After his mother died when he was seven, his maternal grandfather
Fujiwara no Kaneie raised him at Kaneie's mansion. •
August 23, 986 (
Kanna 2, 16th day of the 7th month): Iyasada
-shinnō was appointed as
heir and
crown prince at age 11. •
July 16, 1011 (
Kankō 8, 13th day of the 6th month): In the 25th year of Emperor Ichijō's reign (一条天皇二十五年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (
senso) was received by his cousin. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Sanjō is said to have acceded to the throne (
sokui) at age 36. •
August 29, 1011 (
Kankō 8, 22nd day of the 6th month):
Daijō-tennō Emperor Ichijō died at the age of 32. •
August 30, 1011 (
Kankō 8, 23rd day of the 8th month): Fujiwara Michinaga is granted the extraordinary privilege of travelling to and from the court by ox-drawn cart. •
1011 (
Kankō 8): Prince Atsunari, the second son of former-Emperor Ichijo, is proclaimed Crown Prince. Sanjō's eldest son, Prince Atsuakira, had been the officially designated heir; but pressure from Michinaga forced the young prince abandon his position. Kaneie died in the early part of Ichijō's reign. His three uncles, sons of Kaneie, made their daughters consorts of Ichijo and each aimed to seize power as the grandfather of a future emperor. These courtiers therefore sought to exclude Okisada from the Imperial succession, though each of them married their daughter to him. Later Ichijō had two sons by Fujiwara no Shōshi, the daughter of
Fujiwara no Michinaga, and Michinaga expected his grandson to ascend to the throne as soon as possible. Michinaga became the
kampaku (regent) of Japan during the reign of Ichijō and expected to hold this position in Sanjō's government as well. •
1012 (
Chōwa 1): The era name was changed to mark Emperor Sanjō's accession; and in the 8th month, he married a daughter of
kampaku Michinaga. •
March 10, 1016 (
Chōwa 5, 29th day of the 1st month): In the 6th year of Emperor Sanjō's reign (三条天皇6年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his cousin. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Ichijō is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’') at age 9. •
May 21, 1017 (
Chōwa 6, 23rd day of the 4th month): The era name was changed to
Kannin to mark the beginning of Emperor Go-Ichijō's reign. •
May 27, 1017 (
Kannin 1, 29th day of the 4th month): Sanjō entered the Buddhist priesthood. Michinaga gifted Atsuakira a status equal to the retired emperor, with the title of Ko-ichijo-in. Although no son of Sanjō ascended to the throne, a future emperor (
Emperor Go-Sanjō) was child of Princess Teishi, Sanjō's daughter, and thus his blood remained in the imperial bloodline.
Kugyō is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the
Emperor of Japan in pre-
Meiji eras. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted. In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Sanjō's reign, this apex of the
Daijō-kan included: •
Sesshō,
Fujiwara no Michinaga (藤原道長), 1016–1017. •
Sadaijin, Fujiwara no Michinaga. •
Udaijin, Fujiwara no Akimitsu (藤原顕光) •
Naidaijin, Fujiwara no Kinsue (藤原公季) •
Dainagon ==Eras of Sanjō's reign==