Editing Fujiwara no Michinaga

{{Tone|Personality|date=November 2023}}
{{Short description|Japanese statesman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}{{family name hatnote|Fujiwara|lang=Japanese}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name=Fujiwara no Michinaga<br />{{Nobold|{{Nihongo2|藤原道長}}}}
|image=Fujiwara Michinaga.jpg
|caption=Fujiwara no Michinaga &mdash; drawing [[Kikuchi Yōsai]] (1781–1878)
|birth_date=966
|death_date={{death date and age|1028|1|3|966|1|1|df=y}}
|parents=[[Fujiwara no Kaneie]]
|office=[[Daijō-daijin]]
|term_start=24 December 1017
|term_end=27 February 1018
|monarch=[[Emperor Go-Ichijō]]
|relatives=[[Fujiwara no Michitaka]] (brother)<br>[[Fujiwara no Korechika]] (nephew)<br>[[Fujiwara no Teishi]] (niece)<br>[[Princess Teishi]] (granddaughter) <br> [[Emperor Ichijō]] (1st son-in-law)<br>[[Emperor Sanjō]] (2nd son-in-law)<br>[[Emperor Go-Ichijō]] (4th son-in-law)<br>[[Emperor Go-Suzaku]] (6th son-in-law)
|children=[[Fujiwara no Shōshi]] (1st daughter)<br>[[Fujiwara no Yorimichi]] (1st son)<br>[[Fujiwara no Kenshi (Sanjō)|Fujiwara no Kenshi]] (2nd daughter)<br>[[Fujiwara no Norimichi]] (5th son)<br>[[Fujiwara no Ishi]] (4th daughter)<br>{{ill|lt=Fujiwara no Kishi |Fujiwara no Kishi(Michinaga's daughter)|ja|藤原嬉子|vertical-align=sup}} (6th daughter)
}}

{{nihongo|'''Fujiwara no Michinaga'''|藤原 道長||{{IPA|ja|ɸɯ.(d)ʑi.wa.ɾa no (<nowiki>|</nowiki>) mʲi.tɕiꜜ.na.ɡa, -mʲi.tɕi.na.ɡa, -na.ŋa}},<ref>{{cite book|script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典|publisher=NHK Publishing|editor=NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute|date=24 May 2016|lang=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|script-title=ja:新明解日本語アクセント辞典|edition=2nd|editor-last=Kindaichi|editor-first=Haruhiko|editor-last2=Akinaga|editor-first2=Kazue|publisher=[[Sanseidō]]|date=10 March 2025|lang=ja|editor-link=Haruhiko Kindaichi}}</ref> 966 – 3 January 1028}} was a Japanese statesman. The [[Fujiwara clan]]'s control over Japan and its politics reached its zenith under his leadership.

==Early life==
Michinaga was born in [[Kyōto]], the son of [[Fujiwara no Kaneie|Kaneie]]. Kaneie had become Regent in 986, holding the position until the end of his life in 990. Due to the hereditary principle of the Fujiwara Regents, Michinaga was now in line to become Regent after his brothers, [[Fujiwara no Michitaka|Michitaka]] and [[Fujiwara no Michikane|Michikane]].

==Career==
===Struggle with Korechika===
Michitaka was regent from 990 until 995, when he died. Michikane then succeeded him, famously ruling as Regent for only seven days before he too died of disease. With his two elder brothers dead, Michinaga then struggled with [[Fujiwara no Korechika]], Michitaka's eldest son and the successor he had named. The mother of Ichijo, Fujiwara no Senshi, coerced Ichijo into granting Michinaga the title of [[Nairan]] (内覧) in the fifth month of 995. Korechika's position was ruined by a scandal that took place the following year, likely arranged by Michinaga.

Korechika had been seeing a mistress in one of the Fujiwara palaces. He was told that the retired [[Emperor Kazan]] had been visiting the same house during the night; Korechika presumed that Kazan had been seeing the same mistress. Consequently, he and his brother Takaie ambushed the Emperor, shooting at him. An arrow struck Kazan's sleeve. Michinaga and his supporters then pressed charges of [[lèse-majesté]]. Though the jurists examining the case found the servants of Kaneie and Takaie at fault. Korechika was accused of putting a curse on Senshi.

During their struggle, Michinaga had gained the position of Minister of the Right, or [[Udaijin]] (右大臣), on the 19th day of the 6th month of 995. Later, in 996, Michinaga became Minister of the Left, [[Sadaijin]] (左大臣), the most senior position in government apart from that of Chancellor (Daijō-daijin).<ref>Brown, Delmer ''et al.'' (1979). ''Gukanshō,'' p. 304.</ref>

===Rule as Mido Kampaku===
During his lifetime, Michinaga was called the Mido Kampaku, a title referencing the name of his residence, Mido, and that he was Regent in all but name.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Frédéric |first1=Louis |title=Japan Encyclopedia |date=2002 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=9780674017535 |pages=205 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC&q=Mido+Kampaku&pg=PA205 |access-date=12 May 2019}}</ref> Although Ichijo already had an Empress, Teishi, Michinaga made her ''Kogo'' empress and had his first daughter, [[Empress Shōshi|Shoshi]], also marry him as ''Chūgū'' empress. When Teishi died of childbirth in 1001, Michinaga's influence over Ichijo was absolute. [[Fujiwara no Kenshi (Sanjō)|Kenshi]], Michinaga's second daughter, married the future [[Emperor Sanjō]]. Ichijo and Shoshi had two sons, both future emperors, and it was to these that Michinaga's third and fourth daughters were married: Ichijo's eldest son, [[Emperor Go-Ichijō|Go-Ichijō]], married the third daughter, [[Fujiwara no Ishi|Ishi]]; and Ichijo's second son, [[Emperor Go-Suzaku|Go-Suzaku]], married the fourth daughter, Kishi.

Michinaga made alliances with the [[Minamoto clan|Minamoto]] (or more specifically, the [[Seiwa Genji]]); his wives were both Minamoto. [[Minamoto no Yorimitsu]] and [[Minamoto no Yorinobu]] were his two principal commanders. Michinaga never formally took the title of [[Sesshō and Kampaku|Kampaku]]. In 1011, he was granted the privilege of travelling to and from the court by ox-drawn cart.<ref name="brown307">Brown, p. 307.</ref> In the same year, Ichijo's second son, Atsunari, was proclaimed Crown Prince.

During Sanjō's reign as Emperor, he and Michinaga often came into conflict. Consequently, Michinaga attempted to pressure Sanjō into retirement. In 1016, he was successful. The youth of Go-Ichijō meant that Michinaga ruled as Sesshō, the Regency assumed. He briefly became Chancellor in the final month of 1017 before resigning in the second month of the following year. A month after his resignation, he also resigned from the position of Sesshō in favour of [[Fujiwara no Yorimichi|Yorimichi]], his eldest son. In 1019, he took the tonsure, becoming a monk at the [[Hōjō-ji]], which he had built. He took the [[Dharma name]] '''Gyōkan''' (行観), which was later changed to '''Gyōkaku''' (行覚).

==Death and legacy==
[[File:Michinaga diary.jpg|thumb|Segment of Michinaga's personal diary in his own handwriting&mdash;text shown is from volume covering the years from 998 to 1021, designated as [[National Treasures of Japan|National Treasure of Japan]] in the [[List of National Treasures of Japan (ancient documents)|category ancient documents]].|center|350x350px]]On 3 January 1028, Michinaga died at the age of sixty-two. He is said to have called out to [[Amitābha|Amida]] on his deathbed, asking for entry to Paradise. He left a [[diary]], the Midō Kanpakuki, which is about the Heian court at the height of Fujiwara power. In the ''Tale of Genji'', the eponymous Genji is believed to be in part based on Michinaga as well as Korechika.

==Genealogy==
He was married to Minamoto no Rinshi, otherwise known as Michiko (源倫子), daughter of Sadaijin [[Minamoto no Masanobu]]. They had six children.
* Shōshi (彰子) (Jōtōmon-in, 上東門院) (988–1074) – consort of [[Emperor Ichijō]].
* Yorimichi (頼通) (992–1074) – regent for [[Emperor Go-Ichijō]], Emperor [[Go-Suzaku]], and Emperor [[Go-Reizei]].
* Kenshi (妍子) (994–1027) – consort of [[Emperor Sanjō]].
* [[Fujiwara no Norimichi|Norimichi]] (教通) (996–1075) – regent for [[Emperor Go-Sanjō]] and [[Emperor Shirakawa]].
* Ishi (威子) (999–1036) – consort of [[Emperor Go-Ichijō]].
* Kishi (嬉子) (1007–1025) – consort of Crown Prince Atsunaga (later [[Emperor Go-Suzaku]]).

He was also married to Minamoto no Meishi (源明子), daughter of Sadaijin Minamoto no Takaakira. They had six children.
* Yorimune (頼宗) (993–1065) – [[Udaijin]].
* [[w:ja:藤原顕信|Akinobu]] (顕信) (994–1027) – He became a priest at the age of 19.
* [[w:ja:藤原能信|Yoshinobu]] (能信) (995–1065) – Gon-no-[[Dainagon]].
* [[w:ja:藤原寛子|Kanshi]] (寛子) (999–1025) – consort of Imperial Prince Atsuakira (Ko-Ichijō-in).
* [[w:ja:藤原尊子|Takako]] (尊子) (1003?–1087?) – married to Minamoto no Morofusa.
* [[w:ja:藤原長家|Nagaie]] (長家) (1005–1064) – Gon-no-[[Dainagon]].

Michinaga had one daughter from an unknown woman.
* Seishi (盛子) (?–?) – married to [[Emperor Sanjō]].

==Bibliography==
* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). [https://books.google.com/books?id=w4f5FrmIJKIC&q=Gukansho  ''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''] Berkeley: University of California Press. {{ISBN|978-0-520-03460-0}}; {{OCLC|251325323}}
* Hioki, S. (1990). ''Nihon Keifu Sōran''. [[Kodansya]]. {{in lang|ja}}
* Kasai, M. (1991). ''Kugyō Bunin Nenpyō''. Yamakawa Shuppan-sha. {{in lang|ja}}
* Owada, T. et al. (2003). ''Nihonshi Shoka Keizu Jimmei Jiten''. [[Kodansya]]. {{in lang|ja}}
* [[Richard Ponsonby-Fane|Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon]]. (1959). [https://books.google.com/books?id=SLAeAAAAMAAJ&q=The+Imperial+House+of+Japan  ''The Imperial House of Japan.''] Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. {{OCLC|194887}}
* [[Isaac Titsingh|Titsingh, Isaac.]] (1834). ''[[Nihon Odai Ichiran]]''; ou, [https://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&q=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran  ''Annales des empereurs du Japon.'']  Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. {{OCLC|5850691}}
* Tsuchida, N. (1973). ''Nihon no Rekishi No.5''. Chūō Kōron Sha.
* [[H. Paul Varley|Varley, H. Paul.]] (1980). [https://books.google.com/books?id=tVv6OAAACAAJ ''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns.''] New York: Columbia University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-231-04940-5}}; {{OCLC|59145842}}
* {{cite book |last1=Sansom |first1=George |title=A History of Japan to 1334 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofjapanto00sans |url-access=registration |date=1958 |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=978-0804705233}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071230034709/http://www.kyohaku.go.jp/eng/tokubetsu/070424/tokubetsu.html  Notes from exhibition at Kyoto National Museum]

{{Sesshō}}
{{Daijō-daijin}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fujiwara no, Michinaga}}
[[Category:966 births]]
[[Category:1028 deaths]]
[[Category:10th-century Buddhists]]
[[Category:11th-century Buddhists]]
[[Category:Fujiwara clan]]
[[Category:Buddhist clergy of Heian-period Japan]]
[[Category:Japanese Buddhists]]
[[Category:Japanese diarists]]
[[Category:People of Heian-period Japan]]
[[Category:Pure Land Buddhists]]
[[Category:Regents of Japan]]
[[Category:Sesshō and Kampaku]]