Wars between Warriors

1
Wars between Warriors

• The Gempei War (1180-1185)
• War between the Minamoto Clan (Gem) and the Taira
  clan (Hei,Pei)
• Cause Prince Mochihito raised a rebellion
  against the Taira clan
• Before this, the two clans had a brief fight in
  1156, called the Hogen Rebellion, the Minamoto
  clan was defeated and its leaders were executed
• 1160, two clans fought againcalled Heiji
  Rebellion. The Minamoto was defeated again, and
  all clan members and supporters were executed.
  Only a handful of children were spared
• Fighting 1183, Kofukuji and Miideras warrior
  monks, and the Minamoto samurai joined forces
  were defeated at the Battle of Uji
• Result Tairas warriors, to avenge the deaths of
  sixty samurai, who were killed by the Kofuji
  warrior monks and whose heads were displayed
  around the pool of Sarusawa, burned the city of
  Nara and slaughtered all monk warriors of
  Kofukuji, nearly 20,000 monks were killed.

2
New Warrior Government

• Kamakura Bakufu (Shogunate),1192-1333
• While the Minamoto clan was defeated several
  times in the Gempei War, it was the final victor.
• The family established its base in Kamakura and
  became known by the famous title of Shogun
• Now the real rulers of Japan who reduced the
  emperor of Japan to a mere figurehead
• Shogun and its samurai began to favor Zen
  Buddhism and Zen monks
• They saw Mt. Hiei as nothing more than a
  sanctuary for absconding criminals (warrior
  monks)
• The Bakufu wanted all temples extradite such
  villains.

3
Enryakuji monks vs. Zen monks

• The Ashikaga family, who were new rulers of Japan
  after the Nanbokucho Wars, also favored Zen
  Buddhism and Zen monks
• Based in Kyoto, the Ashikaga converted an
  imperial palace in western Kyoto into a Zen
  monastery, named Tenryuji, completed in 1344.
• Enryakuji protested, but was forced to back down.
• 1367, Enryakuji joined Kofukuji and Miidera to
  force Nanzenji to demolish its newly built gate.
  Fight between Enryakuji warrior monks and
  Nanzenji warrior monks broke out
• Further fight occurred in 1368 after the abbot of
  Nanzenji wrote a polemic calling the Tendai monks
  monkeys and toads
• Bloody battle took place between monk warriors
  and the shoguns samurai
• The two side reached an agreement Nanzenji was
  asked to tear down its gate and the shogun agreed
  to pay for the repair of the Enryakujis shrines
  that were damaged during the street fighting

4
Warrior Monks in the Sengoku Period

• 1467-1602, the Age of Warring States
• Two groups of holy warriors rose
• Ikko-ikki, warrior monks of Shinshu (or Jodo
  Shinshu, True Pure Land Buddhism)
• The Lotus warriors, warrior monks of the
  Hokke-shu, or Nichren-shu
• Both were religious fanatics or fundamentalists
  who would die for their beliefs
• Both were very well trained militarily and were
  ready to fight with samurai

5
The Ikko-Ikki

• Referred to communities formed by warrior monks
  of a new school of Buddhism called Jodo Shinshu,
  which appeared during the Kamakura period
  (1192-1333)
• Ikko-Ikki single-mindedly devoted to a league,
  or a movement, riot
• Leader Rennyo led his people revolt against
  samurai rule
• They began to rule many provinces in Japan
• Built their temples, Honganji, in these places,
  with the headquarters in Nagashima and Ishiyama
• They viewed all samurai as enemies and attempted
  to sweep them from their provinces

6
Ikko-Ikki and the Samurai

• Rennyo built his headquarters in Kaga Province
  and his followers soon became involved in war
  among various samurai clans struggling for
  supremacy
• 1488, Rennyos Ikko-ikki revolved against samurai
  rule and took control of Kaga after a series of
  fierce skimishes
• Shinshu monks became the first non-samurai group
  to rule a province
• They expanded their rule to other provinces and
  established key temples there, including most
  famous Nagashima and Ishiyama Honganji

7
Ikko-ikki and Oda Nobunaga

• Ikko-ikki saw all samurai as enemies and intended
  to sweep them away
• In his reunification of Japan, Oda Nobunaga, the
  first of the Three Unifiers in Japanese
  history, had to deal with Ikko-Ikki and other
  warrior monks concurrently
• such as Enryakuji monks and Nichiren monks
• Two major campaigns Nagashima and Ishiyama
• Nagashima1571-1574
• Ishiyama 1570-1580

8
Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582)
9
Ikko-Ikki and the War in Nagashima

• Nobunagas army attacked Nagashima Ikko-ikki
  (1571-1574)
• First phase 1571
• Nobunagas army, led by Shibata Katsuie, was
  defeated
• Second phase 1573
• Nobunaga took personal charge, but was forced to
  withdraw
• Third phase 1574
• Nobunaga thoroughly destroyed Nagashima Ikko-ikki
  and burned 20,000 inhabitants of the Ikko-ikki
  fortress

10
Ikko-ikki and the War in Ishiyama

• Nobunaga attacked Ishiyama Honganji (1570-1581)
  in Osaka
• First phase 1570-1576
• Nobunaga built a series of forts near Ishiyama
  Honganji
• Ikko-ikki lunched a surprise attack on two of
  Nobunagas fortresses, resulting Nobunagas
  immediate setback
• Second phase 1576-1578
• Nobunagas 3000- men army attacked Ikko-ikki with
  a force of 15,000 men Nobunagas army was forced
  to withdraw
• Nobunaga succeeded in removing the enemys
  outpost and allies, isolating Ishiyama Honganji
  Nobunaga was defeated in the first battle of
  Kizugawaguchi, where Ikko-ikkis ally, the Mori
  clan, defeated Nobunagas fleet with their
  experience and knowledge of naval tactics.
• Third phase 1678-1580
• Ikko-ikki lost their important allies and became
  completely isolated
• The emperor intervened, suggesting that Ikko-ikki
  honorably surrender
• The surrender term was surprisingly bloodless
  Shimotsuma Nakayuki, Ikko-ikkis commander was
  spared his life