Kō no Moronao facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kō no Moronao |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Era | Late Kamakura – Nanboku-chō/early Muromachi |
| Death date | March 24, 1351 |
| Dharma name | Shinnyoji-dono Dojo Daizenjomon |
| Shogunate(s) | Ashikaga |
| Lord(s) | Ashikaga Takauji |
| Brother(s) , Sister(s) | Kō no Moroyasu |
| Child (Children) | Kō no Morofuyu (adopted) |
Kō no Moronao (高 師直, died 24 March 1351, also Moronō) was an important Japanese samurai warrior. He lived during a time called the Nanboku-chō period, which was a period of civil war in Japan.
Moronao was the first person to hold a very important job called Shitsuji, which means the Shōguns Deputy. He was chosen by Ashikaga Takauji, who was the first shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate. As the Deputy, Moronao helped run the government and also led the Shōguns armies.
Contents
Who Was Kō no Moronao?
Kō no Moronao played a big role in the wars of the Nanboku-chō period. He fought for the Ashikaga clan against the forces of the Southern Court. During these battles, he defeated important generals like Kitabatake Akiie and Kusunoki Masayuki.
Challenging Old Traditions
Moronao was known for not always following old traditions, especially when it came to the Emperor. He believed that the Emperor's power was not as important as many people thought. He even said that if a king was needed, one made of wood or metal would be enough, and that living kings should be removed. This shows he had very strong and unusual ideas for his time.
A Difficult Personality
The Taiheiki, a famous story about this period, describes Moronao and his brother Moroyasu as tough and demanding people. Moronao, in particular, was known for being very powerful and sometimes harsh. Because of this, he is often shown as a villain in traditional Japanese plays like bunraku and kabuki, especially in the play Kanadehon Chūshingura. In that play, his name is used to represent a character named Kira Yoshinaka.
Moronao and his brother were very helpful to Ashikaga Takauji. However, their strong personalities also created many powerful enemies for them. Most importantly, Moronao strongly disagreed with Takauji's younger brother, Ashikaga Tadayoshi, and his ideas for how to run the country.
The Kannō Disturbance
The disagreements between Moronao and Tadayoshi led to a big civil war known as the Kannō Disturbance. This was a very difficult and damaging conflict for all of Japan. Even though Takauji eventually won, he was first defeated by Tadayoshi in March 1351.
His Final Days
After the defeat, a truce was made with the help of a Zen master named Musō Soseki. One of the conditions for peace was that Moronao and his brother would leave politics forever and become monks. They agreed to this, with Moronao becoming a Zen monk.
Later, as they were traveling from Hyōgo to Kyoto with Takauji, they were captured. On March 25, 1351, Kō no Moronao and his brother, along with many others from their family, were killed at the Mukogawa River. This was done by forces led by Uesugi Akiyoshi, who was seeking revenge for the death of his father, Shigeyoshi. Takauji could not do anything to stop it.
