Emperor Tenji (Prince Naka no Oe)
The prince who launched the Isshi Incident and carried out the Taika Reform, later ascending the throne as Emperor Tenji.
Life
Isshi Incident
Prince Naka no Oe was the son of Emperor Jomei. In 645 he and Nakatomi no Kamatari assassinated the powerful minister Soga no Iruka in the palace, bringing down the Soga clan; this is known as the Isshi Incident.
Taika Reform
Thereafter, as crown prince, he directed affairs of state, issued the Taika Reform Edict, and carried out reforms such as public ownership of land and people, the allotment and reclamation of rice fields, and the establishment of provinces and districts, building a centralized system modeled on the Tang dynasty; this is known as the "Taika Reform." In 663 he sent troops to aid Baekje, which suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Baekgang at the hands of the allied Tang and Silla forces; afterward he built mountain fortresses in many places to strengthen the country's defenses.
Baekgang
In 668 he formally ascended the throne as Emperor Tenji, moved the capital to Otsu in Omi, and compiled the first nationwide household register, the "Kogo Nenjaku." He died in 672, after which the Jinshin War broke out.
Legacy
Emperor Tenji and Nakatomi no Kamatari (ancestor of the Fujiwara clan) began building Japan's Ritsuryo state on the Tang model.
Did you know? The first waka poem in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu is attributed to Emperor Tenji.
Key dates
- 645Isshi Incident
- 646Issued the Taika Reform Edict
- 663Battle of Baekgang
- 668Accession
- 670Compiled the Kogo census register
- 672Died