Genealogy

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his imina) was Morihito-shinnō (守仁親王).

He was the eldest son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa. He was the father of Emperor Rokujō.

• Empress: Imperial Princess Yoshiko (姝子内親王) later Takamatsu-in (高松院), Emperor Toba』s daughter.

• Empress: Fujiwara no Ikushi (藤原育子), Fujiwara no Tadamichi』s daughter

• Tai-Kōtaigō: Fujiwara Masuko (藤原多子) Later Grand Empress Dowager Omiya, Tokudaiji Kin'yoshi's daughter.

• Toku-no-Kimi (督の君), Minamoto Tadafusa』s daughter also Fujiwara no Narichika』s Wife

• Kasuga-dono (春日殿), Nakahara Moromoto』s daughter

　• First Daughter: Imperial Princess Yoshiko (僐子内親王; 1159-1171)

• Umeryo-kimi (右馬助), Minamoto Mitsunari』s daughter

　• First Son: Imperial Prince Priest Son'e (尊恵法親王; 1164-1192)

• Ōkura-daisuke (大蔵大輔)

　• Second Son: Imperial Prince Nobuhito (順仁親王) become Emperor Rokujo

• Minamoto Tadafusa』s daughter

　• Third Son: Shine (真恵)

Events of Nijōs life

Nijō was proclaimed as heir to Emperor Go-Shirakawa.

• Hōgen 1, 2nd day of the 7th month (1156): Cloistered Emperor Toba-in died at age 54.

• Hōgen 1, 10th–29th days of the 7th month (1156): The Hōgen Rebellion, also known as the Hōgen Insurrection or the Hōgen War.

• Hōgen 4, on the 11th day of the 8th month (1158): In the third year of Go-Shirakawa-tennō's reign (後白河天皇二十五年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (『『senso』』) was received by his eldest son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Nijō is said to have acceded to the throne (『『sokui』』).

After Nijō was formally enthroned, the management of all affairs continued to rest entirely in the hands of the retired emperor, Go-Shirakawa.

• Heiji 1, 9th–26th day of the 12th month (1159): The Heiji Rebellion, also known as the Heiji Insurrection or the Heiji War.

• Chōkan 2, on the 26th day of the 8th month (1164):The former-Emperor Sutoku died at the age of 46.

• Eiman 1 (1165): The infant son of Emperor Nijō was named heir apparent and therefore Crown Prince, and would soon after become Emperor Rokujō.

• Eiman 1, on the 25th day of the 6th month (1165): In the seventh year of Nijō-tennō's reign (桓武天皇七年), the emperor fell so very ill that he abdicated; and the succession (『『senso』』) was received by his son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Rokujō is said to have acceded to the throne (『『sokui』』).

• Eiman 1, 27th–28th day of the 7th month (1165): The former Emperor Nijō died at age 22.

Kugyō

Kugyō (公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras.

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 Nijō's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:

• Kampaku, Konoe Motozane, 1143–1166.

• Sadaijin, Konoe Motozane.

• Udaijin

• Nadaijin

• Dainagon

Eras of Nijōs reign

The years of Nijō's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.

• Hōgen (1156–1159)

• Heiji (1159–1160)

• Eiryaku (1160–1161)

• Ōhō (1161–1163)

• Chōkan (1163–1165)

• Eiman (1165–1166)

Ancestry

略歷

二條天皇守仁的生母源懿子，在生他的時候因為難產而死。被祖父鳥羽法皇收養，由法皇的寵妃美福門院養育。近衛天皇即位後，他和重仁親王（崇德上皇的長子）同為美福門院的養子，但由於重仁先被收為養子，因此他繼承皇位的可能性很小。仁平元年（1151年）10月，他跟隨伯父覺性法親王出家，稱孫王，時年9歲。兩年後近衛天皇病重，在關白藤原忠通奏請鳥羽法皇讓孫王還俗，準備立為太子。

久壽2年（1155年）7月23日，近衛天皇駕崩。崇德上皇提出由重仁親王即位。但美福門院和藤原忠通極力反對，他們建議立孫王為帝。但鳥羽法皇認為孫王的生父雅仁親王仍在世，如此做法不妥。於是鳥羽法皇與藤原忠通、源雅定、三條公教商議，以立孫王為皇太子為條件，讓雅仁親王即位，是為後白河天皇。8月4日孫王回到仁和寺，9月23日取名守仁，封為親王，同日立為太子。12月9日元服，翌年3月5日娶美福門院的女兒姝子內親王為中宮，以美福門院為政治後盾。

保元3年（1158年）接受後白河天皇的讓位，守仁親王即位，是為二條天皇，時年16歲。其父後白河上皇開設院政，試圖將朝政牢牢掌握在自己手裡。為了對抗上皇的勢力，二條天皇以藤原伊通（美福門院的從兄弟）、藤原經宗（源懿子的弟弟）、藤原惟方（二條的乳母俊子的兒子）為中心，集合了自己的力量（二條親政派）同上皇的院政派對抗。二條天皇自幼由美福門院養育成人，與親生父親後白河上皇的關係冷淡。平治元年（1159年）12月，爆發平治之亂，二條天皇被藤原信賴的叛軍幽禁在黑戶御所，後被親政派和平清盛救出，前往清盛的六波羅邸避難。

平治之亂後，12月29日，二條天皇臨幸美福門院的八條邸，翌年正月迎太皇太后藤原多子為皇后。藤原多子是近衛天皇的皇后，《平家物語》稱這一舉措遭到了後白河上皇和其他大臣的竭力反對。但事實上二條天皇試圖藉此鞏固自己的勢力。但3月上皇即罷免了親政派藤原經宗、藤原惟方的官職並流放，7月禁止了藤原隆信、藤原雅長的昇殿資格，8月中宮姝子內親王因病出家，11月美福門院又病逝，二條天皇勢力削弱，後白河上皇的勢力擴大。

當時日本朝廷的政治為所謂的「二頭政治」，由二條天皇和後白河上皇共同執掌朝政，兩派勾心鬥角，嚴重對立。二條天皇所依賴的朝臣為藤原伊通和平清盛兩人。平清盛的夫人平時子是二條天皇的乳母，二條天皇將平清盛昇為檢非違使別當、中納言，讓他執掌兵權以為後盾。

應保元年（1161年）9月，後白河上皇與平滋子生下了憲仁親王（後來的高倉天皇）。二條天皇發現上皇欲立憲仁為太子，立即將院政派的主要人物平時忠、平教盛、藤原成親、藤原信隆罷免官職，並廢除了上皇的院政。次年召還了親政派的藤原經宗等人，並將院政派的平時忠、源資賢等罷官流放，鞏固了自己的統治地位。

此後，二條天皇大刀闊斧地進行改革，對僧兵和神社莊園進行整治，沿襲了信西（藤原通憲）的一些積極的政策。後白河上皇則被他徹底地從政治上排除，投身於佛教信仰之中，但仍試圖恢復院政。二條天皇對上皇抱有非常大的戒備之心。

長寬3年（1165年）2月，在親政派重臣太政大臣藤原伊通逝世後，二條天皇也病重。6月讓位給兒子順仁親王，並於7月在押小路東洞院駕崩。

《今鏡》稱讚二條天皇是「末世的賢帝王」（）。然而《源平盛衰記》則認為二條天皇一生與自己親生父親作對，這「大為違背孝道」（）。

二條天皇相貌俊美，根據《平家物語》的記載，在平治之亂中，二條天皇被平清盛救出，前往清盛的宅邸避難。途中，護送的平家武士看見了車中的天皇，誤以為是天皇宮中的女房。由此可見，二條天皇是具有女性美貌的美男子。

系譜