Editing Module:Hakuchi (era)

{{Short description|Period of Japanese history (650–654 CE)}}
{{History of Japan|Shoso-in.jpg| Image explanation = [[Shōsōin]]}}

{{nihongo|'''Hakuchi'''|白雉}} was a {{nihongo|[[Japanese era name]]|年号| ''nengō''| lit. "year name"}} after the [[Taika (era)|''Taika'']] era and before [[Shuchō]].  This period spanned the years from February 650 through December 654.<ref name="nussbaum280">Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hakuchi''" in {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 280|page=280}}; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, ''see'' [http://dispatch.opac.ddb.de/DB=4.1/PPN?PPN=128842709 Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120524174828/http://dispatch.opac.ddb.de/DB=4.1/PPN?PPN=128842709 |date=2012-05-24 }}.</ref> The reigning emperor was {{nihongo|[[Emperor Kōtoku|Kōtoku]]''-tennō''|孝徳天皇}}.<ref name="t47-50">Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). {{Google books|18oNAAAAIAAJ|''Annales des empereurs du japon'', pp. 47-50.|page=47}}</ref>

==History==
The era began in 650, the sixth year of the ''[[Taika (era)|Taika]]'' era, which was thus known as {{nihongo|''Hakuchi gannen''|白雉元年|"Hakuchi start"}}.<ref name="b267">Brown, Delmer ''et al.''. (1979). '' Gukanshō'', p. 267.</ref>  The ''[[daimyō]]'' of [[Nagato Province]] brought a white [[pheasant]] to the court as a gift for the emperor.  This white pheasant was then construed as a good [[omen]].  Emperor Kōtoku was extraordinarily pleased by this special avian rarity, and he wanted the entire court to see this white bird for themselves.  He commanded a special audience in which he could formally invite the ''[[sadaijin]]'' and the ''[[udaijin]]'' to join him in admiring the rare bird; and on this occasion, the emperor caused the ''[[nengō]]'' to be changed to ''Hakuchi'' (meaning "white pheasant").<ref name="t49">Titsingh, [https://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran&pg=PP9  p. 49.]</ref>

In Japan, this was the second [[nengō]],<ref name="nussbaum280"/> derived from the [[Chinese era name|Chinese system of eras]] (''[[nianhao]]'');<ref>Nussbaum, "''Taika''" at {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|p. 924|page=9247}}</ref> although some scholarly doubt has been cast on the authenticity of ''Taika'' and ''Hakuchi'' as historically legitimate era names.<ref>Bialock, David T. (2007). {{Google books|kfWvoVERWREC|Eccentric Spaces, Hidden Histories: Narrative, Ritual, and Royal Authority from the Chronicles of Japan to the Tale of the Heike|page=56}}; excerpt at p. 57, "Whether the era name of ''Taika'' and ''Hakuchi'' are viewed as evidence of an actual precedent set by Kōtoku or as the work of chroniclers belonging to a later reign around the time of ''Nihon Shoki''{{'}}s editing, the practice of assigning era names inaugurated a new phase in the consolidation of the court's expanding political power."</ref>

===Timeline===
{{Timelines of nengo and reigns}}
The system of Japanese era names was not the same as [[List of Emperors of Japan|Imperial reign dates]].

==Events of the ''Hakuchi'' era==
* '''650''' (''Hakuchi 1''):  Kōtoku commanded that all prisoners were to be granted liberty throughout the country.<ref name="t49"/>
* '''654''' (''Hakuchi 5, 1st month''): A great number of rats moved into the province of  [[Yamato province|''Yamato'']]; and this was construed as a sign that the capital should be moved.<ref name="b267"/>
* '''654''' (''Hakuchi 5''): Kōtoku died at the age of 59 after a reign of 10 years—five years during ''Taika'', and five years during ''Hakuchi''.<ref>Varley, H. Paul. (1980). ''Jinnō Shōtōki'', p. 133; Titsingh, [https://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran&pg=PP9  p. 50.]</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
* Bialock, David T. (2007). ''Eccentric Spaces, Hidden Histories: Narrative, Ritual, and Royal Authority from the Chronicles of Japan to the Tale of the Heike.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press. {{ISBN|9780804751582}} {{ISBN|0804751587}}; [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/237216457  OCLC 237216457]
* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). [https://books.google.com/books?id=w4f5FrmIJKIC&q=Gukansho  ''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''] Berkeley: University of California Press. {{ISBN|978-0-520-03460-0}}; [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/251325323  OCLC 251325323]
* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC  ''Japan encyclopedia.''] Cambridge: [[Harvard University Press]]. {{ISBN|978-0-674-01753-5}}; [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/58053128?referer=di&ht=edition  OCLC 58053128]
* [[Isaac Titsingh|Titsingh, Isaac.]] (1834). ''[[Nihon Odai Ichiran]]''; ou, [https://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&q=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran  ''Annales des empereurs du Japon.'']  Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5850691 OCLC 5850691]
* [[H. Paul Varley|Varley, H. Paul]]. (1980). ''A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa.'' New York: [[Columbia University Press]].  {{ISBN|9780231049405}}; [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/6042764  OCLC 6042764]

==External links==
* [[National Diet Library]], "The Japanese Calendar" [http://www.ndl.go.jp/koyomi/e/ -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection]

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
|before=[[Taika (era)|Taika]]
|title=[[Japanese era name|Era or ''nengō'']]<br>Hakuchi
|years=650–652
|after=&mdash;
}}
{{succession box
|before=&mdash;
|title=[[List of Emperors of Japan|Imperial reign dates]]<br>Kōtoku period
|years=645–654
|after=[[Saimei period]]<br>{{nobold|655&ndash;661}}
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Japanese era name}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hakuchi}}
[[Category:Japanese eras]]
[[Category:650s beginnings]]
[[Category:650]]
[[Category:7th century in Japan]]
[[Category:654 endings]]
[[Category:7th-century neologisms]]