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Saimei (period)

Overview

The years of Empress Saimei's reign or the Saimei period should not be misunderstood as a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. year

Year

A year is the amount of time it takes the Earth to make one revolution around the Sun...

name) following after the Hakuchi

Hakuchi (era)

was a after the Taika era and before a late 7th century gap in the sequence of nengō which would stretch uninterrupted from the proclamation of the new era Taihō at the beginning of the 8th century. This period spanned the years from 650 through 655. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 650...

era. The nengō system which was introduced in reign of Emperor Kotoku was abandoned at the end of his reign, and the era name was not updated.

For further discussion, see Talk:Japanese era name.

During the years after Emperor Kōtoku, the reigning sovereign was Saimei-tennō (斉明天皇).

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The years of Empress Saimei's reign or the Saimei period should not be misunderstood as a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. year

Year

A year is the amount of time it takes the Earth to make one revolution around the Sun...

name) following after the Hakuchi

Hakuchi (era)

was a after the Taika era and before a late 7th century gap in the sequence of nengō which would stretch uninterrupted from the proclamation of the new era Taihō at the beginning of the 8th century. This period spanned the years from 650 through 655. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 650...

era. The nengō system which was introduced in reign of Emperor Kotoku was abandoned at the end of his reign, and the era name was not updated.

For further discussion, see Talk:Japanese era name.

During the years after Emperor Kōtoku, the reigning sovereign was Saimei-tennō (斉明天皇). The first year of Empress Saimei's rule (斉明天皇元年; 655

655

-Europe:* November 15—Northumbrian king Oswiu defeats Mercian king Penda in the Battle of Winwaed.* Peada succeeds his father Penda as king of Mercia.* Clovis II is succeeded by Clotaire III as king of the Franks.-Byzantine Empire and Arab Empire:...

) could be arguably abbreviated as "the first year of Saimei" (斉明元年; 655

655

-Europe:* November 15—Northumbrian king Oswiu defeats Mercian king Penda in the Battle of Winwaed.* Peada succeeds his father Penda as king of Mercia.* Clovis II is succeeded by Clotaire III as king of the Franks.-Byzantine Empire and Arab Empire:...

)), but this is nowhere understood as a true nengō. The reigns of Japanese emperors and empresses are not nengō, nor were the two considered to be the same until Meiji came on the scene.

References to the emperors that ruled during this period are properly written as, for example,

"the 3rd year of Saimei" (斉明天皇３年), and
not "Saimei 3" (斉明３年).

Nengō were abolished during the interregnum years between Hakuchi and Shuchō, and again between Shuchō and Taihō.

The commonly accepted pre-Tahiō nengō are:
Taika: 645.6.19–650.2.15
Hakuchi: 650.2.15–654.10.?
- GAP/interregnum
Shuchō: 686.7.20–686.9.?
- GAP/interregnum
Taihō: 701.3.21–704.5.10

Non-nengō period

the 1st year of Saimei's reign (斉明天皇元年; 655
655
-Europe:* November 15—Northumbrian king Oswiu defeats Mercian king Penda in the Battle of Winwaed.* Peada succeeds his father Penda as king of Mercia.* Clovis II is succeeded by Clotaire III as king of the Franks.-Byzantine Empire and Arab Empire:...

): A new period is marked by the beginning of the reign of Empress Saimei, but the end of the previous nengō Hakuchi 6 does not imply the commencement of a new nengō. This practice was allowed to lapse until it was restored at the beginning of the 8th century.

Events of the Saimei period

Hakuchi 4 (654
654
-Europe:* Rhodes is invaded by an Arab force; remains of the Colossus of Rhodes are sold off.* King Reccaswinth issues a Visigothic law code.-Asia:* Nakatomi no Kamatari of Japan is granted the Shikwan ....

): Emperor Kōtoku, in the 10th year of his reign (孝徳天皇10年), dies at age 59; and his nephew and heir declines the succession (‘‘senso’’). Shortly thereafter, Empress Saimei formally accedes to the throne (‘‘sokui’’).

In the 7th year of Saimei, in the 7th month (661
661
-Europe:* Perctarit and Godepert become co-rulers of the Lombards, following the death of their father Aripert.-Asia:* The Imperial fleet of Japan puts to sea for the expedition for Kyūshū by the order of Empress Saimei. On its way, Princess Nukata composes a famous poem at Nikitatsu in the...

): Empress Saimei, in the 3rd year of her reign (斉明天皇3年), designated her son as her heir; and modern scholars construe this as meaning that this son would have received the succession (‘‘senso’’) after her death or abdication. Shortly after she did die at age 68, Emperor Tenji could be said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’).

The first time she reigned three and a half years; and the second time she reigned for seven yeers. The total number of years in which she reigned as sovereign was ten years.

External links

National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection

Saimei period	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th
Gregorian Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was first proposed by the Calabrian doctor Aloysius Lilius, and decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, on 24 February 1582 by the papal bull Inter gravissimas...	655 655 -Europe:* November 15—Northumbrian king Oswiu defeats Mercian king Penda in the Battle of Winwaed.* Peada succeeds his father Penda as king of Mercia.* Clovis II is succeeded by Clotaire III as king of the Franks.-Byzantine Empire and Arab Empire:...	656 656 -Asia:* The Battle of Bassorah between Ali and Aisha, part of the first civil war in Islam, takes place in modern-day Basra, Iraq.* Empress Saimei of Japan builds a new palace at Asuka, because her former residences took fire...	657 657 -Asia:* The Chinese Tang Dynasty under Emperor Gaozong of Tang defeats a Turkish army.* Emperor Gaozong of Tang commissions the pharmacology publication of an official materia medica, which documents 833 different substances taken from various stones, minerals, metals, plants, herbs, animals,...	658 658 -Europe:* The Union of Slavic Tribes falls apart after King Samo's death.* Cadwaladr launches the last Welsh offensive against the Saxons in Britain.-Asia:...	659 659 This article is about a year.-Europe:* Ealdormen in Mercia rebel against Northumbrian rule and proclaim Wulfhere king.-Asia:* Japanese envoys are sent on a mission to Tang. They have an audience of the Tang Emperor...	660 660 -Europe:* Slavic principality of Carantania is first mentioned in historical sources.* Childeric II is proclaimed king of Austrasia.* Swithelm succeeds Sigeberht II as king of Essex.* Felix assumes the titles of Duke of Vasconia and Aquitaine.-Asia:...	661 661 -Europe:* Perctarit and Godepert become co-rulers of the Lombards, following the death of their father Aripert.-Asia:* The Imperial fleet of Japan puts to sea for the expedition for Kyūshū by the order of Empress Saimei. On its way, Princess Nukata composes a famous poem at Nikitatsu in the...	662 662 -Events:The regent Grimuald usurps the kingship of the Lombards, driving Perctarit into exile and killing Godepert.The Emperor of Japan orders Abe no Hirafu to escort Buyeo Pung to Baekje, where he is made to take up the succession to the dignity.-Births:...

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Saimei (period)

Non-nengō period

Events of the Saimei period

Further reading

External links