Hojo Tokiyori

Japanese: 北条時頼 - ほうじょう・ときより

Year of death: November 22, 1263 (December 24, 1263)
Year of birth: Yasuda 1.5.14 (1227.6.29)
Regent of the shogunate in the mid-Kamakura period. Son of Hojo Tokiuji and Matsushita Zenni, daughter of Adachi Kagemori. Childhood name Kaijumaru. In 1237, he came of age and took the name Tokiyori, a name derived from the name of Shogun Fujiwara no Yoritsune. In 1244, he was ennobled. In 1244, he succeeded his elder brother Tsunetoki due to illness, and became head of the family and regent (for the fifth generation). When he first assumed his position, he prevented a plot by Nagoshi Mitsutoki and others who supported the previous Shogun Yoritsune to oust him from his position as regent, exiling Mitsutoki and others and sending Yoritsune back to Kyoto (the Imperial Palace Disturbances). He also replaced the position of Kanto no Motsugi with Saionji Saneuji from Yoritsune's father Kujo Michiie, and in 1252, he deposed Shogun Yoritsune, severed ties with the Kujo family, and welcomed Imperial Prince Munetaka, son of Emperor Gosaga, as Shogun. Furthermore, in April 1247, in cooperation with his maternal grandfather, Kagemori, he defeated Miura Yasumura, a powerful lord since the beginning of the Kamakura period and his grandfather Yasutoki's son-in-law, (the Hoji War), paving the way for the Hojo clan's despotism. In December of the same year, he shortened the period of service for the Kyoto Daibanyaku from six months to three months, and in June 1249, after he was appointed Sagami no Kami, he established a new office in December to ensure fair and swift trials and to specialize in lawsuits related to the lands of his vassals. With the support of the vassals, his policies further strengthened the regency established by his grandfather, Yasutoki, and strengthened the dictatorial character of the Hojo clan. Meanwhile, in October 1256, he established a new system of 13 articles regarding the control of the people and made efforts to protect the peasants. His policies, along with those of his grandfather Yasutoki, were praised as benevolent and gained popularity, eventually giving rise to the legend of his travels around the country, where he inspected the people's feelings and encouraged good and punished evil. In November 1256, he fell ill and handed over the regent position to Hojo Nagatoki, became a monk at Saimyoji Temple, and took the name Saimyoji Nyudo Kakuryobō Dosaka. However, the regent position that Nagatoki handed over was merely an intermediate succession until his eldest son, Tokimune, came of age, and after he recovered from his illness, Tokiyori once again took charge of the shogunate. Since Tokiyori's power was based on his position as Tokuso (head of the Hojo clan) away from the regent position, some say that Tokiyori's policies were the beginnings of the Hojo clan's Tokuso tyranny. Tokiyori was also deeply interested in Zen Buddhism, and in 1253 he invited Rankei Doryu to build Kenchoji Temple. He died in the Kitatei of Saimyoji Temple, and his grave is in Meigetsuin Temple in Kamakura. <References> Takayuki Okutomi, "Basic Research on the Kamakura Hojo Clan," Motohisa Yasuda, "Hojo Tokiyori" ("The Kamakura Shogunate - Its Powerful Men"), Masahiro Abe, "Regent Hojo Tokiyori" ("The Biographies of the Regents of Kamakura" edited by Motohisa Yasuda)

(Eiji Nitta)

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

Japanese:

没年：弘長3.11.22(1263.12.24)
生年：安貞1.5.14(1227.6.29)
鎌倉中期の幕府執権。北条時氏と安達景盛の娘(松下禅尼)の子。幼名戒寿丸。嘉禎3(1237)年元服,将軍藤原頼経の一字をうけて時頼と称した。寛元2(1244)年叙爵。同4年兄経時の病により家督と執権職(5代)とを継ぎ,就任当初の前将軍頼経を擁した名越光時らによる執権職からの追放陰謀を事前におさえて光時らを配流,頼経を京都に送還した(宮騒動)。さらに関東申次を頼経の父九条道家から西園寺実氏にかえ,建長4(1252)年には将軍頼嗣を廃して九条家と絶縁,後嵯峨上皇の子宗尊親王を将軍に迎えた。また,これよりさき宝治1(1247)年4月,外祖父景盛とはかり,鎌倉開幕以来の豪族で祖父泰時の女婿として威をふるった三浦泰村を倒して(宝治合戦),北条氏専制への道を開いた。同年12月京都大番役の勤務期間を6カ月から3カ月に短縮,建長1(1249)年6月相模守に任じた後,12月に裁判の公正・迅速をはかるため引付を新設して御家人たちの所領に関する訴訟を専門に担当させるなど,その政治は御家人たちの支持を得て祖父泰時が開いた執権政治をさらに強化するとともに,北条氏独裁の性格を強めていった。一方,建長5年10月,13カ条の新制で撫民のことを定め農民の保護に努めるなど,その政治は祖父泰時の政治とともに仁政とうたわれて人望を得,ついには諸国を廻って民情を視察し勧善懲悪をおこなったという廻国伝説を生むに至った。康元1(1256)年11月,病を得て執権職を北条長時に譲り,最明寺において出家,最明寺入道覚了房道崇と号した。しかし,長時に譲った執権職は嫡子時宗が成人するまでの中継相続的なもので,しかもやがて病の癒えた時頼は再び幕政をみた。この時頼の権力は執権職をはなれた得宗(北条氏の家督)としての立場によるものであったから,時頼の政治をもって北条氏得宗専制の萌芽とする考え方がある。時頼はまた禅宗にも深い関心を抱き,建長5(1253)年には蘭渓道隆を招いて建長寺を建てた。最明寺北亭で死去し,墓は鎌倉明月院にある。<参考文献>奥富敬之『鎌倉北条氏の基礎的研究』,安田元久「北条時頼」(『鎌倉幕府―その実力者たち―』),阿部征寛「執権北条時頼」(安田元久編『鎌倉将軍執権列伝』)

(新田英治)

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

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