Minamoto No Yoritomo

Minamoto No Yoritomo (Japanese: 源頼朝) (May 9th 1147 - February 9th, 1199) is the founder and the first shogun shogunat of Kamakura to the Japan, it reigned of 1192 with 1199.

Biography

Of its birth to its exile (1147-1180)

Yoritomo is the groin wire of Minamoto No Yoshitomo, the heir to the clan Minamoto (Seiwa Genji), and his official wife, Fujiwara No Saneori, are a member of famous the clan Fujiwara.

Yoritomo was born with Heian (Kyōto), the capital of Japan of the time. On this date, Minamoto No Tameyoshi (the grandfather of Yoritomo) is with the head of the clan. At this point in time bursts the Rébellion of Hōgen. This civil war starts with dead Empereur Toba: Minamoto No Yoshitomo (wire of Tameyoshi) supports the new emperor Go-Shirakawa (Hôgen No ran) wire of the Toba emperor, whereas Minamoto No Tameyoshi takes the party of the emperor withdrawn Sutoku. In 1159, the Empereur Sutoku is overcome and shut down, whereas Tameyoshi is carried out in spite of the requests for leniency of Yoshitomo. Yoshitomo becomes the chief of the Minamoto clan.

But in 1160 begins the Rébellion of Heiji. Will conceal No Kiyomori, chief of the clan Taira, with the support of Fujiwara No Nobuyori supports a new emperor, the son of Go-Shirakawa, the Empereur Nijo, whereas Minamoto No Yoshitomo and the allies Fujiwara No Tadamichi and Fujiwara No Michinori remain faithful to the Go-Shirakawa emperor. Unfortunately the Minamoto clan is badly prepared, and the Clan Will conceal seizes the power with Kyōto quickly: Fujiwara No Michinari and Fujiwara No Tadamichi are carried out, whereas the palate of Go-Shirakawa is flaring.

Minamoto No Yoshitomo flees of the capital right before the arrival of Will conceal but is betrayed and carried out by a servant in the Province of Owari.

Yoritomo is not carried out, at the request of Ikenozunni, the mother-in-law of Kiyomori. Yoritomo thus takes the head of the clan; it is exiled in Izu, in the plain of Kantō, which is under the control of the clan Hojo. The half-brother of Yoritomo, Minamoto No Noriyori, share also in exile, whereas Minamoto No Yoshitsune, another half-brother, is forced to return to the monastery. All the other children heirs to the Minamoto clan are carried out.

Will conceal No Kiyomori and the Taira clan is the unquestioned chiefs of Japan.

In 1179, Yoritomo marries Hojo Masako, the girl of Tokimasa, the chief of the Hojo clan. At the same time, it is informed of the events with Kyōto: the famine and the brutality of the Taira clan poke the anger of the population. For Yoritomo the exile takes soon fine.

The War of Gempei (1180-1185)

In 1180, a new war of succession bursts when the Taira clan supports the emperor Antoku, nephew of the son of the emperor Go-Shirakawa, the prince Mochihito. Humiliated, the prince launches a call to the rebellion with the Minamoto clan.

After the death of Minamoto No Yorimasa and prince Mochihito, Yoritomo decides to take the weapons. Yoritomo is the legitimate heir to the clan Minamoto in spite of the attempts at conspiracy of his/her uncle, Minamoto No Yukiie, and of his/her cousin Minamoto No Yoshinaka. Moreover, Yoritomo profits from the financial aid of the clan Hojo (the family of its wife). It installed its capital in the east, in the province of Kamakura.

In 1181, Taira No Kiyomori dies, the Taira clan is then carried out by Taira No Munemori. Munemori follows a more aggressive policy against the Minamoto clan, and tackles bases of Minamoto with Kyōto. Fortunately, Yoritomo is protected with Kamakura.

His/her half-brothers, Minamoto No Yoshitsune and Minamoto No Noriyori beat to them Taira in several important battles, but they cannot prevent Minamoto No Yoshinaka, the rival of Yoritomo, to enter Kyōto in 1183 and to drive out to them Taira there. Taira leave with the Antoku emperor, thus, when Minamoto enter the capital, they designate the half-brother of Antoku, Go-Toba, like new emperor.

At the time of its first great battle, Yoritomo east demolishes in Ishibashiyama. He triumphs however over his rivals in the clan, and gains a decisive victory against Taira at the time of the Bataille of DaN-No-ura in 1185.

The first shogunat (1185-1199)

Yoritomo establishes the supremacy of the warlike caste of the Samurais and founds the first Bakufu in Kamakura (Kamakura Bakufu, 鎌倉幕府 or shogunat Kamakura). Thus begin the feudal age of Japan, which will last until half of the 19th century. Yoritomo obtains the title of Shogun ( Seii-Taishogun , “large general which pacifies the Barbarians”) in 1192.

After his death - in 1199 - continuations of a fall of horse, his/her father-in-law Tokimasa Hōjō takes the title of regent ( shikken ), instituting the domination of the Clan Hōjō on the incipient bakufu. The title of shogun, as for him, will pass thereafter to his/her oldest son Yoriie in 1202, and will consequently become hereditary.

See too

Shoguns de Kamakura
Minamoto
Shogun
Samurai
Eisai

Zh-classical: 源賴朝

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