How did cloistered rule allow retired emperors to reduce Fujiwara influence?

The system of insei, or "cloistered rule," allowed retired emperors to bypass the political dominance of the Fujiwara family by establishing a separate, independent administration.12

By abdicating the throne, emperors could escape the direct oversight of Fujiwara regents and chancellors, who traditionally exerted control through their maternal relationships with reigning monarchs. Once retired to a monastery or temple as a lay priest, the emperor could exercise sovereign power from behind the scenes, effectively rendering the reigning emperor a figurehead.13

This shift allowed retired emperors to:
* Cultivate New Alliances: They surrounded themselves with capable non-Fujiwara aristocrats, shifting the patronage network away from the Fujiwara clan.13
* Assert Patrilineal Control: The system moved the locus of power from the Fujiwara’s matrilineal influence to the emperor’s own patrilineal relatives.3
* Consolidate Resources: By managing their own household organizations and accumulating shōen (landed estates), the imperial family was able to compete for power and eventually eclipse the Fujiwara as the largest landholders in the country.3