Emperor Gonijo (後二条天皇)
Emperor Gonijo (March 9, 1285 - September 10, 1308) was the ninety-fourth Emperor during Kamakura period. (his reign was from March 3, 1301to September 10, 1308)
His posthumous name was Kuniharu.
Genealogy
He was the first Prince of Emperor Gouda of Daikakuji-Imperial line. His mother was the Grand Minister Mototomo HORIKAWA's adopted daughter, Seikamon in MINAMOTO no Motoko. (His real father was Nai-Daijin, Tomomori HORIKAWA.
He received the title Prince by Imperial order in 1286 and became the Crown Prince of Emperor Gofushimi of the Jimyo-in Imperial line in 1296.
Brief Personal History
On January 22, 1301, he succeeded to the throne after Emperor Gofushimi abdicated and passed the throne to him.
He died from an illness when he was just twenty four years old on August 25, 1308.
His father, Emperor Gouda started the cloister government.
There was a severe struggle for Imperial succession between the Daikakuji-to Imperial line and the Jimyo-in Imperial line during this period, and it is said the Emperor's grandfather, Emperor Kameyama, worked hard for the Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) to allow the Emperor to succeed to the throne. There was a process to accommodate separation between the Northern and Southern Dynasties. However, the Emperor died of illness only seven years after his enthronement, and the next successor to the throne, who was supposed to succeed the Daikakuji-to line to the Emperor, Imperial Prince Kuniyoshi, was only nine years old at that time, an agreement between both parties to share the Imperial succession in turn, which was arbitrated by the Kamakura bakufu, was no longer valid. As a solution, Emperor Godaigo was appointed to temporarily succeed to the throne, and this caused adverse claims and started a movement to close down the bakufu in order to prevent their participation in the Imperial succession.
Posthumous name, Tsuigo, (different name)
His posthumous name was Gonijo, named after the seventy-eighth Emperor Nijo as Kago go.
Eras during his reign.
Shoan (January 22, 1301) - November 21, 1302
Kengen November 21, 1302 - August 5, 1303
Kagen 5 August, 1303 - December 14, 1306
Tokuji December 14, 1306 - (August 25, 1308)
Imperial mausoleum
The Emperor was entombed in Kita Shirakawa no Misasagi, Oiwake-cho Town, Kita Shirakawa, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City.