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Empress Koken Wikipedia

Empress K??ken (???????????? K??ken Tenn??) also Empress Sh??toku (???????????? Sh??toku Tenn??) (718 – August 28, 770an|Japanese_dates1 1) was both the 46th and 48th Emperors of Japan|imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. She first ruled as Empress K??ken from 749 to 758. She abdicated in favor of her second cousin, Emperor Junnin, but six years later she took the crown from him and reascended the throne. Her posthumous name for her second reign (764-770) was Empress Sh??toku.

Today, she is remembered chiefly for her affair with a Buddhist monk named Dokyo|D??ky??, a man upon whom she heaped titles and power. The affair illustrated the growing power of the Buddhist priesthood and was a prime factor in Emperor Kammu|Emperor Kammu's decision to move the capital away from Nara, Nara|Nara in 784.

Sh??toku died of smallpox, after which she was succeeded by her first cousin twice removed, Emperor Konin|Emperor K??nin. She should not be confused with Prince Shotoku|Prince Sh??toku (572-622), who was one of the first in Japan to sponsor Buddhism.

Last Modified:   2005-12-19