CSMH History Class

Minamoto no Yoritomo

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Minamoto no Yoritomo

Minamoto no Yoritomo

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the oldest son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo. The leader of the Minamoto (or Seiwa Genji) Clan, or family, was Minamoto no Tameyoshi. He was born in present day Kyoto; but then, it was called Heian. Yoritomo’s grandfather was, Minamoto no Tameyoshi.

In the year of 1156, war materialized within the capital. The current emperor, Emperor Go-Shirakawa seventy seventh emperor of Japan, and his father, cloistered Emperor Toba, the seventy fourth emperor of Japan, made an alliance with Fujiwara no Tadamichi, the son of Fujiwara no Tadazane. They also sided with Tiarano Kiyomori who was part of the clan called Tiara. Emperor Sutoku, the seventy fifth emperor of Japan created an alliance with Fujiwara no Tadazane’s youngest of his sons, Fujiwara no Yorinaga. This was the beginning of the Hogen Disturbance or otherwise known as the Hogen Rebellion.

Minamoto no Tameyoshi, the head of the Minamoto clan sided with the Emperor Sutoku. Yet, Yoritomo split with half of the clan with Emperor Toba, Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Kiyomori. Yoritomo and Tiara no Kiyomori turned out victorious. Yorinaga, an ally to Emperor Sutoku was killed in the Hogen Rebellion. They lost control of Kyoto to Taira. Emperor Go-Shirakawa’a allies were executed including: Fujiwara no Michinari and Fujiwara no Tadamichi. Cloistered Emperor Sutoku however, was placed in house arrest. Minamoto no Tameyoshi was decapitated after many pleas from his son to spare Tameyoshi’s life. The Emperor and Kiyomori refused to listen to his cries and executed Tameyoshi anyways. Minamoto no Yoshitomo became the head of the Minamoto Clan and Yoritomo the heir of the Clan.

Just like Minamoto no Yoritomo had an alliance with Emperor Go-Shirakawa; he made an alliance with Emperor Nijo, the son of the now cloistered Emperor Go-Shirkawa. In 1160, a retainer, Owari killed Taira. Minamoto no Yoritomo became the new head of the Minamoto family, but he and a half brother Minamoto no Moriyori was also exiled to an island called Hirugashima in that during that time. Hirugashima is located within a place called the Izu province. The Izu province was under the control of a family by the name of Hojo. He would have been executed if it were not for pleas of Kiyomori’s grand mother, Lady Ikenozunni. Yet, all of his other siblings were executed.

Kiyomori and the Taira clan now led the country of Japan. In 1179, He married Hojo no Masako, daughter of the Hojo clan leader, Hojo no Tokimasa. Soon, Yoirtomo’s exile was done with.

In 1180 Emperor Antoku called every Minamoto relative across the nation to rebel against the Taira because a Taira had embarrassed Prince Mochihito. Minamoto no Yoritomo had decided to answer the call. In the same year, Minamoto no Yoritomo was killed in Ishibashiyama during his very first key battles against the Taira. A truce from 1180 to 1184 with the Taira granted acess for Minamoto no Yoritomo to create an administration. Yoritomo was made the very first shogun at Kamkura. He made the class of the Samurai as high as it was until the Samsatsu Rebellion when the Samurai fell.

The rift between the two clans only deepened when Minamoto no Yorimasa and even Prince Mochihito were killed. With a money aid from Yoritomo’s wife’s clan, he built a capital at a place called Kamakura. Two half brothers Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Noriyori killed in battle. A rival of Yoritomo’s, Minamoto no Yoshinaka from driving the Taira Clan out of Kyoto in the year of 1183.