Takano Moronao

A military commander during the Nanboku-cho period. Son of Moroshige. Steward of Ashikaga Takauji. He was a close aide to Takauji from the time when Takauji rebelled against the Kamakura shogunate in 1333 (Ganko 3/Shokei 2), and after the establishment of the Kenmu government, he became a member of the Kubodokoro-shu (thought to have been in charge of guarding key points in the imperial court, but details are unknown) and a resident of the Zassoketsudansho (miscellaneous lawsuit decision office). Even after Takauji went down to Kamakura in 1335 (Kenmu 2) during the Hojo Tokiyuki Rebellion (Nakasendai Rebellion), he continued to be a close aide and handled matters as a steward. As a military commander, he achieved great feats, such as defeating and killing Kitabatake Akiie at Ishizu, Izumi (Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture) in 1338 (Engen 3, Ryakuo 1), and defeating and killing Kusunoki Masatsura together with his younger brother Moroyasu at Shijonawate, Kawachi (Shijonawate City, Osaka Prefecture) in 1348 (Shohei 3, Sadawa 4). He also made a formidable advance on Yoshino, burning down the Southern Court's Imperial Palace and other facilities, and chasing Emperor Go-Murakami to Kanao (Nishiyoshino Town, Gojo City, Nara Prefecture).

However, as depicted in the Taiheiki, the brothers Munechika and Munechika's actions of ignoring traditional authority and going against order deepened their conflict with Ashikaga Tadayoshi and his allies, who saw the shogunate's ideal of order in the reign of Hojo Yasutoki. In 1349 (Sadawa 5, Shohei 4), the two factions nearly escalated into armed conflict, but an agreement was reached with Takauji's mediation, and Takauji dismissed Munechika from his position as steward. However, Munechika sent Munechika, who had been holding back the southern forces as the guardian of Kawachi and Izumi, to Kyoto, where he used his military power to suppress Tadayoshi and wipe out the Naoyoshi faction from the shogunate. Moronao returned to his position as steward and exiled Uesugi Shigeyoshi and Hatakeyama Naomune, who were opposed to Moronao, to Echizen (Fukui Prefecture), and then ordered them to be killed by Moronao. When Tadafuyu Ashikaga, who was adopted by Tadayoshi and the Chugoku Tandai, began to gain influence in Kitakyushu, Sanin, and Sanyo while in conflict with Takauji, Takauji dispatched Michiyasu to pursue him in 1350. However, the situation did not improve, and in October of the same year, when Takauji was about to personally lead Moronao and his men in pursuit of him, Tadayoshi fled Kyoto and raised an army, and the generals of Naoyoshi's faction also rose up in arms one after another. In February 1351 (Shohei 6, Kan'o 2), Takauji fought against Tadayoshi's army at Uchidehama in Settsu (Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture) and was defeated, after which he made peace with Tadayoshi. The brothers Moronao and Moroyasu were wounded in the battle, and became monks and surrendered, but on February 26, they were killed along with their families by Uesugi Yoshinori (son of Noriaki and adopted son of Shigeyoshi) at Mukogawa in Settsu.

[Jiro Ikenaga]

"Sato Shinichi, 'Japanese History 9: The Turmoil of the Northern and Southern Courts' (1965, Chuokoron-Shinsha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

南北朝時代の武将。師重(もろしげ)の子。足利尊氏(あしかがたかうじ)の執事。1333年（元弘3・正慶2）尊氏が鎌倉幕府に反旗を翻した当時から尊氏の側近にあり、建武(けんむ)政権成立後は、窪所衆(くぼどころしゅう)（朝廷の要所の警固にあたったと考えられるが詳細は不明）、雑訴決断所(ざっそけつだんしょ)寄人(よりゅうど)となった。1335年（建武2）北条時行(ほうじょうときゆき)の乱（中先代の乱）に尊氏が鎌倉に下ってからも、つねに側近にあって執事として事を処した。武将としても1338年（延元3・暦応1）には北畠顕家(きたばたけあきいえ)を和泉(いずみ)石津(いしづ)（大阪府堺(さかい)市）で敗死させ、1348年（正平3・貞和4）には弟師泰(もろやす)とともに河内(かわち)四條畷(しじょうなわて)（大阪府四條畷市）に楠木正行(くすのきまさつら)を敗死させ（四條畷の戦い）、さらに吉野をついて南朝の皇居以下を焼き払い、後村上天皇(ごむらかみてんのう)を賀名生(あのう)（奈良県五條(ごじょう)市西吉野町）に追うなどの功績をあげた。

　しかし『太平記(たいへいき)』に描かれているような師直・師泰兄弟の旧来の権威を無視し、秩序を逸脱した行為は、幕府の秩序の理念を北条泰時(ほうじょうやすとき)の治世にみようとする足利直義(あしかがただよし)やその一統との対立を深めた。1349年（貞和5・正平4）両派は武力衝突に発展しようとしたが、尊氏の調停で合意が成立し、尊氏は師直の執事職を罷免した。しかし師直は、河内・和泉の守護として南軍を抑えていた師泰を上京させ、その武力を背景に直義を抑圧、直義派を幕府から一掃した。師直は執事に復帰、反師直派の上杉重能(うえすぎしげよし)・畠山直宗(はたけやまなおむね)を越前(えちぜん)（福井県）に配流し、ついで師直の命により彼らを殺させた。やがて直義の養子で中国探題(たんだい)の足利直冬(あしかがただふゆ)が尊氏と対立しつつ北九州、山陰、山陽で勢力を増大させるに及び、尊氏は1350年師泰をその追討に派遣した。しかし状勢は好転せず、尊氏が自ら師直らを率いて追討に赴こうとした同年10月、直義は京都を出奔して挙兵、直義派の諸将も相次いで挙兵した。1351年（正平6・観応2）2月、尊氏は直義軍と摂津(せっつ)打出浜(うちではま)（兵庫県芦屋(あしや)市）で戦って敗れ、直義と和を講じた。師直・師泰兄弟はこの戦いで負傷、出家して降伏したが、2月26日、摂津武庫川(むこがわ)で上杉能憲(うえすぎよしのり)（憲顕(のりあき)の子、重能の養子）のため一族とともに討たれた。

［池永二郎］

『佐藤進一著『日本の歴史9　南北朝の動乱』（1965・中央公論社）』

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