Yamana Masayuki (山名政之)
Masayuki YAMANA (山名 政之, dates of birth and death unknown) was Shugo (a provincial military governor) of Hoki Province in the Muromachi period. His father was Toyoyuki YAMANA, his younger brother was Hisayuki YAMANA, and his government post was Gyobu shoyu (Junior Assistant Minister of Justice).
Career
Masayuki's childhood name was Rokuro, and he was granted one Chinese character (政) by Yoshimasa ASHIKAGA (足利義政) and named himself Masayuki (政之). Masayuki's name can be found as well as his grandfather Noriyuki YAMANA and his father Toyoyuki among the list of the people whom Mochitoyo YAMANA called over to Kyoto in February, 1467. When his father Toyoyuki was killed in 1471, his family, relatives, and vassals were thrown into confusion over the post of Shugo, and in that confusion Masayuki competed for the post of Shugo with Motoyuki YAMANA who was his own uncle and had already taken the post of Shugo before him. Masayuki, under the support of Soryo (heir of the head family) Masatoyo YAMANA, drove away the branches of the Shugo family like Motoyuki and his backing forces into Mimasaka Province, and cleaned up the Motoyuki group that had remained in Hoki Province, and then he assumed the post of Shugo. At least about 1479, he made his own power permeate throughout Hoki Province, and formed a foothold in the province. But considering that the forces such as the Nanjo clan, a powerful kokujin (local lord) who had once served as Shugodai (a deputy military governor), showed anti-Shugo movements as ever, his governance over Hoki Province contained an unstable factor. After that, it was the last news that Masayuki visited Rokuon-in Temple on November 26, 1487, and he was never heard of since then, so that the post of Shugo was handed over to his younger brother Hisayuki. The genealogy says that he fell from the horse and died, but the details such as the year of his death are unknown, and therefore, there is also an opinion about this that Masayuki was ruined by the Hisayuki group.