Saionji Kinmune

Japanese: 西園寺公宗 - さいおんじ・きんむね

Year of death: 20th August 1335
Year of birth: Enkei 2 (1309)
A nobleman from the late Kamakura period to the Kenmu Restoration. His father was Saionji Sanehira, and his mother was the daughter of Gon Dainagon Fujiwara Tameyo. He was promoted to councilor in October 1324, and to Gon Chunagon in December of the following year. When his father Sanehira died in November 1326, he inherited the position of head of the Saionji family and the position of Kanto no Moshitsugi. Kinmune was 18 years old when he was born. Emperor Go-Daigo was plotting to overthrow the shogunate at the Imperial Court, which caused a lot of trouble between the Imperial Court and the Kamakura Shogunate, and it is thought that it was extremely difficult for Kinmune to perform his duties as Kanto no Moshitsugi, who mediated between the two. Of the two branches of the Imperial family, Kinmune was close to the Jimyoin lineage centered around the retired Emperor Go-Fushimi, and it seems that he did not get along well with Emperor Go-Daigo of the Daikakuji lineage. In August 1331, Emperor Go-Daigo fled to Kasagiyama in Minamiyamashiro, and the following month Emperor Kogon ascended to the throne in Kyoto, and Kinmune served under him as a senior vassal. In October of the same year, he was present at the inspection of the captured Emperor Go-Daigo, and made contact with the Emperor while he was in custody. In May 1331, the Kamakura shogunate fell, Emperor Kogon was dethroned, and Emperor Go-Daigo began the Kenmu Restoration. Kinmune temporarily resigned from his position as Gon Dainagon, but was reinstated. However, under the Kenmu Restoration, Kinmune was forced into seclusion. In June 1335, he was arrested along with Hino Sukena and his son for plotting to support Go-Fushimi-in, and was executed in August of the same year. His younger brother Kinshige, who was aiming to become head of the family, was involved in this incident. In addition, the writer of "Takemukigaki", Hino Naoko (the daughter of Sukeno), was the wife of Kinmune, and the son of the two was Saionji Sanetoshi, the military official of the Northern and Southern Courts period.

(Mori Shigeruaki)

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

Japanese:

没年：建武2.8.2(1335.8.20)
生年：延慶2(1309)
鎌倉時代後期から建武新政期の公家。父は西園寺実衡,母は権大納言藤原為世の娘。正中1(1324)年10月参議,翌年12月権中納言に昇進。嘉暦1(1326)年11月,父実衡が没すると,西園寺家の家督と関東申次の役職を継いだ。公宗ときに18歳。朝廷では後醍醐天皇が討幕を企図したので,朝廷と鎌倉幕府の間にさまざまの波風が立ち,両者の間を調停する関東申次の職務遂行は困難を極めたものと考えられる。公宗はふたつに分かれた天皇家のうち後伏見上皇を中心とする持明院統に接近していたため,大覚寺統の後醍醐天皇とは折り合いが悪かったらしい。元徳3/元弘1(1331)年8月,後醍醐天皇が南山城の笠置山に出奔すると翌月京都では光厳天皇が践祚し公宗は光厳天皇のもとで重臣として仕えた。同10月には捕らえられた後醍醐天皇の検分に立ち会い,拘禁中の同天皇と接触している。正慶2/元弘3年5月鎌倉幕府が滅亡し光厳天皇が廃位され,後醍醐天皇による建武の新政が始まると,公宗は一旦権大納言を辞したが,復任。しかし,建武の新政下で公宗は逼塞を余儀なくされた。建武2(1335)年6月,後伏見院擁立をたくらんだとして日野資名父子らと共に召し捕られ,同8月誅殺された。この事件には家督をねらう弟公重がからんでいた。なお『竹むきが記』の記主日野名子(資名の娘)は公宗の妻で,南北朝時代の武家執奏西園寺実俊は両人の間に生まれた子。<参考文献>森茂暁『太平記の群像』

(森茂暁)

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