Jingū of Japan
Empress Consort Jingū of Japan (神功皇后 Jingū Kōgō?) (c. AD 169 - 269) was a legendary empress consort of Chūai and served as Regent and de facto leader from her husband's death in 209 until her son Emperor Ōjin acceded to the throne in 269. Her real name was Okinagatarashi-Hime (息長帯比売).
Legend has it that she led an army in an invasion of Korea and returned to Japan victorious after three years. Her son Ōjin was born following her return. The legend alleges that her son was conceived but unborn when Chuai died. After those three years, the boy was born. Either a period of less than nine months contained three "years" (some seasons), e.g three harvests, or the paternity of her late husband was just mythical and symbolic, rather than real.
Some believe that Empress Jingū's conquest is based on the Gwanggaeto Stele.
In fact, the real legend of Jingū's invasion of the Korean peninsula is based on the ancient Japanese chronicles Kojiki written in 680 and Nihon Shoki written in 720.
Some claim that characters were modified and the Japanese presence added on the Gwanggaeto Stele. Today, most Chinese and Japanese scholars discredit the intentionally damaged stele theory based on the study of the stele itself[1][2] and the pre–Sakō and pre-lime-marred rubbings..[3] The Japanese military activities represent half of the stele.
The Chinese Book of Song of the Liu Song Dynasty, written by the Chinese Historian Shen Yue (441-513), confirms the Japanese presence in the Korean peninsula, and presents the Sovereign of Japan as the ruler of Baekje, Silla and the Gaya Confederacy.
According to the Samguk Sagi (Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms), written in 1145, King Asin sent his son Jeonji as a hostage in 397.[4], and King Silseong of Silla sent his son as a hostage in 402 too.
Arai Hakuseki claimed that she was actually Himiko, the third century shaman-queen of Yamataikoku, and, because Himiko was a historical figure, had to be included as a member of the imperial family by the authors of the Nihon Shoki.
In 1881, Empress Jingu became the first woman to be featured on the Japanese banknote.
References
- Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697, translated by W.G. Aston (Tuttle Co, 1998), Volume 1 pp. 224 - 253
- ^ Takeda, Yukio. "Studies on the King Gwanggaeto Inscription and Their Basis". Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko. 47(1989):57-87.
- ^ Xu, Jianxin. 好太王碑拓本の研究 (An Investigation of Rubbings from the Stele of Haotai Wang). Tokyodo Shuppan, 2006. ISBN 9784490205695.
- ^ Oh, Byung-sang, "FOUNTAIN: Echoes of drumming hoofbeats", JoongAng Ilbo, October 04, 2002.
- ^ Samguk Sagi (in Korean). “六年 夏五月 王與倭國結好 以太子腆支爲質”
See also
| Preceded by Emperor Chūai |
Empress Consort of
Japan 209-269 |
Succeeded by Emperor Ōjin |
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