Masamori Taira

Japanese: 平正盛 - たいらのまさもり

Year of death: 1121
Year of birth: Year of birth unknown. Military commander in the late Heian period. Close aide to the emperor. Son of Masahira. Belonged to the Ise Heishi clan, a branch of the Kanmu Heishi clan. In 1097, he donated his territories of Yamada in Iga Province (Oyamada Village, Mie Prefecture, Ueno City) and Tomoda Village (Ayama Town) to Rokujo-in Temple, which was built by Emperor Shirakawa in memory of his daughter, Ihomon-in, and thereafter became a close aide to the emperor. It is said that the reason he approached the emperor was because of his connections with powerful close aides to the emperor, Fujiwara Akisue and Fujiwara Tamefusa, as well as his service to the emperor's favorite concubine, Gion no Nyōgo. In 1108, while he was in the position of Inaba no Kami, he pursued and killed Minamoto no Yoshichika, who had murdered a deputy in Izumo Province, and became a leading samurai. Immediately after this, he was appointed as the governor of Tajima, the "first province," without waiting to return to Kyoto, despite being of the "lowest rank" (samurai rank), which earned him the envy of the nobles. He subsequently served as governor of Tango, Bizen, Sanuki, and other areas, eventually reaching the rank of Junior Fourth Rank. In 1110, he built a private hall in his base of Rokuhara, and three years later, Emperor Shirakawa's visit to the Imperial Palace and a memorial service for Empress Gion's Buddhist scriptures were held there. He also worked hard to win against the Emperor, building the Mandala Hall of Sonshoji Temple and the Kutai Amida Hall, a temple dedicated to his success. Meanwhile, as a central figure in the northern guard of the samurai, he worked with his son Tadamori and others to defend against the violent petitions of evil monks in Kyoto and to pursue robbers. He was also active in the western part of Japan, hunting down pirates in 1114 while serving as the governor of Bizen, and in 1119, by imperial decree, hunting down Taira Naosumi, head of Fujitsu Manor in Hizen Province (Saga Prefecture) under Ninnaji Temple, who had rebelled against the main family and assaulted a custodial office, fulfilling the role of a police force to maintain order in the manor system. During this time, he led "notables from the west and south seas" and infiltrated the Taira clan's influence in the area. It can be said that Masamori built the foundation for the great development of the Ise Taira clan both as a trusted aide to the emperor and as a warrior. <References> Takahashi Masaaki, "Before Kiyomori - The Rise of the Ise Taira Clan"

(Yasushi Motoki)

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

Japanese:

没年：保安2(1121)
生年：生年不詳
平安末期の武将。院近臣。正衡の子。桓武平氏の一系統である伊勢平氏に属す。承徳1(1097)年,所領伊賀国山田(三重県大山田村,上野市)・鞆田村(阿山町)を,白河法皇が皇女郁芳門院の菩提を弔って建立した六条院に寄進し,以後,院近臣となる。院に接近した背景には,有力な院近臣藤原顕季,藤原為房らとの結びつきや,法皇の寵妃祇園女御に奉仕していたことも関係したとされる。因幡守在任中の天仁1(1108)年,出雲国で目代を殺害した源義親を追討,武士の第一人者となる。この直後の除目で,「最下品」(侍身分)でありながら帰京を待たず「第一国」但馬守に遷任したとして,貴族の嫉視を受ける。以後,丹後・備前・讃岐守などを歴任,従四位下に至る。天永1(1110)には本拠の六波羅に私堂を建立,3年後には同所で白河法皇の方違御幸,祇園女御の一切経供養が行われる。また法皇に対する成功に努め,尊勝寺曼荼羅堂,その御願寺九体阿弥陀堂を建立。一方,北面武士の中心として子の忠盛らと京における悪僧強訴の防御や,強盗追捕に従事。さらに西国でも活躍,備前守在任中の永久2(1114)年には海賊を追討,さらに元永2(1119)年には本家に背いて預所に暴行した仁和寺領肥前国(佐賀県)藤津荘司平直澄を院宣により追討,荘園制秩序を守る警察力としての役割を果たす。この際,「西海・南海の名士」を統率し,同地に平氏勢力を浸透させた。正盛は院近臣・武士の両面で,伊勢平氏が大きく発展する基礎を築いたといえる。<参考文献>高橋昌明『清盛以前―伊勢平氏の興隆』

(元木泰雄)

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