Nijo Moromoto (二条師基)
Moromoto NIJO (1301 – February 17, 1365) was a court noble between the late Kamakura Period and the period of the Northern and Southern Courts
After the Imperial Court broke into the Northern and Southern courts, Moromoto belonged to the Southern Court and served as Kanpaku (Chief Advisor to the emperor) under Emperor Gomurakami subsequent to 1351, being one of the heavyweights of the Southern Court government.
Biography
Moromoto's father was Kanpaku Kanemoto NIJO. His mother was from the Kazan Genji (Minamoto Clan) being the daughter of Kurodo no to (Head Chamberlain) MINAMOTO no Kaneto. With respect to Moromoto's father, there is the chapter for 1312 in "Kugyobunin" (Directory of Court Nobles) that mentions Michihira NIJO, the son of Kanemoto but, in the chapter covering 1334, it is written that Michihira and Moromoto went into mourning for 'their father' on August 22. Additionally, considering the age difference between Michihira and Moromoto, it seems natural to assume that they were brothers and not father and son. The following descriptions are based on the assumption of Kanemoto being the father and Michihira being the older brother of Moromoto.
The fall of the Kamakura Shogunate and the Kenmu Restoration period
On June 15, 1311, Moromoto celebrated genpuku (the coming-of-age ceremony) at age 11 and conferred Jugoinojo (Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade) whereby he became authorized to use kinjiki (literally, "forbidden colours," seven colours tradionally reserved for the imperial family and nobility) and to attend the court. In 1318, Moromoto had been promoted to Shonii (Senior Second Rank), Gon Dainagon (provisional chief councilor of state), as at Emperor Godaigo's accession to the throne. In 1331, with Emperor Godaigo aspiring to bring down the Kamakura Shogunate, the Genko War broke out. On May 7, 1333, after the fall of Rokuhara Tandai (an administrative and judicial agency in Rokuhara, Kyoto), Moromoto was assigned as Dazai gon no sochi (Provisional Governor-General of the Dazai-fu offices) to capture Chinzei tandai (office of the military governor of Kyushu) which was the critical stronghold of the shogunate in Kyushu. Leading an army, Moromoto headed Kyushu but Chizai Tandai had been seized by various gokenin (an immediate vassal of the shogunate in the Kamakura, Muromachi and Edo periods) including Sadatsune SHONI and Sadamune OTOMO and, with Imperial Prince Takayoshi taking the lead, those gokenin were dealing with the post war matters in Dazaifu. Moromoto assisted the Imperial Prince in Dazaifu.
There is a theory that Moromoto became Dazai gon no sochi and had a concurrent assignment as Nagato no kuni Shugo (provincial constable of Nagato Province). In the important historical book 'Nagato no kuni Shugoshoku Shidai' (the Ritual Protocol of Provincial Constable of Nagato Province), it is written that, after the last provincial constable of Nagato Province of the Kamakura Period Tokinao HOJO (who surrendered on May 26, 1333), the person known as 'Suke no Dainagon' was the provincial constable prior to Takezane KOTO who came on board on May 10, 1334 being appointed by Emperor Godaigo during times of the new Kenmu administration. It is possible that the said person corresponded to Moromoto NIJO who was located in Dazaifu in Chikuzen Province in those days but there also are some opinions that it was either Nobufusa MADENOKOJI or a member of the Toyota clan, the local Gozoku (local ruling family).
The rebellion of Takauji ASHIKAGA
In 1335, as Takauji ASHIKAGA, rising in revolt, charged into Kyoto, samurai in various regions dissatisfied with the Kenmu Restoration rose in response to Takauji. With defensive measures being placed in Kyoto, Moromoto was assigned to cover the vicinity of the Sanin-do Road in northwest Kyoto taking up a position at Hokke-san Temple (Misasagi Minegado, Nishigyo-ku Ward, Kyoto City) founded by Shogetsubo Keisei. On January 8, 1336, however, Moromoto's army was obliterated by the enemy including the Kuge clan leading soldiers of Tajima and Tango provinces whereby Mt. Oe was seized. Although this enemy force was driven back by the army of Yukiyoshi EDA of the Nitta clan before the day was over, ultimately, Kyoto was seized by the Ashikaga army in May of that year and the Emperor and his army retreated to Mt. Hiei. In early June, Mt. Hiei was repeatedly attacked by enemy forces on the east and west sides of the mountain but it was successfully defended thanks to strenuous efforts of the allies including Yoshisada Nitta. Seeing that the Ashikaga army's morale was shaken, the Imperial army shifted to the counter offensive on June 30 invading the streets of Kyoto, but was driven off. According to "Taiheiki" (The Record of the Great Peace), on July 5, leading the armies of Kaga and Echizen provinces, Moromoto NIJO joined the Imperial Army, that had been dejected by the above-described defeat, and the Imperial Army once again roused themselves to make the second and third attacks in the streets of Kyoto and Moromoto, commanding an army, also participated in war. The Imperial army and Moromoto's army were beaten back by the enemy side each time whereby thesituation became deadlocked and the storyline then would lead to the passage in which Emperor Godaigo and Takauji ASHIKAGA made peace. These 3 operations to invade Kyoto, however, are recorded to have taken place on June 30 according to the "Baishoron" (Historical tale compiled in 1349) and "Jorakuki" and, hence, it is supposed that, in "Taiheiki", these battles on that day were broken up into 3 segments to better organize the storyline.
After the peace accord was reached, the majority of the Imperial army camped at Mt. Hiei was divided into 2 groups with one returning to Kyoto with Emperor Godaigo and the other going down to Echizen Province with Yoshisada NITTA, following the Crown Prince Tsuneyoshi but Moromoto, not joining the either group, fled to Kawachi Province with some of his allies including Sadahira NAKANOIN. Emperor Godaigo was incarcerated in Kyoto but, escaping successfully on December 21 he established a court (the Southern Court) in Yoshino. The Period of the Northern and Southern Courts thus began and, in January of the following year 1337, Moromoto went to the Yoshino Imperial Court. The House of Nijo was divided, with the older brother Michihira following the Northern Court while the younger brother Moromoto going with the Southern Court.
In 1339, Moromoto was appointed as Naidaijin (the Minister of the Interior) as at Emperor Gomurakami's accession to the throne and was later assigned as Sadaijin (the Minister of the Left).
The Kanno Disturbance and Shohei no itto (a temporal unification of the Northern and Southern Courts).
In 1350, the Kanno Disturbance, an internal battle within the Northern Court (the shogunate), broke out. In December, the underdog Naoyoshi ASHIKAGA, planning to make a comeback with help of the Southern Court army, offered his submission to the Southern Court. Senior vassals discussed options for responding to Naoyoshi's offer. Predicting it was a false surrender, Saneyo TOIN opposed accepting Naoyoshi's offer of submission arguing that they should take that opportunity to put down Naoyoshi to reduce the Northern Court's war potential, instead. Moromoto NIJO and Chikafusa KITABATAKE, on the other hand, were in favor of accepting the offer urging that they try to turn the tide of the battle between the Northern and Southern Courts by joining forces with the Naoyoshi faction. Emperor Gomurakami, consequently, accepted Naoyoshi's surrender and, on December 13, an imperial letter of pardon by an edict was issued. Upon hearing this decision, the various military commanders on the Southern Court side joined the army of Naoyoshi ASHIKAGA and, in January of the following year, battled with and defeated the armies of Takauji ASHIKAGA and Moronao KO. As soon as Kyoto was conquered, however, Naoyoshi defected from the Southern Court. Takauji and Naoyoshi reconciled, but a flashpoint between them remained and the situation returned to the previous three-way struggle among the Takauji group, the Naoyoshi group, and the Southern Court.
It was Takauji ASHIKAGA who offered the Southern Court his submission next. Learning a lesson from Naoyoshi's betrayal, the Southern Court leaders were obliged to be cautious this time. Turning Naoyoshi's temporary false surrender around to their advantage, the Southern Court had planned to recapture Kyoto to absorb and eliminate the Northern Court while Takauji was away from Kyoto to subjugate Naoyoshi, an Imperial Order dated October 24 to search and kill Naoyoshi was given to Takauji. After Takauji left Kyoto, Emperor Suko of the Northern Court was dethroned and the post of Kanpaku Yoshimoto NIJO was brought to an end whereby the pro-Southern Court Kinkata TOIN was assigned as the Minister of the Left making him in charge of kuji (public duties) in Kyoto. Additionally, on December 28, Moromoto NIJO was appointed as Kanpaku. In February of the following year, 1352 which was a leap year, the Southern Court forces began fighting the Ashikaga army in the Kanto and Kinai regions and, on the 19th, Emperor Gomurakami went to Mt. Otoko (Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu Shrine) where he remained.
As the Ashikaga force's counteroffensive intensified, Mt. Otoko fell on May 11 and while Emperor Gomurakami retreated to Kawachi Province, the Imperial army was pursued fiercely suffering numerous casualties during the retreating battle. Noritada, the second son of Moromoto NIJO, was among them.
The Rebellion of Oto no wakamiya
On June 17, 1359, Moromoto NIJO became a priest with the Buddhist name of Komyodaiin. Consequently, it seems that Moromoto should have passed the post of Kanpaku on to his eldest son Norimoto by then at the latest but that timing remains unknown. Moromoto entered the priesthood but it did not mean he went into retirement.
On April 25, 1360, Imperial Prince Okiyoshi (also known as Oto no wakamiya), together with his supporters including Ujinori AKAMATSU, made a surprise attack on Anoangu, the headquarters of the Southern Court. The following day, Moromoto NIJO was appointed as Dai Shogun (the Great General) and launched a counterattack repressing the rebellion after 3 days. While Imperial Prince Okiyoshi managed to escape, Moromoto's army successfully killed or captured most of the soldiers of the rebel army.
Moromoto's last participation in war
In December 1361, along with various allies including Kiyouji HOSOKAWA and Masanori KUSUNOKI, Moromoto participated in the operation to regain Kyoto.
It is, however, considered that it was Moromoto's eldest son Norimoto and not Moromoto who participated in war based on the entry in "Jingoji Kyoshuninjitsu" stating 'On December 8, 1361, the Imperial army including the son of Nijo Kanpaku Sochi Dainagon Moromoto entered Kyoto.'
Death
According to "Daijoin Nikkimokuroku"(Catalog of the diary of Daijoin), Moromoto died on January 26, 1365 at the age of 66.
Family
Moromoto's wife was unknown. His children included Norimoto and Noritada NIJO. It has been said that Moromoto was either the biological or adoptive father of Kakimon-in who was the birth mother of Emperor Chokei and Emperor Gokameyama.
Career and job grade
The history of his court ranks and orders is as follows:
Ages are given based on the traditional Japanese system.