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[Series 6: The Former Nine Years' War and the Later Three Years' War] The internal conflict within the Kiyohara clan turned into a struggle for succession, and the Later Three Years' War was considered a private war
[Series 6: The Former Nine Years' War and the Later Three Years' War] The internal conflict within the Kiyohara clan turned into a struggle for succession, and the Later Three Years' War was considered a private war
With the death of Kiyohara Sanehira from illness, the internal conflict within the Kiyohara clan appeared to have temporarily subsided
The six Oku districts that had been the territory of Mae were divided into two brothers, Iehira and Kiyohira, with three districts each, by the decision of Minamoto no Yoshiie, the governor of Mutsu Province
However, this incident led to a dispute over the family succession between the brothers
What are the Former Nine Years' War and the Later Three Years' War?
Gosannen Emaki (The Three Third Years Scroll), middle scroll, Tokyo National Museum, Source: ColBase
These were two wars fought in the Tohoku region (Iwate and Akita prefectures) at the end of the Heian period, from 1051 (Eisho 6) to 1062 (Kohei 5) and from 1083 (Eiho 3) to 1087 (Kanji 1)
The Battle of Zenkunen was a war in which the Minamoto clan, sent by the Imperial Court, suppressed a rebellion by the Abe clan, who were expanding their power in Mutsu (Iwate Prefecture), with the help of the Kiyohara clan
Then, an internal conflict arose within the Kiyohara clan, which had been strengthening its control from Mutsu to Dewa (Akita Prefecture), and the resulting struggle for succession escalated into the Gosannen War, in which the Minamoto clan was deeply involved
These two wars led to the rise of the Oshu Fujiwara clan in Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, and the ties between the Minamoto clan and the eastern samurai deepened, leading to the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo
Ie is increasingly dissatisfied with Yoshiie's territorial distribution
There are no reliable records of how Yoshiie divided the six inner districts of Mutsu between Ienobu and Kiyohira
According to one theory, Iemoto was given the northern three counties of Iwate, Shiwa, and Hienuki, and Kiyohira was given the southern three counties of Waga, Esashi, and Isawa, but there is no definite proof
Compared to the southern three counties, which had a lot of fertile flat land and good crop yields, Ie was given the northern three counties, which were mountainous and had little farmland, and it is said that he was dissatisfied and unable to accept Yoshiie's decision
At the root of this is the fact that although the two men had the same mother, Ienobe, who was of Kiyohara Takesada's bloodline, was aware that he was the rightful successor, unlike Kiyohira, whose father was Fujiwara Tsunekiyo
After Mae's death, his adopted son Narihira, who was supposed to be his successor, was either killed in battle or fled to Shimotsuke (Tochigi Prefecture) under the protection of Yoshiie, but this is unknown
There is no record that Iemori succeeded Maemori, but Iemori's residence was in Dewa and he is said to have ruled the three counties of Dewa, which had previously been the territory of the Kiyohara clan, and it is believed that Iemori was in fact the head carpenter
However, the six Oku districts were divided equally in area, and the most fertile areas were given to Kiyohira, so he must have been quite uneasy
However, there is a theory that Yoshiie had anticipated Iemori's backlash, and by deliberately making the relationship equal, he intended to cause a dispute over the family succession and become involved in it in order to strengthen his influence over the Kiyohara clan and in Oshu
Yoshiie was less highly regarded in the capital than his younger brother Yoshitsuna, and it is said that Yoshitsuna was the unifying force of the Kawachi Genji. It is possible that Yoshiie tried to take advantage of the internal conflict within the Kiyohara clan to find a way out in the Kanto and Oshu regions of the eastern provinces
Iemori attacks Kiyohira! Kiyohira asks Yoshiie for reinforcements
In 1086 (the 3rd year of the Otoku era), Iemori suddenly attacked Kiyohira's mansion, and although Kiyohira managed to escape, his entire family, including his wife and children, were killed, so he turned to Yoshiie for help
Enraged by Iena's attack, Yoshiie requested the Imperial Court to send his younger brother Yoshitsuna to kill Iena, but his request was denied. Instead, he attacked Numanosaku (Yokote City, Akita Prefecture), where Iena was holed up, with his own forces and those of Kiyohara
Streetscape of Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
The Battle of Numasaku, in which Mutsunokami, who supported Kiyoe, was defeated
The allied forces of Yoshiie and Kiyohira were said to have been unprepared for a siege to attack the fence, and as the attack took place in winter, they struggled and were forced to retreat
Ie's uncle, Takehira, was delighted at having defeated the renowned warrior Minamoto no Yoshiie, and proposed joining the army as an ally, and resisting the allied forces at Kanazawa Fortress (located in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture), which was considered impregnable
The Battle of Kanazawasaku, a disastrous siege
The Gosannen War Illustrated Scroll "The Disorderly Geese Flight" Sadakazu Edition Source: Wikipedia
The Imperial Court considered the conflict between the Kiyohara clan to be a private war, and instead of sending reinforcements to Yoshiie, it simply decided to send an official envoy to inform him that the Oshu War had been stopped
Upon hearing of his brother's struggle, one of Yoshiie's younger brothers, Yoshimitsu, without permission from the Imperial Court, gave up all his official duties and headed down to Mutsu
In the autumn of 1087 (the first year of the Kanji era), the allied forces of Yoshiie and Kiyohira attacked the Iemori and Takemori of Kanazawa Fortress, but the fortress was so well defended that they were unable to take it, and the allied forces resorted to a siege tactic
Ie and Takee escaped through the stockade and were caught hiding, then beheaded
Thus, the Gosannen War (also known as the Battle of Gosannen), which began as a trivial family dispute, came to an end, and Kiyohira, who was not related by blood, became the head of the Kiyohara clan
For more information and information on the Gosannen War, please click here
Illustrated Scroll of the Battle of Gosannen "The Strong and the Anxious" Sadakazu Edition Source: Wikipedia
There is an article that provides a more detailed explanation of the Gosannen War (Gosannen no Kassen). If you would like to know more details or visit the remains of the fences, please refer to this article
Regarding the Gosannen War, the Imperial Court insisted that it was merely Yoshiie's private war, and not only was Yoshiie not given any rewards or reimbursed for the war expenses, he was also dismissed from his position as Governor of Mutsu
Furthermore, because he raised funds for the war from taxes paid to the Imperial Court, he was punished for this and was barred from holding any official positions for a while, resulting in a period of misfortune (continued in the final installment of the 7th installment of the Former Nine Years' War and the Later Three Years' War)
Series: The Battle of Zenkunen and the Battle of Gosannen
I'm a former Edokko man who loves Morioka and the six Tohoku prefectures, and I also love history, food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. I'll be introducing you to the interesting, delicious, and great things about Tohoku!
