Minamoto no Yoritomo

Minamoto no Yoritomo (May 9, 1147 - February 9, 1199) was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura dynasty of Japan, who ruled from 1192 until 1199.

Early Life and Exile (1147-1180)

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the eldest son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, the heir of the Minamoto (Seiwa Genji) clan, and his official wife, Fujiwara no Saneori, who was a member of the illustrious Fujiwara clan. Yoritomo was born in Kyoto, then the capital of Japan. At that time Yoritomo's grandfather Minamoto no Tameyoshi, was the head of the Minamoto.

Related Topics:
Minamoto no Yoritomo - Minamoto no Yoshitomo - Minamoto - Seiwa Genji - Fujiwara no Saneori - Fujiwara clan - Kyoto - Minamoto no Tameyoshi

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The cloistered Emperor Toba and his son Emperor Go-Shirakawa sided with the son of Fujiwara regent Fujiwara no Tadazane, Fujiwara no Tadamichi as well as Taira no Kiyomori (a member of the Taira clan), while Cloistered Emperor Sutoku sided with Tadazane's younger son, Fujiwara no Yorinaga. This was known as the Hogen Rebellion, or the 'Hogen Disturbance'.

Related Topics:
Cloistered - Emperor Toba - Emperor Go-Shirakawa - Fujiwara no Tadazane - Fujiwara no Tadamichi - Taira no Kiyomori - Taira - Cloistered Emperor Sutoku - Fujiwara no Yorinaga - Hogen Rebellion

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Unfortunately the Seiwa Genji were split. Minamoto no Tameyoshi, the head of the Minamoto, who was Yoshitomo's father and Yoritomo's grandfather, sided with Cloistered Emperor Sutoku. Minamoto no Yoshitomo, who was Tameyoshi's son and Yoritomo's father, sided with Cloistered Emperor Toba and Emperor Go-Shirakawa, as well as Kiyomori.

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In the end, the supporters of Emperor Go-Shirakawa won the civil war, thus ensuring victory for Minamoto no Yoshitomo and Taira no Kiyomori. Cloistered Emperor Sutoku was placed under house arrest, while Fujiwara no Yorinaga was executed. Even Minamoto no Tameyoshi, Yoshitomo's father, was executed as well, even after numerous pleas from Yoshitomo. Nonetheless, Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Kiyomori were ruthless, and Minamoto no Yoshitomo found himself as the head of the Minamoto, while Yoritomo became the heir.

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Since Yoritomo was descended from the imperial family on his father's side and the Fujiwara noble family on his mother's side, he received his first court title and was appointed an administrator. Nonetheless, in Kyoto, the Taira clan, now under the leadership of Taira no Kiyomori, and the Minamoto clan, under the leadership of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, began to factionalize again.

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Taira no Kiyomori supported the Emperor Nij?, who was the son of Go-Shirakawa. Kiyomori had the support of Fujiwara no Nobuyori. Meanwhile, Minamoto no Yoshitomo supported the now cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa and their old ally Fujiwara no Tadamichi and the scholar-courtier Fujiwara no Michinori. This was known as the Heiji Rebellion, or the 'Heiji Disturbance'. Nonetheless, the Minamoto were not well prepared, and the Taira took control of Kyoto.

Related Topics:
Emperor Nij? - Fujiwara no Nobuyori - Emperor Go-Shirakawa - Fujiwara no Tadamichi - Fujiwara no Michinori - Heiji Rebellion

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In the aftermath, harsh terms were imposed on the Minamoto and their allies. Fujiwara no Michinari and Fujiwara no Tadamichi were executed, while the palace of Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa was burned down by the Taira. Meanwhile, Minamoto no Yoshitomo fled the capital just as the Taira marched in in 1160, but was betrayed and executed by a retainer in Owari. As for Yoritomo, the new head of the Mianmoto, he was exiled to Izu, in the Kanto Plain, which at that time was under the rule of the H?j? clan. Taira no Kiyomori and the Taira clan were now the undisputed leaders of Japan. Yoritomo was not executed by Kiyomori because of pleas from Kiyomori's stepmother Lady Ikenozunni. Yoritomo's half brother, Minamoto no Noriyori, was also exiled, while Minamoto no Yoshitsune, another half-brother, was forced to enter a monastery. All other siblings were executed.

Related Topics:
1160 - Owari - Izu - Kanto Plain - H?j? - Lady Ikenozunni - Minamoto no Noriyori - Minamoto no Yoshitsune

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Yoritomo grew up with a life in exile. In 1179, he married into the Hojo clan, led by Hojo Tokimasa. He married Tokimasa's daughter, Hojo Masako. Meanwhile, he was notified of events in Kyoto thanks to helpful friends in Kyoto. He found out of the population's anger at the brutality of Taira no Kiyomori and the entire Taira clan. Soon enough, Yoritomo's passive exile was to be over.

Related Topics:
1179 - Hojo Tokimasa - Hojo Masako

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