Taira no Kunika - Taira no Kunika

A military commander in the mid-Heian period. He was the son of Emperor Kanmu's great-grandson, Prince Takamochi (Taira no Takamochi). He was also called Yoshimochi. In 889 (Kanpei 1), his father, Prince Takamochi, was demoted to vassal status and appointed as Kazusa no Suke, and he traveled east with him. He eventually served as Hitachi Daijo and Chinjufu Shogun. He established his residence in Ishida, Makabe District, Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture), and controlled the area stretching from Tsukuba District in the south to Niihari District in the north. The conflict between his younger brother, Taira Yoshikane (Shimousa no Suke), and his nephew, Taira Masakado, which had existed since 931 (Encho 9), spread within the clan, and the former Hitachi Daijo Minamoto no Mamoru clan was also drawn in, and the fighting with Masakado became more serious. In February 935 (Shohei 5), Masakado attacked the three counties of Tsukuba, Makabe, and Niiharu, which were under the sphere of influence of his uncle Kunika, burning down small houses and farmer residences in various places, and even attacked Kunika's Ishida residence, causing Kunika to burn to death. This was the beginning of the so-called Johei-Tengyo Rebellion.

[Itoga Shigeo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安中期の武将。桓武(かんむ)天皇の曽孫(そうそん)高望王(たかもちおう)（平高望）の子。良望(よしもち)とも称す。889年（寛平1）、父高望王の臣籍降下(しんせきこうか)、任上総介(にんかずさのすけ)に伴って東下(とうげ)し、やがて常陸大掾(ひたちだいじょう)、鎮守府(ちんじゅふ)将軍を歴任した。常陸国（茨城県）真壁(まかべ)郡内の石田(しだ)に宅(たく)を構えて、南は筑波(つくば)郡、北は新治(にいはり)郡にかけての一帯を勢力下に置いた。931年（延長9）以来の舎弟平良兼(よしかね)（下総(しもうさ)介）と甥(おい)平将門(まさかど)の対立が一族内に波及し、前常陸大掾源護(まもる)一族をも巻き込み、将門との交戦は深刻化した。935年（承平5）2月、将門は伯父国香の勢力圏である筑波、真壁、新治の三郡内へ襲撃をかけ、諸所の小宅や農民の舎宅を焼き巡り、国香の石田宅(しだのたく)をも襲ったため、国香は焼死した。いわゆる承平(じょうへい)・天慶(てんぎょう)の乱の始まりである。

［糸賀茂男］

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