| Hata 秦 | |
|---|---|
 TheKagome mon, the supposed heraldic symbol of the clan. | |
| Home province |
|
| Parent house |
|
| Titles | Various |
| Founder | Yuzuki no Kimi |
| Founding year | 2nd century BCE |
| Dissolution | 9th century? |
| Cadet branches |
|
Hataclan was an immigrantclan active in Japan since theKofun period (250–538), according to the history of Japan laid out inNihon Shoki (720).
The origin of the clan has been a debated topic for many Japanese historians and scholars.
Many have suggested different kingdoms of East Asia starting fromBaekje,Qin Dynasty,Gaya toSilla.
The first mention of Hata clan was inNihon Shoki, describing an immigrant clan (known as "Toraikei (渡来系)" in Japanese) arriving in Japan led byYuzuki no Kimi from Baekje.[1]
According to theNihon Shoki, during the reign ofEmperor Ōjin, Yuzuki no Kimi visited Japan from the Kingdom of Baekje where he stated that he had long wanted to emigrate to Japan, but the Kingdom of Silla would not permit him to do so. Having enjoyed the experience of meeting 120 people of his clan atMimana. Yuzuki no Kimi left Japan but soon returned, in 283, with additional members of his clan "from 120 districts of his own land".[1]
Some point out to the name of Yuzuki no Kimi being of Korean origin. According to Japanese linguists, "弓月君" could be a direct translation of "Kudara (くだら)" a unique name for Baekje in Japanese. In Old Korean, "弓月" could be read as "Kungdar (궁달)" using theIdu system, which is thought to have carried over to the Japanese language as being of Baekje descent as both words share the same pronunciation.
Contrary to the accounts made inNihon Shoki, theShinsen Shōjiroku (814) claims that Yuzuki no Kimi, was allegedly a descendant ofQin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty.[2][3] Thus the reason behind Hata being written with the character "Qin (秦)".
As mentioned inNihon Shoki, Yuzuki no Kimi claimed he had 120 people in Mimana, a place name that points to the Gaya confederacy in Korea. Therefore, it has been theorized that the Hata clan had immigrated from Gaya rather than Baekje.
Though not directly stated in eitherNihon Shoki orShinsen Shōjiroku, modern Japanese scholars theorize Silla was the place of origin of the Hata clan.[4][5][6]
After extensive research and historical analysis, Japanese historians have confirmed that the Hata clan originated from Silla and not any of the previously mentioned kingdoms. The city ofKyoto[4] andFushimi Inari-taisha[5] (the shrine that officially commemorates the Hata clan) have publicly stated that "despite the ancient records being unreliable, it can be deduced that the Hata clan originates from the kingdom of Silla."[7][4][5]
The first inaccuracy rises from the use of the character "Hata (秦)" as the character is not written inNihon Shoki and is found only inShinsen Shōjiroku when first mentioningEmperor Qin of China. Today, the clan believes that their character "秦" derives from Qin Shi Huang's family name of the same character. However, Japanese scholars pointed out that the name "Qin Shi Huang" was not the emperor's actual name, but was in fact "Yíng Zheng (嬴政)"[8] using the ancestral name of theYíng family, and believe that the clan misinterpreted "Qin" as the surname of the emperor[9] when in fact, it was originally the name of thestate. In addition, Hata clan had a previous name which was written as波多 [ja][10] before incorporating the new character, further discrediting the "Qin-Hata" theory.
There are other examples where the name "波多" was used before the clan incorporated the new character.Takenouchi no Sukune, a Japanese general who had many connections to Silla, was referenced multiple times in Korean records revolving around the Silla-Wa War (新羅・倭戦争) while servingEmpress Jingū, a descendant of a Silla princeAmenohiboko and someone whoinvaded Korea to reclaim her "promised land".[11] Linguists such asAlexander Vovin even posited that he might have been a speaker of the Korean language and maybe even a foreigner himself.[12][13] His son,Hata no Yashiro [ja] became a legendary figure of the Hata clan while it was still under "波多". Later, the use of "波多" was also carried on by another immigrant clan of Korean descent called "Sakanoue clan [ja]", the branch clan ofYamatonoaya clan, whereSakanoue no Ara [ja] (坂上阿良) formed his own separate clan using the same characters of Hata clan's original name, "波多".
The etymology of "Hata" is believed to be "Hada" (肌) meaning "skin" alluding to the silk produced by the immigrants, or "Hada/Hata" a Japanese translation of the Korean word "Pada (바다)" meaning "ocean" as they came across the seas.[6] InOld Japanese, "Hada" would have sounded closer to "Pada" as the consonant "h" was pronounced as "p", and the word "Pada" in Korean is believed to be ofSilla origin.
They were later given official titles ranging from "Toroshikō (登呂志公)", "Hatano Sakeno Kimi (秦酒公)" and "Uzumasa (禹豆満佐/太秦)" after being recognized as a legitimate clan of Japan.
It is thought that the misconception revolving around the origins ofJinhan (previous kingdom of Silla) being built by Qin Dynasty refugees, first mentioned inSan Guo Zhi, was what caused the Silla immigrants to become descendants of the Qin Dynasty inShinsen Shōjiroku (seeHistory of Jinhan Confederacy).[14][15] The book is also scrutinized by modern Japanese historians for putting some clans under "Kan (漢)" or "Han Dynasty" and not thethree kingdoms of Korea,[16] the same way it put Hata under Qin Dynasty instead of Silla.[17] It also contradicts the claims made inNihon Shoki (the first and oldest mentioning of Hata) that Yuzuki no Kimi was from Qin Dynasty and not Baekje without providing any substantial evidence. For further context,Nihon Shoki lacks any mentions of Qin when discussing about Hata.[1]
Finally, excavations in Hata clan's whereabouts have been of Silla origin. It is also reinforced by the fact that the Miroku Bosatsu statue, "Hōkan Miroku (宝冠弥勒)" inKōryū-ji, built by the Hata clan[18] was made of woods from Silla (present daySouth Gyeongsang Province) and was gifted to Japan from Silla in 623 according to theNihon Shoki.[1]
It is believed that centuries after immigrants from Silla had settled, the author ofNihon Shoki accidentally credited them of Baekje origin (due to Japan's close relationship with Baekje at the time) by providing them a story that would give credence to their position as a Japanese clan. After another century later, whenEmperor Saga ordered for a compilation of family names, under the misguided assumption that Silla (Jinhan) was of Qin's origin, it was recorded inShinsen Shōjiroku that in turn, the Hata clan was originally from the Qin Dynasty.[10] In return, it is thought that the descendants of the Hata clan sought for social influence during the publication ofShinsen Shōjiroku, and thus embraced the misinformed idea and self proclaimed themselves to be part of Qin Shi Huang's lineage which would have given the clan more credence for political dominance amongst other clans at the time.
Further research points to a specific area in Silla known as "Padan (파단/波旦)" read as "Hatan (はたん)" in Japanese, located inUljin County as the origin of the Hata clan.[19][20][21] According to a research published byRitsumeikan University, the clan was indeed from Padan[22] and their descendants settled in the Sagano area.[19] Though the area does not exist today, it is mentioned in theUljin Silla Stele [ko], astele that was erected during the Silla period. Padan is considered the most likely candidate of Hata clan's origin due to its similar pronunciation (Hatan-Hata) in Japanese[20] while also sharing a character "波 (Ha)" within their respective names (in Hata clan's original name, 波多).[20] In addition, the word "Padan/波旦" meant "ocean" in theGoguryeo language,[23] a language that is consideredKoreanic (same with theSilla language), which further supports the "Hata-Hatan-Ocean-Silla" theory.
Other evidence alludes to the foreign origins of thekamiInari, a deity that looks overfoxes,fertility,rice,tea andsake, ofagriculture andindustry, of general prosperity and worldly success.
Scholars such asKazuo Higo suggest that the foreign Hata clan began the formal worship of Inari as an agriculturekami in the late fifth century[24] as the name "Inari" does not appear in classicalJapanese mythology.[25]
In addition,Fushimi Inari-taisha, the same shrine built by the Hata clan and one of the most influential shrines to officially celebrate the god Inari, also stated that the fox deity was most likely not of Japanese origin and had most likely arrived in Japan from the kingdoms of the Korean peninsula.[26] It states that during theThree Kingdoms period, foxes were widely celebrated as gods and were deified as protectors of agriculture and prosperity due to the influence ofBuddhism. This sentiment was later carried over to the Japanese archipelago by the Hata clan and other immigrant clans which arrived in Japan in the earlier centuries[24] and was given the name "稲荷 (いなり)" inkanji which means "carrying rice", (literally "rice load") first found in theRuijū Kokushi in 892 AD.
The Hata were the most prominent inhabitants of the Kyoto basin at the time the area entered into history, in the 6th and 7th centuries.[27] They had jurisdiction in present-day "Uzumasa (太秦/太秦)" found in "Kadono district (葛野郡)" withinKyoto.[28]
The Hata are said to have been adept at financial matters, and to have introducedsilk raising and weaving to Japan. For this reason, they may have been associated with thekagomecrest, a lattice shape found in basket-weaving. During the reign ofEmperor Nintoku (313-399), the members of the clan were sent to different parts of the country to spread the knowledge and practice ofsericulture. Members of this clan also served as financial advisors to the Yamato Court for several centuries. Originally landing and settling inIzumo and theSan'yō region, the Hata eventually settled in the areas where Japan's most important cities are now. They are said to have aided in the establishment of Heian-kyō (modern-day Kyoto), and of many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, includingFushimi Inari Taisha,Matsunoo Taisha, and Kōryū-ji.Emperor Yūryaku granted the clan the family name of Uzumasa in 471, in honor of Sakeno kimi's contributions to the spread of sericulture. Over the next few centuries, they were given the right to the status (kabane) of Miyatsuko, and later Imiki.
A number ofsamurai clans, including theChōsokabe clan of Shikoku, theKawakatsu clan of Tanba, and theJinbō clan [ja] of Echigo province, claimed descent from the Hata. TheKoremune clan [ja], also allegedly descended from the Emperor of Qin, were related to the Hata as well. Prince Koman-O came to dwell in Japan in the reign ofEmperor Ōjin (c. 310). His successors received the name Hata. This name was changed to Koremune in 880. The wife ofShimazu Tadahisa (1179–1227) (son ofMinamoto no Yoritomo and ancestor of theShimazu clan of Kyūshū), was a daughter of Koremune Hironobu.
The population ofNeyagawa inOsaka Prefecture includes a number of people who claim descent from the Hata. The cities ofŌhata andYahata are not directly related to Hata clan.
The Hata were also claimed as ancestors byZeami Motokiyo, the premiereNoh playwright in history, who attributed the origins of Noh toHata no Kawakatsu. According to Zeami's writings, Kōkatsu, the ancestor of both theKanze andKomparu Noh lineages, introduced ritual dances to Japan in the sixth century; this form would later evolve into Okina and then into Noh. A more important influence upon the formation and the character of Noh is the ChineseNuo rite. While sanyue (sangaku) and daqu influenced the development of Noh in terms of dramatic structure and presentation, the Nuo rite played a significant role in formulating Noh's religious and ritualistic character and features.[29]
Uzumasa-no-Kimi-Sukune, one of the first clan heads, arrived during the reign ofEmperor Chūai, in the 2nd century CE. According to theNihon Shoki, he and his followers were greeted warmly, and Uzumasa was granted a high government position.
The hypothesis that the Hata clan were a JewishNestorian tribe was proposed bySaeki Yoshiro in 1908. Saeki developed a theory described by Ben-Ami Shillony as being "somewhat similar" to that advanced byNicholas McLeod in 1879.
In 1879, theScottish businessmanNicholas McLeod who had lived in Japan since 1867 published a book inNagasaki calledJapan and the Lost Tribes of Israel. Based on "personal research and observation", the book claimed the Japanese as the descendants of theTen Lost Tribes. Over thirty years later, in 1908, Saeki Yoshiro (better known asP. Y. Saeki) (1872-1965) published a book in which he developed a somewhat similar theory. According to Saeki, the Hata clan, which arrived fromKorea and settled inJapan in thethird century, was a Jewish-Nestorian tribe. Saeki's writings spread the theory about "the common ancestry of the Japanese and the Jews" (Nichiyu dosoron) in Japan, a theory that was endorsed by some Christian groups at the time.[30]
There is no evidence available, including modern DNA analysis, to support this hypothesis. A recently published study of the genetic origins of Japanese people does not support a genealogical link as put forward by Saeki.[31] Researcher and authorJon Entine emphasizes that DNA evidence excludes the possibility of significant links between Japanese and Jews.[32] Much likeNissen dōsoron (lit. 'Theory on Japanese‑Korean Common Ancestry') andNichiryū dōsoron [ja] (lit. 'Theory on Japanese‑Ryukyuan Common Ancestry'), the theory is believed to be part of a common trend that began in the19th century Japan to trace a common ancestry with neighboring ethnic groups (ones that are genetically related to the Japanese the most).[33][34][35] However unlike the aforementioned two, "the common ancestry of the Japanese and the Jews" theory is currently disregarded by both Japanese historians and scientists due to lack of historical and genealogical evidence.[31]
「以上の来歴は、実際にはあまりあてにならず、近年では、秦氏は朝鮮半島の新羅地方出身であろうと考えられています。」
— Fushimi Inari-taisha
「古代に朝鮮半島から渡来した氏族。『日本書紀』応神天皇条に，秦始皇帝(しんのしこうてい)子孫という伝承をもつ弓月君（ゆづきのきみ）が多数の民を率いて渡来したのに始まるとしますが，「はた」は古代朝鮮語で海の意であり，実際は5世紀中頃に新羅から渡来した氏族集団と考えられます。」
— History of the City: Hata clan, City of Kyoto
秦氏のルーツについては諸説見えるが、新羅の波旦（はたん）から渡来したという有力な見解がある。
Although there are many theories surrounding the origins of the Hata clan, it is most likely that the clan originated from Hatan of Silla.— 本郷 真紹, 松尾大社と秦氏
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