The Death of Shōtoku and Dōkyō's Fall from Power

Empress Shōtoku died in the eighth month of 770 after a prolonged illness. The Shoku Nihongi records that the courtier Kibi no Yuri conveyed matters for her consideration while access to the sick sovereign was restricted. On the day of Shōtoku's death, senior ministers selected Prince Shirakabe as crown prince. He later took the throne as Emperor Kōnin.

Dōkyō, the monk whom Shōtoku had elevated to the title Dharma King, accompanied her coffin and stayed near the tomb. The new administration accused him of improper designs but sent him to serve as superintendent of Yakushi-ji in Shimotsuke rather than applying a criminal sentence. His brother and nephews were exiled to Tosa. The orders removed the family from its position at the center of government.

Dōkyō died in 772. His fall followed the loss of the sovereign whose patronage had sustained his exceptional rank. The change also allowed Wake no Kiyomaro and his sister, punished in the oracle affair of 769, to return from exile. Shōtoku's death, the designation of a new heir, and these administrative dispositions were distinct steps in the transfer of power.