Tomoe Gozen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tomoe Gozen
巴 御前
Tomoe Gozen, painting by Shitomi Kangetsu
Occupation	Onna-musha
Years active	late 12th century (Heian period)
Children	Yoshihide, Yoshitaka (ja:源義高 (清水冠者), Yoshishige ?, Yoshimoto ((ja:源義基 (木曾義基)) ?, Yoshimune (ja:木曾基宗)?
Parent(s)	Father = Nakahara no Kaneto (ja:中原兼遠), Mother = Chizuru Gozen (ja:千鶴御前)

Tomoe Gozen (巴 御前) was a brave female warrior from ancient Japan. She lived during the late Heian period, which was a time of great change in Japanese history. Tomoe Gozen was an onna-musha, a special type of female samurai.

She fought for a powerful leader named Minamoto no Yoshinaka. This was during a big war called the Genpei War. This war helped create the first shogunate, which was a military government in Japan. Tomoe's family was very close to Yoshinaka. Her amazing story is told in a famous book called Tale of the Heike. People still celebrate Tomoe in many ways today, like in books, music, and movies.

Early Life and Family

Tomoe Gozen's father, Nakahara Kanetō, was a strong supporter of Yoshinaka. He even helped raise Yoshinaka from a young age. Tomoe's mother was Yoshinaka's wet nurse, meaning she helped care for him as a baby.

Tomoe also had two older brothers. They were important generals who served alongside Yoshinaka. This shows how her whole family was dedicated to supporting their leader.

Fighting in the Genpei War

Tomoe Gozen in battle, 1184

Tomoe Gozen was a skilled commander in battle. She led 300 samurai warriors under Yoshinaka's command. They fought against 2,000 warriors from the rival Taira clan during the war. In 1182, Yoshinaka's forces defeated the Taira. They pushed them back to the western parts of Japan.

After this victory, Yoshinaka took control of Kyoto, the capital city. He wanted to become the main leader of the Minamoto clan. However, his cousin, Yoritomo, saw Yoshinaka as a threat. Yoritomo sent his own brothers, Yoshitsune and Noriyori, to stop Yoshinaka.

The Battle of Awazu

Yoshinaka and his forces faced Yoritomo's army at the Battle of Awazu. This happened on February 21, 1184. Tomoe Gozen fought bravely in this battle. She was known for taking the head of at least one enemy leader.

Even though Yoshinaka's troops fought hard, they were greatly outnumbered. They were eventually overwhelmed by the larger army. When Yoshinaka knew he was defeated, with only a few soldiers left, he told Tomoe Gozen to leave. He wanted to die honorably with his foster brother, Imai no Shiro Kanehira. He felt it would be shameful to die with a woman by his side.

Tomoe's Bravery

There are different stories about what happened to Tomoe after this. At the Battle of Awazu, she was famous for beheading Honda no Morishige. He was a leader from the Musashi clan. She also killed Uchida Ieyoshi and managed to escape capture by Hatakeyama Shigetada. After taking the head of the Musashi clan leader, she presented it to her master, Yoshinaka.

See also

In Spanish: Tomoe Gozen para niños