Turmoil and The Samurai Rise to Power
samurai history
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The imperial metropolis Heian-kyō, literally “Tranquility and Peace Capital,” had already been a mess for several years with clashes and duels occurring every day. In 1156, Toba, the cloistered emperor and official ruler of the empire, died. His death was the pretext for the decisive phase in the court power struggles, starting with Fujiwara no Yorinaga, the Imperial Palace Minister. He and his sympathizers backed the candidacy of Sutoku, the emperor who had ruled before having to abdicate to Toba. But the anti-Fujiwara faction favored emperor Go-Shirakawa, who ultimately won. Whereas in the past such matters were resolved behind the scenes, in this case no one was willing to compromise, making a simple and quiet palace reshuffle impossible. The losers were declared traitors and both sides called on the samurai to settle the dispute with their swords.
One half of the Minamoto clan took an oath of obedience to Sutoku and the other half to Go-Shirakawa and the same thing happened in the military clan of Taira, albeit to a lesser degree. The military forces of the anti-Fujiwara group were managed by the Taira leader, Taira no Kiyomori and the Minamoto clan member Yoshitomo. On the other hand, the samurai loyal to the Fujiwara were under the command of Yoshitomo’s father and younger brother Tametomo. In addition, most of the strong Buddhist monastery squads remained loyal to the Fujiwara.
One fateful evening, the Fujiwara forces and their opponents gathered around the city. Both sides realized that a clash was unavoidable, and indeed, sheer hell broke loose. The warlords loyal to the Fujiwara gathered in the palace. A young, tall, and stocky samurai whose name was Tametomo Minamoto stood out among the generals. Even though he was only seventeen, he was well known throughout the entire nation for he had taken part in more than twenty wars and had won two hundred fights. He rallied the clan with a speech:
“If we do not charge first this night, then they will! I know my elder brother very well: he is the most cunning and unflinching opponent, the most dangerous enemy! He is savvy in warfare and will snatch the opportunity to attack first if he has the advantage of force and surprise! Let me bear down on them with my resolute samurai! Surprise and darkness will even the odds and we will be victorious!”
Ascension by T. Berg (print & painting) || All Artwork
The father of the two foes, an old samurai, listened to the ardent speech of his youngest son with a deeply sorrowful look on his face. He knew that despite his son’s youth and quick- temper, he was right. But Yorinaga, head of Fujiwara government, was a hard-edged Confucian moralist and rejected Tametomo’s suggestion, stating that although the tactic may be useful, it could not be employed by the imperial family. So Fujiwara ordered to take a defensive position and wait for reinforcements which were due to arrive the following morning from Nara. Even though he had to obey, the young samurai was furious, saying that they were losing their last chance for victory and should prepare for death. Those proved to be prophetic words. The Taira attacked from all sides in the middle of the night, shooting hundreds of fire arrows into the air and a fierce battle erupted in the glow of the burning palaces.
Tametomo was unmerciful with his mighty bow and shot without missing a single target except for when he saw his brother among the attackers. His heart faltered and instead of a battlefield arrow he loaded a harmless whistling-bulb arrow which bounced off Yoshitomo’s helmet. While Yoshitomo understood that his brother had spared his life, he only dug deeper into the stirrups, howled, and led his warriors on the attack. A cacophony of clashing steel and dying men’s cries filled the city. The samurai of the Minamoto clan, the last defenders of the Fujiwara, lay in pools of blood along the walls of the burning palace. Only a handful of warriors with the young hero Tametomo, seriously injured in his pierced armor, were still standing. In that battle the he attained immortal status in Japanese history, and the Fujiwara officially fell from power once and for all.
Archer by T. Berg (print & painting) || All Artwork
The next morning the victors arose to the grim aftermath of war. Many of the dead were still grasping the swords and spears that were lodged in the bodies of the opponents. Their blood-stained faces expressed resolve and rage. The Tranquility and Peace Capital had become the Capital of Death. Its exquisite palaces and temples had become ash and the air reeked of charred flesh. And it didn’t take long before the killing resumed. Citizens were horrified when several members of the imperial family were killed in the first public execution in the last three centuries. Watching the Taira leader Taira no Kiyomori beheading his own uncle was especially gruesome. Yoshitomo either could not prevent the executions or simply didn’t want to save his father and nine brothers, four of which were minors. All of them met their end courageously. Even in those cruel times, that was unheard-of. According to the samurai moral code, loyalty to one’s oath was above kinship.
One exception was Tametomo. He was not executed, probably because of his extreme valor, and after being banished to Ryukyu Island, he married the ruler’s daughter which initiated another glorious dynasty of leaders there. Despite the fact that one of his arms had been intentionally disabled making him thus uncapable of bracing his bow, the brave archer did not accept defeat and rose a rebellion against the victors. Having won glory in combats, he went on with his struggle until his final defeat in 1170. After that he committed harakiri – one of the first officially reported cases in Japanese chronicles. His name became a legend and a symbol of devotion to duty for all times to come... read further in the bookBack to the Blog
This is part of a chapter from Samurai: Ascension by A. R. Berg
