Kudara no Konikishi
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The Kudara no Konikishi (Japanese: 百済王) was a Japanese clan whose founder Zenkō (善光 or 禅広) was a son of the last king of Baekje, King Uija.
Kudara was uji or the clan name that represented their country of origin. Konikishi or Kokishi, which literally means "king", was a special kabane that was given only to the former royal families of Baekje and Goguryeo including Shōna (肖奈) and Koma (高麗) clans.
The founder Zenkō came from Baekje to Japan as a hostage along with his elder brother Hōshō in 643. Even though Hōshō returned home to lead a failed campaign to revive Baekje, Zenkō remained in Japan. The former royal family members were treated as "barbarian guests" (蕃客) and were not incorporated into the domestic political system of Japan for some time. They enjoyed privileged treatment while they were obliged to serve to the emperor.
They were finally assimilated into Japanese bureaucracy in 691 and given the name "Kudara no Konikishi" sometime after that. This event has drawn scholarly attention and a couple of theories have been proposed to explain the reason why they were given the peculiar name in that period. Today it is associated with the enforcement of the Asuka Kiyomihara Code in 689 because the law system entailed clarification of their legal status. At the same time, they still needed to represent Baekje kingship by the special name. Japan applied to herself the Chinese ideology of emperorship that required "barbarian people" who longed for the great virtue of emperor. It was, however, difficult for Japan to keep the concept in concrete form in real international politics. Silla, which had acted as a vassal state in 670s, changed its attitude and brought tension with Japan. In response, Japan treated Kudara no Konishiki as a "barbarian king" to reaffirm Silla's vassalage.
In the beginning of Heian period, the clan was treated warmly as a quasi-"relative by marriage" because Takano no Niigasa, the mother of Emperor Kammu, belonged to another Baekje-originated clan (Yamato clan).
The activity of this clan can be traced until the middle of the Heian period.
Some Important Members of the Kudara no Konikishi Clan:
- Kudara no Konikishi Zenkō (百済王禅光) (617-700) - The founder of the clan
- Kudara no Konikishi Rōgu (百済王朗虞) (661-737) - Vice Governor of Settsu (摂津亮)
- Kudara no Konikishi Kyōfuku (百済王敬福) (697-766) - Lord of Justice (刑部卿)
- Kudara no Konikishi Shuntetsu (百済王俊哲) - General of Peace Guard for Mutsu and Vice Delegate of Conquering East-Barbarian (陸奥鎮守将軍征夷副使)
- Kudara no Konikishi Bukyō (百済王武鏡) - Governor of Dewa (出羽守)
[edit] References
- Mase Tomoyuki 間瀬智広: "Kudara no Konishiki" sei no seiritsu to Kudara no Konikishi shi no gakubu sōjō 「百済王」姓の成立と百済王氏の楽舞奏上, Rekishi Kenkyū 歴史研究 51, pp. 89-110, 2005.
- Tanaka Fumio 田中史生: "Konikishi" sei shiyo to Nihon kodai kokka 「王」姓賜与と日本古代国家, Kokushigaku 国史学 Number 152, pp. 37-66, 1994.
