Fujiwara no Kiyohira
Encyclopedia
was a samurai of mixed Japanese-Emishi
parentage of the late Heian period
(794–1185), who was the founder of the Hiraizumi or Northern Fujiwara
dynasty that ruled Northern Japan from about 1100 to 1189.
Kiyohira was the son of Fujiwara no Tsunekiyo
and a daughter of Abe no Yoritoki
whose name is not known. He was born somewhere in the Kitakami Basin in 1056. His father was of the Hidesato branch of the Fujiwara clan which was known for their fighting ability. Even so Tsunekiyo was a mid-level bureaucrat at Fort Taga
in present day Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
when he married his Emishi
wife, left his position and went to live with his wife's family in present day Iwate Prefecture
. Thus, Kiyohira was born in an Emishi household in Emishi territory to a father who was considered a traitor by the Japanese authorities.
Much of his early life was spent in a community at war with the Japanese central authorities. The Earlier Nine Years War (Zenkunen War
, 前九年合戦) was fought on and off from 1050 to 1062 while the Latter Three Years War (Gosannen War
, 後三年合戦) ran from 1083 to 1087. He lost his grandfather, Abe no Yoritoki, in battle in 1057, his uncle Sadato in 1062 and all of his mother's brothers were deported to Kyūshū
in the same year. His own father was personally beheaded by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
(源 頼義) with a blunt sword. These are the events which would shape his life and influence his decisions as long as he lived.
After he lost his father in The Earlier Nine Wars, his mother became the concubine of his enemy, Kiyohara no Takehira, who had helped Minamoto no Yoriyoshi in the last war. Kiyohira was brought up in this enemy clan as Kiyohara no Kiyohira, with his elder stepbrother Sanehira and younger half-brother Iehira. The Later Three Years War involved a struggle among the three brothers in this complex relationship. Kiyohira won the final victory in the war in 1087, with aid of Minamoto no Yoshiie
(源 義家), the son of another of his old enemies, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
. Kiyohira, however, lost his wife and son during the war, killed by his half-brother Iehira.
Victorious in the Latter Three Years War Kiyohira returned to his home at Fort Toyota (Iwayadō Castle
), in present day Esashi Ward, Ōshū
City, to plan his future. Sometime around 1090 to 1100 he built a new home on Mount Kanzan, "Barrier Mountain" in what is now Hiraizumi Town. There appear to be three main reasons for his choice of site. First was its location directly on the Frontier Way, the main highway leading south to the capital and other major cities and north to the lands he controlled. Secondly it was determined to be the center of their realm, Ōshū, as measured from the Shirakawa
Barrier in the south to Sotogahama in present day Aomori Prefecture
in the north. Thirdly this location is on the South side of the Koromo River, in what had traditionally been Japanese territory. Previously Emishi forts were always built on the North side of East or West flowing rivers.
There is evidence that Kiyohira did not use the name Fujiwara but the name Kiyohara until 1117, when he was more than 60 years old. But he did use it and passed it on to his children. Kiyohira had several wives and consorts including a Taira wife from Kyoto who was called the mother of his six children. She seems to have tired quickly of life on the remote frontier, returned to Kyoto, married a policeman and never returned. He is also known to have had two Emishi wives, a Kiyohara and an Abe. His eldest son and rightful heir was Koretsune. His second son and eventual successor was Motohira, born about 1105, likely to one of Kiyohira's Emishi wives.
After setting up house in Hiraizumi, Kiyohira began an ambitious Buddhist temple building program on the top of Mount Kanzan, Chūson-ji
. This complex of temples, pagodas, repositories and gardens was to be his legacy, the embodiment of his vision for himself, his family and his domain for all time.
Emishi
The constituted a group of people who lived in northeastern Honshū in the Tōhoku region. They are referred to as in contemporary sources. Some Emishi tribes resisted the rule of the Japanese Emperors during the late Nara and early Heian periods...
parentage of the late 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...
(794–1185), who was the founder of the Hiraizumi or Northern Fujiwara
Northern Fujiwara
The Northern Fujiwara were a Japanese noble family that ruled the Tōhoku region of Japan from the 12th to the 13th centuries as if it were their own realm. They succeeded the semi-independent Emishi families of the 11th century who were gradually brought down by the Minamoto clan loyal to the...
dynasty that ruled Northern Japan from about 1100 to 1189.
Kiyohira was the son of Fujiwara no Tsunekiyo
Fujiwara no Tsunekiyo
was a member of the martial Hidesato branch of the Fujiwaras and was the father of Fujiwara no Kiyohira, founder of the Northern Fujiwara dynasty in Japan. From the Japanese viewpoint he was considered a notorious traitor....
and a daughter of Abe no Yoritoki
Abe no Yoritoki
was the head of the Abe clan of Emishi who were allowed to rule the six Emishi districts in the Kitakami Basin from Morioka to Hiraizumi in what is now Iwate Prefecture. The clan emerged from the Appi River basin in what is now Hachimantai City, Iwate Prefecture, early in the 9th century...
whose name is not known. He was born somewhere in the Kitakami Basin in 1056. His father was of the Hidesato branch of the Fujiwara clan which was known for their fighting ability. Even so Tsunekiyo was a mid-level bureaucrat at Fort Taga
Site of Tagajō
was a fort in Tōhoku established during the campaigns against the Emishi in the eighth century. It served as the administrative centre of Mutsu Province. Bashō tells of his visit to the site in Oku no Hosomichi...
in present day Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
when he married his Emishi
Emishi
The constituted a group of people who lived in northeastern Honshū in the Tōhoku region. They are referred to as in contemporary sources. Some Emishi tribes resisted the rule of the Japanese Emperors during the late Nara and early Heian periods...
wife, left his position and went to live with his wife's family in present day Iwate Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
. Thus, Kiyohira was born in an Emishi household in Emishi territory to a father who was considered a traitor by the Japanese authorities.
Much of his early life was spent in a community at war with the Japanese central authorities. The Earlier Nine Years War (Zenkunen War
Zenkunen War
The Zenkunen War , also known by the English translation Early Nine-Years War, was fought from 1051 to 1063, in Japan's Mutsu province, at the far north of the main island of Honshū...
, 前九年合戦) was fought on and off from 1050 to 1062 while the Latter Three Years War (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,...
, 後三年合戦) ran from 1083 to 1087. He lost his grandfather, Abe no Yoritoki, in battle in 1057, his uncle Sadato in 1062 and all of his mother's brothers were deported to Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
in the same year. His own father was personally beheaded by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
was a head of Japan's Minamoto clan who is perhaps most notable for having led, along with his son Minamoto no Yoshiie, the Imperial forces against rebellious forces in the north...
(源 頼義) with a blunt sword. These are the events which would shape his life and influence his decisions as long as he lived.
Minamoto no Yoshiie
Minamoto no Yoshiie , also known as Hachimantarō, was a Minamoto clan samurai of the late Heian period, and Chinjufu shogun...
(源 義家), the son of another of his old enemies, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
was a head of Japan's Minamoto clan who is perhaps most notable for having led, along with his son Minamoto no Yoshiie, the Imperial forces against rebellious forces in the north...
. Kiyohira, however, lost his wife and son during the war, killed by his half-brother Iehira.
Victorious in the Latter Three Years War Kiyohira returned to his home at Fort Toyota (Iwayadō Castle
Iwayado Castle
, also known as Shakuchi Castle, is a located in Ōshū, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. During the eleventh century in the late Heian Period, Fujiwara no Tsunekiyo and his son Fujiwara no Kiyohira were the lords of the castle. Today, most of the castle is in ruins, and Hachiman Shrine, Iwayadō Elementary...
), in present day Esashi Ward, Ōshū
Oshu, Iwate
is the second largest city in Iwate Prefecture, Japan with a population of 127,804.The city was founded on February 20, 2006, as the result of a merger between the cities of Esashi and Mizusawa, the towns of Maesawa and Isawa and the village of Koromogawa from Isawa District...
City, to plan his future. Sometime around 1090 to 1100 he built a new home on Mount Kanzan, "Barrier Mountain" in what is now Hiraizumi Town. There appear to be three main reasons for his choice of site. First was its location directly on the Frontier Way, the main highway leading south to the capital and other major cities and north to the lands he controlled. Secondly it was determined to be the center of their realm, Ōshū, as measured from the Shirakawa
Shirakawa
- Surnames :* Atsushi Shirakawa, a Japanese music composer* Hideki Shirakawa, Dr., a Japanese chemist* Kazuko Shirakawa, a Japanese actress* Masaaki Shirakawa, the 30th governor of the Bank of Japan* Yoshikazu Shirakawa, a Japanese photographer...
Barrier in the south to Sotogahama in present day Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
in the north. Thirdly this location is on the South side of the Koromo River, in what had traditionally been Japanese territory. Previously Emishi forts were always built on the North side of East or West flowing rivers.
There is evidence that Kiyohira did not use the name Fujiwara but the name Kiyohara until 1117, when he was more than 60 years old. But he did use it and passed it on to his children. Kiyohira had several wives and consorts including a Taira wife from Kyoto who was called the mother of his six children. She seems to have tired quickly of life on the remote frontier, returned to Kyoto, married a policeman and never returned. He is also known to have had two Emishi wives, a Kiyohara and an Abe. His eldest son and rightful heir was Koretsune. His second son and eventual successor was Motohira, born about 1105, likely to one of Kiyohira's Emishi wives.
After setting up house in Hiraizumi, Kiyohira began an ambitious Buddhist temple building program on the top of Mount Kanzan, Chūson-ji
Chuson-ji
Chūson-ji is a Buddhist temple in Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. It is the head temple of the Tendai sect in Tōhoku . The Tendai sect claims that the temple was founded in 850 by Ennin, the third chief abbot of the sect, but most scholars believe that Chūson-ji was founded by Fujiwara no...
. This complex of temples, pagodas, repositories and gardens was to be his legacy, the embodiment of his vision for himself, his family and his domain for all time.