The Purple Coat Incident
The Purple Coat incident was a confrontation that took place in the early Edo period (1603-1868) of Japan between the Shogunate and the Imperial Court. At the time, the Shogunate had enacted laws in an attempt to assert its control over the imperial court and temples, including the "Imperial Purple Coat Laws for Admission to Daitokuji Temple, Myoshinji Temple, and other temples in Yamashiro" in 1613 and the "Laws of the Forbidden and the Lord's Families" in 1615.[1] The incident was instigated by the shogunate, which had established the Kin-chō-nampō regulations in order to control the imperial court. These regulations included provisions regarding the permission required for Buddhist priests to wear the purple robe, which was a symbol of high virtue and required the emperor's approval. However, the shogunate interfered strictly with these regulations, leading to dissatisfaction among the emperor and the nobility.[2]
The Purple Robe Incident was a dispute over the privilege of bestowing purple robes on high priests, which had been granted by the Imperial Court. The Shogunate, led by Iemitsu, sought to restrict this privilege, but Emperor Gosui ignored the restrictions and continued to grant purple robes as was customary. This caused tension between the Imperial Court and the Shogunate, as the purple robe grant was a source of income for the Court and the monks of Daitokuji Temple and Myoshinji Temple fiercely resisted the Shogunate's restrictions.[3]
In 1626, Emperor Gomizunoo allowed monks from Daitokuji and Myoshinji temples to wear purple robes, which were traditionally reserved for highly virtuous priests. However, the Shogunate declared these licenses invalid, claiming that the emperor had not consulted with them beforehand. This led to a protest from the monks at Daitokuji, and the incident became known as the Purple Cloak Imperial Permit Incident or the Shie incident.[1]
The incident began when Emperor Kōsuke, also known as Emperor Go-Sakuramachi, granted permission for priests at the Daitoku-ji temple and other temples to wear the purple robe without obtaining the shogunate's approval. The shogunate viewed this as a violation of the Kin-chō-nampō regulations and revoked the permission, leading to the protesting Daitoku-ji priests being exiled.[2]
In response, the Shogunate took a harsh stance and exiled Sawan of Daitokuji and Tamamuro of Myoshinji to exile. It is also known that during this incident, Kasuga Bureki, a representative of the Shogun, had an audience with Emperor Gosui and was given the title of "Kasuga Bureki" for the first time.[3]
The confrontation between the imperial court and the Shogunate was so severe that it is believed to have contributed to Emperor Gomizunoo's decision to abdicate the throne. The incident is seen as an example of the oppressive control exercised by the Shogunate over the imperial court during this period. Takuan Soho and other monks who spoke out against the Shogunate's policies were punished and exiled. The incident is considered one of the most significant examples of discord between the two sides in the early Edo period.[1]
Aftermath
Five years after the Purple Robe Incident, in 1634, Iemitsu entered Kyoto in a grand manner, displaying the Shogunate's overwhelming power, and had an audience with Emperor Go-Suio at the Imperial Court. He presented the emperor with 7,000 koku of the imperial fiefdom and made peace with the emperor. Iemitsu also donated a large sum of money to Daitokuji Temple to build a Buddhist temple, and opened Rinshoin Temple in Myoshinji Temple for Kasuga Bureki.[3]
During his visit to Kyoto, Iemitsu also met Sawan, the mastermind behind the Purple Robe Incident. In 1632, Tokugawa Hidetada, the second shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, had died, and those involved in the Shigoromo Incident were forgiven. After this meeting, Iemitsu became deeply devoted to Sawan and called him to Edo. Sawan strongly desired to return to his hometown, but in the 16th year of the same year, Iemitsu had Mansho-san Tokai-ji Temple built in Shinagawa with Sawan as its founder, and allowed Sawan to stay in Edo.[3]
It is said that it was Yagyu Munenori who arranged the meeting between Iemitsu and Sawan, but it is also said that it was actually Soshin who arranged the meeting. It is said that Sawan and Soshin were acquaintances through their friendship with Ichichu (Soshin's uncle) of Myoshinji Zoka-in Temple. It is also said that Soshin was the one who recommended Iemitsu to invite Sawan to Edo (present-day Tokyo), and that Soshin was also responsible for the construction of Tokai-ji Temple and its invitation to Sawan to stay in Edo. Ostensibly, Iemitsu's stay in Edo was in response to his devotion to the shogun, but from another perspective, it could be said that Sawan, who had rebelled against the shogunate, was separated from the forces of the imperial court and held hostage in Edo. Unable to fulfill his dream of returning home, Sawan died in Edo in 1645. It is a well-known anecdote that in his final days, he told his disciples that he did not want a grave or funeral service.[3]
References
References
- "Kronic: A Complete History of the Sengoku" edited by Hiroko Ikegami, Tetsuo Owada, Seiji Kobayashi, Kyou Ike and Naonori Kurokawa (Kodansha, 1995).
Related topics
External Links
- "紫衣事件". Nihon jinmei daijiten+Plus (in 日本語). Kōdansha.
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