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[Series ⑦: The first nine years of roles and the second three years of roles] The bond between the Genji and Togoku warriors, and the beginning of 100 years of prosperity of the Oshu Fujiwara clan
[Series ⑦: The first nine years of roles and the second three years of roles] The bond between the Genji and Togoku warriors, and the beginning of 100 years of prosperity of the Oshu Fujiwara clan
Minamoto no Yoshiie was joined by his younger brother, Minamoto no Yoshimitsu, who came
Kanazawa Fortress which was considered impregnable at the time , but were unable to take it and resorted to a siege.
This siege caused the supplies within the stockade to run out, and the allied forces of Ie and Takee set fire to the stockade and fled, but both Ie and Takee were captured and beheaded, and the Gosannen War was won by the allied forces of Yoshiie and Kiyohira
What are the roles of the previous nine years and the latter three years (Zenkunen no Eki and Gosannen no Eki)?
Gosannen Kassen Emaki (Scroll of the Battle of Gosannen), Tokyo National Museum, Source: Wikipedia
It was fought in Tohoku (Iwate Prefecture and Akita Prefecture) from 1051 (Eisho 6) to 1062 (Kohei 5) and from 1083 (Eiho 3) to 1087 (Kanji 1) at the end of the Heian period. There are two campaigns.
The War of the Nine Years was a campaign in which the Minamoto clan, dispatched by the imperial court, quelled the rebellion of the Abe clan, which was growing in power in Mutsu (Iwate Prefecture), with the help of the Kiyohara clan.
After that, an internal conflict arose in the Kiyohara clan, which had strengthened its control from Mutsu to Dewa (Akita prefecture), and the dispute over the family headship developed into a battle during the War of the Third Year, and the Minamoto clan was also here. is deeply involved.
These two campaigns led to the establishment of the Oshu Fujiwara clan in Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, and the bond between the Minamoto clan and the samurai of eastern Japan deepened, leading to the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo.
Why were the surrenderees killed at Kanazawa Fortress?
It was Yoshihiko Hidetake , who was part of this allied force, who proposed a siege against Kanazawa Castle
Yoshihiko Hidetake was the uncle of Kiyohira, who visited Kiyohara Sanehira to celebrate the wedding of his adopted son, Narihira, but became angry when Sane made him wait, and scattered the gold dust that had been brought as a gift, which started the Gosannen War
Yoshiie protected the non-combatants who surrendered, but agreed with Hidetake Yoshitake's argument that "we should prevent any surrenders in order to increase the effectiveness of the siege," and killed them all to make an example of them and discourage anyone from surrendering
Did the three Genji brothers have a bad relationship with each other, just like the Kiyohara brothers?
Japanese Flower Painting "Minamoto no Yoshiie" Collection of the Walters Art Museum Source: Wikipedia
Minamoto no Yoshiie had two younger brothers, Yoshitsuna and Yoshimitsu, who had the same parents.
After the Battle of Gosannen, they engaged in a bitter family feud that involved their respective sons, and it is believed that their relationship was just as bad as that of the three Kiyohara brothers
Furthermore, although Yoshiie lagged behind Yoshitsuna in the struggle for promotion within the Imperial Court, his son Yoshikuni took root in the eastern provinces and became the ancestor of the Ashikaga, Nitta, and Satomi clans, among others
Just as Yoshiie was nicknamed Hachiman Taro because he had his coming-of-age ceremony at Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine, Yoshitsuna and Yoshimitsu also had nicknames
Kamo Jiro Yoshitsuna
the second son of Yoriyoshi , and was nicknamed after his coming-of-age ceremony at Kamo Shrine in Kyoto.He was highly esteemed by the Imperial Court, and it is said that at one point he had more power than the master carpenter, Yoshiie.
In 1094 (Kanji 8), he was in charge of suppressing the rebellion of the Taira clan in Dewa as the governor of Mutsu
During the Battle of Zenkunen, he followed his brother Yoshiie and his father Yoriyoshi, but he was not on good terms with Yoshiie, as they almost fought each other due to disputes between their retainers. Yoshiie's son Yoshiaki was executed as an assassin of Yoshitada, who succeeded Yoshiie. Outraged by this, Yoshitsuna fled the Imperial Court with his five sons and barricaded himself in Mount Koga in Omi
However, after all his sons committed suicide, he surrendered, became a monk, and was exiled to Sado, where he was later pardoned and returned to Kyoto
Shinra Saburo Yoshimitsu
Portrait of Minamoto no Yoshimitsu, from the Ten Ancient Collections, owned by Shojuji Temple in Settsu Province. Source: Wikipedia
His third son, Yoshimitsu, had his coming-of-age ceremony at Shinra Myojin Shrine in Omi and was named Shinra Saburo. He was said to have been skilled in archery, horseback riding, and playing the sho, and was a military commander skilled in both the arts and martial arts.
During the Gosannen War, he learned of his brother Yoshiie's difficulties and asked the Imperial Court if he could go east to provide reinforcements, but this was not permitted, so he went to Mutsu without permission and was stripped of his official position
He married the daughter of a powerful family in Hitachi (Ibaraki Prefecture) and brought her into his power, becoming the ancestor of the Satake clan.He also became the first head of the Kai Genji clan (including the Takeda clan) as the governor of Kai (Yamanashi Prefecture), and was also the ancestor of the Ogasawara clan and the Nanbu clan
Unlike Yoshiie and Yoshitsuna, Yoshimitsu did not have connections with the central government, and it is thought that he was looking to expand his influence in the eastern provinces
Why did the bond between the Genji and the eastern samurai deepen?
Minamoto no Yoshiie "Ekotoba of the Battle of Gosannen" Painting by Hida no Kami Korehisa Source: Wikipedia
When Yoshiie returned to the capital, he reported that he had put down the Oshu Rebellion as Governor of Mutsu Province, but the Imperial Court dismissed him from his position as Governor of Mutsu Province, instead of offering him any reward, claiming that the battle was an internal dispute within the Kiyohara clan and a private war in which Yoshiie had intervened without permission
Furthermore, Yoshiie was forced to pay the taxes that had been outstanding due to his duties, which put him in dire straits
However, Yoshiie had mobilized warriors from the eastern provinces, such as those from Bando, for the Gosannen War, and he had to give them rewards, so despite his financial difficulties he paid them out of his own pocket
When the samurai of the eastern provinces heard of this, they were deeply moved by Yoshiie's actions, took his kindness to heart, and pledged their loyalty to the Minamoto clan. This spirit was passed down and eventually led to the Kamakura shogunate's samurai system
The Oshu Fujiwara clan that began with Kiyohira
Fujiwara no Kiyohira, from "Images of the Three Heirs" Motsuji Temple Collection / Statue of Fujiwara no Kiyohira Wikipedia
After the Gosannen War, Fujiwara no Kiyohira expanded his power into Dewa and Mutsu, and while appealing to the Imperial Court as the ruler of Oshu, he engaged in trade with Song and other countries in mainland China, and seemed to be an independent country, ignoring the conflict between the Genpei and Taira clans in the central region
Kiyohira further moved his residence to Hiraizumi (Iwate Prefecture) in the Okuroku District and constructed the Golden Hall of Chusonji Temple, creating a magnificent utopia centered on Buddhist culture
Then, having severed ties with the Kiyohara clan, he returned to the Fujiwara surname of his biological father, Fujiwara no Tsunekiyo, and took the name "Fujiwara no Kiyohira," laying the foundation for the 100-year reign of the Oshu Fujiwara clan over four generations
summary
The Genji had strengthened their ties with the eastern warriors through the two wars of the Former Nine Years and the Later Three Years, but the Imperial Court feared that the Genji would become too powerful, so they encouraged infighting among themselves to weaken their power and began to favor the Taira clan
This weakened the power of the Minamoto clan, but in return, the power of the Taira clan increased
However, the seeds that the Genji had sown in the eastern provinces gradually sprouted and eventually blossomed into the Kamakura shogunate (end)
Serialization: The role of the first nine years, the role of the second three years
I am a former Edo guy who loves Morioka, loves the six prefectures of Tohoku, and loves history, gourmet food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. We'll introduce you to some interesting, delicious, and good things about Tohoku!
![0fb6939d60ada03f05f13ef893cd6663](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/0fb6939d60ada03f05f13ef893cd6663-150x150.jpg.webp "The battle for bone flesh unfolded in Yokote Basin: "Three Years of Second Year Battle" [Akita Prefecture]")
