Events of Ninkōs life

Early life

Before Ninkō's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (imina) was . He was born on 16 March 1800 and was the fourth son of Emperor Kōkaku, the only child of sixteen others to survive into adulthood. Ayahito was named as crown prince in 1809, having been adopted by his father's chief wife , also known as . His birth mother was one of his father's concubines named . Ayahito's Imperial Family lived with him in the Dairi of the Heian Palace.

Reign

Prince Ayahito was enthroned as Emperor on 31 October 1817, after his father retired from the throne. Following his father the Retired Emperor's wishes, he attempted to revive certain court rituals and practices. These included, among other things, restoring the title tennō, which identified the Emperor. Among Ninkō's innovations was the establishment of the Gakushūsho (the predecessor of the Gakushūin) for the Court Nobility just outside the Imperial Palace. One major event during his reign was the Tenpō famine which lasted from 1833 to 1837. The famine was most severe in northern Honshū and was caused by flooding and cold weather. Ninkō's reign also saw some deterioration of the Shōgun's power. The Tenpō famine and other concurring natural disasters hit hard, and shook the faith of the people in the ruling Shōgun. In 1837, Ōshio Heihachirō led a revolt in Osaka against corrupt officials who refused to help feed the impoverished residents of the city. That same year also had an incident take place where an American merchant vessel was driven away by coastal artillery. While order was eventually restored, long term resentment resonated with the commoners against the ruling government. It is unclear though what role, if any, the Emperor played during this period of unrest.

Emperor Ninkō died on 21 February 1846 and was enshrined in the Imperial mausoleum, , which is at Sennyū-ji in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. Also enshrined in Tsuki no wa no misasagi, at Sennyū-ji are this Emperor's immediate Imperial predecessors since Emperor Go-Mizunoo – Meishō, Go-Kōmyō, Go-Sai, Reigen, Higashiyama, Nakamikado, Sakuramachi, Momozono, Go-Sakuramachi, Go-Momozono and Kōkaku. The shrine complex also encompasses the misasagi of Ninkō's immediate successor – Kōmei. Empress Dowager Yoshikō is also entombed at this Imperial mausoleum complex.

Eras and Kugyō

The years of Ninkō's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō. While is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted.

The following eras occurred during Ninkō's reign:

• Bunka (1804–1818)

• Bunsei (1818–1830)

• Tenpō (1830–1844)

• Kōka (1844–1848)

During Ninkō's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:

• Kampaku, Ichijō Tadayoshi, 1814–1823

• ''Kampaku, Takatsukasa Masamichi, 1823–1856

• Sadaijin

• Udaijin

• Naidaijin

• Dainagon

Genealogy

Emperor Ninkō's family included 7 sons and 8 daughters from various concubines, but only the future Emperor Komei (Komei-tennō), Princess Sumiko (Sumiko-naishinnō) and Princess Chikako (Chikako-naishinnō) survived beyond childhood.

Spouse

Concubines

Issue

Ancestry

簡歷

1809年，由中宮欣子內親王（新清和院）收為養子，正式冊封為太子。1817年由父皇讓位，成為天皇。他沿襲光格天皇的志向，恢復朝廷儀式，尤其是恢復已斷絕了近千年的漢風諡號，諡其父「光格」二字。此外，他鼓勵學術研究，1847年，即仁孝天皇駕崩隔年，遵循其遺志在御所建春門外建立學習所以供公家講學，後由孝明天皇賜名為「學習院」（京都學習院），為1877年明治天皇下令設立皇族與華族教育機關「學習院」的前身。

1846年過世，葬於京都府京都市東山區今熊野泉山泉湧寺內的後月輪陵。

世系圖

光格天皇第四皇子，生母為大納言勸修寺經逸之女勸修寺婧子（東京極院）。養母為中宮欣子內親王（後桃園天皇的第一皇女，新清和院）。

后妃、子女

• 贈皇后：鷹司繫子（新皇嘉門院）（1798-1823） - 關白鷹司政熙之女

　• 第一皇子：安仁親王（1820-1821）

　• 第一皇女：慈悲心院宮（1823）

• 女御：鷹司祺子（新朔平門院）（1811-1847） - 鷹司政熙之女、鷹司繫子之妹

　• 第四皇女：摩尼珠院宮（1829-1831）

• 典侍：正親町雅子（新待賢門院）（1803-1856） - 正親町實光（正二位權大納言）

　• 第二皇子：鎔宮（1825-1826）

　• 第四皇子：統仁親王（孝明天皇）（1831-1867）

　• 第六皇子：節仁親王（第十代桂宮）（1833-1836）

　• 第七皇女：恭宮（1837-1838）

• 典侍：甘露寺妍子（1806-1851） - 甘露寺國長（從一位權大納言、武家傳奏）

　• 第二皇女：成宮（1825-1826）

　• 第三皇女：淑子內親王（第十一代桂宮）（1829-1881）

　• 第三皇子：三宮（1830-1831）

　• 第五皇女：總宮（1832-1833）

　• 第六皇女：經宮（1836）

• 典侍：橋本經子（1826-1865） - 橋本實久（羽林家橋本家的當主、正二位權大納言）之女

　• 第七皇子：胤宮（1844-1845）

　• 第八皇女：親子內親王（皇女和宮）（1846-1877）

• 典侍：中山績子（1795-1875） - 中山愛親（正二位權大納言）之女

• 掌侍：今城媋子（1809-1875） - 今城定成之女

　• 第五皇子：常寂光院宮（1832）

• 猶子

　• 貞教親王（伏見宮）、熾仁親王（有栖川宮）、朝彥親王（久邇宮）、彰仁親王（小松宮）、能久親王（北白川宮）

在位期間年號

• 文化：1804年3月22日 - 1818年5月26日

• 文政：1818年5月26日 - 1831年1月23日

• 天保：1831年1月23日 - 1845年1月9日

• 弘化：1845年1月9日 - 1848年4月1日