New Book: Emperor Shōmu: Early Years, 724-737

[Ross Bender]

My new translation from Shoku Nihongi is available on Amazon.

Amazon.com: Emperor Shōmu: Early Years, 724-737: A Translation from Shoku Nihongi: 9798883567055: Bender, Ross

The first fourteen years of Shōmu’s reign were marked by a number of dramatic incidents. In 727 a Crown Prince was born to Shōmu and his consort Kōmyō, but the infant died within a year. Prince Nagaya, the Great Minister of the Left, led the government until the bizarre affair of his supposed conspiracy resulted in the death of him and his family in 729. Shortly thereafter Kōmyō, a Fujiwara woman, was elevated as Empress. From 735 to 737 a great smallpox epidemic ravaged the country, leading to the deaths of many of the high nobility, including the four sons of Fujiwara Fuhito. Tachibana no Moroe rose to prominence at the end of this period along with the Buddhist priest Genbō and Shimotsumichi no Makibi (later Kibi no Makibi). Miraculous omens of tortoises and new planetary observations marked this era, along with the increasing importance of official Shinto and Buddhism. Diplomatic relations with Silla and Balhae increased significantly, along with a major military campaign against the Emishi in the northeast.

Table of Contents

 

 

Preface	1
Introduction	3
Table 1: Edicts and Orders from the Great Council of State	8
Tang, Silla, Balhae and the Frontiers	16
Shinto and the Growth of Official Buddhism	27
Death of Prince Nagaya	36
The Smallpox Epidemic	44
Conclusion	51
Biographic Data	53
Text and Translation	55
Appendix 1: Kanji Glossary	357
Appendix 2: Shoku Nihongi	365
Selected Bibliography	373

 

My previous translations from Shoku Nihongi are also available on Amazon:

The Brief Reign of Emperor Monmu, 697-707

Mother of Nara: Female Emperor Genmei, 707-715

Virgin Queen: Female Emperor Genshō , 715-724

Nara Japan, 749-757

Nara Japan, 758-763

Nara Japan, 764-766

Nara Japan, 767-770

The Imperial Edicts in Shoku Nihongi

Ross Bender