Kiyohara no Iehira
Encyclopedia
Kiyohara no Iehira (died 1087) was a member of the Kiyohara clan, which wielded significant power in the Tohoku region
from around 1063 to 1089, during Japan's Heian period
; he was also a key participant in the Gosannen War
which grew out of conflicts within the clan.
In the early 1080s, a conflict developed between Iehira and his relatives Narihira and Masahira, who were each head of one branch of the family; each desired to head the honke
(main family line). By 1083, this conflict had erupted into outright violence. Minamoto no Yoshiie
traveled to the region in hopes of settling the conflict and restoring peace and order.
Yoshiie allied himself to Iehira, and attempted to settle the issue diplomatically. When that failed, he went into battle, alongside Iehira and Fujiwara no Kiyohira
, a cousin of the Kiyohara, against Kiyohara no Sanehira. After Sanehira's defeat, however, Iehira saw the possibility of his own rise to power improving; Yoshiie and Iehira turned on one another. The battles between the two would prove to be the main action of the war.
Iehira first made a stand at a wooden stockade fortress called Numa; the Minamoto suffered heavy losses in besieging this stockade, due primarily to the cold and snow. Iehira later established a camp near Yoshiie's fortress at Kanezawa. With the aid of his uncle, Kiyohara no Takahira, Iehira made a series of assaults on the Kanezawa fortress; the siege lasted roughly three years, at the end of which the Minamoto were victorious. According to various narratives, Yoshiie saw a flock of birds emerge from the forest when he was on his way to attack the Kiyohara camp; this told him that an ambush had been set up, since the Kiyohara ambushers disturbed the birds, and thus Yoshiie was able to avoid the attack.
The fighting at Kanezawa ended with the deaths of Iehira and his uncle.
Tohoku region
The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....
from around 1063 to 1089, during Japan's Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
; he was also a key participant in the Gosannen War
Gosannen War
The Gosannen War , also known by the English translation Later Three-Year War, was fought during Japan's Heian period in the province of Mutsu at the far north of Japan's main island of Honshū. Though some scholars date the war to the period of 1086 to 1089, others place it a few years earlier,...
which grew out of conflicts within the clan.
In the early 1080s, a conflict developed between Iehira and his relatives Narihira and Masahira, who were each head of one branch of the family; each desired to head the honke
Honke
is the main household of Japanese family. The head of a household and his successor reside in the honke, while collateral branches establish bunke. The honke-bunke relationship is also reflected in the relationship between Japanese companies and their subsidiaries....
(main family line). By 1083, this conflict had erupted into outright violence. Minamoto no Yoshiie
Minamoto no Yoshiie
Minamoto no Yoshiie , also known as Hachimantarō, was a Minamoto clan samurai of the late Heian period, and Chinjufu shogun...
traveled to the region in hopes of settling the conflict and restoring peace and order.
Yoshiie allied himself to Iehira, and attempted to settle the issue diplomatically. When that failed, he went into battle, alongside Iehira and Fujiwara no Kiyohira
Fujiwara no Kiyohira
was a samurai of mixed Japanese-Emishi parentage of the late Heian period , who was the founder of the Hiraizumi or Northern Fujiwara dynasty that ruled Northern Japan from about 1100 to 1189....
, a cousin of the Kiyohara, against Kiyohara no Sanehira. After Sanehira's defeat, however, Iehira saw the possibility of his own rise to power improving; Yoshiie and Iehira turned on one another. The battles between the two would prove to be the main action of the war.
Iehira first made a stand at a wooden stockade fortress called Numa; the Minamoto suffered heavy losses in besieging this stockade, due primarily to the cold and snow. Iehira later established a camp near Yoshiie's fortress at Kanezawa. With the aid of his uncle, Kiyohara no Takahira, Iehira made a series of assaults on the Kanezawa fortress; the siege lasted roughly three years, at the end of which the Minamoto were victorious. According to various narratives, Yoshiie saw a flock of birds emerge from the forest when he was on his way to attack the Kiyohara camp; this told him that an ambush had been set up, since the Kiyohara ambushers disturbed the birds, and thus Yoshiie was able to avoid the attack.
The fighting at Kanezawa ended with the deaths of Iehira and his uncle.