The Insei system
Around the retired emperor, a variant Imperial court (In no Chō (院庁) evolved around the retired emperors.; The will of the retired emperor was put into effect through Inzen (院宣) and In no Chō Kudashi Bumi (院庁下文). Cloistered emperors also had their own army, the Hokumen no Bushi (北面の武士). The creation of this army led to the rise in power of the Taira clan.The end of the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
was marked with a succession of cloistered emperors :
- Emperor ShirakawaEmperor Shirakawawas the 72nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shirakawa's reign lasted from 1073 to 1087.-Genealogy:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Sadahito-shinnō ....
(1053–1129, r. 1073–87 and cloistered rule 1087–1129) - Emperor TobaEmperor Tobawas the 74th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Toba's reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123.- Genealogy :...
(1103–1156, r. 1107–1123 and cloistered rule 1129–56) - Emperor Go-ShirakawaEmperor Go-ShirakawaEmperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...
(1127–92, r. 1155–58 and cloistered rule 1158–92)
There could be several retired emperors
Dajo Tenno
Daijō Tennō or Dajō Tennō was a Japanese Emperor who abdicated in favor of a successor. It is often shortened as Jōkō ....
living at the same time.
There was only one ruler (emperor or retired emperor), the Chiten (治天). It is important to understand that the Chiten was not ruling instead of the Emperor, but was exercising his power of patriarch of the Imperial family.
The insei system can also be seen as a means of stabilization.
The Hōgen Rebellion
Hogen Rebellion
The was a short civil war fought in order to resolve a dispute about Japanese Imperial succession. The dispute was also about the degree of control exercised by the Fujiwara clan who had become hereditary Imperial regents during the Heian period....
, at the death of Toba, was nonetheless an example of direct opposition between the Emperor and the retired Emperor.
The end of the rule of Go-Shirakawa was marked by civil war (the Genpei War
Genpei War
The was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....
) and the rise of Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
as the first Kamakura Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
.
Insei during the Shogunates
Usually the establishment of Kamakura BakufuKamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
marks the beginning of Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
. Yet this did not immediately end the Insei system. Though Kamakura Bakufu took over the police force and ruled Eastern Japan, the authority of Emperor and retired Emperors remained. The court and shogunate coexisted till the end of Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. At least at the early Kamakura period, Chiten kept substantial power over many important decisions.
However, when Go-Toba
Emperor Go-Toba
was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198....
, a grandson of Go-Shirakawa and Chiten at the time, planned to overthrow Kamakura Bakufu and failed (Jōkyū War
Jokyu War
', also known as the Jōkyū Disturbance or the Jōkyū Rebellion, was fought in Japan between the forces of Retired Emperor Go-Toba and those of the Hōjō clan, regents of the Kamakura shogunate, whom the retired emperor was trying to overthrow....
), the power of the court, namely that of (retired) Emperors was markedly cut down by the shogunate.
Even after the Jōkyū War, the Insei System continued to exist, at least formally, for two centuries. There were movements to take the authority back into the hands of Emperor at the throne, such as the Kemmu restoration
Kemmu restoration
The is the name given to both the three year period of Japanese history between the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period, and the political events that took place in it...
by Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....
, but in general a retired emperor presided as the head of the Kyoto court, with the approval of Bakufu.
There were a few examples of retired Emperors supervising their successor later in the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. The last to bear the title Daijō Hōō was Emperor Reigen
Emperor Reigen
was the 112th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Reigen's reign spanned the years from 1663 through 1687.-Genealogy:...
in 1686.