User:Urashimataro/anyoin

Kugyō (源の公暁) (1200 - 1219) was Minamoto no Yoriie's second son^[1]. In 1219 he murdered his uncle, shogun Minamoto no Sanetomo, an act for which he was himself slain the same day^[1]. After his father was killed at Shūzenji (修善寺) in Izu、after his grandmother Hōjō Masako intercession, at the age of six he became a disciple of Songyō (尊暁), Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū's bettō (別当) (the temple's administrative supervisor)^[1]. After his tonsure, he was given the Buddhist name "Kugyō". His original name had been Yoshinari (善哉). He then went to Kyoto to take his vows to come back at age 18 to become Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū's new bettō^[1].

The assassination

The most reliable account of Sanetomo’s assassination is probably the Gukanshō^[2]^[3]. The Azuma Kagami, however, also describes the event^[4].

On the evening of February 12, 1219 (Jōkyū 1, 26th day of the 1th month)^[5], On Buddhist New Year, Sanetomo had just finished left the ceremony for his nomination to Udaijin. It had been snowing the whole day and there were more than 60 cm of snow on the ground^[4]. Sanetomo had just finished a ceremony at the shrine's main hall and started going down the shrine's stairs axcompanied only by a sword bearer called Nakaaki^[4]. Hōjō Yoshitoki, son of Regent Hōjō Tokimasa and a future Regent himself, should have been the sword-bearer, but had left because he wasn't feeling well^[4]. When Kugyō, wearing a hood, came up from behind him and struck him with a single sword blow^[3]. Some more hooded figures appeared, killing Nakaakira the sword-bearer^[3]. Kugyō yelled that he had avenged his father and that he was the new shogun^[3]. Kugyō, having escaped, contacted a man called Miura Yoshimura and, still carrying Sanetomo's head, tried to escape to Miura' headquarters^[3]. Miura however denounced him to Yoshitoki, whose men found him and killed him^[3].

Kugyō's death

The mystery behind the assassination

Beyond the fact that the assassination undoubtely served Yoshitoki's interests, the reasons behind the tragedy and Kugyo's motives remain a mystery^[3]. Why should he help Yoshitoki, the man who was responsible for his father's death and that of his brother Ichiman?^[1] Even though historians, citing for exam ple Yoshitoki's conveniently-timed departure from the scene, have traditionally assumed it was him who convinced Kugyō he had to kill Sanetomo, so that he could get rid of both at a stroke, the idea isn't supported by any hard evidence^[3]. There are even alternative and plausible explanations^[3]. Novelist Nagai Michiko speculates that Miura Yoshimura may have told Kugyo to kill Sanetomo and Yoshitoki but, after seeing his plans spoiled by this last's absence, he abandoned him to his destiny^[3].

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Kusumoto (2002: 70-73)
^ Sources, while broadly agreeing on the fundamental facts, disagree on several details of the assassination.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Mass (1995: 17-158)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Mutsu (1995/06: 102-104)
^ Gregorian date obtained directly from the original Nengō using Nengocalc

References

Jeffrey, Mass (1995). Court and Bakufu in Japan: Essays in Kamakura. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0804724739.
Kusumoto, Katsuji (July 2002). Kamakura Naruhodo Jiten (in Japanese). Tokyo: Jitsugyō no Nihonsha. ISBN 978-4-408-00779-3. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
Mutsu, Iso. (2006). Kamakura: Fact and Legend. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing. 10-ISBN 0-804-81968-8

[kusu-1] Kusumoto (2002: 70-73)

[2] Sources, while broadly agreeing on the fundamental facts, disagree on several details of the assassination.

[mass-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Mass (1995: 17-158)

[mutsu-4] Mutsu (1995/06: 102-104)

[5] Gregorian date obtained directly from the original Nengō using Nengocalc

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]