Fujiwara Kyoo (Fujiwara Capital
Palace): 694-710
In Nara, Kashiwara-shi,
Takadono: remains include Daigokuden, Choodooin, Kanga.
First capital
palace to be built on Chinese model: ?extension of Asuka Period.
Emperors include
Jitoo, Bunmu, Genmei.
Jitoo (645-702)
Empress:
684 provincial
governors ordered to erect Buddhist shrine on their residences
686 Ootu no Miko
executed
688 decrees Grand
Shrine of Ise should be rebuilt every 20 years
696 Prince Takechi
dies
702 Taiho Ritsuryo
Laws: law codes adopted from Sui and T'ang dynasties
Mytho-historical memory of the
Kojiki:
Izanagi (m), Izanami
(f): gave birth to islands, Amaterasu, others;
= Izanami dies giving birth to fire-child, Izanagi follows her to underworld
(Yomi).
Amaterasu (Hirume):
Sun goddess; wife of Ama no Iwato (cave god);
Susanowo:
Yamato Takeru
(Oosu): son of Emp. Keikoo (c.70-130ad);
= pacified the bears of Kyuushuu and the Yezo of the east; died on return
from east.
= personification of assorted military victories.
Records of Imperial Lineage Compiled:
Myth, Legend, and History
Kojiki
compiled 677-712
Emperor Temmu compares Teiki and Honji to separate fact from fiction
Teiki: record of imperial lineage from Emperor Hitsugi
Honji: record of houses and affairs from aristocracy to commoners
677? Empress Gemmei has Hieda no Are dictate Kojiki to scribe Oo no Yasumaro
*attempt to represent oral traditions by written media
*marks transition to a politically unified (in concept, at least) state,
after Jinjin War.
*in three volumes (comp Northrop Frye on stages of literary development,
Bakhtin)
vol 1: Izanagi, Izanami, Amaterasu, Susanowo, ... mythic
vol 2: Emp Jimmu, Yamato Takeru... love affairs and battles
vol 3: from Nintoku to Suiko ... politics and love,
Fudoki record
myths, place-names, lineages, etc. of the provinces
713 Fuudoki ordered by ... to be submitted to central authority.
*all remnant texts are incomplete except Izumo
~715 Harima fuudoki:
~715 Hitari fuudoki
733 Izumo fuudoki:
?? Hizen fuudoki
?? Bungo fuudoki
710-784 Nara Period: Capital transferred
to Nara in northern Yamato:
=
Japan had population of 6 million; Nara had population of 200,000
=
built on Chinese civil engineering model, after Ch'ang-an
=
imperial family residence and location established on long-term basis
729 Nagaya-Oo disturbance
733 Izumo-kuni Fudoki completed
740 Fujiwara Hirotsugu uprising:
put down by Azumabito (-742)
752 Daibutu kaigan
757 Tachibana Naramaro ? uprising
764 Fujiwara Nakamaro ? uprising
774-811 Expeditions (Ten total)
to Pacify the Emishi/Ezo
= Azumabito
(d.742) said to have gone on expedition against Emishi/Ebisu.
801 expedition
led by Sakanoue Tamuramaro (758-811) 'first subjugator of the Ezo'
811 expedition
led by Fun'ya no Watamaro
Buddhist Priests establish monasteries
and philosophies in Japan
???-??? Ganjin: Ritsu teachings
737-817 Sh™d™ : founds Kegon-ji???
on Mt. Nikk™???.
767-822 Saich™ : also called
Dengy™ Daishi: from Oomi; Hieizan;
780??? to China
for one year; returns, founds Tendai sect;
788 est. Konpun-ch˛d™ monastery??
on Hieizan
806? 805? returns
from China, founds Tendai Sect
teaches Tendai,
Shingon, Zen, Ritsu...
774-835 K˛kai: also called
K™b™ Daishi: introduced Shingon,
816 opens Mount
K™ya
J˛j˛ shinron (the
ten stages of consciousness)
Sokushin-j™butsugi
(the doctrine of becoming a buddha with one's body...)
835~ Seireishuu/Shouryoushuu:
collection of prose and verse in Chinese
???-??? Ennin:
838-847 Nitt™ guh™ junrei
k™ki: record of travels in China (in Chinese).
Six National Histories (Rikkokushi)
720 Nihon shoki
797 Zoku nihongi
840 Nihon kouki
869 Zoku nihon kouki
879 Buntoku jitsuroku
901 Sandai jitsuroku
Nihon shoki
*almost all in Chinese,
thus less lyrical than Kojiki, less emotive content
*detailed attention
to foreign relations, cultural imports
*representing Japan
to Korea/China (whereas Kojiki represented it to Japanese people).
*compiled by ? Toneri,
following pattern of Chinese histories
720 Nihon shoki completed
Other Literary events:
Kiki kayou: Nihon
shoki had about 50 songs in common with Kojiki
=
intoned to music, as evidenced in Kinkafu
=
alternating long and short verses of 4,5,6, or 7 length.
Kinkafu: transcription
of musical notes, includes score for Kiki kayou
Bussokuseki no uta:
poems preserved at Yakushiji in Nara, at Buddha's foot monument
=
21 poems, each of 5-7-5-7-7-7 meter
Other histories written
to legitimate political standing of families...
789
Takahashi ujibumi: history for political purposes
807
Kogo shuui: history for political purposes by Imube Hironari
751 Kaifuso poetry in
chinese
Nara Period Architecture and Art
739 Yumedono (at
Hooryuuji, Nara) 1-story octagonal pagoda.
741 each province
must erect kokubunji (after Sui-T'ang codes)
740s Toodaiji
/ Daibutsu (Nara); founded at wish of Emperor Shoomu.
Mostly destroyed in wars of 1180, 1567:
Daibutsu-den rebuilt at 2/3 original size in 1708: largest wooden building
in world.
747 Shinyakushi-ji
(Nara): Greek influence; temple still stands.
Geography
Dazaifu-late 6c established
as defense headquarters, as China expands into Korea
Emperors, people, poets of the
'Manyooshuu' Period
First period,
around the Jinshin War
Emperor Jomei (593-641, reigned 629-642)
Emperor Tenchi (626-671; r662-671)
Emperor Temmu (632-686)
Nukada no Ookimi
Second period
(672-710): between Jinshin War and establishment of Nara capital
Kakinomoto Hitomaro () ?family background of ceremonial reciters?
Emperor Jitou (645-702)
Prince Takechi no Kurohito
696 dies: Hitomaro composes lament: battle-scene of Jinshin War without
using Chinese
Third period
Ootomo Tabito (665-731) Taoistic drinking poems, nostalgic for Ritsuryou
age
728 becomes Commander of Dazaifu
Yamanoue Okura (659-733) ?Korean by birth, known as Confucianist,
702 member of embassy to China (2-3 years)
726 appointed Governor of Chikuzen, district of Dazaifu
730 poems MYS.5.815-846 show he is most talented member of Tabito's circle
*poems of old age and sickness show awareness of social contradictions
Yamabe no Akahito:
*elegies to imperial rule less direct than Hitomaro; sticks to natural
imagery
Gy™gi (668-749): priest, did fund-raising for T™daiji, social programs.
Fourth period
Ootomo no Yakamochi (716?-785): last poet cited in Many™sh˛.
Manyoshu Critical Chronology
*wood-slat writing from
Heijou shows that Manyougana were in general use in 8th century
759 Yakamochi records
last poem in collection
785 Yakamochi dies
790s?? presumably the
compilation of MYS nears completion
Later commentaries
on Manyooshuu:
905 Ki no Tsurayuki, in Kokinshuu preface, calls Hitomaro 'the saint of
poetry'
951 Emperor Murakami has Minamoto Shitagoo decipher manyoshu text
1086 Goshuuishuu makes first mention of MYS having twenty volumes
16xx Priest Keichuu commentaries
17xx Kamo Mabuchi commentaries
1957-68 Omodaka Hisataka annotations in twenty volumes
Heian Rule Established (794-1192):
794 Capital transferred from Nara to Yamashiro area
797 Sakanoue Tamamaro
(called Seii tai shougun) leads eastern punitive expedition
= Revamp of Nara political
systems, reordering along Tang lines
= Arbitrary rule consolidated
under Fujiwara family: decline of law-based rule
= Increased uncertainty
of mid- and lower-class aristocracy
c.1000-1100 decline
of control by aristocracy, rise in military control.
Literary Production continues...
814 Ryo˛nsh˛ compiled
814
823 Nihon Ryoiki
compiled 810-823 by Priest Keikai
= Setsuwa tales to spread Buddhism, record life of common people
??? Senmyou: political
principles and directives (what to do on given occasions)
827 Keikokush˛ compiled
827 by Ansei
Landmarks in development of writing
system
= Zoku nihongi:
(797, one of Six Histories):
*consistent use of kanji for content words, followed by smaller kanji for
phonetic values.
= Late 800s resurgence
(?) of waka interest in court society, kanji-based script developed
= 820s proliferation
of phonetic writing (kana script)
= Kokinshu
establishes phonetic writing as equal status to Chinese poetry
c.900 Rise of prose
fiction: Taketori, Ise, nikki, etc.
c.950-1050 Rise of women's
fiction: Kagerou, Makura no soushi, Genji, etc.
Heian Court Imperial Reigns and
Intrigues
Emperor Kounin 816-823
Emperor Ichij™ 980-1011
Fujiwara Clan Rises: Control
over Heian Court
858 Fujiwara Yoshifusa
designated sesshou (government head in time of child emperor)
887 Fujiwara Mototsune
designated kanpaku ()
894 Official missions
to Tang China cancelled
935 Heishoumon uprising
969 Anna no hen (uprising)
institutes Fujiwara regency and chancellery (?).
1016 Fujiwara Michinaga
designated sesshou
Literary Production continues...
Chinese-language poetry
= Imported collections: Monzen, Y˛senkutsu, Hakushi monj˛ by Po Chu-i
---The Heian Poetic Anthologies
(etc)
Norito: ceremonial prayers for public
prosperity, good harvest, no illnesses, ...
927 Engishiki:
compilation of ceremonial regulations
Taiki: one
section from the diary of Fujiwara Yorinaga
905-??? Kokinsh˛ (Kokin waka
senshu) compilation ordered 905
Oosh™yush˛ compiled c. 980 by Genshin
Waka roueish˛ c.1013
Keikokushuu compiled 827 by
Ansei
Waka roueishuu c.1013
Ry™jinhisho ??oral transmission ??
by Go Shirakawa-In
---Great Heian Literary Figures:
845-903 Sugawara no Michizane:
later revered as deity of learning.
917-1003 Z™ga: priest, pretended
to be insane to avoid worldly advancements.
???-990 Taira no Kanemori:
tanka on sending word to Kyoto from Shirakawa barrier.
???-988 Fujiwara no Sanetaka:
ill-tempered: Emp. Ichij™ appoints him gov. to Mutsu as punishment.
988-1050 N™in: priest: tanka
on autumn wind at Shirakawa barrier.
---Poetic critical vocabulary:
utamakura:
famous place-names that function as site of poetry.
kakekotoba:
pivot words (nagame: =long rains, =long views)
engo:
word asociations (Mt. Obasute=moon; Yatsuhashi=iris)
honkadori:
borrowing lines from canonical poetry to produce new poetry on same theme,
place, ...
---The Great Heian Poetic Narrative/Fiction/Essays:
890~ Taketori monogatari compiled
Ise monogatari
Konjaku monogatari
935 Tosa nikki Ki no Tsurayuki:
uses narrative voice of woman, to describe fravels from Tosa to Kyoto.
940~ Sh™monki
974 Kager™ nikki, by mother of Michitsuna
980~ Utsubo monogatari
982 Chiteiki (Record of the Pond
Pavillion) by Yoshishige Yasutane (Po Chu-i scholar):
= zuihitsu, critical view of Fujiwara court, influenced Hojoki?
1000~Makura no sooshi, by Sei Shoonagon
1010? Genji monogatari
1056? Sarashina nikki:
---Miscellaneous events
964 Kangakue: Nara nat'l univ students
visit Tendai monks on Mt. Hiei: to link B'ism & Ch. poetry.
Fujiwara Clan Falls: Decline
of Court Supremacy;
= Taika
periodic land allotment system declines;
= Shoen
(private landholdings) become widespread;
= Rise of
armed elite;
Taira no Masakado rebellion
Fujiwara no Sumitomo rebellion
1051 Zen-kyuunen (?) expedition occurs???
1086 Insei system initiated (cloistered
emperor) by Emperor Go-Sanjo
Government by clique of 5-20
kinshin (close attendants)
1087 Kou-sannen (?) expedition
Buddhist activity: Temples, etc.
Buddhist Temples rebel against capital
using soldier-monks
Enryakuji
Kofukuji
Todaiji
1164 Sanjuusangendoo (Kyoto) ordered
by Emp. Goshirakawa: 1,001 figures of Kannon
1249 burned in major Kyoto fire: 156 figures saved; figures remade by 70
craftsmen.
1669~ becomes a popular cite for archery contests
Imperial Family:
1155 Imperial Succession falls vacant
= Emperor
Toba chooses future Emperor Go-Shirakawa
1156 Hogen Disturbance: Go-Shirakawa
supported by Minamoto Yoshitomo, Taira Kiyomori
= prevail
over Tameyoshi (Yoshitomo's father) and Taira Tadamasa
1159 Heiji Disturbance: Kiyomori
kills Yoshitomo, but lets young Yoritomo live
Goshirakawa (r.1156-1158)
Takakura (r. -1180)
1180
abdicates to Antoku, to alleviate Kiyomori's punishment of Goshirakawa
Kenreimon-in: Empress; daughter of
Kiyomori;
Antoku (r.1180-1185): son of Ken'reimon-in;
1180.04.22
takes throne
1180.06.02
capital shifted to Fukuhara at Taira Kiyomori's command
1185.03.24
drowns at Dannoura, age 8.
Taira Clan Rises and Falls:
1167 Taira Kiyomori
designated Dajoo Daijin
Kiyomori works his family
into imperial kinshin system
Principal wife is sister to Go-Shirakawa's favorite Kenshunmon'in
thus aunt to Kenshunmon'in's son, Emperor Takakura
Daughter, later Kenreimon'in, becomes consort of Takakura
Other daughters marry Fujiwara nobles
1168 Goshirakawa takes
tonsure
Taira military upstarts
are arrogant to the other kinshin aristocrats
1177 Goshirakawa organizes
rebellion of kinshin against Kiyomori, but fails
1178 Goshirakawa and
Kiyomori make truce at birth of mutual grandson Emperor Antoku
1179 Taira Shigemori
(41) dies; succeeded by inept brother Munemori
1179 Go-Shirakawa and
Kiyomori continue to tussle
1180 Taira lose battle
at Fuji Rive to Toritomo
1181.2b.04 Kiyomori
dies, leaving Munemori to lead
Gen-pei War (Minamoto v. Heike):
Minamoto Clan rises a second time:
1180 Minamoto Yoritomo leads rebellion,
joined by brother Yoshitsune
???? Minamoto Sanemori (1111-1183):
switches allegiance from Yoshitomo to Munemori
1183 killed
in battle with Yoshinaka after dying his hair black to conceal his age
Battles:
1183.5.11
Minamoto Yoshinaka pursues Taira forces down cliff
1184.02.07
Minamoto ... and Yoshitsune pursue Taira at Ichi no tani; Taira retreat
to Yashima
Yashima,
Dan no ura,
1185 Taira
(Heike) clan extinguished: battles later eulogized in Heike monogatari.
Gen-gen War (Minamoto v. Minamoto):
Minamoto family strife brings it down again
Minamoto Yoshitsune (1159-89):
1180 joins
Yoritomo; fights alongside Sat™ Tsugunobu (1158-1185) and Sat™ Tadanobu
(1161-1186)
Yoritomo starts campaign to kill
Yoshitsune
1186 Sat™ Tadanobu,
a supporter of Yoshitsune, commits suicide after losing battle to defend
Yoshitsune.
Benkei (-1189): loyal warrior-monk
retainer to Yoshitsune
1189 dies
fighting when Yoritomo prods Yasuhira to attack Yoshitsune.
Fujiwara Tadahira (1167-1189): son
of Hidehira
1189 killed
by brother Yasuhira after defending Yoshitsune
Fujiwara Yasuhira (): son of Hidehira
1189 kills
brother Tadahira, trying to get Yoshitsune
1213 Power transferred from Minamoto
to Hojo (family of Yoritomo's wife): Kamakura base
Late Heian:
Gradual power transfer to hereditary
aristocrat families (kuge)
1200 approx. half of imperial
lands had been parceled out as sh™en.
Rise of religious leaders (controlling
some sh™en).
Rise of military professionals,
samurai bands.
elegant arts looked to the
Heian capital for its models, styles,
1182 (Spring) Kyoto area famine
=====================
??? Capital moved to Fukuhara (cited
in H™j™ki)