Seiryoji, a temple in Kyoto, was once a villa of Minamoto no Toru (d. (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. 895), a prominent member of the Saga Genji.

Minamoto (源, Minamoto^?) was one of the honorary surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan of the Heian Period (794–1185 AD) on those of their sons and grandsons who were not considered eligible for the throne. The of Japan is the country's Monarch. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. Events By Place Asia Kyoto becomes the Japanese capital ending the Nara period, and beginning the Heian period. The Taira were another such offshoot of the imperial dynasty. For other uses of the word Taira see Taira (disambiguation The was a major Japanese clan in historical Japan The Minamoto clan was also called the Genji Clan (源氏, Genji Clan^?), using the alternate pronunciation of the Chinese characters for Minamoto gen and uji, or family (ji). A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese (

The first emperor to start granting the name Minamoto was Emperor Saga. Emperor Saga (嵯峨天皇 Saga-tennō) (786&ndash842 was the 52nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession Afterwards Emperor Seiwa, Emperor Murakami, Emperor Uda, and Emperor Daigo, among others, also gave their sons the name Minamoto. Emperor Seiwa (清和天皇 Seiwa-tennō) (Third month 25th day 850 - Twelfth month 4th day 880 was the 56th emperor of Japan, according Emperor Murakami (村上天皇 Murakami-tennō) ( June 2, 926 &ndash May 25, 967) was the 62nd emperor of was the 59th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession Emperor Daigo (醍醐天皇 Daigo-tennō) ( January 18, 885 &ndash October 23, 930) was the 60th emperor of These specific hereditary lines coming from different emperors developed into specific clans referred to by the emperor's name followed by Genji, e. g. Seiwa Genji. According to some sources, the first to be given the name Minamoto was Minamoto no Makoto, seventh son of Emperor Saga. Minamoto no Makoto (源信 (810-868 was the seventh son of the Japanese Emperor Saga, and was the first courtier to be given the name Minamoto. ^[1]

The Minamoto were one of the four great clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period — the other three were the Fujiwara, the Taira, and the Tachibana. The Fujiwara clan (藤原氏 Fujiwara-shi) descending from the Nakatomi clan, was a powerful family of Regents in Japan that monopolized the regent positions For other uses of the word Taira see Taira (disambiguation The was a major Japanese clan in historical Japan

In 814 Emperor Saga (reigned 809–823) awarded the kabane Minamoto no Ason to his non-heir sons; thereafter, they and their descendants ceased to be members of the Imperial Family. Events By Place Asia Emperor Saga succeeds Emperor Heizei as Emperor of Japan. Events By Place Byzantine Empire Crete is conquered from the Byzantines by the Saracens. were hereditary titles used in ancient Japan to denote rank and political standing Several subsequent emperors gave the Minamoto surname to their non-heir sons.

The most prominent of the several Minamoto families, the Seiwa Genji, descended from Minamoto no Tsunemoto (917–961), a grandson of the 56th Emperor Seiwa. The were the most successful and powerful of the many branch families of the Japanese Minamoto clan Minamoto no Tsunemoto (源經基 (894-961 was a samurai and Imperial Prince during Japan's Heian period, the progenitor of the Seiwa Genji branch of the Events By Place Asia The Great Yue Kingdom later renamed Southern Han, is founded by Liu Yan in Guangdong Events By Place Asia Ani (present-day Turkey) becomes the capital of Armenia under the Bagratuni Dynasty Tsunemoto went to the provinces and became the founder of a major warrior dynasty. Minamoto no Mitsunaka (912–997) formed an alliance with the Fujiwara. Minamoto no Mitsunaka (源満仲 (912-997 son of Minamoto no Tsunemoto, was a Samurai and Court official of Japan's Heian period. For the automobile see Porsche 912. Events By Place Europe Orso II Participazio becomes the Doge of Events By Place Europe First documented reference to the City of Gdańsk. Thereafter the Fujiwara frequently called upon the Minamoto to restore order in the capital, Heian-Kyo (or Kyoto). (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan.

Mitsunaka's eldest son, Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948–1021), became the protégé of Fujiwara no Michinaga; another son, Minamoto no Yorinobu (968–1048) suppressed the rebellion of Taira no Tadatsune in 1032. Kuniyoshi Utagawa Minamoto Yorimitsu also known as Raikojpg|thumb| Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Minamoto Yorimitsu fights Tsuchi-gumo]] (944-1021 also known as Events By Place Europe Otto I the Great founds the missionary dioceses of Brandenburg, Havelburg, Ribe, Fujiwara no Michinaga (藤原 道長 966 - 3 January 1028; Japanese calendar 万寿4年12月4日 represents the highpoint of the Fujiwara regents (968-1048 was a Samurai commander and member of the powerful Minamoto clan. 968 was a year in the 10th century. Events By Place Asia The Pechenegs begin the Siege of Kiev (d 1031 was a chieftain of the Taira clan in the early 11th century and predecessor of the Chiba clan. Yorinobu's son, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi (998–1075), and grandson, Minamoto no Yoshiie (1039–1106), pacified most of northeastern Japan between 1051 and 1087. Minamoto no Yoriyoshi (源頼義( 998 - 1082 ? was a head of Japan's Minamoto clan who is perhaps most notable for having led along with his son Minamoto Events By Place Europe Otto III retakes the city of Rome and reinstates his cousin Pope Gregory V, after mutilating Minamoto no Yoshiie (源義家 1039 - 4 August, 1106) also known as Hachimantarō, was a Minamoto clan Samurai of the late

The Seiwa Genji's fortunes declined in the Hōgen Rebellion (1156), when the Taira executed much of the line. The Hōgen Rebellion (保元の乱 was a Japanese Civil war fought in 1156 over Japanese imperial succession and control of the Fujiwara During the Heiji Disturbance (1160), the head of the Seiwa Genji clan, Minamoto no Yoshitomo, died in battle. Minamoto no Yoshitomo (源 義朝 (1123 &ndash February 11, 1160) was the head of the Minamoto clan and a general of the late Heian period Taira no Kiyomori seized power in Kyoto by forging an alliance with the retired emperors Shirakawa and Toba and infiltrating the kuge. was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first Samurai -dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. Emperor Shirakawa (白河天皇 Shirakawa-tennō) ( July 7, 1053 &ndash July 24, 1129) was the 72nd emperor Emperor Toba (鳥羽天皇 Toba-tennō) ( February 24, 1103 &ndash July 20, 1156) was the 74th emperor of The kuge (公家 was a Japanese Aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the He sent Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199), the third son of Minamoto no Yoshimoto of the Seiwa Genji, into exile. was the founder and the first Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. In 1180 Yoritomo mounted a full-scale rebellion against the Taira rule (Gempei or the Taira-Minamoto War), culminating in the destruction of the Taira and the subjugation of eastern Japan within five years. The ( 1180 &ndash 1185) were a Conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans and in late- Heian period Japan. In 1192 he received the title shogun and set up the first bakufu at Kamakura. is a military rank and historical title in Japan. The Japanese word for "general" it is made up of two Kanji words sho, meaning "commander" is a military rank and historical title in Japan. The Japanese word for "general" it is made up of two Kanji words sho, meaning "commander" is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, about 50 km south-south-west of Tokyo.

Thus the Seiwa Genji line proved to be the most strong and dominant Minamoto line during the late Heian period with Minamoto no Yoritomo eventually forming the Kamakura Shogunate and becoming shogun in 1192. The were the most successful and powerful of the many branch families of the Japanese Minamoto clan The Kamakura shogunate ( Japanese: 鎌倉幕府 Kamakura bakufu) was a feudal military dictatorship in Japan headed by the Shoguns from is a military rank and historical title in Japan. The Japanese word for "general" it is made up of two Kanji words sho, meaning "commander" Also, it is from the Seiwa Genji line that the later Ashikaga (founders of the Ashikaga shogunate), Nitta, and Takeda clans come. The was a prominent Japanese Samurai clan which established the Muromachi shogunate and ruled Japan from roughly 1336 to 1573 was a feudal military dictatorship ruled by the Shoguns of the Ashikaga family The was one of several major families descended from the Seiwa Genji, and numbered among the chief enemies of the Ashikaga shogunate, and later the Hōjō clan The was a famous clan of Daimyō (feudal lords in Japan's late Heian Period to Sengoku period.

The protagonist of the classical Japanese novel The Tale of Genji, Hikaru no Genji, was bestowed the name Minamoto for political reasons by his father the emperor, and was delegated to civilian life and a career as an imperial officer. The Protagonist or main character is the central figure of a story. is a classic work of Japanese literature attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early eleventh century around the peak of the Heian Period Hikaru Genji (光源氏 "The brilliant Genji" is the protagonist of The Tale of Genji.

Members of the Minamoto clan

The Seiwa Genji

References

1. ^ Frederic, Louis (2002). The were the most successful and powerful of the many branch families of the Japanese Minamoto clan "Japan Encyclopedia. " Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

• Sansom, George (1958). 'A History of Japan to 1334'. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. *

See also

• History of Japan
• Taira

Heian Period: Mimamoto Clan history: http://samurai-archives.com/HeianPeriod.html