Taira no Tadamori - Taira no Tadamori

A military commander in the late Heian period. The eldest son of Taira Masamori and father of Kiyomori. He played an active role as the center of military power under both the Shirakawa and Toba Insei governments. In 1113 (Eikyu 1) at the age of 18, he pursued and captured bandits, and was promoted to Junior Fifth Rank and Saemon-no-jo. In 1126 (Taiji 4), he was appointed as an envoy to pursue and suppress pirates in both Sanyo and Nankai roads, and in 1132 (Hōen 1) in Saikai, where he gained fame as a warrior. He also won the favor of Emperor Shirakawa and Toba, and served as governor of Echizen, Ise, Kawachi, Bizen, Mimasaka, Harima, and Tajima, while forming lord-vassal relationships with samurai in the western region, expanding his influence and building economic power. He also advanced into the Innocho (imperial court) and demonstrated his skill in controlling the Inryo (imperial court) estates, and engaged in Japan-Song trade in Kanzaki-no-sho (Kanzaki City, Saga Prefecture) in Kyushu. With this economic power as a backdrop, he built Tokuchojuin (temple of the Emperor) for Emperor Toba in 32 (Chōshō 1), and was allowed to enter the palace of the Imperial Palace as a reward for his achievements, eventually rising to the position of Gyōbukyō (Minister of Justice). However, Tadamori's economic prosperity and rapid promotion drew resentment from the aristocracy, and because he had cross-eyes, he was mocked as "the Heishi of Ise (the Taira clan) are like vinegar jars (squinting eyes)." There is also a story that he was almost attacked in the dark on the night of the Toyoakari Festival at the Imperial Palace, but Tadamori intimidated him instead. When he died at the age of 58 on January 15, 3rd year of Nihei era, the Minister of the Left Fujiwara no Yorinaga commented that he had "served as an official in several provinces, accumulated enormous wealth, filled the country with servants, and was a man of great military might," and mourned his death, saying that he was a modest man who never engaged in extravagant behavior. It was a life in which he steadily built the foundation for the prosperity of the Taira clan. He also had a talent for poetry, and wrote works such as "Taira no Tadamori Asonshu."

[Tanaka Fumihide]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安末期の武将。平正盛(まさもり)の長男。清盛の父。白河(しらかわ)・鳥羽(とば)両院政のもとで軍事力の中心になって活躍した。1113年（永久1）に18歳で盗賊を追捕(ついぶ)して従(じゅ)五位下、左衛門尉(さえもんのじょう)になったのをはじめ、29年（大治4）に山陽・南海両道の、35年（保延1）には西海(さいかい)の海賊追討使に任命されて鎮圧するなど、武名を高めた。また、白河・鳥羽法皇の寵(ちょう)を得て、越前(えちぜん)、伊勢(いせ)、河内(かわち)、備前(びぜん)、美作(みまさか)、播磨(はりま)、但馬(たじま)などの国守を歴任する間に、西国地方の武士と主従関係を形成して勢力を拡大し、経済力を築いた。院庁(いんのちょう)にも進出して院領荘園(しょうえん)の支配にも腕を振るい、九州の神崎荘(かんざきのしょう)（佐賀県神埼(かんざき)市）で日宋(にっそう)貿易を行ったりした。そうした経済力を背景に、32年（長承1）鳥羽法皇のために得長寿院(とくちょうじゅいん)を造進し、その功によって内裏(だいり)での昇殿を許され、やがて刑部卿(ぎょうぶきょう)にまで進んだ。しかし、忠盛の経済的隆盛と急激な昇進は貴族層の反感も招き、忠盛が斜視であったため「伊勢の瓶子(へいし)（平氏）は酢甕(すがめ)（眇(すがめ)）なり」と嘲弄(ちょうろう)されたり、殿上で豊明節会(とよのあかりのせちえ)の夜に闇(やみ)討ちされかけて反対に忠盛が威圧したという話などが残っている。仁平(にんぺい)3年正月15日、58歳で没したとき、左大臣藤原頼長(よりなが)は、「数国の吏を経、富巨万を累(かさ)ね、奴僕(ぬぼく)国に満ち、武威人にすぐ」と評し、そのひととなりは慎み深く奢侈(しゃし)な行いはなかったと、その死を悼んでいる。平氏繁栄の基礎を着実に築き上げた一生であった。歌才もあり『平忠盛朝臣(あそん)集』などがある。

［田中文英］

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