Minamoto Yoshiie was one of the great samurai generals and joined with his equally illustrious father, Minamoto Yoriyoshi, to purge the rebellious Abe clan of Dewa province in the 'Early Nine Years War'. The leader of the rebels was Abe Yoritoki, an ambitious character who used his position for personal gain, who was killed by an arrow in 1057 but was succeeded by his son Abe Sadato. Only 13-years of age at the time Yoshiie earned the nickname 'Hachimantaro' which means 'firstborn son of Hachiman' (the kami of war), after acquitting himself bravely after the Minamoto forces withdrew from the siege of Sadato's stronghold, Kawaski, and were subsequently pursued by the rebels. In the ensuing engagement the Minamoto forces managed to regroup. In 1062 Yoshiie, again with his father, laid siege to Sadato's fortress of Kuriyagawa and pledged in his prayer to Hachiman a shrine to the kami of war should victory be given to them. The fortress eventually fell and Sadato and his son both died but his brother, Muneto, was captured and taken prisoner. Later Muneto was released and became a companion of Yoshiie's. After the siege on the road to Kyoto Yoshiie established the Tsurugaoka Hachiman shrine at Kamakura which became the holiest shrine to the kami of war for the Minamoto family.

A year after his father died in 1082 Yoshiie became embroiled in the 'Later Three Years War' when he had to subdue another rebel, the Kiyowara family who ironically aided them in the wars against the Abe. The family had become powerful in the north after the defeat of the Abe and were fighting amongst themselves and Yoshiie had to quell the disturbance. His powers of perception were there for all to see when he suspected an ambush after a flock of geese rose from a forest. His caution was rewarded and the enemy forces were defeated. The conflict culminated at the battle of Kanazawa and after each day's fighting Yoshiie examined the contribution made to the fighting by his men. The bravest was allocated the 'bravery seat' while the least was given the 'cowardice seat'. Yet despite Yoshiie's success at quelling the violence in the north he wasn't rewarded by the court because it was seen as a private quarrel and wasn't technically authorised by the emperor, although everyone was impressed with the outcome. At this time samurai were inferior and in many ways subordinate to the courtly nobles and Yoshiie's standing at court dived after his tossed the severed heads of his enemies into a ditch after Kanazawa. This disobedience meant that he could no longer gain a position at court.

Minamoto Yoshiie was regarded as the greatest warrior in the land and was greatly respected and loved by his men who appreciated his desire to eat with them. The Oshu Gosannen Ki, a chronicle covering Yoshiie and his father's career, even goes so far as to say that he warmed the bodies of his men using his own in freezing weather and even revived those who at first appeared to have frozen to death. Despite his violent life Yoshiie died peacefully and a courtier wrote in tribute to him 'His military authority filled the realm. Here was a man truly worthy of being a great general.'

Further Reading

Samurai Commanders 1 (Osprey Publishing) - Stephen Turnbull.