Masauji Ashikaga

Japanese: 足利政氏 - あしかが・まさうじ

Year of death: July 18, 4th year of Kyoroku (August 30, 1531)
Year of birth: Unknown. A military commander in the Warring States period. Son of Shigeuji. Second Koga kubō. He came of age and was given one character of the name of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, and was called Masauji. Left Horse Captain. He strengthened his ties with the Uesugi clan by having his younger brother Akizane adopted by Uesugi Akisada, and made an effort to reconstruct the ruling order of the eastern provinces, centered on the Koga kubō and the Kanto Kanrei, but his sons Takamoto, Kuzen (Yoshiaki), and Motoyori did not agree with him, and each sought their own way to respond to the new era, deepening the gap between father and son. In 1506, Takamoto rose up in power, allied with the Suruga Imagawa clan and the emerging Hojo Soun, and several fierce battles between father and son began, during which Masauji lost the support of the eastern daimyo and local lords, surrendering his position as Koga kubō to Takamoto, and becoming a wanderer, living in Oyama Castle in Shimotsuke and Iwatsuki Castle in Musashi after losing Koga Castle. Eventually, protected by some of his retainers, he retired to Kando-in in Musashi-Kuki, became a monk, took the name Michinaga, and finally became free from worldly power struggles and lived the rest of his life in peace.

(Ichimura Takao)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：享禄4.7.18(1531.8.30)
生年：生年不詳
戦国時代の武将。成氏の子。2代古河公方。将軍足利義政の諱の1字をもらって元服,政氏と称す。左馬頭。弟顕実を上杉顕定の養子とするなど上杉氏との連携を強化し,古河公方と関東管領を中心とする東国の支配秩序の再建に努力したが,子の高基,空然(義明),基頼らはこれに同調せず,それぞれに新時代への対応を模索し,父子間の溝を深めていった。永正3(1506)年,駿河今川氏や新興の北条早雲と結んだ高基の決起とともに,父子間の数次におよぶ激しい抗争が開始されたが,その間に東国の大名,国人らの支持を失った政氏は,高基に古河公方の座を明け渡し,古河城を没落して下野小山城,武蔵岩槻城などに寄寓,流浪の身となる。やがて一部の家臣に守られ武蔵久喜の甘棠院に隠棲,出家して道長と号し,漸く世俗の権力闘争から自由の身となり,安穏な余生を送った。<参考文献>佐藤博信『古河公方足利氏の研究』

(市村高男)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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