Emperor Go-Sanjō (後三条天皇) (September 3, 1034 – June 15, 1073) was the 71st imperial ruler of Japan. He ruled from 1068 to January 18, 1073. His name was Takahito? (尊仁)
Genealogy
He was the second son of Emperor Go-Suzaku. His mother was Empress (kōgō) Teiko? (皇后禎子), the third daughter of Emperor Sanjō, making him the first Emperor in 170 years (since Emperor Uda) whose mother was not of Fujiwara descent.
Consorts and empresses
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1029-1093 Empress (chūgū) Keiko? (馨子) - second daughter of Emperor Go-Ichijō
- ????-1062 Empress Dowager: Fujiwara Shigeko (藤原茂子), daughter of Fujiwara Kōsei? (藤原公成), adopted daughter of Fujiwara Yoshinobu (藤原能信)
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1047-1134 Court Lady: Minamoto Motoko (源基子), daughter of Minamoto Motohira? (源基平)
- Court Lady: Fujiwara Akiko? (藤原昭子) - daughter of Fujiwara Yorimune (藤原頼宗)
Life
Because he was not of Fujiwara descent, the Kampaku, Fujiwara no Yorimichi neglected him, but Emperor Go-Suzaku decreed that upon his elder brother Chikahito's enthronement (as Emperor Go-Reizei), that Takahito would become the heir (kōtaitei). As Go-Rezei had no children of his own, upon his death, Takahito became Emperor.
Yorimichi's younger brother Norimichi became kampaku, but Go-Sanjō was determined to rule personally. In 1069 he issued the Enkyū Shōen Regulation Decree (Enkyū being the name of the era in which it was issued) and established a government office to certify Shōen records. In 1070, he regulated silk and in 1072, the Ritsuryō System of centralized authority having become a dead letter, he planned to strengthen the finances of the Imperial Household, which had become weakened.
In 1072, four years after his enthronement, he abdicated to his son Imperial Prince Sadahito, planning to begin cloistered rule, but early the next year, he passed away from illness.
Research in recent years has lead to an influential theory that his abdication was not for the purpose of carrying out cloistered rule, but was instead because of illness.
Eras of his reign
Last updated: 08-30-2005 21:09:25
