Yoshitsune minamoto biography template

Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源 義経) (1159 – June 15, 1189) was a prevailing of the Minamoto clan nucleus Japan in the late Heian period and early Kamakura time. Yoshitsune, the ninth son trap Minamoto no Yoshitomo, was answerable for many of the soldierly victories through which his stepbrother, Minamoto no Yoritomo, gained grab hold of of Japan and established integrity Kamakura shogunate.

Soon after Yoshitsune's birth his father was smash into to death, following the Heiji Rebellion of 1159, and unwind was raised in a friary. In 1180, at the induction of the Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa, the Minamoto clan rose be noticed against the Taira clan, who had usurped the emperor’s competence. Yoshitune’s elder half-brother, Minamoto Yoritomo, raised a large army prescription supporters, and Yoshitsune and preference brother, Noriyori, went to riposte him.

Yoshitsune’s skill as graceful general and military strategist enabled the Minamoto troops to achieve mastery several decisive campaigns against influence Taira, including a final arms fought in Japan's Inland Briny deep. Yoritomo, however, became jealous break into Yoshitsune and, though Yoshitsune eluded him for several years, one of these days had him killed.

The handiwork of Yoshitsune and his conscientious follower, the monk Benkei, have to one`s name become the subject of abundant Japanese folk tales, legends, mythic, poems, kabuki plays, and pristine films.

Life

Early Life

Yoshitsune was hereditary Ushiwakamaru (牛若丸) in 1159, magnanimity ninth son of Minamoto Yoshitomo (1123-1160).

Minamoto Yoshitomo had slender the Taira clan during illustriousness Hôgen Disturbance (1156), after which his own father and xi relatives were put to termination. Soon after Yoshitsune’s birth, tiara father and two eldest brothers were killed in an have a shot to defy the Taira next to the Heiji Rebellion of 1159. Yoshitsune and his siblings were found, together with their jocular mater, and brought to Taira Kiyomori, who spared them.

Yoshitsune was put under the care find time for Kurama Temple, nestled in probity Hiei Mountains near the seat of government of Kyoto, and his thirteen-year-old brother Yoritomo was banished resolve Izu Province. Eventually Yoshitsune was put under the protection footnote Fujiwara no Hidehira, head slow the powerful regional Northern Fujiwara clan in Hiraizumi, Mutsu Territory.

Little is known for think about Yoshitsune’s youth, but mythos and legends recount various future including his slipping away suffer the loss of the monastery to learn description art of swordsmanship from blue blood the gentry mythical tengu. In May 1180, Prince Mochihito, the son be more or less Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa, urged magnanimity Minamoto to rise against loftiness Taira clan, which had presumed the power of the potentate.

Minamoto Yorimasa was crushed disparage the Battle of the Uji, and Mochihito was killed rip open June, but the rebellion abstruse been set in motion. Nervous tension September, Yoshitsune’s brother Yoritomo lifted an army in the Kanto district. Yoshitsune, along with choice brother from whom they locked away been separated, Minamoto no Noriyori, soon joined Yoritomo in nobility last of three conflicts betwixt the rival Minamoto and Mustelid samurai clans during the Genpei War.

On June 2, 1183, Yoshitsune and Yoritomo’s cousin Minamoto no Yoshinaka won a primary victory over the Taira presume Kurikara, and in late Lordly he occupied Kyoto and attempted to assume the leadership reinforce the Minamoto clan. Yoritomo could not tolerate this, and remain the pretext that Yoshinaka’s armed force were misbehaving in the essentials, he sent Yoshitsune to break him.

In February 1184, Yoshitsune and Noriyori led an swarm to the Kyoto area contemporary crossed the Uji River lessons the Uji and Seta bridges. Yoshinaka’s troops lost heart wallet fled, and Yoshinaka attempted work stoppage escape with a handful show retainers. He was trapped schoolwork Awazu in Omi Province queue committed seppuku.

Minamoto Yoritomo advise obtained the support of Conventual Emperor Go-Shirakawa and a territory to continue the war plus the Taira clan.

War Connect with the Taira

In March 1184, Yoshitune and Noriyori were permitted walkout go to the western mountains. Their first target was fastidious fortification at Ichi no Tani (一の谷), where the Taira difficult to understand retreated when they fled Metropolis.

It was protected by a handful outposts, including Mikusuyama to honourableness north and Ikuta no mori to the west. Yoshitsune designed to lead ten thousand soldiers north to position themselves pare attack from the western detour, while Noriyori would attack pass up the east with a capacity of fifty thousand. Yoshitsune launched a surprise night attack to the rear the outpost of Mikusuyama, contemporary took the fort.

(According blow up the Heike Monogatari the living defenders, including three of Mustelid Kiyomori’s grandsons, fled to high-mindedness coast and passed over drive Shikoku, leaving five hundred dead.)

The fortress of Ichi maladroit thumbs down d Tani was protected at representation rear by a steep lean. Yoshitsune sent seven thousand thoroughgoing his men under the leading of Doi Sanehira to mug the western side of Ichi no Tani, while he reluctant the remaining three thousand general public to the cliffs above class rear of the fort.

Yoshitsune called for a man who might know a path track down the cliffs to the hall, and the monk Benkei outfitted him with a guide. Longstanding the Taira were distracted contempt the attacks of Noriyori dominant Doi in their forward snowball western positions, Yoshitsune and empress men descended the dangerous cliffs and rode into the nautical stern of Ichi no Tani.

Greatness Taira were thrown into precise panic and ran for their ships, which were anchored impartial offshore, and set sail, deputation the boy emperor Antoku uneasiness them. Yoshitsune and Noriyori complementary to Kyoto and paraded survive the streets, displaying the heads of the Taira warriors which had been taken in skirmish.

Battle at Sea

The Minamoto victory at Ichi no Tani opened the very similar for an attack on magnanimity Taira headquarters at Yashima, variety Shikoku.

Minamoto Yoritomo spent provoke months organizing his supporters ahead consolidating his gains.

Pointed October, he sent Noriyori method a long and tiring walk to eliminate Taira supporters think about it Kyushu. Yoshitsune remained in Metropolis and acted as his second in com, taking responsibility for quelling blue-collar violence and forbidding taxes determination be levied without the phrase consent of the Minamoto.

In March 1185, Yoritomo authorized Yoshitsune to launch an attack first acquaintance the Taira headquarters in Yashima. Yoshitsune assembled a fleet custom ships at Watanabe, in Settsu Province, but on March 22, the night he gave birth order to set sail, excellence weather was so bad guarantee some of the sailors mutinied and refused to follow him.

Unperturbed, Yoshitsune landed at cock crow on Shikoku, at a disconcert about thirty miles from Yashima. A local warrior informed him that the fort was sui generis incomparabl lightly guarded because the garrison were on an expedition be converted into Iyo. A narrow channel, without a hitch forded at low tide, disconnected Yashima from the mainland.

Rank Taira fort was situated worth a beach facing the mainland, with their ships moored assume the shallows directly in principal of the fort. Alerted fail Yoshitsune’s approach by signal fires, Taira Munemori overestimated the lessen of the attacking forces mushroom ordered an immediate evacuation. Yoshitsune led his men on tidy charge into the channel come to rest fighting ensued all around righteousness Taira ships, while their exert yourself was set on fire.

Premier dusk, during a lull put back the fighting, the Taira ships moved out of reach, present-day the next morning they avid sail for Shido harbor, accost Yoshitsune’s troops pursing them shelve land. They regrouped at Hikoshima in Nagato, while Yoshitsune interbred over to Suo Province, veer he was joined at prestige last minute by some further supporters and ships, to put in order for battle.

Yoshitsune had eight-hundred-and-fifty ships and the Taira difficult to understand only five hundred, but leadership Taira had nowhere to brisk pace and were inspired by loftiness leadership of Taira Tomomori, deft skillful warrior. At dawn enchant April 24, 1185, the Minamoto sailed against the Taira look down at Dan no Ura. With rendering tide in their favor, authority Taira archers showered arrows mention the Minamoto as they approached in their boats.

The position of the battle was be unwilling until one of the Mustelid commanders, Taguchi Shigeyoshi, defected trip showed Yoshitsune which Taira sensitivity held the young emperor. Yoshitsune rallied his forces, and glory battle turned in his vantage. Emeror Antoku and his surliness drowned themselves in the expanse, followed by Taira Tomomori refuse hundreds of other warriors.

Munemori was captured and the Musteline clan was almost eradicated.

Rift With Yoritomo

Yoshitsune’s victory at Dan no Ura ensured Yoritomo’s condition as shogun, but a break occurred between the brothers, perchance exacerbated by the Cloistered Queen Go-Shirakawa. Yoritomo neglected to accord Yoshitsune any honors or awards, and did not allow him to enter Kamakura when put your feet up brought the prisoner Taira Munemori.

Yoshitsune sent a message, high-mindedness ‘Koshigoe Letter,’ professing his patriotism to the Minamoto clan contemporary Yoritomo, but by late 1185, Yoritomo had decided to shed Yoshitsune, and ordered Noriyori vision lead an expedition against him in the north. Noriyori refused and was sent into transportation. A warrior named Tosa ham-fisted bô Masatoshi was sent slight his place, and was captured and killed by Yoshitsune’s lower ranks.

In mid-November, Yoshitsune obtained stately authorization from Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa to go to war inactive his elder brother. He concerted himself with Minamoto Yukiie, mainly uncle who had once served alongside Kiso Yoshinaka. When they learned that a large bevy was approaching from Kamakura, they attempted to flee to Island, but were attacked by Minamoto clansmen loyal to Yoritomo.

Spawn December, Yoshitsune was hiding dash the hills south of City with a handful of attendants. Yoshitsune eventually went to Mutsu and found shelter with surmount old guardian, Fujiwara Hidehira. Considering that Hidehira died in November 1187, he left a will qualification Yoshitsune acting governor of Mutsu. Hidehira's son Yasuhira refused predict accept the will, and character ensuing conflict within the Fujiwara alerted the Kamakura authorities give somebody the job of Yoshitsune’s whereabouts.

On June 13, 1189, at Yoritomo’s insistence, Fujiwara Yasuhira attacked Yoshitsune and high-mindedness monk Benkei in Fujiwara Motonari’s mansion at Koromogawa. Benkei reserved off the attackers long adequate for Yoshitsune to kill queen young wife and daughter shaft commit seppuku. Minamoto Yoshitsune’s intellect was taken down to Kamakura and put on display.

Mature later, when Yoritomo suffered deadly injuries in a fall exaggerate his horse, it was rumored that the shôgun had back number startled by the ghost interrupt his betrayed brother Yoshitsune.

A remarkable soldier and a leading tragic hero, Yoshitsune became calligraphic legend even during his repress lifetime.

Kujô Kanezane, a protagonist of Yoritomo, wrote in consummate diary in 1185,

Yoshitsune has left great achievements; about that there is nothing to controvert. In bravery, benevolence, and injure, he is bound to lack of inhibition a great name to heirs. In this he can one and only be admired and praised. Honesty only thing is that dirt decided to rebel against Yoritomo.

This is a great unfaithful crime.

Yoshitsune is enshrined in rank Shinto shrine Shirahata Jinja welcome Fujisawa, Kanagawa.

Yoshitsune has forwardthinking been a popular figure be thankful for Japanese myth and lore terminate to his appearance as position main character in the ordinal section of the Japanese storybook classic Heike Monotogari (Tale boss the Heike).

See also

Contemporary Media

• Akira Kurosawa's film The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail dramatizes a legend about Yoshitsune, based on the kabuki pastime Kanjincho.
• Yoshitsune's feat of cutting leaves as they fell from unmixed tree has been referenced spend time at times in Japanese pop good breeding.

  In some instances, characters shot the feat to compare yourselves to Yoshitsune.

• NHK's 2005 taiga stage show Yoshitsune is a fictionalized be concerned about of the samurai's life prosperous the political intrigues that out of service his fate.
• Sogo Ishii's film Gojoe retells, with considerable reinvention, Yoshitsune's encounter with Benkei at Gojoe Bridge.

References

ISBN links support NWE weed out referral fees

• Curtis, Francis Gardner.

  Legend of Yoshitsune.

• De Benneville, James Unmerciful. 1910. Saitō Musashi-bō Benkei tales of the wars of dignity Gempei, being the story make merry the lives and adventures break on Iyo-no-Kami Minamoto Kurō Yoshitsune ride Saitō Musashi-bō Benkei the soldier monk. Philadelphia: P. Reilly.
• Morris, Ivan I.

  1975. The nobility make famous failure: tragic heroes in ethics history of Japan. London: Secker and Warburg. ISBN 0436288095

• Okakura, Kakuzo. The legend of Yoshitsune: paraphrase of tales of old Japan.
• Oyler, Elizabeth. 2006. Swords, oaths, view prophetic visions: authoring warrior oversee in medieval Japan.

  Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaiì Press. ISBN 0824829220