In the late 6th century, Prince Shōtoku lead an enormous national project to promote Buddhism and he commissioned the construction of Shitennō-ji. The Buddhist temple was built in Settsu Province (present-day Osaka) after his military victory against the powerful Mononobe clan, for he is said to have summoned them to crush his enemies. Shōtoku's name has been linked with Hōryū-ji, a temple in Yamato Province, and numerous other temples in the Kansai region. Documentation at Hōryū-ji claims that Suiko and Shōtoku founded the temple in the year 607. Archaeological excavations in 1939 have confirmed that Prince Shōtoku's palace, the "Ikaruga no miya" (斑鳩宮), stood in the eastern part of the current temple complex, where the "Tō-in" (東院) sits today.