Negoro group

Japanese: 根来衆 - ねごろしゅう

A group of warrior monks from Negoro-ji Temple in Kii Province. After the Nanboku-cho period, the temple made alliances with local lords and local lords in Kii, Izumi, Kawachi, and other areas, and had their children enter the temple, establishing many sub-temples, said to be as many as 2,700 at its peak. Negoro-ji Temple, which was in fierce conflict with its head temple, Mount Koya, saw its followers (Negoro-shu) arm themselves, centering on these sub-temples. The Negoro-shu numbered 8,000 to 10,000, and belonged to the Gyonin-kata within the religious organization. During the Sengoku period, they excelled in martial arts and served as mercenaries for warlords and feudal lords in southern Kinki, and were among the first to introduce firearms. In the Ishiyama War, they sometimes allied with Hongan-ji Temple and sometimes with Oda Nobunaga. Later, they resisted Toyotomi Hideyoshi together with the Saika-shu, and were pacified when Hideyoshi burned Negoro-ji Temple in 1585 during Hideyoshi's attack on Kishu. During the Edo period, those who served various feudal lords because of their firearms technology were called the Negoro group.

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

紀伊国根来寺の僧兵集団。同寺は南北朝時代以降，紀伊・和泉・河内などの土豪・国人と結んでその子弟を入寺させ，最盛時には2700ともいわれる多くの子院を建立。本山高野山と激しく抗争していた根来寺では，こうした子院を中心に衆徒（根来衆）の武装化が進んだ。根来衆は8000〜１万人ともいわれ，教団組織のなかでは行人方に属した。戦国時代，武術に優れた彼らは南近畿の武将・諸侯の傭兵(ようへい)ともなり，また，いち早く鉄砲を導入。石山合戦ではときに本願寺，ときに織田信長と結んだ。その後雑賀(さいか)衆とともに豊臣秀吉に抗し，1585年秀吉の紀州攻めで根来寺を焼かれて平定される。江戸時代鉄砲技術などを買われて諸大名に仕えた者は根来組などとよばれた。

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