Editing Emperor Kanmu (section)

==Traditional narrative==
[[File:Portrait of Emperor Kanmu.png|Emperor Kammu|130px|thumb]]
Kammu's personal name (''[[imina]]'') was {{Nihongo|Yamabe|山部}}.<ref name="brown277">[https://books.google.com/books?id=w4f5FrmIJKIC&pg=PA277 Brown, p. 277].</ref> He was the eldest son of Prince Shirakabe (later known as [[Emperor Kōnin]]), and was born prior to Shirakabe's ascension to the throne.<ref>Titsingh, {{Google books|18oNAAAAIAAJ|p. 86|page=86}}; Varley, p. 149.</ref> According to the {{Nihongo|''[[Shoku Nihongi]]''|続日本紀}}, Yamabe's mother, Yamato no Niigasa (later called [[Takano no Niigasa]]), was a 10th generation descendant of [[Muryeong of Baekje]] (462–523).<ref>Watts, Jonathan.  [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/dec/28/japan.worlddispatch  "The emperor's new roots: The Japanese emperor has finally laid to rest rumours that he has Korean blood, by admitting that it is true,"] ''The Guardian'' (London). December 28, 2001.</ref>

After his father became emperor, Kammu's half-brother, Prince Osabe was appointed to the rank of [[crown prince]]. His mother was [[Princess Inoe]], a daughter of [[Emperor Shōmu]]; but instead of Osabe, it was Kammu who was later named to succeed their father. After Inoe and Prince Osabe were confined and then died in 775, Osabe's sister – Kammu's half-sister [[Princess Sakahito]] – became Kammu's wife.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Van Goethem|first=Ellen|title=Nagaoka: Japan's Forgotten Capital|date=2008|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-90-474-3325-5|editor-last=Bolitho|editor-first=H.|series=Brill’s Japanese Studies Library|volume=29|location=Leiden; Boston|pages=229|language=English|doi=10.1163/ej.9789004166004.i-370|issn=0925-6512|oclc=592756297|quote=Kanmu’s next consort was his half-sister Sakahito. She had been appointed high priestess of the Ise shrine in 772, but upon the death of her mother in 775, Sakahito returned to the capital and married Kanmu.|editor-last2=Radtke|editor-first2=K.}}</ref> Later, when he ascended to the throne in 781, Kammu appointed his young brother, [[Prince Sawara]], whose mother was Takano no Niigasa, as crown prince. Hikami no Kawatsugu, a son of [[Emperor Tenmu]]'s grandson Prince Shioyaki and Shōmu's daughter Fuwa, attempted to carry out a coup d'état in 782, but it failed and Kawatsugu and his mother were sent into exile. In 785 Sawara was expelled and died in exile.

The [[Nara period]] saw the appointment of the first ''[[shōgun]]'', [[Ōtomo no Otomaro]] by Emperor Kammu in 794 CE. The shōgun was the [[military dictatorship|military dictator]] of Japan with near absolute power over territories via the military. Otomaro was declared "Sei-i Taishōgun" which means "Barbarian-subduing Great General".<ref name="first-shogun-otomaro">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/541431/shogunate|title=Shogun|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=November 19, 2014}}</ref> Emperor Kammu granted the second title of shōgun to [[Sakanoue no Tamuramaro]] for subduing the [[Emishi]] in northern [[Honshu]].<ref>Varley, H. Paul. (1980). ''Jinnō Shōtōki,'' p. 272.</ref>

Kammu had 16 empresses and consorts, and 32 imperial sons and daughters.<ref name="brown277"/> Among them, three sons would eventually ascend to the imperial throne: [[Emperor Heizei]], [[Emperor Saga]] and [[Emperor Junna]]. Some of his descendants (known as the ''Kammu Taira'' or ''Kammu Heishi'') took the [[Taira clan|Taira]] hereditary clan title, and in later generations became prominent warriors. Examples include [[Taira no Masakado]], [[Taira no Kiyomori]], and (with a further surname expansion) the [[Hōjō clan]]. The ''[[Waka (poetry)|waka]]'' poet [[Ariwara no Narihira]] was one of his grandsons.

Kammu is traditionally venerated at his tomb; the [[Imperial Household Agency]] designates {{Nihongo3|Kashiwabara Imperial Mausoleum|柏原陵|Kashiwabara no Misasagi}}, in [[Fushimi-ku, Kyoto]], as the location of Kammu's [[mausoleum]].<ref name="kunaicho"/>

===Events of Kammu's life===
Kammu was an active emperor who attempted to consolidate government hierarchies and functions. Kammu appointed [[Sakanoue no Tamuramaro]] (758–811) to lead a military expedition against the [[Emishi]].<ref>Titsingh, {{Google books|18oNAAAAIAAJ|pp. 91–2|page=91}}; [https://books.google.com/books?id=w4f5FrmIJKIC&pg=PA278 Brown, pp. 278–79]; Varley, p. 272.</ref>

* '''737''':<ref name="brown277"/> Kammu was born.
* '''773''':<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=w4f5FrmIJKIC&pg=PA34 Brown, p. 34].</ref> Received the title of crown prince.
* '''April 30, 781'''<ref>Julian dates derived from [http://web.me.com/meyer.eva/www.yukikurete.de/nengo_calc.htm NengoCalc]</ref>({{Nihongo foot|''[[Ten'ō]] 1, 3rd day of the 4th month''|天安一年四月三日}}): In the 11th year of Kōnin's reign, he abdicated; and the succession was received by his son Kammu.<ref>Titsingh, {{Google books|18oNAAAAIAAJ| pp. 85–6|page=85}}; [https://books.google.com/books?id=w4f5FrmIJKIC&pg=PA277 Brown, p. 277].</ref> Shortly thereafter, Emperor Kammu is said to have ascended to the throne.<ref>Titsingh, {{Google books|18oNAAAAIAAJ|p. 86|page=86}}; Varley, p. 44; a distinct act of ''senso'' is unrecognized prior to [[Emperor Tenji]]; and all sovereigns except [[Empress Jitō|Jitō]], [[Emperor Yōzei|Yōzei]], [[Emperor Go-Toba|Go-Toba]], and [[Emperor Fushimi|Fushimi]] have ''senso'' and ''sokui'' in the same year until the reign of [[Emperor Go-Murakami]].</ref> During his reign, the [[capital of Japan]] was moved from [[Nara, Nara|Nara]] ([[Heijō-kyō]]) to [[Nagaoka-kyō]] in 784.<ref name="brown278">[https://books.google.com/books?id=w4f5FrmIJKIC&pg=PA278 Brown, 278].</ref> Shortly thereafter, the capital would be moved again in 794.<ref name="brown279">[https://books.google.com/books?id=w4f5FrmIJKIC&pg=PA279 Brown, 279].</ref>
* '''July 28, 782''' ({{Nihongo foot|''[[Enryaku]] 1, 14th day of the 6th month''|延暦一年六月十四日}}): The ''sadaijin'' [[Fujiwara no Uona]] was involved in an incident that resulted in his removal from office and exile to Kyushi.<ref name="brown278"/> Claiming illness, Uona was permitted to return to the capital where he died; posthumously, the order of banishment was burned and his office restored.<ref name="brown278"/> In the same general time frame, Fujiwara no Tamaro was named Udaijin. During these days in which the offices of ''sadaijin'' and ''udaijin'' were vacant, the major counselors (the ''dainagon'') and the emperor assumed responsibilities and powers which would have been otherwise delegated.<ref name= "titsingh86">Titsingh, {{Google books|18oNAAAAIAAJ| p. 86|page=86}}.</ref>
* '''783''' ({{Nihongo foot|''Enryaku 2, 3rd month''|延暦二年三月}}): The ''udaijin'' Tamaro died at the age of 62 years.<ref name = "titsingh86"/>
* '''783''' ({{Nihongo foot|''Enryaku 2, 7th month''|延暦二年七月}}): Fujiwara no Korekimi became the new ''udaijin'' to replace the late Fujiwara no Tamaro.<ref name = "titsingh86"/>
* '''793''' ({{Nihongo foot|''Enryaku 12''|延暦十二年}}): Under the leadership of Dengyō, construction began on the Enryaku Temple.<ref name="brown279"/>
* '''794''':<ref name="brown279"/> The capital was relocated again, this time to [[Heian-kyō]], where the palace was named {{Nihongo3|"palace of peace/tranquility"|平安宮|Heian no Miya}}.<ref name="brown277"/>
* '''November 17, 794''' ({{Nihongo foot|''Enryaku 13, 21st day of the 10th month''|延暦十三年十月二十一日}}): The emperor traveled by carriage from Nara to the new capital of Heian-kyō in a grand procession.<ref name="brown279"/> This marks the beginning of the [[Heian period]].
* '''794''' appointed [[Ōtomo no Otomaro]] as the first [[Shōgun]] "Sei-i Taishōgun—"Barbarian-subduing Great General", together with [[Sakanoue no Tamuramaro]] subdues the [[Emishi]] in Northern [[Honshu]].<ref name="first-shogun-otomaro"/>
* '''806''':<ref name="brown277" /> Kammu died at the age of 70.<ref>Varley, p. 150.</ref> Kammu's reign lasted for 25 years.

===Eras of Kammu's reign===
The years of Kammu's reign are more specifically identified by more than one [[Japanese era name|era name]] (''nengō'').<ref name ="titsingh86"/>
* ''[[Ten'ō]]'' (781–82)
* ''[[Enryaku]]'' (782–806)