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Abdication of Emperor Shirakawa and the Start of Insei Rule

Type Event Region Japan Time 1087

On Nov 26, 1087 (Jan 3, 1087 CE), Emperor Shirakawa abdicated to Prince Horikawa, then ruled as cloistered emperor from Shirakawa-in, not the later T…

Timeline

  1. 1087Heian-kyō · KyotoOn the same day Shirakawa made Prince Yoshihito crown prince and abdicated, becoming Emperor Horikawa. He governed indirectly from Shirakawa-in as retired emperor; regent titles nominally remained but real power passed to the insei court. Toba Palace was the later retired Emperor Toba's base, not the center of insei in 1087.
  2. 1087–1096Heian-kyō · KyotoAfter abdicating, Shirakawa continued to intervene in appointments and court affairs. He took tonsure in 1096 after a daughter's death, taking the Buddhist name Yūkan and the title of cloistered emperor (hō-ō). His insei spanned the Horikawa, Toba, and Sutoku reigns until his death in 1129, setting a model for later insei.

Sources