Emperor Heizei facts for kids

Emperor Heizei (平城天皇 (Heizei-tennō, 773 – August 5, 824)) was the 51st emperor of Japan. He was also known as Heijō-tennō. Heizei ruled Japan from 806 to 809. His name, Heizei, came from the official name of the capital city in Nara, which was Heizei Kyō.

Emperor Heizei: A Japanese Ruler

Heizei was the oldest son of Emperor Kanmu and Empress Fujiwara no Otomuro. He had three empresses and seven children.

Early Life and Becoming Emperor

When Heizei was young, he had a close relationship with Fujiwara no Kusuko. She was the mother of one of his future wives. This caused some concern, and his father, Emperor Kanmu, even thought about not making him the crown prince.

• 785: At the age of 12, Heizei was officially named the Crown Prince. This meant he was next in line to become emperor.
• April 9, 806: Emperor Kanmu died. After some discussion about who should rule next, Heizei became the new emperor. This event is called his sokui.

Important Events During His Reign

During Emperor Heizei's time as ruler, he made some changes to the Imperial Bodyguards. These were the special guards who protected the emperor. The existing guards became the Left Imperial Bodyguards, and the Middle Bodyguards became the Right Imperial Bodyguards. Each group got a new leader. Heizei chose Sakanoue no Tamuramaro to lead the Right Imperial Bodyguards. Tamuramaro was a famous general who had led armies against the Emishi people.

• 809: After ruling for four years, Emperor Heizei became very ill. He worried he might not live much longer. Because of his illness, he decided to step down from the throne. This is called abdicating. He gave the throne to his younger brother, who later became Emperor Saga.
• After abdicating, Heizei moved to Nara. People then called him Nara no Mikado, which means "the Emperor of Nara."
• May 18, 809: His younger brother, Emperor Saga, officially became emperor at age 24.

The Kusuko Rebellion

• 810: A year after Heizei abdicated, there was a serious event called the Kusuko Rebellion. Heizei's third wife, Kusuko (薬子), and her brother Nakanari tried to start a rebellion in Heizei's name. They wanted Heizei to return to power. However, their forces were defeated. Kusuko died, and her brother was executed. After this, Heizei decided to become a Buddhist monk. This meant he dedicated his life to religious practices.
• August 5, 824: Emperor Heizei died at the age of 51. He passed away 14 years after he had given up his throne due to illness.

His Family and Legacy

Emperor Heizei is honored at his tomb, which is called the Yamamomo Imperial Mausoleum. It is located in Nara. This site is open to the public. Even though it is one of the largest ancient burial mounds in Japan, studies suggest it was built much earlier, around the 5th century. This makes some people question if it is truly Heizei's original burial place.

The years of Heizei's reign are known by one era name (nengō):

• Daidō (806–810)

His children included:

• Imperial Prince Takaoka (799–881)
• Imperial Prince Kose (died 882)
• Imperial Princess Kamitsukeno (died 842)
• Imperial Princess Isonokami (died 846)
• Imperial Princess Ōhara (died 863)
• Imperial Prince Abo
• Imperial Princess Enu (died 835)

Kugyō (公卿) was a special term for a small group of very powerful men who worked closely with the Emperor of Japan. These were usually three or four men who had a lot of experience and came from important families. During Heizei's reign, some of these important officials included:

• Udaijin, Miwa-no-Oh or Miwa-no-Ohkimi (798–806)
• Udaijin, Fujiwara no Uchimaro (806–812)
• Dainagon, Fujiwara no Otomo (806–807)

In Spanish: Heizei Tennō para niños

See also

• Emperor of Japan
• List of Emperors of Japan
• Imperial cult