Emperor Shirakawa begins insei rule

1087

The Japanese emperor abdicated in favor of his son but continued to rule from behind the throne, inaugurating the insei or cloistered emperor system. The arrangement allowed retired emperors to bypass Fujiwara regents and act freely, ending a century of Fujiwara dominance at the Heian court at Kyoto. Shirakawa reportedly lamented that only the waters of the Kamo River, the dice, and the warrior monks refused to obey him.