User:Cckerberos/Kakitsu Rebellion

The Kakitsu Rebellion (嘉吉の乱) was a Muromachi Period rebellion by the Akamatsu clan. In 1441, Akamatsu Mitsusuke, shūgo of Harima, Bizen, and Mimasaka provinces, assassinated Ashikaga Yoshinori, the 6th Ashikaga shogun, because he feared that the shogun was going to replace him. The rebellion was suppressed when Mitsusuke was defeated by a shogunal army in Harima two months later. The Akamatsu clan was then stripped of its holdings.

The rebellion was one of the key events that contributed to the weakening of the Ashikaga shogunate's authority in the decades preceding the Sengoku Period. Yoshinori, one of the most powerful shoguns, was replaced by a young child and the Akamatsu, who had been one of the most influential warriors clans, was destroyed. The strength of the Yamana clan was greatly increased, enabling the rivalry with the Hosokawa clan with ultimately culminated in the Ōnin War.

The rebellion's name derives from the Kakitsu era in which it took place. It is also referred to as the Kakitsu Disturbance (嘉吉の変).

Rise of the Akamatsu clan
The Akamatsu clan had originally been jitō in Harima, but they were rewarded with the position of the province's shugo after Akamatsu Norimura (Enshin) raised troops in answer to Emperor Go-Daigo's appeal to overthrow of the Kamakura Shogunate and played a large role in the Kenmu Restoration. Norimura was dissatisfied with this reward, however, and supported Ashikaga Takauji during the fighting of the Nanboku-chō Period. He became an important retainer of Takauji's during the establishment of the Ashikaga shogunate, receiving Bizen and Mimasaka in addition to Harima and his clan was granted the highest rank of shishoku.

When Mitsusuke became head of the clan in 1427, the retired shogun Ashikaga Yoshimochi attempted to take Harima and give it to his favored retainer Akamatsu Mochisada (Mitsusuke's second cousin). Mitsusuke burned his mansion in Kyoto and returned to Harima. This enraged Yoshimochi and he wanted to kill Mitsusuke, but the shogunate's important retainers opposed this. It was soon discovered that Mochisada had been committing adultery with one of the shogun's concubines and he was executed. Mitsusuke was then absolved and his shugoship of the three provinces was confirmed. After Yoshimochi died and his younger brother Yoshinori became the 6th shogun, Mitsusuke was appointed head of the Samurai-dokoro. Mitsusuke and Yoshinori were relatively close.

"A terror to all men"
Yoshimochi died in 1428 without designating a successor (he was predeceased by his son Yoshikazu, the 5th shogun). The shogunate's top vassals met and it was decided to draw lots to decide which of Yoshimochi's younger brothers should succeed him. Gien, chief priest at Enryakuji, won and became the new shogun, taking the name Yoshinobu (soon changed to Yoshinori). Yoshinori became commonly known as the "lottery shogun" (籤引き将軍) due to this arrangement.

At first Yoshinori ruled in concert with the powerful shugo daimyo, but he gradually came to lead personally following the deaths of several of his powerful retainers such as Yamana Tokihiro and Sanboin Mansai. Yoshinori sought to strengthen the shogunate and forcefully intervened in the successions of the Shiba, Hatakeyama, Yamana, Kyogoku, and Togashi clans to ensure that his favorites became their heads. He also came into conflict with Enryakuji and although he ultimately yielded, a number of the monks burned down the temple's main hall and committed suicide.

Yoshinori had come to wield authority comparable to that of his father Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, but he was a very suspicious man and came to be overly dictatorial, purging not only members of military families without mercy but the nobility as well. The diaries of the nobility of the time list many who had had lands confiscated for trivial slights or were exiled or even killed. Prince Fushimi Sadafusa famously referred to Yoshinori's governing as "a terror to all men" (万人恐怖 (bannin kyofu)) in his diary.

Mitsusuke's Retirement
By this time Akamatsu Mitsusuke, who had become the shogunate's eldest retainer, had fallen out of Yoshinori's favor and heard rumors that his territories of Harima and Mimasaka were to be confiscated. Yoshinori favored Akamatsu Sadamura (Mochisada's nephew) and in March 1440 he confiscated the holdings of Akamatsu Yoshimasa (Mitsusuke's brother) in Settsu and gave them to Sadamura. Yoshinori had Isshiki Yoshitsura and Toki Mochiyori, on campaign in Yamato (the Yamato-Eikyo War), executed in May. Hearing rumors that "the disloyal Mitsusuke is next", Mitsusuke retired under the pretense of madness.

Kamakura Kubō Ashikaga Mochiuji, who had been in conflict with the shogunate for many years, had died in the 1439 Eikyo Disturbance and in April 1441 Yūki Castle fell after a year-long siege. The owner of the castle, Yūki Ujitomo, had raised troops in Kantō in support of Mochiuji's children (the Yūki War). These children were beheaded in Minō while being nominally transported to Kyoto. A month earlier Daikakuji Gisho, who had raised troops in Yamato and fled to Hyūga after being defeated, had been killed by Shimazu Tadakuni. Yoshinori's immediate enemies had thus been eliminated.

Togashi Noriie fled on July 6 after Yoshinori became involved in his clan's succession and his younger brother Yasutaka was made head of the clan. Kira Mochisuke also fled on the 11th.

Assassination of a shogun
On July 12 Mitsusuke's son Noriyasu invited Yoshinori for a celebratory banquet for the victorious end to the Yuki War at a mansion in Kyoto, telling him that there were many ducklings in the estate's pond (a rare sight). Attending the banquet with Yoshinori were the daimyo Hosokawa Mochiyuki (the kanrei), Hatakeyama Mochinaga, Yamana Mochitoyo, Isshiki Norichika, Hosokawa Mochitsune, Ouchi Mochiyo, Kyogoku Takakazu, Yamana Hirotaka, Hosokawa Mochiharu, and Akamatsu Sadamura. Many of these men owed their positions to Yoshinori's interventions in their clan successions. A number of noblemen attended as well.

As all were enjoying Sarugaku, loud sounds were suddenly heard as all of the estate's gates were closed and the horses were released. An irritated Yoshinori yelled out "what's that?"; Ogimachi-Sanjo Sanemasa, sitting next to him, calmly replied that it was "thunder, surely". Immediately afterwards, the shoji screens were thrown open and armored soldiers burst into the room. Azumi Yukihide, the best warrior of the Akamatsu, beheaded Yoshinori. The banquet room became filled with blood; many of the daimyo fled rather than attempt to fight the shogun's attackers. Yamana Hirotaka resisted and was cut down. Hosokawa Mochiharu lost an arm, and Kyogoku Takakazu and Ouchi Mochiyo received fatal wounds. Sanemasa resolutely used a gold-decorated sword gifted to the shogun by the Akamatsu, but was cut and lost consciousness. The shogunal guard, which had been stationed in the front garden, fought the warriors of the Akamatsu as the daimyo attempted to scale the estate's walls to escape. Akamatsu vassals calmed the situation by explaining that the intention had been to kill the shogun and that they had no desire to hurt anyone else. The wounded were carried off and the daimyo withdrew.

Reaction to the assassination
The kanrei and other daimyo sealed themselves away after returning to their estates. They were certain that the Akamatsu must have allies among the daimyo since they had committed such an act and were attempting to ascertain the situation. In fact, the assassination of Yoshinori was undertaken by the Akamatsu alone. The Akamatsu had been sure that shogunal forces would come immediately, and planned to commit suicide within the estate. But as night fell and there was no sign of any such force, they decided to return to their lands and resist. They set fire to the estate and boldly marched out of Kyoto with the shogun's head on a spear. No daimyo attempted to interfere with them.

The shogunate, having suddenly lost its dictator Yoshinori and with no leadership from Kanrei Hosokawa Mochiyuki forthcoming, ground to a halt. As kanrei, Mochiyuki was scorned for fleeing rather than fighting after the shogun had been killed. There were even rumors that he had colluded with Mitsusuke.

Mochiyuki finally opened a council on the 13th, where it was decided that Yoshinori's heir Senyachamaru (Ashikaga Yoshikatsu) would become the new shogun. He moved into the shogunal estate the next day. The shogunate's response was confused, however, and a force to punish the Akamatsu could not be easily assembled. This confusion can be seen as a result of Yoshinori's concentration of power in himself. With a shogun providing strong leadership, the kanrei and other vassals had little opportunity to show any of their own.

Having returned to his stronghold of Sakamoto Castle in Harima, Mitsusuke sought out Yoshitaka, the grandson of Ashikaga Tadafuyu (Ashikaga Takauji's illegitimate son), whose cause he now claimed. He strengthened his defenses and prepared to resist the shogunate.

Kikei Shinzui visited the castle on July 18 asking for the return of Yoshinori's head, which Mitsusuke agreed to. Shinzui returned to Kyoto and Yoshinori's funeral was held on the 23rd at Toji-in.

Subjugation of the Akamatsu
Afterwards Harima, Mimasaka, and Bizen were invaded by a major force from Settsu under Hosokawa Mochitsune, Akamatsu Sadamura, and Akamastu Mitsumasa, and a Yamana force from Tajima and Hōki under Yamana Mochitoyo. The major force set off on July 28, but its de facto commander, Yamana Mochitoyo, delayed his departure from Kyoto. During that time troops under his command raided local money brokers under the pretense of setting up camp. This angered Kanrei Hosokawa Mochiyuki, and after several days Mochitoyo apologized.

Yamana Norikiyo invaded Mimasaka from Hoki in late July. The local kokujin gave little resistance and the Yamana force had soon captured the province.

Hosokawa Mochitsune and Akamatsu Sadamura's large force advanced to Nishinomiya in Settsu. Akamatsu Noriyasu launched a night attack on the shogunate forces on August 11, but soon withdrew due to friendly fire (the Battle of Kuragosho). The shogunal force had little desire to fight and stopped its advanced because Yamana Mochitoyo's forces had paused at the Harima-Tajima border.

Mochitoyo finally left Kyoto on the 14th and headed for Tajima.

Mochiyuki petitioned Emperor Go-Hanazono for an imperial command to punish the Akamatsu on August 17, which was granted. There were those among the nobility who were sympathetic to Mitsusuke as well as those who argued that the Akamatsu were not enemies of the throne and that this was merely a fight among the warrior houses.

The large force from Settsu moved to attack Akamatsu Noriyasu's camp in Shioya (Kobe) on September 4, with Hosokawa Mochitsune and Akamatsu Sadamura going on land, and Hosokawa Mochichika (Hosokawa Shigeharu's father) attacking from the sea. Noriyasu withdrew to Kanigasaka and the large force finally entered Harima. Noriyasu counterattacked on the 9th and the two armies fought fiercely. The shogunal forces attacked Kanigasaka in the midst of a rainstorm on the 10th. Noriyasu fought bravely, but lost the will to fight and withdrew to Sakamoto Castle after receiving a false report that the path to Tajima had fallen (Battle of Hitomaruzuka).

Yamana Mochitoyo attacked with 4500 horse into the Mayumi Pass on the Tajima-Harima border in mid-August and Akamatsu Yoshimasa defended against this for several days. Mochitoyo broke through on the 13th and headed towards Sakamoto Castle as he pursued the retreating Yoshimasa. The two forces met again at Taharaguchi on the 15th, where Yoshimasa was decisively defeated despite fighting well.

Mochitoyo's forces arrived at Sakamoto Castle on September 16 where they merged with Mochitsune's army and beseiged the castle. Sakamoto Castle, the seat of the province's shugo, was not not built on defensible ground, so Mitsusuke withdrew and moved to Kinoyama Castle after three days. The Akamatsu took refuge in the castle, which was not beseiged by the Yamana. Yoshimasa escaped on the 24th and surrendered to the shogunal army, and many of the kokujin of Harima also gave up on the Akamatsu and fled. The shogunal army began a general attack on the 25th. Mitsusuke had his son Noriyasu and brother Norishige flee from the castle and then committed seppuku.

Reinstatement of the shugo daimyo
Yamana Mochitoyo was granted the shugoship of Harima for defeating Mitsusuke, and Bizen was given to Yamana Noriyuki, and Mimisaka to Yamana Norikiyo. The Nakashima district of Settsu and the Akashi, Kato, and Mino districts of Harima were made shogunal lands; Nakashima was given to Hosokawa Mochikata, and Akamatsu Mitsumasa became shugo over the three Harima districts. Mochitoyo demanded control over all Harima as a reward for his military achievements, however, and in January 1444 the three districts were taken from Mitsumasa and given to Mochitoyo. Mitsumasa raised forces in Harima in protest, but he was killed in 1445. The power of the Yamana clan, which had been reduced since its defeat in the Meitoku Rebellion in the time of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, was greatly expanded and it began to rival the Hosokawa.

The shogunate lost a large amount of authority through the course of these events, and it restored the system of shugo daimyo consultations. The Kakitsu Tsuchi-Ikki broke out in August while the shogunal forces were dispatched to the west, and the shogunate was forced to issue a tokusei edict. Mochiyuki also decided at a July 13 council to pardon those punished by Yoshinori. Hatakeyama Mochikuni, who had been dismissed by Yoshinori, returned to Kyoto and his younger brother Mochinaga, who had been installed as head of the clan by Yoshinori fled and was killed. After Mochiyuki's time as kanrei ended, Mochikuni succeeded him. Mochikuni sought to restore to power those who had, like him, been punished by Yoshinori; in doing so he came into conflict with the Hosokawa and helped spark clan civil wars.

Aftermath of the Akamatsu
The fleeing Noriyasu sought refuge with his father-in-law Okawachi Akimasa, but was rejected and committed suicide. Ashikaga Yoshitaka, who Mitsusuke had supported as shogun, was also killed. Mitsusuke's younger brother Yoshimasa appeared at Mitsumasa's camp, where he entrusted him with his son (the later Akamatsu Tokikatsu) and committed seppuku. Norishige fled to Kyushu and was active in Korea for a time, but was killed in Kawachi in 1448. Mitsusuke's nephew Norinao invaded Harima in 1454, seeking a restoration of the Akamatsu clan, but was defeated and killed by Mochitoyo. Arima Mochiie and his son Motoie, from a branch of the Akamatsu, were close to the 8th shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, but were driven into retirement following the sequential rebellions of Mitsumasa and Norinao.

Yasakani no Magatama, one of the three Imperial Regalia, had been stolen by supporters of the Late Southern Court in 1443 (the Kinketsu Incident). In 1457 former Akamatsu retainers attacked the Southern Court, retrieving the jewel and killing Princes Takahide and Takamasa (the Choroku Incident). Akamatsu Masanori, Tokikatsu's son, was then permitted to re-establish the Akamatsu clan as a reward and was appointed shugo over half of Kaga. Masanori would fight against the Yamana clan over the clan's former three provinces during the Ōnin War and regain them.