Minamoto
was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the Heian period (794–1185 AD), although its last occurrence was during the Sengoku period. The Taira were another such offshoot of the imperial dynasty, making both clans distant relatives. The Minamoto clan is also called the , or less frequently, the , using the on'yomi reading for Minamoto. The Minamoto were one of four great clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period—the other three were the Fujiwara, the Taira, and the Tachibana. History The first emperor to grant the surname Minamoto was Minamoto no Makoto, seventh son of Emperor Saga. The most prominent of the several Minamoto families, the Seiwa Genji, descended from Minamoto no Tsunemoto (897–961), a grandson of Emperor Seiwa. Tsunemoto went to the pr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Seiwa Genji
The is a line of the Japanese Minamoto clan that is descended from Emperor Seiwa, which is the most successful and powerful line of the clan. Many of the most famous Minamoto warriors, including Minamoto no Yoshiie, Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura shogunate; and Ashikaga Takauji, the founder of the Ashikaga shogunate, belonged to this line. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, also claimed descent from this lineage. The family is named after Emperor Seiwa, whose four sons and twelve grandsons founded the Seiwa Genji. Emperor Seiwa was father of Imperial Prince Sadazumi (貞純親王 ''Sadazumi Shinnō'') (873–916), who was in turn the father of Minamoto no Tsunemoto (源経基) (894–961), one of the founders of the Seiwa Genji, from whom most Seiwa Genji members are descended. Many samurai families belong to this line and used "Minamoto" clan name in official records, including the Ashikaga clan, Hatakeyama clan, Hosokawa clan, Ima ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Go-Shirakawa Genji
was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the ''insei'' system – scholars differ as to whether his rule can be truly considered part of the ''insei'' system, given that the Hōgen Rebellion undermined the imperial position. However, it is broadly acknowledged that by politically outmaneuvering his opponents, he attained greater influence and power than the diminished authority of the emperor's position during this period would otherwise allow. Posthumously, this 12th-century sovereign was named after the 11th-century Emperor Shirakawa. ''Go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Shirakawa", or in some older sources, may be identified as "Shirakawa, the second" or as "Shirakawa II". Unusually, the years of Go-Shirakawa's reign are ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Montoku Genji
(August 826 – 7 October 858) was the 55th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 文徳天皇 (55)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Montoku's reign lasted from 850 to 858. Traditional narrative Before Montoku's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (''imina'') was . He was also known as ''Tamura-no-mikado''Varley, p. 165. or ''Tamura-tei''. He was the eldest son of Emperor Ninmyō. His mother was Empress Dowager Fujiwara no Junshi (also called the Gojō empress 五条后), daughter of the minister of the left, Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu. Montoku had six Imperial consorts and 29 Imperial children.Brown, p. 285. Events of Montoku's life * 6 May 850 ('' Kashō 3, 21st day of the 3rd month''): In the 17th year of Ninmyō''-tennō''s reign (仁明天皇十七年), the emperor died; and his eldest son received the succession (''senso''). * 850 (''Kashō 3, 4th month''): Emperor Montoku formally acceded to the throne (''so ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Heian Period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. It is a period in Japanese history when the Chinese influences were in decline and the national culture matured. The Heian period is also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art, especially poetry and literature. Two types of Japanese script emerged, including katakana, a phonetic script which was abbreviated into hiragana, a cursive alphabet with a unique writing method distinctive to Japan. This gave rise to Japan's famous vernacular literature, with many of its texts written by court women who were not as educated in Chinese compared to their male counterparts. Although the Imperial House of Japan had power on the surface, the real power was in the hands of the Fujiwara clan, a powerful aristocratic f ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fujiwara Clan
was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. They held the title of Ason. The abbreviated form is . The 8th century clan history ''Tōshi Kaden'' (藤氏家伝) states the following at the biography of the clan's patriarch, Fujiwara no Kamatari (614–669): "Kamatari, the Inner Palace Minister who was also called ‘Chūrō'',''’ was a man of the Takechi district of Yamato Province. His forebears descended from Ame no Koyane no Mikoto; for generations they had administered the rites for Heaven and Earth, harmonizing the space between men and the gods. Therefore, it was ordered their clan was to be called Ōnakatomi" The clan originated when the founder, Nakatomi no Kamatari (614–669) of the Nakatomi clan, was rewarded by Emperor Tenji with the honori ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Taira Clan
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided into four major groups, named after the emperor they descended from: Kanmu Heishi, Ninmyō Heishi, Montoku Heishi, and Kōkō Heishi. The clan is commonly referred to as or , using the character's On'yomi for ''Taira'', while means " clan", and is used as a suffix for "extended family". History Along with the Minamoto, Taira was one of the honorary surnames given by the emperors of the Heian Period (794–1185 CE) to their children and grandchildren who were not considered eligible for the throne. The clan was founded when the Imperial Court grew too large, and the emperor ordered that the descendants of previous emperors from several generations ago would no longer be princes, but would instead be given noble surnames and ra ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Uda Genji
The {{nihongo, Uda Genji, 宇多源氏} were the successful and powerful line of a Japanese Minamoto clan that were descended from Emperor Uda (宇多天皇). Overview Many of the famous Minamoto warriors, including Sasaki clan (佐々木氏), also known as ''Daimyō'' Kyōgoku clan (京極氏); Sasaki Nariyori (佐々木成頼), the founder of the :ja:近江源氏, Ōmi Genji clan (近江源氏); and Sasaki Yoshikiyo (佐々木義清), the founder of the :ja:出雲源氏, Izumo Genji clan (出雲源氏) belong to this line. The family is named after Emperor Uda, grandfather of Minamoto no Masanobu, Minamoto no Masazane (源雅信), patriarch of the Uda Genji (宇多源氏). Emperor Uda was father of Imperial Prince Atsumi (敦實親王 ''Atsumi Shinnō'') (892-966) - father of Minamoto no Masazane (源雅信) (920-993), founder of the Uda Genji, from whom the Uda Genji is descended. Many samurai families of Ōmi Province, Ōmi and Izumo Province belong to this line and had u ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Minamoto No Tsunemoto
was a samurai and Imperial Prince during Japan's Heian period, one of the progenitors of the Seiwa Genji branch of the Minamoto clan. He was a son of Sadazumi-shinnō and grandson of Emperor Seiwa. Legend has it that Tsunemoto, in his childhood, was called Rokusonnō (), with "roku" (六, six) meaning that his father was the sixth son of Emperor Seiwa, and "son" (孫, "grandson") meaning that he was a grandson of the Emperor. He was also the predecessor of Takeda ryu. Tsunemoto took part in a number of campaigns for the Imperial Court, including those against Taira no Masakado in 940 and against Fujiwara no Sumitomo the following year. He held the title of '' Chinjufu-shōgun'', or Commander-in-chief of the Defense of the North, and was granted the clan name of Minamoto by the Emperor in 961, the year he died. Tsunemoto was the father of Minamoto no Mitsunaka. Family * Father: Sadazumi-shinnō (貞純親王, 873?-916), "''Prince Sadazumi''", son of Emperor Seiwa * Mother: Min ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Minamoto No Makoto
was the seventh son of the Japanese Emperor Saga, and was the first courtier to be given the name Minamoto. Initially an honorary name given to a number of unrelated courtiers by a number of different Emperors, the Minamoto clan would grow to be an integrated clan family, one of the most powerful and most important in all of Japanese history. Makoto, also known as Kitabe-daijin, was the brother of Emperor Nimmyō, Minamoto no Tokiwa, and Minamoto no Tōru. He received the name "Minamoto" in 814. Towards the end of his life, in 866, the main gate (''Ōtemmon'') of the Imperial Palace was destroyed by a fire; in one of the Heian period's more famous events of court intrigues, Makoto was accused by his political rival Tomo no Yoshio of having set the blaze. This came to be known as the " Ōtenmon Conspiracy" (応天門の変, ''Ōtemmon no Hen''); with the help of his powerful connections at court, Makoto was able to successfully argue his innocence. It was later discovered that Ba ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Japanese Clans
This is a list of Japanese clans. The old clans (''Gōzoku'') mentioned in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki lost their political power before the Heian Period, during which new aristocracies and families, '' Kuge'', emerged in their place. After the Heian Period, the samurai warrior clans gradually increased in importance and power until they came to dominate the country after the founding of the first shogunate. Ancient clan names There are ancient-era clan names called or . Imperial Clan * The Imperial clan – descended from Amaterasu. Its emperors and clan members have no clan name but had been called "the royal clan" () if necessary. Four noble clans , 4 noble clans of Japan: * Minamoto clan ( 源氏) – also known as Genji (源氏) or Genke (源家); 21 cadet branches of Imperial House of Japan. ** Daigo Genji ( 醍醐源氏) – descended from 60th emperor Daigo. ** Go-Daigo Genji ( 後醍醐源氏) – descended from 96th emperor Go-Daigo. ** Go-Fukakusa Genji ( ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Go-Saga Genji
was the 88th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years 1242 through 1246. This 13th-century sovereign was named after the 8th-century Emperor Saga and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Saga". The Japanese word ''go'' has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Saga, the second", or as "Saga II". Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was . He was the second son of Emperor Tsuchimikado, and second cousin of his predecessor Emperor Shijō. *Empress: Saionji (Fujiwara) no Yoshi-ko (西園寺(藤原)姞子) Later Ōmiya-in (大宮院), Saionji Saneuji’s daughter **Fourth son: Imperial Prince Hisahito (久仁親王) later Emperor Go-Fukakusa **First daughter: Imperial Princess Osako (綜子内親王; 1247-1269)later Gekkamon-in (月 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tachibana Clan (kuge)
{{nihongo, Tachibana clan, 橘氏, Tachibana-uji, Tachibana-shi was one of the four most powerful ''kuge'' (court nobility) families in Japan's Nara and early Heian periods. Members of the Tachibana family often held high court posts within the Daijō-kan (Ministry of State), most frequently ''Sadaijin'' (Minister of the Left). Like the other major families at court, they also constantly sought to increase and secure their power by marrying into the imperial family. However, as the Fujiwara clan gained power over the course of the 9th and 10th centuries, the Tachibana were eclipsed and eventually became scattered across the country. Though serving in high government posts outside the capital, they were thus denied the degree of power and influence within the court at Kyoto (Heian-kyō) which they once enjoyed. The name of ''Tachibana'' was bestowed on Agata-no-Inukai no Michiyo by Empress Genmei in 708. She was the wife of Prince Minu, a descendant of Emperor Bidatsu and m ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |