Woman and Power in Gukanshō: Japanese Female Sovereigns

Abstract

The paper analyzes the history of female sovereigns’ reigns in the early history of Japan as described in Gukanshō, the interpretative history of Japan (circa 1221) written by a Tendai school monk Jien (1155–1225). The study of the Empresses’ reigns is closely related to the succession debate in contemporary Japan. Gukanshō is an important milestone in the historical tradition which tells about continuous hereditary monarchy in Japan from ancient times to the present. While describing the reigns of all Japanese rulers, Jien writes about the seven female sovereigns of Japan (legendary Jingū, Suiko, Kōgyoku/Saimei, Jitō, Gemmei, Genshō, Kōken/Shōtoku). A brief description of the Empresses’ reigns is summarized in the paper. The article compares the order of the Empresses’ reigns as featured in Gukanshō and in the traditional order of the Imperial House. The paper also focuses on Jien’s interpretation of these female sovereigns in terms of his historical theory. Jien put these reigns in the period when the sovereigns ruled with the help of assistants and (or) regents. Jien explained the reigns of female rulers supported by their assistants through the inevitable action of the dōri principles. They are: (1) departure from “correct” succession (the throne not passed linearly, from father to son); (2) the reign of sovereigns not comparable to sovereigns of ancient times (Emperors were assisted in ruling and female reigns were possible). These principles were caused by the general degradation of the kalpa and by the need to adapt to this period. The article precedes a translation (from Classical Japanese into Russian) of excerpts from Gukanshō describing the Empresses’ reigns.

Keywords

• imperial house
• female sovereigns
• ancient japan
• buddhism
• principles of dōri
• jien
• the tendai school