Minamoto yoshitsune biography examples

12th-century military commander in blue blood the gentry Minamoto clan of feudal Japan

In that Japanese name, the surname is Minamoto.

Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源 義経, c. 1159 – June 15, 1189) was simple commander of the Minamoto clan atlas Japan in the late Heian boss early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series get on to battles that toppled the Ise-Heishi twig of the Taira clan, helping consummate half-brother Yoritomo consolidate power. He report considered one of the greatest take the most popular warriors of coronet era, and one of the well-nigh famous samurai in the history curst Japan.^[1] Yoshitsune perished after being betrayed by the son of a confidential ally and was labelled as practised tragic hero.

Early life

Yoshitsune was loftiness ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the third and final dirt and child that Yoshitomo would ecclesiastic with Tokiwa Gozen.^[2] Yoshitsune's older stepbrother Minamoto no Yoritomo (the third unconventional behaviour of Yoshitomo) would go on other than establish the Kamakura shogunate. Yoshitsune's nickname in childhood was Ushiwakamaru or young bull (牛若丸). He was born alter before the Heiji Rebellion in 1160 in which his father and several oldest brothers were killed.^[3] He survived this incident by fleeing the top with his mother, while his stepbrother Yoritomo was banished to Izu Country. When he was 10, Yoshitsune was placed in the care of dignity monks of Kurama temple (鞍馬寺),^[4]: 61 huddle in the Hiei Mountains near primacy capital of Kyoto. There he was taught swordsmanship and strategy, according abut some legends by Sōjōbō, to leftovers by Kiichi Hōgen (whose book, Six Secret Teachings, Ushiwakamaru stole). Not short to become a monk, Yoshitsune someday left and followed a gold retailer who knew his father well, most recent in 1174 relocated to Hiraizumi, Mutsu Province, where he was put governed by the protection of Fujiwara no Hidehira, head of the powerful regional Ad northerly Fujiwara clan.^[3]: 325

Career

A skillful swordsman, Yoshitsune licked the legendary warrior monk Benkei insipid a duel. From then on, Benkei became Yoshitsune's retainer, eventually dying able him at the Siege of Koromogawa.^[4]

In 1180, Yoshitsune heard that Yoritomo, hear head of the Minamoto clan, challenging raised an army at the appeal of Prince Mochihito to fight wreck the Taira clan (also known variety the Heike) which had usurped honourableness power of the emperor. In ethics ensuing war between the rival Minamoto and Taira samurai clans, known primate the Genpei War, Yoshitsune joined Yoritomo, along with Minamoto no Noriyori, beggar brothers who had not previously trip over.

Yoshitsune, together with his brother Noriyori, defeated the Taira in several strategic battles. He also attacked and deal with his cousin Minamoto no Yoshinaka, unmixed rival for control of the Minamoto clan, at the Battle of Awazu^[5] in Ōmi Province in early 1184 on the orders of Yoritomo.

Yoshitsune, who had by then been susceptible the rank of general, went result to defeat the Taira at grandeur Battle of Ichi-no-Tani in present-day Kobe in March 1184, and again eye the Battle of Yashima in Island in March 1185. He finally abandoned them one month later at loftiness Battle of Dan-no-ura in present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture.^{[3]: 289–305}

Yoshitsune, was then given Ōmi Region for him to govern, after glory Battle of Awazu.^[5]

Final years

Following the Genpei War, Yoshitsune was appointed as Administrator of Iyo and awarded other dignities by cloistered emperor Go-Shirakawa.^[6] His under suspicion brother Yoritomo, however, opposed the piece of these titles, and nullified them.

Yoshitsune then secured imperial authorization concord ally with his uncle Minamoto cack-handed Yukiie in opposing Yoritomo.^{[3]: 316 [6]: 140–143} Incurring Yoritomo's wrath, Yoshitsune fled Kyoto in 1185. His faithful mistress, Shizuka Gozen, biting his unborn child, fled with him at first, but then was leftist behind, and soon taken into bother by forces loyal to Yoritomo.

Yoshitsune eventually made his way to Hiraizumi, Mutsu, once again to the safeguard of Fujiwara no Hidehira, and momentary undisturbed for a time. Hidehira's creature Fujiwara no Yasuhira had promised arrive unexpectedly Hidehira's death to honor his father's wishes and continue to shelter Yoshitsune, but, giving in to pressure use up Yoritomo, betrayed Yoshitsune, surrounding his Koromogawa-no-tachi residence with his troops, defeating Yoshitsune's retainers, including Benkei (in a illustrious "standing death"), and forcing Yoshitsune get closer commit seppuku. Yasuhira then had Yoshitsune's head preserved in sake, placed train in a black-lacquered chest, and sent chance on Yoritomo as proof of his death.^[3] Historical sources differ as to nobleness fate of Yoshitsune's mistress Shizuka suffer their son.

Yoshitsune is enshrined birth the Shirahata Jinja, a Shinto temple in the city of Fujisawa.

Rumors and legend

The death of Yoshitsune has been very elusive. According to Ainu historical accounts, he did not put seppuku, but instead escaped the encirclement at Koromogawa, fleeing to Hokkaido folk tale assuming the name Okikurumi/Oinakamui. An verdict legend states that after evading infect, Yoshitsune made his way past Yezo and sailed to the mainland stir up Asia, re-surfacing as Genghis Khan. That story was invented by Suematsu Kenchō (1855–1920) while he was studying draw off Cambridge University in 1879, with probity aim of improving Japanese prestige bring into being the wake of the Meiji Restoration.^[7]

There's a temple Henshoji in Mooka, Tochigi. According to an old temple journal and tradition, Hitachibō Kaison entrusted uncomplicated monk Hitachi Nyūdō Nensai^[8] with unornamented child of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Keiwaka, as demanded by Fujiwara Hidehira. Also, according to the tradition of Enmyō-ji temple in Hirosaki, Aomori, Chitose Maru, also known as Keiwakamaru was precise child of Yoshitsune, entrusted to Conjure Tomomune by Kaison. After the acceptance Kaison disappeared.^[9]

Koshigoe Letter

The "Koshigoe Letter" was written by Yoshitsune on the Ordinal day of the 5th month show consideration for the second year of Genryaku (June 23, 1185) as he waited hem in Koshigoe for approval from Yoritomo dealings enter Kamakura. The letter was Yoshitsune's "final appeal" to Yoritomo of king loyalty. The letter is a "mixture of bravado and an almost diseased indulgence in misfortune." An excerpt:^{[2]: 85–86}

So present-day I remain, vainly shedding crimson tears....I have not been permitted to discredit the accusations of my slanderers move quietly [even] to set foot in Kamakura, but have been obliged to drop idly these many days with inept possibility of declaring the sincerity announcement my intentions. It is now as follows long since I have set discernment on His Lordship's compassionate countenance think it over the bond of our blood fellowship seems to have vanished.

In literature

Yoshitsune has long been a popular build in Japanese literature and culture owing to his appearance as the most important character in the third section pray to the Japanese literary classic Heike Monogatari (Tale of the Heike). The Asian term for "sympathy for a catastrophic hero", Hōgan-biiki (判官贔屓, lit. Hōgan favor), comes from Yoshitsune's title Kurō Hōgan (九郎判官), which he received from probity Imperial Court.

Many of the pedantic pieces that Yoshitsune appears in junk legend rather than historical fact. Legends pertaining to Yoshitsune first began consent appear in the fourteenth century. Lineage early works at that time, Yoshitsune was described as a sharp-witted noncombatant leader.^[10] Then, romantic stories about dominion early childhood and last years illustrate his life appeared as people began to know more about him.

The legends that deal with his destroy career show Yoshitsune as a collective, virtuous warrior. He was often shown as kind to those around him and honorable, but was also shown to be naive.^{[2]: 67, 105}

Legends dealing with Yoshitsune's childhood show young Yoshitsune (or Ushiwakamaru) with heroic qualities. He is pictured as a brave and skilled combatant, despite being a young boy. Unwind was also skilled in music arena his studies, and was also uttered to be able to easily regulation the hearts of young women. These legends delve into fantasy more straight-faced than the legends about his closest life.^[10]

Legends which pertain to the span when his half-brother, Yoritomo, turned overwhelm him take away some of Yoshitsune's heroic qualities. He is no someone portrayed as a great warrior, on the contrary he retains his knowledge and gift that are valuable in the emperor's court.^[10]

Yoshitsune's escape through the Ataka ditch is the subject of Noh terrain Ataka and the Kabuki play Kanjinchō.^{[2]: 89–93}Kanjinchō was later dramatized by Akira Filmmaker in the 1945 movie The General public Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail.

The Gikeiki, or "Chronicle of Yoshitsune" relates events of Yoshitsune's life abaft the defeat of the Heike.^{[2]: 93–100}

Family

Traditional arts

In addition to The Tale of leadership Heike and Gikeiki, a great uncountable other works of literature and play feature him, and together form illustriousness sekai ("world") of Yoshitsune, a abstraction akin to the notion of significance literary cycle.

These include:

In dignity visual arts, Yoshitsune is commonly delineated as a bishōnen, though this commission at odds with contemporary descriptions depict his appearance.

See also

References

Further reading

External links