Who was this person?
The warrior who founded the Kamakura shogunate. Exiled to Izu after the Heiji disturbance, he rose against the Taira in 1180 and, sending his brother Yoshitsune and others, destroyed them at Dannoura in 1185. He set up military governors and estate stewards to create rule by warriors and was appointed shogun in 1192.
| Name | Minamoto no Yoritomo (源頼朝) |
|---|---|
| Born–died | 1147 – 1199 |
| Period | Late Heian–Kamakura |
| Birthplace | Atsuta, Owari Province (now Nagoya), by tradition |
| Also known as | Kamakura-dono |
| Main achievements |
|
Born the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, head of the Minamoto. His mother, daughter of the chief priest of Atsuta Shrine, was of high rank, so he was raised as heir ahead of his elder brothers.
At 12 he went to war for the first time. His father Yoshitomo was defeated by Taira no Kiyomori and lost his life fleeing east. Separated from his father during the flight, Yoritomo was captured by the Taira.
He was to be executed, but at the plea of Kiyomori's stepmother Ike no Zenni his life was spared and at 13 he was exiled to Izu. For some twenty years he lived under watch, praying for his father and reading sutras, it is said.
Around this time he wed Masako, daughter of the Izu chieftain Hōjō Tokimasa. Fearing the Taira, Tokimasa objected, but Masako is said to have run to Yoritomo through the rainy night. The Hōjō became his great support.
Answering Prince Mochihito's call, he rose up. Crushed at Ishibashiyama, he escaped by boat to Awa (Chiba), won over the Kantō warriors and entered Kamakura. At the Fuji River the Taira army withdrew without fighting, and at Kisegawa he had a tearful meeting with his brother Yoshitsune.
In Kamakura he set up the Samurai-dokoro to organize his vassal warriors (gokenin). Rather than march on Kyoto at once, he chose first to secure the Kantō.
Minamoto no Yoshinaka drove the Taira from the capital but was ill regarded there. Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa recognized Yoritomo's control of the eastern provinces, and Yoritomo sent his brothers Noriyori and Yoshitsune to the capital.
He established the Kumonjo (later the Mandokoro) and the Monchūjo, setting up administration and courts, and invited learned officials such as Ōe no Hiromoto from Kyoto.
Yoshitsune and others destroyed the Taira at Dan-no-ura, but Yoritomo fell out with Yoshitsune, who had accepted court rank without his permission. Citing the hunt for Yoshitsune, he won court approval to place shugo in each province and jitō on estates. Many date the shogunate from this year.
Fujiwara no Yasuhira of Ōshū, who had sheltered Yoshitsune, attacked him and drove him to take his life; yet Yoritomo personally led a great army and destroyed the Ōshū Fujiwara. No major power now opposed him.
He went up to Kyoto with a large army and met Go-Shirakawa for the first time. Appointed to high court posts, he soon resigned and returned to Kamakura.
After Go-Shirakawa's death he was appointed shogun. That year his second son Sanetomo was born. Shogun and vassals were bound by "favor" (protecting and granting land) and "service" (fighting).
The Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji in Nara, burned by the Taira, was rebuilt, and he attended the dedication with Masako.
His eldest daughter Ōhime died of illness. She is said never to have recovered after her father had her childhood fiancé Minamoto no Yoshitaka (Yoshinaka's son) killed. His plan to wed her to the emperor came to nothing.
He is said to have died after falling from his horse late the previous year on the way back from a bridge dedication (cause debated). Before long his wife Masako and the Hōjō came to sustain the shogunate.
A. The warrior who founded the Kamakura shogunate. Exiled to Izu after the Heiji disturbance, he rose against the Taira in 1180 and, sending his brother Yoshitsune and others, destroyed them at Dannoura in 1185. He set up military governors and estate stewards to create rule by warriors and was appointed shogun in 1192.
A. Period: Late Heian–Kamakura. Born in 1147, died in 1199.
A. Minamoto no Yoritomo was born in Atsuta, Owari Province (now Nagoya), by tradition.
A. It used to be dated to 1192, when he became shogun, but many now stress 1185, when he appointed military governors and stewards. Other views give 1180 or 1183.
See also: Wikipedia (ja) / Wikipedia (en) / Wikipedia (fr) / Wikipedia (zh) / Wikidata
Follow this life (autoplay)Taira no KiyomoriHōjō MasakoHōjō Yasutoki
HōnenHōjō MasakoMinamoto no YoshitsuneShinranHōjō YasutokiDōgenNichirenHōjō Tokimune
People of the Kamakura period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.