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Kemmu

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kemmu (建武) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō; lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Nanboku-chō period after Shōkyō and before Ryakuō.[1]

This period started in January 1334 and ended in August 1338 in the Northern Court,[2] but it lasted until only February 1336 in the Southern Court.[3] The pretender in Kyoto was Emperor Kōmyō (光明天皇, Kōmyō-tennō).[4] Kōmyō's Southern Court rival in Yoshino during this time was Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇, Go-Diago-tennō).[5]

Events of the Kemmu era

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In 1333-1336, the Kemmu Restoration was an attempt by Emperor Go-Daigo to restore Imperial authority after the fall of the Kamakura shogunate. The failure of this effort led to the creation of two rival Imperial courts.[2]

  • 1334 (Kemmu 1): Emperor Go-Daigo caused Kemmu nenchū gyōji to be written. This was a book which described the ceremonies of the court; and its purpose was to aid the process of reviving ancient court etiquette.[2]
  • 25 October 1334 (Kemmu 1, 27th day of the 9th month): Emperor Go-Daigo made an Imperial progress to Kamo-jinja. No other emperor would visit Kamo's shrines until April 29, 1863 (Bunkyu 3, 11th day of the 3rd month), when Emperor Komei made an Imperial progress to Kamo.[6]
  • 1336 (Kemmu 3): An anonymous author published Kemmu nenkan ki, which was a chronicle of the Kemmu era. The text is a source of information about laws, government, bureaucrats, and arable lands and estates given by the emperor to the nobility or to religious institutions (shōen).[2]
  • 1336 (Kemmu 3): Ashikaga Takauji issued a new legal code with 17 articles (Kemmu-shikimoku).[7]
  • 17 May 1336 (Kemmu 3, 6th day of the 4th month): Former-Emperor Go-Fushimi died.[8]

Southern Court nengō

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The previous era ended and the new one commenced in Shōkei 1 as time was reckoned in the Northern Court in Kyoto; and the era began in Genkō 4, as time was ordered in the Southern Court in Yoshino.

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References

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  1. Although Kemmu is understood by the Southern Court as having begun at the same time, the era was construed to have begun after Genkō and before Engen.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2002). Japan Encyclopedia. Harvard University Press. p. 507. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5.
  3. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2002). Japan Encyclopedia. Harvard University Press. p. 178. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5.
  4. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2002). Japan Encyclopedia. Harvard University Press. p. 555. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5.
  5. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2002). Japan Encyclopedia. Harvard University Press. p. 251. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5.
  6. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1956). Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794-1869, p. 325.
  7. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2002). Japan Encyclopedia. Harvard University Press. p. 507. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5.
  8. Klaproth, Julius von (1834). Nipon o dai itsi ran: ou Annales des empereurs du Japon. Oriental Translation Fund. p. 295.

Other websites

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Kemmu1st2nd3rd4th5th
13341335133613371338
Preceded by:
Shōkyō
Northern Court nengō:
Kemmu
Succeeded by:
Ryakuō
Preceded by:
Genkō
1331–1334
Southern Court nengō:
Kemmu
1334–1336
Succeeded by:
Engen
1336–1340