Fujiwara regime in the Heian period Fujiwara clan

fujiwara no michinaga (966–1028)

within decades of emperor daigo s death, fujiwara had absolute control on court. year 1000, fujiwara no michinaga able enthrone , dethrone emperors @ will. little authority left traditional officialdom, , government affairs handled through fujiwara family s private administration. fujiwara had become historian george b. sansom has called hereditary dictators.

the fujiwara presided on period of cultural , artistic flowering @ imperial court , among aristocracy. there great interest in graceful poetry , vernacular literature. japanese writing had long depended on chinese ideograms (kanji), these supplemented kana, 2 types of phonetic japanese script: katakana, mnemonic device using parts of chinese ideograms; , hiragana, cursive form of kanji writing , art form in itself. hiragana gave written expression spoken word and, it, rise in japan s famous vernacular literature, of written court women had not been trained in chinese had male counterparts. 3 late tenth century , eleventh century women presented views of life , romance @ heian court in kagerō nikki ( gossamer years ) mother of michitsuna , makura no sōshi (the pillow book) sei shōnagon, , genji monogatari (tale of genji) murasaki shikibu (herself fujiwara). indigenous art flourished under fujiwara after centuries of imitating chinese forms. vividly colored yamato-e (japanese style) paintings of court life , stories temples , shrines became common in mid , late heian periods, setting patterns japanese art day.

decline in food production, growth of population, , competition resources among great families led gradual decline of fujiwara power , gave rise military disturbances in mid-tenth , eleventh centuries. members of fujiwara, taira, , minamoto families—all of whom had descended imperial family—attacked 1 another, claimed control on vast tracts of conquered land, set rival regimes, , broke peace of japan.

the fujiwara controlled throne until reign of emperor go-sanjō (1068–73), first emperor not born of fujiwara mother since ninth century. emperor go-sanjō, determined restore imperial control through strong personal rule, implemented reforms curb fujiwara influence. established office compile , validate estate records aim of reasserting central control. many shōen not certified, , large landholders, fujiwara, felt threatened loss of lands. emperor go-sanjō established in no chō, or office of cloistered emperor, held succession of emperors abdicated devote behind-the-scenes governance, or insei (cloistered rule).

the in no chō filled void left decline of fujiwara power. rather being banished, fujiwara retained in old positions of civil dictator , minister of center while being bypassed in decision making. in time, many of fujiwara replaced, members of rising minamoto family. while fujiwara fell disputes among , formed northern , southern factions, insei system allowed paternal line of imperial family gain influence on throne. period 1086 1156 age of supremacy of in no chō , of rise of military class throughout country. military might rather civil authority dominated government.

a struggle succession in mid-twelfth century gave fujiwara opportunity regain former power. fujiwara no yorinaga sided retired emperor in violent battle in 1158 against heir apparent, supported taira , minamoto. in end, fujiwara destroyed, old system of government supplanted, , insei system left powerless bushi took control of court affairs, marking turning point in japanese history. within year, taira , minamoto clashed, , twenty-year period of taira ascendancy began. taira seduced court life , ignored problems in provinces. finally, minamoto yoritomo (1147–1199) rose headquarters @ kamakura (in kantō region, southwest of modern tokyo) defeat taira, , them child emperor emperor antoku controlled, in genpei war (1180–1185).

after downfall, younger branches of fujiwara clan turned focus politics arts, producing number of literary luminaries fujiwara no shunzei or fujiwara no teika.