- In this Japanese name, the family name is Minamoto. in modern times usually consist of a Family name ( Surname) followed by a Given name. A family name or last name is a type of Surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs
Minamoto no Yoritomo (源 頼朝? May 9, 1147—February 9, 1199) was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 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" The Kamakura shogunate ( Japanese: 鎌倉幕府 Kamakura bakufu) was a feudal military dictatorship in Japan headed by the Shoguns from For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.
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Early Life and Exile (1147-1180)
Minamoto no Yoritomo was the third oldest son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, the heir of the Minamoto (Seiwa Genji) clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the illustrious Fujiwara clan. 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 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 The were the most successful and powerful of the many branch families of the Japanese Minamoto clan 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 Yoritomo was born in Heian-kyō, then the capital of Japan (now known as 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. At that time Yoritomo's grandfather Minamoto no Tameyoshi, was the head of the Minamoto. Minamoto no Tameyoshi (源為義 (1096-1156 was head of the Minamoto samurai clan during his lifetime and grandson of Minamoto no Yoshiie; he led the Minamoto against
In 1156, factional divisions in the court erupted into open warfare within the capital itself. The cloistered Emperor Toba and his son Emperor Go-Shirakawa sided with the son of Fujiwara regent Fujiwara no Tadazane, Fujiwara no Tadamichi as well as Taira no Kiyomori (a member of the Taira clan), while Cloistered Emperor Sutoku sided with Tadazane's younger son, Fujiwara no Yorinaga. The Insei system (院政 or cloistered rule, was a specific form of government in Japan, in which the Emperor abdicated but kept exerting power and influence Emperor Toba (鳥羽天皇 Toba-tennō) ( February 24, 1103 &ndash July 20, 1156) was the 74th emperor of Emperor Go-Shirakawa (後白河天皇 Go-Shirakawa-tennō) ( October 18, 1127 &ndash April 26, 1192 was a Japanese noble and the grandson of Fujiwara no Morozane. Fujiwara no Tadamichi (藤原忠通 (1097-1164 was the eldest son of the Japanese Regent ( Kampaku) Fujiwara no Tadazane and a member of the was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first Samurai -dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. For other uses of the word Taira see Taira (disambiguation The was a major Japanese clan in historical Japan Emperor Sutoku (崇徳天皇 Sutoku-tennō) ( 7 July 1119 &ndash 14 September 1164) was the 75th emperor of Fujiwara no Yorinaga (藤原頼長 1120 - August 1, 1156) of the Fujiwara clan held the position of Imperial Palace Minister of the Left This was known as the Hōgen Rebellion, or the 'Hogen Disturbance'. The Hōgen Rebellion (保元の乱 was a Japanese Civil war fought in 1156 over Japanese imperial succession and control of the Fujiwara
Unfortunately the Seiwa Genji were split. The head of the clan, Tameyoshi, sided with Cloistered Emperor Sutoku while his son, Yoshitomo, sided with Cloistered Emperor Toba and Emperor Go-Shirakawa, as well as Kiyomori. In the end, the supporters of Emperor Go-Shirakawa won the civil war, thus ensuring victory for Yoshitomo and Kiyomori. Cloistered Emperor Sutoku was placed under house arrest, and Yorinaga was fatally wounded in battle. Even Tameyoshi was executed as well, even after numerous pleas from Yoshitomo. Nonetheless, Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Kiyomori were ruthless, and Yoshitomo found himself as the head of the Minamoto, while Yoritomo became the heir.
Since Yoritomo was descended from the imperial family on his father's side and the Fujiwara noble family on his mother's side, he received his first court title and was appointed an administrator. Nonetheless, in Kyoto, the Taira clan, now under the leadership of Kiyomori, and the Minamoto clan, under the leadership of Yoshitomo, began to factionalize again.
Kiyomori supported the Emperor Nijō, who was the son of Go-Shirakawa. Emperor Nijō (二条天皇 Nijō-tennō) ( July 31, 1143 &ndash September 5, 1165) was the 78th emperor of Kiyomori had the support of Fujiwara no Nobuyori. (d 1160 was one of the chief allies of Minamoto no Yoshitomo in the Heiji Rebellion of 1159 Meanwhile, Yoshitomo supported the now cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa and their old ally Fujiwara no Tadamichi and the scholar-courtier Fujiwara no Michinori. Emperor Go-Shirakawa (後白河天皇 Go-Shirakawa-tennō) ( October 18, 1127 &ndash April 26, 1192 Fujiwara no Tadamichi (藤原忠通 (1097-1164 was the eldest son of the Japanese Regent ( Kampaku) Fujiwara no Tadazane and a member of the (d 1160 also known as, was one of the chief advisors to Emperor Nijō, and one of the chief allies to Taira no Kiyomori, particularly during the This was known as the Heiji Rebellion, or the 'Heiji Disturbance'. The was fought between rival subjects of the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan in 1159. Nonetheless, the Minamoto were not well prepared, and the Taira took control of Kyoto.
In the aftermath, harsh terms were imposed on the Minamoto and their allies. Fujiwara no Michinari and Fujiwara no Tadamichi were executed, while the palace of Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa was burned down by the Taira. Meanwhile, Yoshitomo fled the capital just as the Taira marched in 1160, but was betrayed and executed by a retainer in Owari. was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture. As for Yoritomo, the new head of the Minamoto, he was exiled to Hirugashima, an island in Izu province, which at that time was under the rule of the Hōjō clan. Izu (伊豆国 -no kuni was a province of Japan including the Izu Peninsula that is today part of Shizuoka prefecture and the Izu Islands See the Late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period. Kiyomori and the Taira clan were now the undisputed leaders of Japan. Yoritomo was not executed by Kiyomori because of pleas from Kiyomori's stepmother Lady Ikenozenni. Yoritomo's half brother, Minamoto no Noriyori, was also exiled, while Minamoto no Yoshitsune, another half-brother, was forced to enter a monastery. (1156 &ndash 1193 was a late Heian period general who fought alongside his brothers Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Yoshitsune at a number of battles Yoshitsune_with_benkeijpg|thumb|"Yoshitsune and Benkei Viewing Cherry Blossoms" by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka]] Minamoto no Yoshitsune (ja 源 義経 (1159 &ndash All other siblings were executed.
Yoritomo grew up with a life in exile. In 1179, he married into the Hōjō clan, led by Hōjō Tokimasa. See the Late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period. was the first Hōjō Shikken (regent of the Kamakura bakufu and head of the Hōjō clan. He married Tokimasa's daughter, Hōjō Masako. Hōjō Masako (ja 北条 政子 1156 &ndash 1225 was the eldest child of Hōjō Tokimasa by his wife Hōjō no Meanwhile, he was notified of events in Kyoto thanks to helpful friends. Soon enough, Yoritomo's passive exile was to be over.
Call to Arms and the Genpei War (1180-1185)
In 1180, Prince Mochihito, a son of Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa, humiliated by the Taira because of the Taira-backed accession of the throne of his nephew, Emperor Antoku (who was half Taira himself) made a national call to arms of the Minamoto clan all over Japan to rebel against the Taira. (d July 1180 also known as the Takakura Prince, and as Minamoto Mochimitsu, was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa Emperor Go-Shirakawa (後白河天皇 Go-Shirakawa-tennō) ( October 18, 1127 &ndash April 26, 1192 Emperor Antoku (安徳天皇 Antoku-tennō) ( December 22, 1178 &ndash April 24, 1185) was the 81st emperor Yoritomo decided to take part in this, especially after things escalated between the Taira and Minamoto after the death of Minamoto no Yorimasa and Prince Mochihito himself. (1106 &ndash 1180 was a prominent Japanese poet whose works appeared in various anthologies (d July 1180 also known as the Takakura Prince, and as Minamoto Mochimitsu, was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa Yoritomo set himself up as the rightful heir of the Minamoto clan, and, with financial backing of the Hōjō, his wife's family, he set up a capital at Kamakura in the east. is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, about 50 km south-south-west of Tokyo. Not all Minamoto thought of Yoritomo as rightful heir. His uncle, Minamoto no Yukiie, and his cousin Minamoto no Yoshinaka conspired against him. (d 1186 was the brother of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and one of the commanders of the Minamoto forces in the Genpei War at the end of the Heian period (1154 &ndash 1184 was a general of the late Heian Period of Japanese history.
In 1181, Taira no Kiyomori died, and the Taira clan was now led by Taira no Munemori. (1147-1185 was heir to Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira clan's chief commanders in the Genpei War. Munemori took a much more aggressive policy against the Minamoto, and attacked Minamoto bases from Kyoto. Nonetheless, Yoritomo was well protected in Kamakura. His half-brothers, Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Minamoto no Noriyori defeated the Taira in several key battles, but they could not stop Minamoto no Yoshinaka, Yoritomo's rival, from entering Kyoto in 1183 and chasing the Taira south. Yoshitsune_with_benkeijpg|thumb|"Yoshitsune and Benkei Viewing Cherry Blossoms" by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka]] Minamoto no Yoshitsune (ja 源 義経 (1159 &ndash (1156 &ndash 1193 was a late Heian period general who fought alongside his brothers Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Yoshitsune at a number of battles (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. They took Emperor Antoku with them, so when the Minamoto entered the capital, they enthroned the half-brother of Antoku, Emperor Go-Toba, as the new emperor. ( August 6, 1180 &ndash March 28, 1239) was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession
In 1180, Yoritomo was defeated at Ishibashiyama, his first major battle; but his early years as an insurgent chief were mostly spent in consolidating his power over the warrior aristocrats in the Kantō area, most of whom accepted his authority peaceably. The was the first in which Minamoto no Yoritomo, who was to become Shogun less than a decade later was commander of the Minamoto forces From 1181 to 1184, a de facto truce with the Taira dominated court allowed Yoritomo the time to build an administration of his own, centered on his military headquarters in Kamakura. In the end he triumphed over his rival cousins, who sought to steal from him control of the clan, and over the Taira, who suffered a terrible defeat at the Battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185. The was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshū. Yoritomo thus established the supremacy of the warrior samurai caste and the first bakufu (shogunate) at Kamakura, beginning the feudal age in Japan which lasted until the mid-19th century. is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial Japan. Castes are Hereditary systems of occupation, Endogamy, social culture, Social class, and Political power. 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" The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar
His wife's family, the Hōjō, took control after his death at Kamakura, maintaining power over the shogunate until 1333, under the title of shikken (regent to the Shogun). See the Late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period. The was the regent for the Shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan.
Eras of Yoritomo's bakufu
The years in which Yoritomo was shogun are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō. The Japanese era calendar scheme is a common Calendar scheme used in Japan, which identifies a year by the combination of the and the year number within the era The Japanese era calendar scheme is a common Calendar scheme used in Japan, which identifies a year by the combination of the and the year number within the era
References
- Nagahara Keiji 永原慶二. was a after Bunji and before Shōji. This period spanned the years from 1190 through 1199. was a after Kenkyū and before Kennin. This period spanned the years from 1199 through 1201. Minamoto no Yoritomo 源頼朝. Tokyo: Iwanami-shoten, 1995.
- Naramoto Tatsuya 奈良本辰也, et al. Minamoto no Yoritomo 源頼朝. Tokyo: Shisakusha, 1972.
- Titsingh, Isaac, ed. Isaac Titsingh ( 10 January 1745 in Amsterdam – 2 February 1812 in Paris) was a Dutch surgeon scholar merchant-trader (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652], Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, tr. Hayashi Gahō (林鵞峰 (1618 &ndash 1688 also known as Hayashi Shunsai, was a Japanese Neo-Confucian scholar teacher and administrator in the system of is a 17th century chronicle of the serial reigns of Japanese emperors with brief notes about some of the noteworthy events or other happenings during each period par M. Isaac Titsingh avec l'aide de plusieurs interprètes attachés au comptoir hollandais de Nangasaki; ouvrage re. , complété et cor. sur l'original japonais-chinois, accompagné de notes et précédé d'un Aperçu d'histoire mythologique du Japon, par M. J. Klaproth. Julius Heinrich Klaproth (1783-1835 German Orientalist and traveller Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. ...Click link for digitized, full-text copy of this book (in French)
- Yamaji Aizan 山路愛山. Minamoto no Yoritomo: jidai daihyō Nihon eiyūden 源頼朝: 時代代表日本英雄伝. Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1987.
- Yoshikawa, Eiji. was a Japanese Historical novelist probably one of the best and most famous authors in the genre (1989) Yoshikawa Eiji Rekishi Jidai Bunko (Eiji Yoshikawa's Historical Fiction), Vols. 41-42: Minamoto Yoritomo (源頼朝). Tokyo: Kodansha. 10-ISBN 4-0619-6577-8; 13-ISBN 978-4-0619-6577-5
See also
- Seiwa Genji
- Yoshikawa Eiji, historical fiction
| Preceded by None (Founder) |
Kamakura Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo 1192-1199 |
Succeeded by Minamoto no Yoriie |
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