Minamoto No Yoshinaka

Minamoto No Yoshinaka (源義仲, Minamoto No Yoshinaka ) (1154 - 1184) was a Samurai and a general of the end of the era Heian with the Japan. He was member of the clan Minamoto, and cousin of the chief of clan Minamoto No Yoritomo against whom he entered in rebellion. He preferred to be made call Kiso Yoshinaka , of the name of the mountains where he grew.

Biography

Youth

Born in the Province from Musashi, Minamoto No Yoshikata, the father of Yoshinaka is killed and its field seized by Minamoto No Yoshihira during an internal war with the clan, whereas he is yet only one child. Yoshihira had thought of also killing Yoshinaka, but this one manages to flee and to take refuge within the clan Nakahara de Kiso, in the Province of Shinano (current the Préfecture of Nagano) where it is then high. Become adult, Yoshinaka will change its name of Minamoto into Kiso.

Fight against Taira

In 1180, Yoshinaka receives the call of the prince Mochihito requiring of the members of the Minamoto clan to rise against the capacity of the Taira. Yoshinaka enters the Guerre of Gempei by gathering an army in Shinano and conquers the province quickly. Then, in 1181, it plans to take again the field of his/her father in the province of Musashi which is then under the control of his/her cousin Minamoto No Yoritomo. Both are reconciled and agreed not to fight between them, but Yoshinaka must accept to recognize Yoritomo as chief of the Minamoto clan, to give up his aspirations to take again the field of his/her father, and to send his son Yoshitaka as an hostage to Kamakura. Covered of shame, Yoshinaka is now given to beat Yoritomo, to overcome itself them Taira, and to take the control of the Minamoto clan.

The June 2nd 1183, Yoshinaka demolishes the army of Taira No Koremori from the Bataille of Kurikara and goes on Kyōto. Taira flee the capital, taking along with them the emperor child Antoku. In August, the army of Yoshinaka enters the capital and the emperor cloister Go-Shirakawa decorates it with the title of Asahi Shogun . However, its army puts at bag Kyōto and the emperor gives him the order to continue to them Taira with an aim of making leave the army the capital.

Internal struggles

The following year, ghost with Kyōto after a battle, Yoshinaka notes with anger that the withdrawn emperor aligned himself with his Yoritomo cousin. He then exerts his military power on the city, plundering it, imprisoning the Go-Shirakawa emperor, and forces it to give him the title of Shogun. Sympatisants Will conceal, of noble of the court and of the warlike monks is drawn up then against Yoshinaka during the Siège of Hōjūjiden, forcing it to flee the city. Yoritomo, irritated and forced to react, sends his/her half-brothers Minamoto No Yoshitsune and Minamoto No Noriyori to kill it. The troops of Yoshitsune engage Yoshinaka whereas he flees the city while passing by the bridge of Uji, in what is known as being the second battle of Uji, the February 19th 1184.

He manages to escape and is joined with Seta by his comrade in arms Kanehira Imai. In way, it is also joined by his wife (or mistress, according to the sources) Tomoe Gozen and face the enemy with Awazu, in the Province of Omi (today Préfecture of Shiga) on February 21st. They fought valiantly against the largely higher forces of Noriyori and Yoshitsune, but ended up being overcome (according to the legend, Tomoe would have succeeded in escaping from the battle, carrying with it the head of his/her lover.)

Posterity

Yoshinaka is buried with Ōtsu, in the province of Omi, and a temple, Gichū-ji, was built later in its honor, during the Period of Muromachi. The famous poet of the Period Edo, Bashō Matsuo, in accordance with his last wishes, is buried close to Minamoto No Yoshinaka in Gichū-ji.

Minamoto No Yoshinaka is one of the main characters of the great account epic writes at the period Kamakura, the Known as one of Heike.

Reference

Zh-classical: 源義仲

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