Minamoto no Hikaru (court noble) (源光 (公卿))

MINAMOTO no Hikaru (July 9, 845 - April 21, 913) was a court noble who lived in the Heian period. He was the son of Emperor Ninmyo. He was at the rank of Shonii (Senior Second Rank) and the position of Udaijin (the Minister of the Right). He was promoted to the rank of Shoichii (Senior First Rank).

Although he was a member of the imperial family and had a first degree relationship, he was given the family name of Minamoto and became the subject of the state along with his many brothers. He assumed the position of jiju (chamberlain), director of Mimasaka Province, state council, Chunagon (vice-councilor of state) and Dainagon (chief councilor of state). He was one of the main culprits who delivered SUGAWARA no Michizane by colluding with FUJIWARA no Tokihira during the reign of Emperor Daigo, in 901, he was appointed as Udaijin to take the place of Michizane. He was called Nishisanjo Udaijin because of the location of his residence.

In 913, he fell into mire, was entrenched and drowned while practicing falconry. It is said that since his body wasn't found, people feared that it was because of the "wrath of Michizane's ghost." He was posthumously awarded the rank of Shoichii. FUJIWARA no Tadahira, who felt kindly toward Michizane unlike him or Tokihira, was appointed as a successor of Udaijin.

A group from the Minamoto clan, derived from Hikaru and his brothers, was later called Ninmyo-Genji (Minamoto clan). Hikaru's grandson, MINAMOTO no Atsushi is known to have become MINAMOTO no Mitsunaka's son-in-law and adopted MINAMOTO no Tsuna (WATANABE no Tsuna) of Saga-Genji (Minamoto clan). The next generation, Toshi got married to Morikuni Tateishi's sisters and their son, Moriyuki also named himself the Tateishi clan. The ascendant's fourth generation after him was Honen.

[Original Japanese]