Sasaki Hirotsuna (佐々木広綱)
Hirotsuna SASAKI (year of birth unknown - 1221) was a samurai between the end of Heian period and early Kamakura period.
He served the Kamaukura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) as a gokenin (an immediate vassal of the shogunate in the Kamakura and Muromachi through Edo periods) residing in Kyoto, but he gradually deepened his relationship with the Retired Emperor Gotoba and became a saimen no bushi (group of warriors guarding west side of imperial palace). He fought the Jokyu War with the Imperial army but lost, and his severed head was gibbeted.
Biography
He was born as the first son of Sadatsuna SASAKI
His father served MINAMOTO no Yoritomo ever since he was exiled in Izu, and he served as a shugo (provincial constable) in four provinces such as Omi Province, and Hirotsuna was appointed to sahyoe no jo (third-ranked officer of Sahyoe-fu, the Left Division of Middle Palace Guards) at an early age as the heir to his father.
In 1191, because of the battle with Enryaku-ji Temple over Sasakinosho's nengu (land tax) the entire family was banished, and Hirotsuna was banished to Oki Province.
On April 22 in 1193, he was pardoned because of the first anniversary of Emperor Goshirakawa's death.
In 1200, when Kagetoki KAJIWARA was expelled, Hirotsuna, who was working as a saemon no jo (third-ranked officer of the Left Division of Outer Palace Guards), searched and captured the roju (vassals) who remained in Kagetoki's mansion, that faced the Gojobo-mon Gate in Kyoto, on March 13. In April, when a murder occurred in Kyoto and a disturbance followed, he sent an express messenger to Kamakura to convey a detailed account on May 28.
On November 20 in 1203, with over a hundred other gokenin, he attended MINAMOTO no Sanetomo's ceremony of attaining manhood, where he served the task of presenting the armor, sword and horse with Tsunehide CHIBA. On December 1, he went to the capital (Kyoto) as an emissary and made the gokenin in Kyoto and the Kinki area pledge loyalty to the Shogun.
On March 1in 1204, he was brought to the Imperial Court because of a matter regarding the monks at Enryaku-ji Temple. On May 21, he was given a courtly rank of Shogoinoge (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade).
On September 18 in 1205, he defeated Tomomasa HIRAGA who was in Kyoto during the Makishi Incident. Because of this accomplishment he received a crest of yosekake from Emperor Gotoba, and his family crest became Yotsumeyui.
On April 30 in 1212, based on his accomplishment as a bugyo (magistrate) in Kyoto he was bestowed the position of jito (manager and lord of a manor) of a village.
On May 31 in 1213, he received a letter from Yoshitoki HOJO that stated that he should defeat the Yoshimori WADA family, who was fleeing to Saikai after losing the Battle of Wada. In Kyoto, there was a rumor of the death of Hiromoto OE, and of Yoshitoki HOJO and his son, and on the 15th, he visited the authorities, reporting the situation, accompanied by an express messenger who saw the battlefield. Furthermore, he considered descending to Kamakura, but because of the letter he received on the 3rd he remained in Kyoto and continued to protect the Imperial Palace.
On May 23 in 1216, over 50 thieves, who robbed To-ji Temple, were handed over to him at Ichijo kawara from kebiishi (a police and judicial chief). He sent the thieves to Kamakura, and they were later exiled to Mutsu Province.
On October 19 in 1218, the monks of Enryaku-ji Temple held a petition in Kyoto, and by Imperial Law he stopped them at the Miya-mon Gate. On November 15, using an express messenger, he reported to Kamakura the news of the birth of Emperor Chukyo and the appointment of MINAMOTO no Sanetomo to Minister of the Right.
On June 13 in 1221, Jokyu War began. Hirotsuna fought with the Imperial army as a saimen no bushi and he destroyed Mitsusue IGA, who lived in Takatsuji KYOGOKU's mansion, and he was given that mansion. The mansion later became the family name of the Kyogoku clan. On the same day, an Imperial Decree to defeat Yoshitoki HOJO was announced.
On June 20, the Kamakura side dispatched an army with Yasutoki HOJO as the general, and his younger brother, Nobutsuna SASAKI, joined him.
On July 1, at the hour of the hare, he departed Kyoto in order to confront the Kanto side. On the 2nd, he reached Kiso-gawa River in Owari Province, and as a major shogun he led over 10,000 men and protected Kakamigahara City with FUJIWARA no Hideyasu, Moritsuna, Takashige and Taneyoshi MIURA. On the 3rd, he fought against the Kamakura side, but the Imperial army, even when combined with others, had just over 20,000 men, which was less than half of the enemy's forces, and he lost and returned to the capital. On the 10th, he led the army and guarded Uji. On the 12th he lost the Battle of Ujigawa and fled. On July 29, the head of Hirotsuna, who had been captured, was gibbeted.
His heir, Tsugutsuna (継綱) died in battle on July 12, and the whereabouts of the second son, Tametsuna, and the third son, Chikatsuna, was not known. The fourth son, Seitakamaru, was captured on August 7, and because he was at a young age of only 11 his life was spared, but he was kidnapped by Nobutsuna and was beheaded. Nobutsuna later succeeded the Sasaki clan.
Chronology
The dates are according to the calendar used in the references, and the original dates have been converted to the western calendar.