Ashikaga clan

The Template:Nihongo was a Japanese samurai clan and dynasty which established the Ashikaga shogunate and ruled Japan from roughly 1333<ref>"...Ashikaga (1333-1572)" Warrior Rule in Japan, page 11. Cambridge University Press.</ref> to 1573.<ref>Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Ashikaga" in Template:Google books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.</ref> The Ashikaga were descended from a branch of the Minamoto clan, deriving originally from the town of Ashikaga in Shimotsuke Province (modern-day Tochigi Prefecture).

For about a century, the clan was divided in two rival branches, the Kantō Ashikaga, who ruled from Kamakura, and the Kyōto Ashikaga, rulers of Japan. The rivalry ended with the defeat of the first in 1439. The clan had many notable branch clans, including the Hosokawa,Template:Citation needed Imagawa,Template:Citation needed HatakeyamaTemplate:Citation needed (after 1205), Kira,Template:Citation needed Shiba,Template:Citation needed and Hachisuka clans.Template:Citation needed After the head family of the Minamoto clan died out during the early Kamakura period, the Ashikaga came to style themselves as the head of the Minamoto, co-opting the prestige which came with that name.

Another Ashikaga clan, not related by blood, and derived instead from the Fujiwara clan, also existed.

History

Emperor Go-Daigo (1288–1339) destroyed the Kamakura shogunate in 1333, but was unable to control the unrest produced. The emperor's inefficient rule led to one of his greatest generals, Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358), to betray him in 1335. This established the Northern Court, named after its location in Kyoto, which was north of Go-Daigo's court. The conflict between Go-Daigo and the Ashikaga clan is known as the Northern and Southern Courts disturbance (南北朝の動乱). In 1392, the Southern Court surrendered to the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Notable Shōguns

The Ashikaga clan had 15 Shōguns from 1333 to 1573.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some were more powerful or prominent than others. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was the third shogun of the Ashikaga clan. He made the Ashikaga Shogunate strong and stable. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was responsible for the defeat of the Southern Court in 1392. Known for his patronage of the arts, he constructed the Kinkaku-ji in 1397. Yoshimitsu also expanded foreign relations with Ming China. Yoshimitsu sent an embassy to Ming Dynasty China in 1401, headed by priest Soa and Hakata merchant Koetomi. They brought with them a conciliatory memorial to the emperor, and numerous gifts including horses, fans, gold, screens, paper, swords, armor, and inkstone cases. The mission was successful, and returned to Japan the following year. A Ming envoy returned alongside Soa and Koetomi, and presented Yoshimitsu with an official imperial Chinese calendar, and documents officially recognizing (or investing) him as "King of Japan."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

After the death of Yoshimitsu, the Ashikaga Shogunate lost power and influence. In 1429, Ashikaga Yoshinori, the sixth shogun, adapted Yoshimitsu's policies in order to strengthen the power of the Shogunate. He wanted to increase military power but faced opposition. His 12-year reign saw the restoration of diplomatic ties and trade between Japan and China that had been the fourth Shogun, Yoshimochi's undertaking.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ashikaga Yoshiaki was the 15th and last Shogun. He came into power in 1568 with the help of the general Oda Nobunaga. After rivalry emerged between the two, Nobunaga defeated Yoshiaki and banished him from Kyoto. This effectively ended the rule of the Ashikaga clan in 1573.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Clan heads

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 1. Ashikaga Yoshiyasu<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshiyasu" at Template:Google books</ref>
2. Ashikaga Yoshikane<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshikane" at Template:Google books</ref>
3. Ashikaga Yoshiuji
4. Ashikaga Yasuuji
Template:Col-2 5. Ashikaga Yoriuji
6. Ashikaga Ietoki
7. Ashikaga Sadauji
8. Ashikaga Takauji<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Takauji" at Template:Google books</ref> Template:Col-end

Shōguns

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 1. Ashikaga Takauji
2. Ashikaga Yoshiakira<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshiakira" at Template:Google books</ref>
3. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshimitsu" at Template:Google books</ref>
4. Ashikaga Yoshimochi<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshimochi" at Template:Google books</ref>
5. Ashikaga Yoshikazu<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshikazu" at Template:Google books</ref>
6. Ashikaga Yoshinori<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshinori" at Template:Google books</ref>
7. Ashikaga Yoshikatsu<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshikatsu" at Template:Google books</ref>
8. Ashikaga Yoshimasa<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshimasa" at Template:Google books</ref>
Template:Col-2 9. Ashikaga Yoshihisa<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshihisa" at Template:Google books</ref>
10. Ashikaga Yoshitane<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshitane" at Template:Google books</ref>
11. Ashikaga Yoshizumi<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshizumi" at Template:Google books</ref>
12. Ashikaga Yoshiharu<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshiharu" at Template:Google books</ref>
13. Ashikaga Yoshiteru<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshiteru" at Template:Google books</ref>
14. Ashikaga Yoshihide<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshihide" at Template:Google books</ref>
15 Ashikaga Yoshiaki<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshiaki" at Template:Google books</ref>
Template:Col-end

Notable

• Ashikaga Chachamaru<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Chachamaru" at Template:Google books</ref>
• Ashikaga Masatomo<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Masatomo" at Template:Google books</ref>
• Ashikaga Mitsukane<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Mitsukane" at Template:Google books</ref>
• Ashikaga Mochiuji<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Mochiuji" at Template:Google books</ref>
• Ashikaga Motouji<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Motouji" at Template:Google books</ref>
• Ashikaga Satouji
• Ashikaga Shigeuji<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Shigeuji" at Template:Google books</ref>
• Ashikaga Tadafuyu<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Tadafuyu" at Template:Google books</ref><ref name=Sansom2>Template:Cite book</ref>
• Ashikaga Tadayoshi<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Tadayoshi" at Template:Google books</ref>
• Ashikaga Tadatsuna
• Ashikaga Ujimitsu<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Ujimitsu" at Template:Google books</ref>
• Ashikaga Yoshimi<ref>Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshimi" at Template:Google books</ref>

Family tree

Picture of the genealogy of the Ashikaga.

See also

• Muromachi period
• Kantō Kubō
• Ashikaga clan (Fujiwara)

References

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Template:ISBN; OCLC 58053128