Minamoto No Yoshitsune

Minamoto No Yoshitsune (源義経) (1159 - 1189) was a Samurai and a general of the periods Heian and Kamakura of the history of the Japan. It was the ninth wire of Minamoto No Yoshitomo (源義朝) and the half-brother of Minamoto No Yoritomo (源頼朝) which became the first Shogun of Japan which founded the shôgunat of Kamakura (鎌倉幕府) in 1192. His/her mother was Tokiwa Gozen.

Biography

Youth

Yoshitsune is born a little before the Rébellion from Heiji (1159) where his/her father and the majority of the members of the clan Minamoto know death, overcome by Taira No Kiyomori which controls from now on the country. Yoshitsune which is not whereas a newborn is placed at the temple of Kurama, located in the Hiei Mounts at the north of Kyōto where it is raised by the monks under the name of Ushiwaka , while his/her Yoritomo brother is banished in Izu. Later, Yoshitsune is sent, or flees, with Hiraizumi in the Province of Mutsu, where it is under the protection of Fujiwara No Hidehira, governor of the province.

The war of Gempei

In 1180, accompanied by a Sōhei by the name by Benkei, it joined his/her Yoritomo half-brother who took again the head of the Minamoto clan following the call to the weapons of the prince Mochihito and takes the command of his army at the beginning of the Guerre of Gempei. Their other half-brother, Minamoto No Noriyori, also joined them. None of the three brothers had already met.

Yoshitsune leads initially its troops to the victory against his/her rival cousin Minamoto No Yoshinaka which it kills the February 21st 1184 with the Bataille of Awazu, after having beaten it first once the 19 with the second battle of Uji. The same year, it demolishes the Taira first once from the Bataille of Ichi-No-Tani then the March 22nd 1185 with the Bataille of Yashima and finally destroys them with the Bataille of DaN-No-ura the April 25th of the same year.

Jealousies

After the war, Yoshitsune comes to settle with Kyōto where one gives him a place near the emperor withdrawn Go-Shirakawa.

Yoritomo, jealous of re-elected of Yoshitsune, anxious of the influence of the Hō-ō on his/her brother, and regarding as a violation as of its privileges the fact that Yoshitsune had allotted grounds to its vassal to reward them for their efforts of war, then recalls his/her brother to Kamakura to hold it with the eye.

Yoshitsune, whose behavior during the war had deprived of many supports (its daring tactics, inspired by those of the monks and the mountain dwellers among which it had grown, seemed almost sacrilege with the eyes of samurais attached to the traditional uses warlike), was found insulated. It ends up asking of the assistance to Go-Shirakawa, and this one coming too late, it escapes then and is seen constrained to flee again in Mutsu at Fujiwara No Hidehira, but this one dies in 1187, leaving by will the place of governor with Yoshitsune rather than with his/her son Fujiwara No Yasuhira. This one refuses to see évincer and starts a conflict within Fujiwara, which makes it possible Yoritomo to learn where his/her brother hides.

The June 15th 1189, Yoshitsune and Benkei are encircled in the castle of Fujiwara No Motonari to Koromogawa when the troops of Yasuhira attack, on the order of Yoritomo. Benkei and the last partisans of Yoshitsune organize a defense despaired to give to this last time to give death by Seppuku with its family. One is unaware of if it had time to give itself death or if it were killed by its enemies before to have succeeded there.

Its head then is exposed to Kamakura on July 27th.

Posterity

The life of Minamoto No Yoshitsune inspired a multitude of writers and poets, as well as many plays. It is one of the largest folk hero of Japan, and of many stories describe the life of Yoshitsune, its life with Shizuka Gozen, its escape and its heroic death.

References

External bonds

Biography of Minamoto No Yoshitsune on the site samurai-archives.com

Zh-classical: 源義經

Random links: