Uragami Muramune (浦上村宗)
Muramune URAGAMI (year of birth is unknown - June, 1531) was the daimyo (the Japanese territorial lord) during the Sengoku period in Bizen, Mimasaka, and Harima Provinces. He was a son of Munesuke URAGAMI (there is also a family tree indicating that Muramune was Norimune's biological child). Sokyu URAGAMI was his younger brother. Masamune URAGAMI and Munekage URAGAMI were his sons.
He was Kamon no suke (Assistant Director of the House Repair and the Cleaning Office)
Brief History of the URAGAMI clan
The URAGAMI clan was a descendant of KI no Haseo (there is also a theory indicating that the clan was a descendant of KI no Tsurayuki) and the family name was derived from the area of Uragamigo, Ibo-gun County (Uragamisho), Harima province. When Norimura AKAMATSU (Enshin) appeared in the history in Harima province, the Uragami clan became active under his command in the late Kamakura period. The Uragami clan also joined the coup to overthrow the Kamakura bakufu. Later in the Nanbokucho era (the Northern and Southern Courts period) (Japan), the Akamatsu clan greately prospered during the Muromachi period by becoming a follower of Takauji ASHIKAGA from early on after forsaking the Kenmu Restoration which was led by Emperor Godaigo.
Historical figures emerged from the URAGAMI clan in this period. These figures included Shichirobei Yukikage URAGAMI and Gorozaemon Kagetsugu URAGAMI who appeared in "Taiheiki" (Chronicle of Medieval Japan). However, the Akamatsu clan which rapidly gained power under Muromachi bakufu was interfered by the Reign of Terror and the Soryo system carried out by Yoshimasa Ashikaga and eventually started the Kakitsu coup. This coup occurred because Mitsusuke AKAMATSU, who could not endure the pressure, assassinated Shogun Yoshinori at his residence and later he withdrew from the capital to fight back in Harima province. However, he was defeated by the allies of the provincial constable sent by Bakufu and the Akamatsu clan lost their power. However, the surviving retainers of the Akamatsu clan such as the Uragami clan supported Masanori AKAMATSU, a grand son of Yoshimasa AKAMATSU who was a younger brother of Mitsusuke, and succeeded to restore the head family's line. The Akamatsu clan and URAGANI clan greatly extended their power under the supervision of the eminent politician, Norimune URAGAMI who contributed to the restoration of the head family.
The Akamatsu clan joined the Eastern squad (led by the captain Katsumoto HOSOKAWA) during the Onin War. Norimune took an active role as the captain who led the Akamatsu squad in the territory of the Yamana clan of the Western squad such as in Hoki province and Inaba no kuni in the vicinity of Harima province and, moreover, in Rakuchu (inside the capital). Therefore, Norimune became a member of Samurai-dokoro (the Board of Retainers) for the Muromachi Bakufu (Shogunate) and handled practical business affairs when Masanori AKAMATSU was assigned as a Shoshi (an officer) of Samurai-dokoro (the Board of Retainers) after Onin War. The Uragami clan started to enjoy the height of its prosperity.
Career
The process of how and when Muramune succeeded to the family headship is not clear because there were few historical materials about the movement of Sukemune and Muramune in the beginning of the Eisho era, although Muramune is thought to become a head of the Uragami clan by succeeding Sukemune URAGAMI, an adopted heir of Norimune,
Furthermore, the status of Muramune in the Uragami family is not clear. Although there is a genealogy indicating Muramune as an adopted child of Norimune, Norikage URAGAMI, or Sukemune, there is no historical materials which support that genealogy.
Furthermore, there is a question about the credibility of the genealogy since Muramune was eventually able to succeed the family headship without being adopted by somebody because Muramune was a child of Norimune who was a grandchild of Norinaga URAGAMI, the direct descendant of the Uragami clan.
The tacit fight against the master
After the death of Masanori AKAMATSU at the master family, Muramune became Shugoshoku (a military officer) of Harima, Bizen, and Mimasaku Provinces with the support of Toshoin, a dowager of Masanori, as well as Uragami clan because Yoshimura AKAMATSU, an adopted son of Masanori AKAMATSU, was still a small child. Later, as Yoshimura became older, he feared the Uragami clan who greatly increased the influence and also waited for the chance to become independent.
Yoshimura finally became mature enough to join the politics around 1517 and established the new political system managed by two chief vassals (Muramune URAGAMI and Norimoto KODERA) and three of Yoshimura's close advisers (Noritaka KUSHIBASHI, 志水清実・衣笠朝親). However, it was not difficult to suspect the true purpose of this new political system which was to "enforce the suppression of a tyranny by chief vassals and the influence of Yoshimura"; therefore, Muramune opposed to Yoshimura. This conflict caused him to oppose to the other chief vassals, Norimoto. As a result, Muramune fell into a predicament due to the false charge by Norimoto and three close advisers and was ordered to stop from serving at government office.
Developing to the military fight
Raged Muramune, who was tactlessly excluded from the position in governmental office by the Akamatsu clan, returned to Bizen Province with vassals including Yoshiie UKITA and secluded himself in the Mitsuishi-jo Castle to revolt against the Akamatsu clan.
Winter of 1519
Muramune secluded in Mitsuishi-jo was surrounded by a punitive force lead by Yoshimura who thought that the revolt by Muramune was the opportunity to further strengthen his power. However, Muramune secretly tied with Motomichi MATSUDA, the most powerful man in Bizen Province, who had an antagonistic relationship with the Akamatsu clan. Yoshimura, who was struggling during the attack of the impregnable Mitsuishi-jo due to the tight defence, withdrew his troops when he saw the rear guard led by Motomichi.
However, in the following year, 1520, Yoshimura re-sent a punitive force (led by Norimoto KODERA who was the lord of Kodera-jo Castle, not by Yoshimura himself). The punitive force at the time planned to weaken the Uragami clan by attacking castles belonging to the Uragami sect such as Norihisa Nakamura who was the military governor of Mimasaka province and turned to be the Uragami clan.
The punitive force which overwhelmed the Uragami force was believed to accomplish Yoshimura's plan. However, the punitive force suffered a strong resistance from retainers of the URAGAMI causing the punitive force to struggle. Muramune, who was defensive initially, rattled the punitive force by seeking betrayers among them and so on, and finally defeated the punitive force led by Norimoto KODERA. As a result, the Yoshimura's force was greatly impaired, contrary to the Muramune's force which moved on to attack Harima province.
Muramune, who became superior to Yoshimura, pressed Yoshimura to hand over his legitimate child Saimatsumaru and moreover forced him to retire. Later, Muramune made 8-year old Harumasa AKAMATSU (Saimatsumaru's new name) to succeed the Akamatsu clan and became his guardian.
Yoshimura again gathered troops with Yoshiharu ASHIKAGA as figurehead, but was defeated by Muramune during New Year of 1521. Muramune, who was trying to secure Yoshiharu, proposed false reconciliation to Yoshimura and arrested him at the meeting when Yoshimura came to reconcilliate. Muramune confined Yoshimura at Murotsu in Harima province and sent an assassin to kill him in September of Daiei era. Around that time, Yoshiharu was in the custody of Takakuni Hosokawa and proceeded to the capital to become Seii Taishougun (a commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force against the barbarians).
By this event, Muramune, both nominally and practically, started on the path to the Sengoku Daimyo (a Warring lord) after gaining a right to rule Harima, Bizen, and Mimasaka Provinces.
However, gekokujo (the revolt of vassals against their lords) of the Uragami clan against the Akamatsu clan was relatively less strict compared with that by other clans and the Uragami clan fought together with the Akamatsu clan when Nobutoyo YAMANA from Tajima province invaded Harima province. After the threat from the YAMANA clan was gone, Muramune re-started a feud with the Akamatsu clan over the supremacy and forced Masamura from Okishio-jo Castle to Mimasaka province while fighting with influential families of the Uragami clan such as Murakuni URAGAMI.
The end of ambition
Empowered Muramune accepted the request from Takakuni HOSOKAWA, who was ousted from the capital due to the conflict with Harumoto HOSOKAWA, and became involved in the succession dispute of the Hosokawa clan by forming the military force to go to the capital after temporary reconciling with the Lord Masamura.
Initially Muramune advanced unopposed by defeating Kataharu YANAGIMOTO who was a leader of the Harumoto party and Nariharu BESSHO who opposed to Muramune in Higashiharima. Muramune was defeated by Harumoto and Motonaga MIYOSHI and killed in the Battle of Nakajima and Daimotsu-kuzure, which resulted in his death.
Furthermore, the outcome of this fight was owed to Masasuke (Masamura) because he attacked the Takakuni and Uragami military forces, which were confronting with Harumoto and Motonaga, from behind, although he was supposed to be a rear guard. This Masasuke's action was often explained as being an act of revenge and to regain power as Shugo (a provincial constable).
After the death of Muramune, reigns of the family was succeeded to Toramitsumaru (later called as Masamune), a legitimate son.