Japan -- History; Japan -- Politics and government
The power of the He family was thus completely broken, and that of the
Gen or Minnamoto firmly established, mainly through the prowess and
generalship of Yoshitzune. Yoritomo began to be jealous of his brother
on account of the credit and reputation he had gained by his success.
He picked a quarrel with him on the ground of his having married a
daughter of the enemy of the house, Kio mori, and sent forces against
him, demanding of the Emperor that his father-in-law, Hojio, should be
appointed generalissimo, by this means filling the places of command
with his own creatures. Yoshitzune left the capital and retired to
Oshiu to his old friend Hide Hira, governor of the province. Yoritomo
was enraged at an asylum being given to his brother in the north, and
sent orders to have him put to death. Yasu hira, the son of his old
friend, attacked him, and Yoshitzune, being unprepared and seeing no
way of escape, destroyed himself, after first killing his wife and
children. Yoritomo, angry with the man for doing what he himself had
ordered, marched against Yasu hira with a large army, and finally
destroyed him. Yoritomo built a palace for himself in Miako, but
appears generally to have lived at Kamakura. At this latter place are
to be seen to this day the remains of his work in the roads cut through
rocks which confined the space of ground set apart for his residence.
In 1190 he went to Miako, where he had built a palace, and in great
state visited the Emperor; but after a month’s residence in the
capital he returned to Kamakura. In 1192 the old Emperor Go zira kawa
died at the age of sixty-seven. He had lived, after his abdication,
during parts of the reigns of five emperors, his sons and grandsons.
He had during forty years taken a very active part in the working of
the government, and had passed through the most exciting time in the
history of his country. His last years were spent in tranquillity.
Yoritomo was appointed Sei dai Shiogoon. Suspecting his brother Nori
Yori of plotting against him, he banished him to Idzu, where he was
soon after put to death. He again visited the capital for four months
in 1195, but returned to Kamakura, from which place he virtually ruled
the empire. He fell from his horse toward the end of 1198, and died
shortly after, in 1199, at the age of fifty-three. He is generally
regarded as the greatest hero in Japanese history. But his treatment of
his brother has been a great blot upon his character, and lowered him
very much in the regard of his countrymen. Yoshitzune is looked upon
as the mirror of chivalry, and his conduct is held up to the youth of
the country for imitation, rather than the calculating, bloody, though
brilliant career of Yoritomo.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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