Fujiwara no Fuhito (藤原 不比等: 659 – 13 September 720) was a powerful member of theImperial court ofJapan during theAsuka andNara periods. Second son ofFujiwara no Kamatari (or, according to one theory, ofEmperor Tenji), he had sons by two women, and those sons were the founders of the four principal lineages of theFujiwara clan: the South, North, Ceremonial, and Capital lineages. Also, he had four daughters by two other women, three by Kamohime, one by Tachibana no Michiyo. One daughter by Kamohime becameEmperor Monmu's wife Miyako, who in turn gave birth toEmperor Shōmu. The daughter by Michiyo became the empress of his grandson Shōmu,Empress Kōmyō.
During the reign of Emperor Monmu, the government ordered that only the descendants of Fuhito could bear the Fujiwara surname and could be appointed in theOffice of Dajōkan, the center of administratives.
Fuhito was 13 years old when theJinshin incident occurred. His father Kamatari had been a strong supporter of Emperor Tenji, but Kamatari had already died and Fuhito was too young to be appointed a governmental officer, so he was not involved in this political conflict. In 688 he appeared first as a courtier.
In 697 Prince Karu, the son ofPrince Kusakabe and therefore grandson ofEmperor Tenmu andEmpress Jitō, was appointed crown prince. Fuhito supported this appointment strongly and gained the favor of Empress Jitō. After that, his position in the court rose steadily. In 701 Prince Obito, later the emperor Shōmu was born by Miyako. Fuhito succeeded in persuading the court to appoint Obito the crown prince, and made his other daughter a wife of Obito. Until then only a royal lady could be promoted to the empress, but he succeeded in gaining his daughter the position of empress of Obito by the emperor Shōmu. It was the first empress who did not derive from the imperial household.
Kōfuku-ji (Chū-kondō)
He moved Yamashina-dera, the Buddhist temple which was the main temple his clan supported, toNara and renamed itKōfuku-ji. After his death,Kasuga shrine, the mainShinto shrine of the Fujiwara clan, was settled near Kofuku-ji in 768.
He played a role in the establishment of the state law,ritsuryō, in Japan. He participated in the edition calledTaihō Ritsuryō. He also joined in making its revision, theYōrō ritsuryō. Before its completion, he died in the summer of 720. When he died, he was appointedUdaijin, one of the ministers.
After his death the court honored him with two titles Bunchū Kō (文忠公) andTankai Kō (淡海公) and with the office of Daijō-daijin, the highest office of the court.
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