Minamoto
The Japanese name Minamoto ( Japanese 源 ) was a name of honor that Tennō gave her sons and grandchildren in the Heian period (794–1185) after they left the imperial family and became subjects of the Tennō.
In order to simplify the imperial succession and to keep the rivalries for the throne within a tolerable framework, princes who were out of the question as heirs to the throne or who were far behind in the line of succession were given a surname and made subjects of the Tennō. The Minamoto, like their rivals, the Taira , were such descendants of the imperial dynasty.
The name Minamoto was first given by the saga -tennō. In 814 the Tennō gave his sons who were not entitled to inheritance the title ( Kabane ) Minamoto no Ason . With that, they and their descendants ceased to be members of the imperial family. The Tennō Seiwa , Murakami , Uba and Daigo also gave their sons the name Minamoto.
These lineages, which emanated from different Tennō, each developed into their own clans, which are often referred to as Genji ( 源氏 ). These lines are identified by the name of the emperor followed by Genji , i.e. Seiwa Genji , Murakami Genji , Uda Genji and Daigo Genji .
The Minamoto were also known as a whole as Genji , this is just another pronunciation of the Chinese characters for Minamoto ( gen ) and family ( uji or ji )
The Minamoto, along with the Fujiwara , Taira and Tachibana, belonged to the 4 large clans that ruled Japanese politics during the Heian period . The best known and most powerful branch of the Minamoto were the Seiwa Genji.
The protagonist of the classic Japanese epic Genji Monogatari , Hikaru Genji , was released into civil life and a career as an imperial officer by his father, the Tennō, with the name Minamoto for political reasons.
Seiryō-ji in Kyōto was once the villa of Minamoto no Tōru († 895), an important member of the Genji saga .
Important members of the Minamoto clan
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Minamoto no Yoshitomo , nobleman
- Minamoto Yoritomo , Shogun and third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo .
- Minamoto no Noriyori , general and fourth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo .
- Minamoto no Yoshitsune , general and fifth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo .
- Minamoto no Yoshiie , general and son of Minamoto no Yoriyoshi .
- Minamoto no Yoshinaka , general and grandson of Minamoto no Tameyoshi .
- Minamoto no Tōru , a poet and statesman.
