Fujiwara no Mitsuchika

A middle-class aristocrat in the early Kamakura period. His father was Fujiwara (Hamuro) Mitsumasa, and his mother was the daughter of Fujiwara Shigekata. He was also called Hamuro Mitsuchika. He served as Kurodo no Kami, Udaiben, and Sangi (councillor), and in 1211 (Kenryaku 1), he became Gon Chunagon (provisional middle counselor). From 1213 (Kenpo 1), he also served as Azechishi (inspector), and was called Azechishi Chunagon (inspector middle counselor). In his youth, he served the Konoe family, but later gained the strong trust of the retired Emperor Gotoba, and served the retired emperor and his son, the retired Emperor Juntoku. One of his wife and daughters was also the wet nurse of the retired emperor Juntoku, and he had close ties with both emperors. In 1221 (Jokyu 3), when Emperor Gotoba raised an army to overthrow the shogunate, in what is known as the Jokyu War, he is said to have submitted a letter to the retired emperor admonishing him for raising an army, but since he had also issued an imperial decree to pursue and kill Hojo Yoshitoki, he was captured by the shogunate as the main instigator of the rebellion after the war. On his way to Kanto, he was beheaded on July 12th at Kagosaka in Suruga Province (now Kagosaka Pass) by order of the shogunate. Just before his death, he became a monk and took the posthumous Buddhist name Saishin. His sons include Mitsutoshi, who became famous as a poet (he became a monk and took the name Shinkan), and Sadatsugu, who was active in the service of the retired Emperor Gosaga.

[Shinichiro Takahashi]

"Research on Medieval Imperial Court Litigation by Kazuto Hongo (1995, University of Tokyo Press)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉時代前期の中流貴族。父は藤原（葉室）光雅、母は藤原重方(しげかた)の娘。葉室光親(はむろみつちか)とも呼ばれる。蔵人頭、右大弁、参議などを歴任し、1211年（建暦1）に権中納言となる。1213年（建保1）以降は按察使(あぜちし)を兼任し、按察中納言と称される。若年のころは近衛家(このえけ)に仕えていたが、のちに後鳥羽上皇の厚い信任を得て、上皇およびその子の順徳上皇に仕えた。妻や娘の1人は、順徳上皇の乳母でもあり、両上皇との関係が深かった。1221年（承久3）に後鳥羽上皇が幕府打倒の兵を挙げた、いわゆる承久の乱の際には、挙兵を諫める手紙を上皇に差し出したと伝えられるが、北条義時追討の宣旨(せんじ)を発給したこともあって、乱後は乱の張本人として幕府方に捕らえられた。関東に護送される途中、7月12日に幕府の命により駿河国加古坂(かごさか)（現、籠坂峠）において斬首された。死の直前に出家し、法名を西親(さいしん)という。子息に、歌人として著名な光俊（出家して真観と名のる）や、後嵯峨上皇に仕えて活躍する定嗣(さだつぐ)などがいる。

［高橋慎一朗］

『本郷和人著『中世朝廷訴訟の研究』（1995・東京大学出版会）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例