Editing Fujiwara no Mototsune

{{Short description|Japanese statesman, courtier and aristocrat}}
{{Infobox noble
|name          = <small>[[Senior First Rank]]</small> <br>Fujiwara no Mototsune<br>{{lang|ja|藤原 基経}}
|image         = Fujiwara no Mototsune.jpg
|caption       = Mototsune by [[Kikuchi Yōsai]]
|noble family  = [[Hokke (Fujiwara)|Fujiwara Hokke]]
|house-type    = Japanese clan
|birth_date    = 836
|birth_place   =
|death_date    = {{death date and age|891|2|25|836}}
|death_place   =
|father        = [[Fujiwara no Yoshifusa]]
}}

{{family name hatnote|Fujiwara|lang=Japanese}}
{{Nihongo|'''Fujiwara no Mototsune'''|藤原 基経||extra=836 – February 25, 891}}, also known as {{Nihongo|'''Horikawa Daijin'''|堀川大臣}}, was a Japanese statesman, courtier and aristocrat of the early [[Heian period]].<ref name="nussbaum206">Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Mototsune" in {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 206|page=206}}; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). {{Google books|JlUCAAAAYAAJ|''A History of the Japanese People from the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era,'' p. 203.|page=203}}</ref> He was the first ''[[kampaku]]'', a regent of an adult emperor, in Japanese history''.''

== Biography ==
He was born the third son of [[Fujiwara no Nagara]], but was adopted by his powerful uncle [[Fujiwara no Yoshifusa]], who had no sons. Mototsune followed in Yoshifusa's footsteps, holding power in the court in the position of [[sekkan|regent]] for four successive [[Emperor of Japan|emperors]].

Mototsune invented the position of ''[[kampaku]]'' regent for himself in order to remain in power even after an emperor reached maturity. This innovation allowed the Fujiwara clan to tighten its grip on power right throughout an emperor's reign.

Mototsune is referred to as ''Shōsen Kō'' (昭宣公) (posthumous name as Daijō Daijin).

==Career==
* '''864''' (''[[Jōgan]] 6''): Mototsune was named [[Sangi (Japan)|''Sangi'']]
* '''866''' (''Jōgan 8''): ''[[Chūnagon]]''
* '''870''' (''Jōgan 12, 1st month''): He became ''[[Dainagon]]''<ref>Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). {{Google books|18oNAAAAIAAJ|''Annales des empereurs du japon,'' p. 119.|page=119}}; see "Fousiwara-no Moto tsoune", pre-[[Hepburn romanization]]</ref>
* '''872''' (''Jōgan 14''): He was named ''[[Udaijin]]''<ref name="nussbaum206"/>
* '''876''' (''Jōgan 18''): He was named [[Sesshō and Kampaku|''Sesshō'']]<ref name="nussbaum206"/>
* '''880''' (''Gangyō 4''): He was named [[Daijō Daijin]]<ref name="nussbaum206"/>
* '''884''' (''[[Gangyō]] 8''): Mototsune was the first to receive the title ''Kampaku''.<ref name="nussbaum206"/>
* '''890''' (''[[Kanpyō (era)|Kanpyō]] 2, 14th day of the 12th month''): retire from Kampaku
* '''February 25, 891''' (''Kampyō 3, 13th day of the 1st month''): Mototsune died at the age of 56.<ref>Titsingh, {{Google books|18oNAAAAIAAJ|p. 127.|page=127}}</ref>

==Genealogy==
This member of the [[Fujiwara clan]] was the son of Fujiwara no Nagara, who was one of the brothers of Fujiwara no Yoshifusa.  Mototsune was adopted as son and heir of Yoshifusa.<ref>Brinkley, {{Google books|JlUCAAAAYAAJ|p. 237.|page=237}}</ref>  In other words, Yoshifusa was Mototsune's uncle, and father through adoption.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/221593/Fujiwara-Mototsune  "Yoshifusa Mototsune"], in ''Encyclopædia Britannica''; retrieved 2011-07-24</ref>

He was married to a daughter of Imperial Prince Saneyasu (son of [[Emperor Ninmyō]]).

Their children were
* [[Fujiwara no Tokihira|Tokihira]] (時平) (871–909) – [[Sadaijin]]<ref>Nussbaum, "Fujiwara no Tokihira" in {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|p. 210|page=210}}.</ref>
* [[Fujiwara no Nakahira|Nakahira]] (仲平) (875–945) – Sadaijin<ref>Nussbaum, "Fujiwara no Nakahira" in {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|p. 207|page=207}}.</ref>
* [[Fujiwara no Tadahira|Tadahira]] (忠平) (880–949) – [[Daijō Daijin]], [[Sesshō and Kampaku|Regent]]<ref>Nussbaum, "Fujiwara no Tadahira" in {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|p. 209|page=209}}.</ref>
* Yoriko (頼子) (d. 936), consort of [[Emperor Seiwa]]
* Kazuko (佳珠子), consort of Emperor Seiwa
* [[Fujiwara no Onshi|Onshi]] (穏子) (885–954), consort of [[Emperor Daigo]],<ref name="nussbaum206"/> and mother of [[Emperor Suzaku]] and [[Emperor Murakami]]

He was also married to Princess ''Sōshi'' (操子女王), a daughter of Imperial Prince Tadara (son of Emperor Saga).

Their children were
* Kanehira (兼平) (875–935) – Kunai-Kyō (宮内卿)
* {{ill|Fujiwara no Onshi (consort of Emperor Uda)|lt=Onshi|ja|藤原温子|vertical-align=sup}} (温子) (872–907), consort of [[Emperor Uda]]<ref name="nussbaum206"/>

His other children were
* Kamiko (佳美子) (d. 898), consort of [[Emperor Kōkō]]
* Yoshihira (良平)
* Shigeko (滋子), married to [[Minamoto Yoshiari|Minamoto no Yoshiari]] (son of Emperor Montoku)
* daughter, married to Imperial Prince Sadamoto (son of Emperor Seiwa), and mother of Minamoto no Kanetada (源兼忠)

==See also==
*[[Fujiwara Regents]]
* [[Nihon Montoku Tennō Jitsuroku]], one of the [[Rikkokushi|Six National Histories]] of Japan; edited by Fujiwara no Mototsune.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* [[Frank Brinkley|Brinkley, Frank]] and [[Kikuchi Dairoku]]. (1915). ''A History of the Japanese People from the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era''. New York: Encyclopædia Britannica. {{OCLC|413099}}
* Hioki, S. (1990). ''Nihon Keifu Sōran''. Kōdansya. (Japanese)
* Kasai, M. (1991). ''Kugyō Bunin Nenpyō''. Yamakawa Shuppan-sha (Japanese)
* Kodama, K. (1978). ''Nihon-shi Shō-jiten, Tennō''. Kondō Shuppan-sha. (Japanese)
* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC  ''Japan encyclopedia''.] Cambridge: [[Harvard University Press]]. {{ISBN|978-0-674-01753-5}}; {{OCLC|58053128}}
* Owada, T. et al. (2003). ''Nihonshi Shoka Keizu Jinmei Jiten''. Kōdansya. (Japanese)
* [[Isaac Titsingh|Titsingh, Isaac]]. (1834). ''[[Nihon Ōdai 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}}

{{Fujiwara family tree}}
{{Sesshō}}
{{Kampaku}}
{{Daijō-daijin}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fujiwara No, Mototsune}}
[[Category:836 births]]
[[Category:891 deaths]]
[[Category:Sesshō and Kampaku]]
[[Category:Fujiwara clan]]
[[Category:Regents of Japan]]
[[Category:People of Heian-period Japan]]