There is a theory that the Emperor abdicated under pressure from the government after the publication of "Modern Japanese History," by Soho TOKUTOMI; however, it is considered that after his abdication, he aimed to focus on ruling the cloister government without pressure from the government, doing so by actively promoting political and academic programs.
なお、徳富蘇峰の『近世日本国民史』以来、天皇が幕府の圧力によって退位したとする説があるが、実際には退位後においても積極的に政治や学問の振興策を主導しており、むしろ幕府からの干渉を避けるために院政による政治運営を行う狙いがあったと考えられている。