Taking advantage of the fact that the Fujiwara clan, who were starting to dominate politics as maternal relatives of the imperial court, did not have any influential members at that time, Emperor Uda used Michizane to restrain the Fujiwara clan.
皇室の外戚として権勢を振るいつつあった藤原氏に当時有力者がいないこともあり、宇多天皇は道真を用いて藤原氏を牽制した。