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Minamoto no Yoshitomo

Type Figure Region Japan Time 1123–1160 Also known as Kawachi Minamoto

Minamoto no Yoshitomo (1123–1160) was a warrior of the Kawachi Minamoto and a leader of local warriors in the Kantō region in the late Heian period.…

Timeline

  1. 1123–1140Kantō · KantōSon of Minamoto no Tameyoshi, of the main line of the Kawachi Minamoto. He trained in arms from childhood, accumulating military strength and local connections across the Kantō provinces. During this stage the Minamoto's standing among local warriors rose steadily, laying the military foundation for their later intervention in court coups.
  2. 1141–1150Heian-kyō · KinaiIn the 1140s he entered Heian-kyō, serving as a kebiishi and other posts, representing Kantō warrior interests in court affairs. During this time conflicts over imperial succession intensified; Yoshitomo allied with Emperor Go-Shirakawa's camp, forming a rivalry with Taira no Kiyomori and the Retired Emperor Sutoku's faction.
  3. 1151–1160Owari Province · TōkaiIn the Hōgen Disturbance of 1156 he led Minamoto warriors supporting Emperor Go-Shirakawa, defeating the Retired Emperor Sutoku's forces; afterwards his relations with Taira no Kiyomori deteriorated, and in the Hōji Disturbance of 1160 he rose against the Taira, was defeated, fled, and was killed by his subordinates in Owari. His son Minamoto no Yoritomo later founded the Kamakura shogunate, completing what his father had failed to achieve.

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