| Fujiwara no Tanetsugu 藤原種継 | |
| Noble Family: | Fujiwara Shikike |
| House-Type: | Japanese clan |
| Birth Date: | 737 |
| Father: | Fujiwara no Kiyonari |
was a Japanese noble of the late Nara period. He was the grandson of the sangi Fujiwara no Umakai, the founder of the Fujiwara Shikike. He reached the court rank of and the position of chūnagon. He was posthumously awarded the rank of and the position of daijō-daijin.
The Shoku Nihongi first mentions Tanetsugu in 766, when he was promoted from to . Two years later, in 768, he was appointed as governor of Mimasaka Province.
Thanks to the Shikike's staunch support of Emperor Kōnin's ascension, the family was successful in his court. Tanetsugu held various positions as a provincial governor, as well as civil and military roles, and was steadily promoted through the ranks, reaching in 781. After the deaths of his uncles Fujiwara no Yoshitsugu and Fujiwara no Momokawa, Tanetsugu came to represent the Shikike as the oldest grandson of Umakai.
Along with the ascension of Emperor Kanmu in 781, Tanetsugu was promoted to . With the Emperor's deep trust, Tanetsugu was promoted quickly, joining the kugyō with a promotion to sangi in 782. In 783, he was promoted to, and in 784 was made chūnagon.
In 784, Kanmu wanted to move the capital away from Heijō-kyō. Tanetsugu recommended the location of Nagaoka-kyō as the spot for the new capital. By the Emperor's command, Tanetsugu inspected the site along with,,,, and Sakanoue no Karitamaro. Later that year, Tanetsugu was put in charge of the construction of the new capital. His appointment may have had the backing of his mother's family, the Hata clan, whose base of operations in Yamashiro Province was near the new capital site. Several members of the Hata clan were later promoted into the aristocracy based on their meritorious service in the construction.
In 785, soon after the move of the capital, Tanetsugu was shot with an arrow while supervising the construction, and died the next day. Emperor Kanmu was absent at the time, visiting Yamato Province. was first arrested for the assassination, and after an investigation ten more people were executed, including and . Ōtomo no Yakamochi, who had died a month before the incident, was identified as the ringleader and removed from the register of past officials. Several more people were implicated and exiled.
Later, Prince Sawara was disinherited from his position as crown prince and exiled to Awaji Province, but died en route. There may have been discord between Sawara and Tanetsugu, but whether Sawara was actually involved in the assassination is not clear. A number of the officials involved in the assassination, including Takanari, were employed in the Crown Prince's Quarters. This incident, along with the fear of Sawara's vengeful ghost, contributed to the decision to move the capital again to Heian-kyō a short time later.
Tanetsugu's final rank was, and he held the positions of chūnagon and director of the Shikibu-shō. He was 49 when he died. Emperor Kanmu posthumously promoted him to and sadaijin, and in 809 he was granted the additional posthumous position of Daijō-daijin.
| Person[1] | Position | Punishment | Pardon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Sawara | Crown Prince | Disinherited and exiled to Awaji Province; died in transit | Posthumously elevated to the throne as Emperor Sudō in 800 |
| and | Banished to Iyo Province | Rank restored in 806 | |
| Ōtomo no Yakamochi | and chūnagon | Dead at the time, but stripped of his rank | Rank posthumously restored in 806 |
| and | Death (Beheading) | Rank posthumously restored in 806 | |
| and | Death (Beheading) | Rank posthumously restored in 806 | |
| and | Banished to Oki Province | Rank restored in 806 | |
| Death (Beheading) | |||
| Death (Beheading) | |||
| Banishment to Sado Province | Pardoned and returned to the capital in 803 | ||
| Death (Beheading) | |||
| and | Banished to Oki Province | Restored to rank of in 806 | |
| and | Banished to Oki Province | Restored to rank of in 806 | |
| Death (Beheading) | |||
| and | Banished to Izu Province | Rank restored in 806 | |
| In the | Death (Beheading) | ||
| In the | Death (Beheading) | ||