Personal background and early life
Minamoto no Yoritomo was born in 1147 in the Kantō region of eastern Japan to Minamoto no Yoshitomo, the chief of the Minamoto clan in that region. His mother was the daughter of a local samurai. Yoritomo was the third son of Yoshitomo, and he had two elder brothers, Yoritomo and Noriyori.
In 1160, Yoritomo's father was defeated and killed by the Taira clan, who were the de facto rulers of Japan at the time. Yoritomo was only 13 years old at the time, and he was captured and exiled to Izu, a remote island in the Pacific Ocean.
Genpei War and rise to power
Yoritomo spent the next 20 years in exile in Izu, where he plotted his revenge against the Taira clan. He built up a following of loyal samurai and supporters, and in 1180 he launched the Genpei War, a civil war between the Minamoto and Taira clans.
The Genpei War lasted for five years, and Yoritomo's forces eventually emerged victorious. In 1185, the Taira clan was defeated at the Battle of Dan-no-ura, and Yoritomo became the de facto ruler of Japan.
Establishment of the Kamakura shogunate
In 1192, Yoritomo established his headquarters in Kamakura, a town in the Kantō region, and declared himself shogun, the military dictator of Japan. Yoritomo's shogunate was the first military government in Japan, and it marked the beginning of the feudal era in Japan.
Administration of the shogunate
Yoritomo established a centralized government in Kamakura, and he ruled with the assistance of a council of samurai advisors. He divided Japan into provinces and appointed governors to rule over them. He also established a system of laws and regulations, and he promoted trade and commerce.
Death and legacy
Minamoto no Yoritomo died in 1199 at the age of 52. He was succeeded by his son, Minamoto no Yoriie. Yoritomo's legacy is the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate, which ruled Japan for over 150 years. His shogunate brought an end to the civil wars and chaos of the Heian period, and it laid the foundation for the development of feudalism in Japan.
Yoritomo's significance in Japanese history
Yoritomo's establishment of the Kamakura shogunate was a major turning point in Japanese history. It marked the beginning of the feudal era in Japan, which lasted for over 600 years. Yoritomo's legacy is the establishment of a centralized government, the promotion of trade and commerce, and the development of feudalism in Japan.