Minamoto no Yoritomo

A warlord who established the Samurai and the military government, Minamoto no Yoritomo ended the Heian Period and started the Kamakura Period. Samurais capture our imagination through mainstream media, but how did Minamoto create this warrior class? Let's take a closer look at Minamoto no Yoritomo, the Genpei War, and the establishment of the Kamakura Period!

Minamoto No Yoritomo Timeline

The timeline below offers a simple breakdown of the life of Minamoto no Yoritomo. After the timeline, we'll dive deeper into these events' significance!

Minamoto No Yoritomo Biography

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the son of the warlord Minamoto no Yoshitomo and his wife Yura Gozen on May 9, 1147. Yoritomo had two brothers, Yoshihira and Noriyori. He also had two half-brothers, Tomonaga and Yoshitsune. The Minamoto were a powerful clan that dominated Eastern Japan while their political rivals, the Taira, controlled the West. Yoshitomo, Yoritomo's father, challenged the Taira and lost in 1159. Part of his punishment was the banishment of Yoritomo to the Izu province. For twenty years, Yoritomo lived beneath the Taira.

Genpei War (1180 - 1185)

The Minamoto and Taira were loyal to Emperor Go-Shirakawa and his court, but that didn’t stop tensions from rising between the Minamoto and the Taira. The Emperor resigned from the throne and left his infant son, Anotku, to rule. The Minamoto, led by Yoritomo and Taira clans, met in a series of battles called the Genpei War.

Fig 1: "The Battle of Yashima in the Genpei War" by Kunisada in 1838.

The war began with several attacks on the Taira across Japan. Eventually, the Taira met the rebels, led by Yoritomo, in battle. Yoritomo had over 100,000 more men than the Taira. The Taira retreated, and Yoritomo focused on strengthening his army. This war lasted for five years and ended with the death of the young Antoku.

Death of the Emperor

Antoku, who was six years old, was fleeing from the capital, Kyoto, with his grandmother. The pair traveled on Tairo ships but were eventually surrounded by Minamoto warriors and their allies. The general on the boat declared that it was better to die than to be captured by the Minamoto. The general then took his own life.

Antoku’s grandmother carried him to the stern of the boat and led him through Buddhist prayers. After which, she jumped from the boat with the boy in her arms. The two died together, followed by the rest of the soldiers on the boat. This is the first instance of a practice called seppuku.

Yoritomo won the Genpei War in 1185. During this, Yoritomo consolidated a significant amount of power. He also had the loyalty of the warriors who had been displeased with the Taira rule.

Minamoto no Yoritomo Achievements

The war was over, but Yoritomo's work was not over. He began to consolidate power and kill his enemies. Yoshitsune, Yoritomo's brother, gained the reputation of a strong warrior during the Genpei War. He was brave, heroic, and intelligent, plus, unfortunately for Yoshitsune, a threat.

Yoritomo wasn't going to risk losing his newfound power for his brother, so Yoshitsune was exiled. Two years later, the warrior was forced to commit seppuku.

Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo

In 1192, the former emperor, Go-Shirakawa, died. Yoritomo saw this as a chance to advance his position; Yoritomo declared himself the Shogun and created a military government called a bakufu or Shogunate. He established his base as far from Kyoto as possible in Kamakura.

Fig 2: Minamoto no Yoritomo

Yoritomo’s power grab was successful, thus ending the Heian period and starting the Kamakura period. The emperor had been reduced to a figurehead who only held power in Kyoto. Yoritomo introduced sweeping reforms. A clear and fair justice system was established with the Minamoto clan as the head.

Minamoto no Yoritomo Impacts on Japan

The clans that assisted Yoritomo during the Gempei war were rewarded for their loyalty during Minamoto's rule. They were given land they could rule, but it was tied to the Minamoto's power. The Minamoto could give out land and titles but take them away just as quickly. This encouraged the warlords to remain loyal to the Shogun. Yoritomo died in a horse riding accident in 1199.

The system that Yoritomo created would evolve into the feudal system in Japan. The Shogun would grant land to lords, who were called daimyo, in exchange for their loyalty. The people tied to this land would work for the daimyo. The daimyo would raise their army. The daimyo didn’t own their territory. Instead, it was loaned to them by the Shogun.

Fig 3: Image of Minamoto no Yoritomo

The feudal system lasted Minamoto no Yoritomo and significantly impacted Japan. Eventually, this system became an issue for the Shogun. Daimyos, who had lands far from Kyoto, were far from the Shogun’s influence. They had more control over their lands and would raise armies to challenge the very Shogun to who they were supposedly loyal!

Minamoto no Yoritomo, along with his allies, changed the course of Japanese history. When Yoritomo took power, he ended the Heian period, which the Kamakura replaced. Yoritomo’s power was not sustainable and led to periods of unrest as warlords fought to take the title of Shogun. Still, it was a completely different system than the one Japan had previously.