Jump to content

Emperor Suizei

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Suizei
Emperor of Japan
Reignlegendary
PredecessorJimmu
SuccessorAnnei
Bornlegendary
Diedlegendary
Burial
Tsukida no oka no e no misasagi (Nara)

Emperor Suizei (綏靖天皇, Suizei-tennō) was the 2nd emperor of Japan,[1] according to the traditional order of succession.[2] Historians consider Emperor Suizei to be a legendary person,[3] and the name Suizei-tennō was created for him after his death by later generations.

No certain dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign.[4] The conventionally accepted names and sequence of the early emperors were not to be confirmed as "traditional" until the reign of Emperor Kammu, who was the 50th monarch of the Yamato dynasty.[5]

The Gukanshō records that Suizei ruled from the palace of Takaoka-no-miya at Katsuragi in what will come to be known as Yamato province.[6]

Traditional history

[change | change source]

Suizei is almost certainly a legend. The Kojiki records only his name and genealogy. The Nihonshoki includes Suizei as the earliest or first of "eight undocumented monarchs" (欠史八代,, Kesshi-hachidai).[7]

The Gukanshō records that Suizei was one of the sons of Emperor Jimmu.[6]

During reign of Emperor Suizei, the capital of Japan was at Kazuraki, Yamato.[8]

Events of Suizei's life

[change | change source]

The Kojiki includes a story about how Suizei attained the throne. His older brother supported Suizei because of his courage.[9]

The absence of information about Suizei does not imply that no such person ever existed. Very little information is available for study prior to the reign of the 29th monarch, Emperor Kimmei (509?-571).[10]

After his death

[change | change source]

This emperor's official name after his death (his posthumous name) was regularized many centuries after the lifetime which was ascribed to Suizei.[7]

The actual site of his grave is not known. According to the Imperial Household Agency, this emperor is venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) at Nara.[1]

Family tree

[change | change source]
Himetataraisuzu-himeEmperor JimmuAhiratsu-hime
KamuyaimimiHikoyaiEmperor SuizeiTagishimimiKisumimi

‡ not in the Nihon Shoki



[change | change source]

References

[change | change source]
The chrysanthemum symbol of the Japanese emperor and his family.
  1. 1.0 1.1 Imperial Household Agency (Kunaichō), 綏靖天皇 (2); retrieved 2011-10-19.
  2. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, pp. 3-4; Brown, Delmer. (1979). Gukanshō, pp. 250-251; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, pp. 88-89; Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric et al. (2002). "Traditional order of Tennō" in Japan encyclopedia, pp. 962-963.
  3. Kelly, Charles F. "Kofun Culture," Japanese Archaeology. April 27, 2009; retrieved 2011-10-19.
  4. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, p. 29.
  5. Aston, William George. (1896). Nihongi, pp. 109.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Brown, p. 250.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Aston, pp. 138-141.
  8. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1915). The Imperial Family of Japan, p. 2.
  9. Chamberlain, Basil Hall. (1919). The Kojiki, p. 184.
  10. Titsingh, pp. 34-36; Brown, pp. 261-262; Varley, pp. 123-124.
Preceded by
Emperor Jimmu
Legendary Emperor of Japan
Suizei

581-549 BC
(traditional dates)
Succeeded by
Emperor Annei