The Soga–Mononobe conflict, was a political and military dispute that took place in Japan during the

Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710, although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato period, Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after the ...

between the pro-Shinto

Mononobe clan The was a Japanese aristocratic kin group (''uji'') of the Kofun period, known for its military opposition to the Soga clan. The Mononobe were opposed to the spread of Buddhism, partly on religious grounds, claiming that the local deities wo ...

, led by

Mononobe no Moriya was an '' Ō-muraji'', a high-ranking clan head position of the ancient Japanese Yamato state, having inherited the position from his father Mononobe no Okoshi. Like his father, he was a devoted opponent of Buddhism, which had recently been intr ...

, and the pro-Buddhist

Soga clan The was one of the most powerful aristocratic kin groups Uji (clan), (''uji'') of the Asuka period of the early Japanese state—the Yamato period, Yamato polity—and played a major role in the spread of Buddhism in Japan. Through the 5th and ...

, led by

Soga no Umako was the son of Soga no Iname and a member of the powerful Soga clan of Japan. Conflicting evidence has suggested that Soga no Umako was actually an emperor during the Asuka period. Umako conducted political reforms with Prince Shōtoku during t ...

, which would eventually emerge victorious. The military comoponent of the conflict which broke out in the year 587 is known in Japanese as the .

Background

The Soga clan had risen to prominence under

Emperor Kinmei was the 29th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 欽明天皇 (29) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834)pp. 34–36 Brown, Delmer. (1979) ''Gukanshō,'' pp. 261–2 ...

, with

Soga no Iname was a leader of the Soga clan, an early proponent of Buddhism in Japan, and a statesman during the reign of Emperor Kinmei, Emperors Kinmei and Emperor Senka, Senka in the Asuka period. He was the first person to hold the position of Omi (title), ...

becoming the first Soga to hold the title (''

kabane were Japanese hereditary noble titles. Their use traces back to ancient times when they began to be used as titles signifying a family's political and social status. History At first, the ''kabane'' were administered by individual clans, but ...

'') of ''ōomi'' at the imperial court. Iname married two of his daughters to Kinmei, but died before the selection of Kinmei's non-Soga son

Emperor Bidatsu was the 30th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')敏達天皇 (30) retrieved 2013-1-31. according to the traditional order of succession. The years of reign of Bidatsu start in 572 and end in 585; however, there are no ...

as the imperial successor. Bidatsu's first empress was not a member of the Soga clan, but his second empress (the future

Empress Suiko (554 – 15 April 628) was the 33rd monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō''): She introduced Buddhism in Japan and built many Buddhist temples, but she held the balance between Buddhism and Shintoism. Under her rule, Japan ...

) was. Bidatsu's death led to a succession dispute among supporters of Prince Oshisako (the son of Bidatsu by his first wife), Prince Takeda (son of Bidatsu by his second wife), and Bidatsu's half-brother Prince Ōe (son of Kinmei by Soga no Kitashihime). Prince Oshisako had apparently been named crown prince by Emperor Bidatsu and had the support of the Mononobe clan, while the Soga clan under Soga no Umako supported the claim of Prince Ōe. The succession struggle turned violent after ''Ōomi'' Soga no Umako and ''Ōmuraji'' Motonobe no Moriya exchanged insults at the temporary interment ceremony for Emperor Bidatsu. The Soga clan was victorious and Prince Ōe was enthroned as

Emperor Yomei The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

. Soga no Umako continued to serve as ''ōomi'' under Emperor Yomei, and Yomei's wife was another member of the Soga clan who gave birth to four sons, including

Prince Shōtoku , also known as or , was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was the son of Emperor Yōmei and his consort, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito, who was also Yōmei's younger half ...

. The Soga–Mononobe conflict resurfaced during the succession crisis following Yomei's death, with the Soga once again victorious at the Battle of Mount Shigi, solidifying the clan's influential position at the imperial court.

Battle at Mount Shigi

Takeshi Umehara was born in Miyagi Prefecture in Tōhoku and graduated from the philosophical faculty of Kyoto University in 1948. He taught philosophy at Ritsumeikan University and was subsequently appointed president of the Kyoto City University of Arts. He ...

notes that some ancient and medieval accounts say that the decisive battle took place in July of 587 near Mount Shigi.Takeshi Umehara , ''仏教の勝利'' (Tokyo: Shogakkan, 1980), 291-292. Between July 1 and 2 the Soga are said to have been defeated in a series of engagements with the Mononobe, who, according to the ''

Nihon Shoki The or , sometimes translated as ''The Chronicles of Japan'', is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the , the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeol ...

'', employed a type of fortification called an ''inaki'', a palisade constructed from bundles of rice plants. The Soga gradually retreated westward and by July 3 the demoralized Soga troops had finally concentrated in the area between Mount Shigi and Mount Ikoma. Legend has it that at this point Prince Shōtoku of the Soga cut down a sacred nuride tree, fashioned it into an image of the

Four Heavenly Kings The Four Heavenly Kings are four Buddhism, Buddhist gods or Deva (Buddhism), ''devas'', each of whom is believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world. The Hall of Four Heavenly Kings is a standard component of Chinese Buddhism, Ch ...

of Buddhism, and placed it on his forehead. Shōtoku and Soga no Umako then both openly vowed to build a temple to the Four Heavenly Kings should they be victorious in the battle, which reenergized their men prior to the final confrontation.Kenneth Doo Lee, ''The Prince and the Monk: Shōtoku worship in Shinran's Buddhism '' (Tokyo: Shogakkan, 1980), 62.Ian Reader and George J Tanabe, ''Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan'' (Honolulu: University of Hawaiì Press, 1998), 159-160. In this final battle the turning point came when a Soga archer, named by the ''Nihon Shoki'' as one Tomi no Obito Ichii, fired the arrow which killed Mononobe clan leader Mononobe no Moriya, after which his forces were quickly routed. The main line of the Mononobe family, the most powerful opponent of Buddhism, was, together with its retainers including Totoribe no Yorozu, killed in the battle. The survivors were dispersed, and some adopted a different name. Shōtoku has traditionally been credited with the founding of two temples which he is said to have had constructed following the battle: Shitennoji and Shigisan Temple.

Notes

The name of Mount Shigi where the battle took place has been written as both ''Shigisan'' and ''Shigisen'' and for this reason the battle has been referred to as the Battle of Shigisan or Battle of Shigisen.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soga-Mononobe conflict Battles involving Japan Asuka period 580s conflicts 550s 560s 570s 580s 6th century in Japan Buddhism and violence Japanese imperial history