Minamoto no Yoritomo

Minamoto no Yoritomo was a Japanese warrior and clan leader who founded the bakufu, or shogunate, a system whereby feudal lords ruled Japan for 700 years, and became the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He was a descendant of Emperor Seiwa and belonged to the prestigious Kawachi Genji branch of the Minamoto clan. He was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, who was killed in the Heiji Rebellion of 1160. Yoritomo was spared by his enemies and exiled to the Izu Peninsula, where he married Hōjō Masako, the daughter of a local lord. He later returned to the political scene and raised an army against the Taira clan, who had usurped the power of the imperial court. He claimed to be the rightful heir of the Minamoto clan and rallied many warriors under his banner. He began the Genpei War in 1180, which lasted for five years and ended with the decisive victory of the Minamoto clan at the Battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185. Yoritomo thus established the supremacy of the warrior samurai caste and the first shogunate at Kamakura, beginning the feudal age in Japan, which lasted until the mid-19th century. He was granted the title of shogun by Emperor Go-Toba in 1192, becoming the first person to hold this position. He ruled Japan from his capital in Kamakura, where he built a strong military government and a network of vassals loyal to him. He also reformed the legal system and promoted trade and agriculture. He was a ruthless and ambitious leader, who eliminated many of his rivals and potential threats, including his own brothers Yoshitsune and Noriyori. He died in 1199 from injuries sustained from a fall from his horse. He was buried in a temple near his palace, which later became his tomb. He was succeeded by his eldest son Yoriie, who was soon deposed by the Hōjō clan, Yoritomo's in-laws, who became the de facto rulers of Japan for the next century. Yoritomo is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Japanese history, who ushered in the Kamakura Period, which saw the rise of the warrior class, the spread of Buddhism, and the emergence of a distinct Japanese culture.