Taira no Yorimori - Taira no Yorimori

Japanese: 平頼盛 - たいらのよりもり

Year of death: Bunji 2.6.2 (1186.6.20)
Year of birth: 1132
A military commander in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. The fifth son of Tadamori, and Kiyomori's half-brother. His mother was Fujiwara no Munekane's daughter Muneko, later known as Ikenono, and he lived in Ikenono in Rokuhara, so he was called Ikenono and Iken Dainagon. In 1156, when he was serving as Hitachi no Kami (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) at the time of the Hogen Rebellion, he fought alongside his brother Kiyomori on the side of Emperor Goshirakawa, and was appointed Aki no Kami and then Mikawa no Kami. He also participated in the Heiji Rebellion, and the story of how his mother Ikenono pleaded with Kiyomori to spare Minamoto no Yoritomo's life immediately after the rebellion and saved his life is particularly well known. As he had close ties with Emperor Goshirakawa and Emperor Hachijo, he was promoted smoothly, serving as Uma no Kami, Kurano Kami, Dazai no Daini, and other positions, before being promoted to Jusanmi in 1166, and continuing to advance through the ranks until he reached the highest rank of Gon Dainagon (Senior Second Rank, Lower Grade). However, his relationship with Kiyomori was not necessarily good, and as the conflict between Kiyomori and Emperor Goshirakawa intensified, Yorimori's political position within the Taira clan became difficult, so much so that in the political upheaval of November 1179, Kiyomori dismissed him from his positions as Gon Chunagon and Uemon no Kami. This measure was lifted in January of the following year, and he was reinstated to his previous positions, but Yorimori's unique position within the clan did not change. Later, in July 1183, when the Taira clan fled the capital, he did not join the clan, but instead returned to Kyoto midway and sought refuge with Emperor Goshirakawa, staying with Emperor Hachijo. He was dismissed from his position in August of the same year, but went down to Kamakura to escape pursuit by Kiso Yoshinaka. Yoritomo treated Yorimori well in order to repay the kindness of his mother, Ike no Zenni, for sparing his life, and in April of the following year, he returned 34 manors that had been Yorimori's from among the territories confiscated by the Taira clan, and also petitioned the Imperial Court to restore Yorimori to his position as a vassal. As a result, he was reappointed to the rank of Shonii and Gon Dainagon in June and returned to Kyoto, but in December he resigned and appointed his son Mitsumori as Sakonoe no Shosho. In May 1185 (Bunji 1), he became a monk, took the name Juren, and died the following year. <References> Yasuda Motohisa, "Portraits of the Taira Clan"

(Tanaka Fumihide)

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

Japanese:

没年：文治2.6.2(1186.6.20)
生年：長承1(1132)
平安末・鎌倉初期の武将。忠盛の5男。清盛の異母弟。母は藤原宗兼の娘宗子,のちの池禅尼。六波羅の池殿に住んだので,池殿・池大納言などと称された。保元1(1156)年,正五位下常陸守のとき保元の乱がおこり,兄清盛と共に後白河天皇方について戦い,安芸守,次いで三河守に補される。平治の乱にも参戦するが,特に乱の直後,母の池禅尼が源頼朝の助命を清盛に嘆願して一命を助けた話は有名。後白河法皇,八条院らとも緊密な関係にあったため,昇進は順調で,右馬頭,内蔵頭,大宰大弐などを経て,仁安1(1166)年従三位となり,その後も累進し,極官は正二位権大納言にまでのぼった。しかし,清盛との仲は必ずしもよくなく,また清盛と後白河法皇との対立が激しくなるにつれて,平家一門内における頼盛の政治的立場は苦しいものとなり,治承3(1179)年11月の政変では,清盛によって権中納言・右衛門督の地位を解官されたほどであった。この措置は,翌年1月に解除され,もとの官職に還任するが,一門内での頼盛の特異な立場が変わったわけではなかった。やがて,寿永2(1183)年7月,平家都落ちに際しては,一門と行動を共にせず,途中から帰京して後白河法皇の庇護を求め,八条院のもとに身を寄せた。同年8月解官されるが,木曾義仲の追及をのがれるため鎌倉に下向した。頼朝は,頼盛の母池禅尼に助命された恩義に報いるため厚遇し,翌年4月,平家没官領のうちから,もと頼盛の所領であった34カ所の荘園を返付し,さらに朝廷に頼盛を本位本官に復するよう奏請した。これにより,6月に正二位・権大納言に還任されて帰京したが,しかし,12月にはそれを辞して,息子光盛の左近衛少将を申任している。文治1(1185)年5月,出家して重蓮と号し,翌年没した。<参考文献>安田元久『平家の群像』

(田中文英)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

<<: Daylam (English spelling)

>>: Taira no Yoritsuna - Taira no Yoritsuna