Motonaga Miyoshi (2/2)The military commander who put an end to the Hosokawa clan's civil war.

In 1531, a surprised Harumoto Hosokawa asked Motonaga Miyoshi, who had returned to Awa Province, to come back. Motonaga Miyoshi returned to the Kinai area due to his grandfather, Yukinaga Miyoshi, and father, Nagahide Miyoshi, being defeated by Takakuni Hosokawa, with whom he had once fought, and the Lord's request. Motonaga Miyoshi, who entered the war from Awa Province, led 8,000 soldiers and set up camp around present-day Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka City. Takakuni Hosokawa set up his army in the Fukushima ward of Osaka city to the north, and repeatedly advanced and retreated (Battle of Nakajima).

The battle reached a stalemate, but Masasuke Akamatsu, who was supposed to have come as reinforcements for Takakuni Hosokawa, betrayed Takakuni and sided with Motonaga Miyoshi, resulting in the collapse of Takakuni Hosokawa's side. Motonaga Miyoshi forced Takakuni Hosokawa to commit suicide (a major collapse).

Conflict between Motonaga Miyoshi and Harumoto Hosokawa

Katsumoto Hosokawa was a general of the Eastern Army during the Onin War. Hosokawa Katsumoto's son, Hosokawa Masamoto, was called a "half-shogun." Sumimoto Hosokawa and Takakuni Hosokawa, adopted children of Masamoto Hosokawa.
The Hosokawa Rebellion, in which these two adopted children fought for more than 20 years, came to an end when Motonaga Miyoshi forced Takakuni Hosokawa to commit suicide.

Harumoto Hosokawa, the son of Sumimoto Hosokawa, supported Yoshitsune Ashikaga and established a government called Sakai Kubo. For this reason, if Harumoto Hosokawa expelled Yoshiharu Ashikaga, the 12th shogun, and appointed Yoshitsugu Ashikaga, the 12th shogun himself, to become shogun, the war should have ended peacefully.
However, Harumoto Hosokawa did not appoint Yoshitsune Ashikaga as shogun and made peace with Yoshiharu Ashikaga, the 12th shogun.
Harumoto Hosokawa decided to abandon Yoshitsugu Ashikaga, who he had supported, and to support a new shogun who had been his enemy.

Harumoto Hosokawa's act of abandoning Yoshitsugu Ashikaga drew criticism from within Harumoto, and Motonaga Miyoshi in particular strongly opposed him. Because of Motonaga's opposition, the masters, Harumoto Hosokawa and Motonaga Miyoshi, were at odds. In addition, vassals who served close to Harumoto Hosokawa criticized Motonaga Miyoshi's attitude of standing up to his master, and the rift deepened. Furthermore, Harumoto Hosokawa also became wary of Motonaga Miyoshi, who had achieved great results. Meanwhile, an incident occurred in which Motonaga Miyoshi attacked Harumoto Hosokawa's aides, which ignited Harumoto Hosokawa's anger.

The Tenmon Hoka Rebellion and the end of Motonaga Miyoshi

Despite supporting Yoshitsugu Ashikaga, Harumoto Hosokawa reconciled with Yoshiharu Ashikaga, the 12th shogun. Motonaga Miyoshi used to serve Harumoto Hosokawa, but he used to admonish him at every opportunity. Harumoto Hosokawa disliked Motonaga Miyoshi, who often showed great military merit and rebelled against him. However, Harumoto Hosokawa does not have the power to eliminate Motonaga Miyoshi on his own. So Harumoto consults with a monk he is close to.
The monk who was consulted was Renjun, the 6th son of Rennyo, the 8th head of Honganji Temple. Renjun was the grandfather of Shonyo, the 10th head of Honganji Temple (father of the 11th head of Konnyō), and was the guardian of the young Shonyo. He was also close to Harumoto Hosokawa because he supported him.
Harumoto Hosokawa consults Renjun about expelling Motonaga Miyoshi, and Renjun agrees.

Renjun had a reason to exclude Motonaga Miyoshi. Motonaga Miyoshi believed in the Hokke sect and often persecuted Honganji Temple. Because of this, Renjun started a revolt under the pretext of ``subjugating Motonaga Miyoshi, who was a devotee of the Lotus sect and was under his protection.'' It is said that under Renjun's leadership, disciples from the Kinai region and people from other countries gathered together, and the number swelled to 100,000.

In the face of this large-scale uprising, Motonaga Miyoshi had no choice but to flee back to Sakai. He then forced Yoshitsugu Ashikaga, the Kubo of Sakai, and his children to flee to Awa Province, where he committed suicide at the age of 32.

According to Sakai Kagami, the first book on Sakai published in the Edo period, Motonaga Miyoshi had a gruesome end when he committed seppuku, throwing the organs that came out of his body onto the ceiling out of regret. It is written. Motonaga Miyoshi was the man who put down the Ryohosokawa Rebellion, which lasted for over 20 years, but this is how he ended his life.

And then to the era of Miyoshi Nagayoshi

Motonaga Miyoshi was shunned by his master, Harumoto Hosokawa, and was killed in a rebellion.
Harumoto Hosokawa's goal was achieved by forcing Motonaga Miyoshi to commit suicide. However, the uprising itself did not subside.

Harumoto Hosokawa's purpose was to force Motonaga Miyoshi to commit suicide, and the uprising itself was carried out under the pretext of ``taking down Motonaga Miyoshi, who had converted to the Hokke sect and was protecting him.'' The uprising centered around Hongan-ji Temple must have achieved its goal. However, after defeating Motonaga, they changed their focus and said they would also ``subjugate other sects.'' This surprised Shonyo, the chief priest of Yamashina Honganji Temple, and Renjun, who was his guardian. The leaders of the uprising tried to stop them, but the uprising ignored the restraints and invaded Yamato Province.

The uprising raged on, destroying temples and merchant buildings in Nara. It is said that at this time, there was a huge uproar, with the carp in Nara's Sarusawa Pond and the deer at Kasuga Taisha Shrine being devoured.

Harumoto Hosokawa is surprised by this situation. Harumoto Hosokawa, the head of the Muromachi Shogunate, was surprised by this uprising and broke away from the Honganji side. The Honganji side, which was considered to be out of luck, also showed an attitude of confronting Harumoto Hosokawa. Harumoto Hosokawa, with the help of believers of the Hokke sect and neighboring feudal lords, burned down Yamashina Honganji Temple in Yamashina. Hongan-ji Temple was moved to Osaka Hongan-ji Temple (Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple) in Settsu Province, and from there it became the base during the Sengoku period.

Now, just before Motonaga Miyoshi committed suicide, he fled his children to Awa Province. These children included Nagayoshi Miyoshi, Jikyu Miyoshi, and Kazumasa Sogo. The year after Motonaga Miyoshi was defeated, his son Nagayoshi Miyoshi returned to Kinai, protected by his vassals. Under the name of Nagayoshi, the Miyoshi family mediated peace between Harumoto Hosokawa and the Ikki forces.

From here, Harumoto Hosokawa's system began. Miyoshi Nagayoshi also served Harumoto Hosokawa, but after that he expelled Harumoto Hosokawa and the Sanshuu Hosokawa family from Awa Province. The government of Nagayoshi Miyoshi began with Motonaga Miyoshi's son, Yoshiteru Ashikaga, the 13th Shogun.

The authority of the shogunate was lost during the Onin War, and the area around Kyoto seemed to stabilize under the reign of Masamoto Hosokawa, who was known as a half-shogun. However, Motonaga Miyoshi put an end to the Ryohosokawa Rebellion, and after this the era of the Miyoshi family entered. This is how the end of the Muromachi period, the first half of the period known as the Warring States period, passed.