Sugawara Michizane

Sugawara Michizane
born 845, Japan
died March 26, 903, Dazaifu

Japanese scholar of Chinese literature during the Heian period, later deified as Tenjin, patron of scholarship and literature.

He was given important government posts by the emperor Uda, who saw him as a counterbalance to the powerful Fujiwara family. When Uda's son took the throne, Michizane's fortunes were reversed, and he was sent into exile when the new emperor was persuaded that Michizane was plotting against him. Following his death in exile, calamities in the capital were attributed to his vengeful spirit, and he was posthumously reinstated. At shrines dedicated to Tenjin, schoolchildren often buy amulets for good luck on school entrance exams.

* * *

▪ Japanese scholar and statesman
posthumous name Tenjin
born 845, Japan
died March 26, 903, Dazaifu, Japan

      Japanese political figure and scholar of Chinese literature of the Heian period, who was later deified as Tenjin, the patron of scholarship and literature.

      Sugawara was born into a family of scholars, and as a boy he began studying the Chinese classics. After passing the civil-service examination in 870 he entered the Japanese court as a scholar and poet. In 886 he was appointed governor of Sanuki Province (modern Kagawa prefecture) on the island of Shikoku.

      Sugawara returned to Kyōto in 890. He was promoted to a succession of important posts by the emperor Uda, who sought to use him to counterbalance the influence of the powerful Fujiwara family. By 899 he was made minister of the right (udaijin), the second most important ministerial position, by Uda's son, the emperor Daigo. Daigo, however, favoured the Fujiwara, and in 901 Fujiwara Tokihira, Sugawara's rival, convinced the emperor that Sugawara was plotting treason. Sugawara was banished from the capital by being appointed to an administrative post on the island of Kyushu.

      Following Sugawara's death there two years later, a series of calamities—storms, fires, and violent deaths—were attributed to his vengeful spirit. To placate the spirit, Sugawara was posthumously reinstated to high rank and later was deified. His writings include a history of Japan and two volumes of Chinese poetry.

      A major festival honouring Tenjin is held annually on July 25 at the Temman Shrine in Ōsaka. There are also numerous local shrines throughout Japan at which schoolchildren buy amulets for luck during the period of school entrance examinations in the spring.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sugawara Michizane — (845, Japón–26 mar. 903, Dazaifu). Estudioso japonés de la literatura china durante el período Heian, posteriormente divinizado como Tenjin, patrono de la cultura y las letras. El emperador Uda le asignó importantes cargos gubernamentales, al ver …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Sugawara no Michizane — (菅原道真 845 March 26, 903), also known as Kan Shōjō (菅丞相), a grandson of Sugawara no Kiyotomo (770 842) (known as Owari no Suke and Daigaku no Kami), was a scholar, poet, and politician of the Heian Period of Japan. He is regarded as an excellent… …   Wikipedia

  • Sugawara no Michizane — Este artículo está titulado de acuerdo a la onomástica japonesa, en que el apellido precede al nombre. Sugawara no Michizane, por Kikuchi Yosai. Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道眞 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Sugawara no Michizane — Sugawara no Michizane, Zeichnung von Kikuchi Yōsai (1788–1878) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • SUGAWARA NO MICHIZANE — (845 903) Homme politique et lettré japonais, appartenant à une famille de fonctionnaires lettrés de rang moyen. Dans sa jeunesse, Michizane passe brillamment tous les examens officiels et obtient dès 877 le poste de docteur ès lettres. En cette… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sugawara no Michizane — par Kikuchi Yosai. Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真 845 26 mars 903), connu également sous le nom de Kan Shōjō (菅丞相), et petit fils de Sugawara no Kiyotomo (770 842) (connu sous le nom de Owari no suke et Daigaku no kami), est un lettré, un poète et… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sugawara — (菅原) ist ein japanischer Familienname, ursprünglich 781 geschaffen vom Kammu Tennō für die Angehörigen des Haji Klan. Träger dieses Namens waren: In der Nara und Heian Zeit Mitglieder des Hofadels, die meist als Lehrmeister und Dichter, seltener… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Sugawara no Takasue no Musume — (jap. 菅原孝標女); * 1008 in Kyōto; † 1057 oder nach 1067) ist der Notname der Verfasserin eines der vier Hofdamen Tagebücher, dem Sarashina Nikki. Dieses Prosawerk gilt als eines der stilistisch besten der damaligen Zeit. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Sugawara — (菅原 meaning sedge field ) is a Japanese surname. People*Sugawara no Michizane, scholar, poet, and politician of the Heian Period of Japan *Bunta Sugawara, Japanese actorOthers*Sugawara theory …   Wikipedia

  • Sugawara (Klan) — Bei der Familie der Sugawara (菅原氏, Sugawara uji) handelt es sich um ein japanisches Adelsgeschlecht, dessen Mitglieder in der Nara und Heian Zeit meist als Mediziner, Lehrmeister und Dichter, seltener in politischen Positionen tätig waren. Der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”