User:Cckerberos/Hosokawa Rule

Hosokawa rule (細川政権) is a term for the Hosokawa clan's domination of the Muromachi shogunate from 1493 to 1549.

Seizing Power via Coup

When Hosokawa Katsumoto, head of the primary (Keichō) line of the Hosokawa clan, died during the Ōnin War, he was nominally succeeded by his son Masamoto. As Masamoto was only seven years old, however, clan policy was actually decided upon by a council of state (hyōjōshū) made up of the Uchishū. The council was headed by Hosokawa Masakuni (of the clan's Tenkyū branch). The Uchishū were a group of direct vassals of the Keichō-Hosokawa who fulfilled an administrative role for the clan modeled on the Ashikaga shogunate's bugyōshū.

While the precarious situation brought about by the Ōnin War meant that a number of powerful daimyo such as the Shiba and Hatakeyama had departed Kyoto to see to the management of their territories, the Keichō-Hosokawa's holdings (Settsu, Tanba, and Tōsa) were all located relatively close to the capitol. And many other nearby provinces, such as Izumi, Bitchu, Sanuki, and Awa, were governed by other branches of the Hosokawa. It was thus possible for the leaders of the Hosokawa to remain in the capital and continue to participate in the shogunate's management. Rather than go themselves, members of the Uchishū were dispatched to serve as their representatives. Remaining in Kyoto meant that the situation continued to exert a strong influence on the clan, however.

When Shogun Ashikaga Yoshihisa died on campaign in 1489, Masamoto backed Ashikaga Yoshizumi (the eight year-old son of Ashikaga Masatomo, the "Horigoe Kubo") as his successor. He suffered a political defeat at the hands of the deceased shogun's uncle Ashikaga Yoshimi and former kanrei Hatakeyama Masanaga, however, and the position went to Yoshimi's son Yoshitane instead.

With Yoshimi's death in 1491, Masanaga became the dominant force within the shogunate. He attacked Hatakeyama Yoshitoyo (the son of Hatakeyama Yoshinari, his longtime rival for leadership of the Hatakeyama) in Kawachi with a shogunal army in February 1493. While Masanaga and Yoshitane were on campaign however, Masamoto (who had been entrusted with keeping watch over Kyoto) seized control of the government in collusion with Hino Tomiko and Ise Sadamune (the Meiō Coup). He now invited Yoshizumi to assume the position of shogun.

When news of the coup reached the shogunal army encamped in Kawachi, it suffered large desertions. Tomiko and Sadamune were also able to convince a number of Yoshitane's direct vassals to abandon him and return to Kyoto. With the shogunal forces now in disarray, Masamoto dispatched his own army to Kawachi. Yoshitane was captured and imprisoned in Kyoto's Ryōan-ji temple and Masanaga committed suicide.

Masamoto had successfully gained control over a puppet shogun and established Hosokawa rule.

Masamoto's Rule

Not wanting the dishonor of killing a shogun, Masamoto had planned to exile Yoshitane to Shōdoshima. Yoshitane learned of these plans and managed to escape Kyoto in August, however. He fled to the Hatakeyama province of Etchū, where he established a government-in-exile (the Etchū Kubo) with the aid of Jinbo Naganobu, the province's shugo-dai.

The position of kanrei had traditionally been competed for by the Hatakeyama, Shiba, and Hosokawa clans. With the decline in Hatakeyama and Shiba power, however, Masamoto was able to monopolize the position. He worked to expand his power in the shogunate, attacking his opponents and converting others into his vassals.

While Masamoto had assumed power through his use of Yoshizumi as a puppet, he soon ran into problems. He awarded several important posts to Uehara Motohide (the man who had taken Yoshitane captive), but this angered the other members of his council of state and ultimately led to Motohide's murder in 1494.

That same year, a dispute arose between Hosokawa Yoshiharu, the shugo of Awa, and Ise Sadamichi, head of the mandokoro and shugo of Yamashiro. Desiring the position of Yamashiro shugo for himself, Yoshiharu attempted to oust Sadamichi with the support of the province's kokujin (the Yamashiro no Kuni Ikki). When Masamoto sided with Sadamichi, Yoshiharu left Kyoto and returned to Awa. There he assumed an antagonistic position towards Masamoto, enlisting local kokujin such as Miyoshi Yukinaga to oppose the members of the Uchishū dispatched from Kyoto. While Yoshiharu would die of illness only a month after his return to Awa, this split between the Keichō and Awa branches of the Hosokawa would have long standing importance for the clan.

In 1499, Yoshitane gathered an army with the support of Hatakeyama Hisanobu (Masanaga's son) and Asakura Sadakage and marched on the capitol, only to be defeated by Masamoto. Yoshitane now fled to the protection of Ōuchi Yoshioki in Suō.

Masamoto was a devoted practicioner of shūgendō and would often depart the capital for ascetic training, leaving state affairs to his vassals. He had implemented a house code for the Uchishū in 1501 and was supported by skilled vassals like Yasutomi Motoie and Yakushiji Motonaga, so his absences did not cause any disorder. It was, however, considered eccentric behavior and was disliked by some of his vassals.

Masamoto never married and had adopted Sumiyuki, the youngest son of kanpaku Kujō Masamoto, in 1491. In 1502, he formally named Sumiyuki his heir and appointed him shugo of Tanba. This soon caused discontent among the Uchishū and the other branches of the clan as they did not want someone unrelated to the Hosokawa by blood to lead the clan. Relations between Masamoto and Sumiyuki were poor, and in 1503 Masamoto disinherited him. He now adopted Hosokawa Sumimoto (son of Yoshiharu) and named him heir. Sumimoto was accompanied to Kyoto by Miyoshi Yukinaga, who now entered Masamoto's service. Masamoto also adopted Hosokawa Takakuni of the clan's Yashū branch, although the year this happened is uncertain.　

Rather than guaranteeing a secure succession, having three adopted sons made internal conflict more likely. In 1504, Yakushiji Motokazu and Akazawa Tomotsune, two important vassals, revolted and attempted to depose Masamoto in favor of Sumimoto. Sumimoto remained heir, however, and continued to be supported by the large number of the Uchishū who feared that the Awa-Hosokawa would otherwise break with the main branch.

Masamoto dispatched armies to Kawachi, Yamato, and Tango in 1506 in a bid to further increase his power. These campaigns continued on into the following year, leaving Masamoto with few troops at his immediate disposal in the capital. On August 1, 1507, he was assassinated by Yakushiji Nagatada and Kōzai Motonaga at the instigation of the disinherited Sumiyuki (the Eishō Disturbance).

Sumiyuki's Rule

The assassins had also planned to kill Sumimoto on the following day, but he managed to flee to Ōmi with the aid of Yukinaga. Sumiyuki's rule was thus based on an uncertain foundation. After gathering support from the kokujin of Ōmi and Hosokawa vassals, the exiled Sumimoto attacked Kyoto on September 7. Sumiyuki was defeated and committed suicide at his estate, as did Nagatada and Motonaga. In the end, Sumiyuki's rule lasted only a mere forty days.

Struggle Between Sumimoto and Takakuni

With Sumiyuki dead, Sumimoto now became head of the Keichō-Hosokawa.

When word of the Hosokawa infighting reached the exiled Ashikaga Yoshitane and his patron Ōuchi Yoshioki in Suō, Yoshioki raised troops from the daimyo of Kyushu and Chūgoku for the cause of restoring Yoshitane to power. His army departed Yamaguchi on December 28, 1507. Sumimoto dispatched Takakuni to negotiate with Yoshioki, but when the two met in Bingō, Takakuni joined forces with him to depose Sumimoto.

Pressed by Yoshioki's forces from the west and Takakuni's from the east, Sumimoto fled Kyoto for Ōmi in April 1508, accompanied by Ashikaga Yoshizumi. Yoshioki and Yoshitane arrived in the capital in July. Yoshitane was restored as shogun and leadership of the shogunate fell to Takakuni, now kanrei and head of the Keichō-Hosokawa, and Yoshioki, who now served as deputy kanrei.

Concerned about instability in his provinces, Yoshioki wanted to return home but was unable to do so due to continued pressure from Sumimoto. In 1509, Sumimoto and Yukinaga attacked Kyoto but were defeated at the Battle of Nyoigatake. Takakuni and Yoshioki counterattacked Sumimoto's base of operations in Ōmi the following year, but Sumimoto was able to drive this off with the support of the local kokujin. Neither side was able to decisively defeat the other.

Sumimoto attacked Kyoto once again in 1511, this time with a large army and the support of Hosokawa Masakata (head of the Tenkyū-Hosokawa) and Akamatsu Yoshimura (shugo of Harima). While this force dealt repeated defeats to Takakuni and Yoshioki, Sumimoto's fortunes changed later that year when Ashikaga Yoshizumi died of illness and Rokkaku Takayori (shugo of Ōmi) withdrew his support. Sumimoto was decisively defeated at the Battle of Funaokayama on September 25. Hosokawa Masakata was killed in the battle and Sumimoto fled to Awa.

The joint rule between Takakuni and Yoshioki continued following Sumimoto's defeat until Yoshioki, concerned about the expansion of the Amago clan, finally returned home in September 1518, leaving Takakuni on his own. Seeing his opportunity, Sumimoto invaded Settsu in October 1519 and defeated Takakuni's forces at the Battle of Tanaka Castle. This defeat was soon followed by a peasant revolt in Yamashiro, and Takakuni fled to Ōmi in January 1520. Ashikaga Yoshitane, who did not get along well with Takakuni, did not accompany him into exile and instead accepted Sumimoto's protection.

Sumimoto's return to power was short-lived. Takakuni raised a massive force with the backing of the Rokkaku and invaded Kyoto in May. Sumimoto was again decisively defeated at the Battle of Tōjiin. His chief vassal Miyoshi Yukinaga was captured and executed and he was forced to flee back to Awa, where he died of illness in June.

Takakuni's Rule

With Sumimoto's death, Takakuni had finally eliminated his rival for leadership of the Hosokawa. His government had been reliant on the presence of the powerful Yoshioki for its strength, however; with Yoshioki now back home, Takakuni had no choice but to try to maintain his regime on his own. He purged his government of capable retainers who he suspected of disloyalty. After Yoshitane left Kyoto for Sakai in 1521 (likely in an attempt to reassert his independence and raise a force to overthrow Takakuni), Takakuni had him dismissed as shogun and replaced by the young Yoshiharu (Yoshizumi's son).

Takakuni retired in April 1525 and turned power over to his son Tanekuni but was forced to return after Tanekuni died of illness a mere six months later.

While Sumimoto's death had seemingly brought the Hosokawa civil war to a close, his claim had been inherited by his young son Harumoto. Harumoto had little hope of success, but his fortunes changed in 1526 when Hosokawa Tadakata (shugo of Tanba) falsely accused Kōzai Motomori, one of Takakuni's most powerful and capable vassals, of being in communication with Harumoto. Believing the charge, Takakuni had Motomori executed.

Motomori's brothers Hatano Tanemichi (a powerful Tanba kokujin) and Yanagimoto Kataharu then rose up against Takakuni. Takakuni tried to suppress the Hatano but failed to make progress due to resistance from local kokujin such as Naitō Kunisada. Seeing an opportunity, Miyoshi Motonaga raised an army on behalf of the 13 year-old Harumoto and landed in Kansai. Takakuni was defeated by a Hatano-Miyoshi army at the Battle of Katsurakawara in March 1527 and fled with Yoshiharu to Ōmi.

Harumoto now established a new government in Sakai (the Sakai Kubo) with Ashikaga Yoshitsuna (Yoshiharu's brother) at its head.

After Kataharu was assassinated while on campaign in Harima in May 1530, Takakuni joined with the powerful sengoku daimyō Uragami Muramune for one final attempt to return to power. He successfully retook Kyoto, but his restoration was short lived. Moving to destroy Harumoto's government in Sakai, the Hosokawa-Uragami army was checked by the Miyoshi at the lengthy Battle of Nakajima. Finally, on July 17, 1531, Takakuni was decisively defeated at the Battle of Tennōji. Muramune was killed in the fighting and Takakuni was taken captive. On July 21, he was forced to commit suicide.

The End of Hosokawa Rule

With Takakuni dead, Miyoshi Motonaga backed Harumoto as the new head of the Keichō-Hosokawa. Divisions soon arose between Harumoto and his supporters, however. Harumoto wanted to make peace with Ashikaga Yoshiharu and rule from Kyoto, but this was fiercely opposed by Motonaga and Hatakeyama Yoshitaka.

In 1532, these division came to a head when Motonaga and Yoshitaka besieged the castle of Kizawa Nagamasa, another of Harumoto's vassals. Harumoto came to Nagamasa's defense by enlisting assistance from the ikkō-ikki. By the time the fighting was ended, both Motonaga and Yoshitaka were dead.

Harumoto then made peace with Yoshiharu and ran the shogunate as the new kanrei with Yoshiharu as his puppet.

Thirty years of Hosokawa infighting had not only divided its branches and territories, it had also exacted a heavy toll on the Uchishū who acted as the political and military base for the clan (the Battle of Tennōji had levied a particularly heavy cost on the clan.) The kokujin who had been held in check by the Hosokawa shugo and Uchishū took advantage of the infighting to expand their influence. Many Uchishū either failed to control their territory from Kyoto or became kokujin themselves.

The Hosokawa were hard pressed to rebuild their powerbase. One method used to strengthen the clan's support structure was to receive aid from external powers. Another was to integrate powerful kokujin who had not been part of the Uchishū into the government, such as the Miyoshi and Ibaragi clans. Hosokawa Takakuni's alliance with Ōuchi Yoshioki is an example of the former strategy; Hosokawa Harumoto's appointment of Miyoshi Motonaga as a shugo-dai is an example of the latter.

Under Takakuni and Harumoto, the Hosokawa clan lost the territories it had held as shugo and the Uchishū disappeared. By this point, unity among the branches of the Hosokawa and consensus among the Uchishū, two necessary prerequisites for Hosokawa rule, had ceased to exist.

The Hosokawa civil war was rekindled in 1543 when Takakuni's adopted son Ujitsuna gathered an army. Miyoshi Motonaga's son Chōkei (Nagayoshi) distinguished himself in defeating Ujitsuna. In 1548 he moved to support Ujitsuna, however, and defeated Harumoto at the Battle of Eguchi in 1549. Harumoto fled to Ōmi with Yoshiharu and his young son Yoshiteru.

Hosokawa rule came to an end with Harumoto's defeat. While Ujitsuna became the new kanrei, he was no more than Chōkei's puppet. Governance under the Miyoshi was different than it had been under the Hosokawa; while the the traditional authority of the shogun and kanrei were maintained, the Miyoshi acted completely independently.

Harumoto made one last attempt to regain power in 1561, but was defeated at the Battle of Kumeda and died two years later. His young son Akimoto became a puppet of the Miyoshi alongside Ujitsuna (Akimoto would survive as the nominal controller of Tanba under the Oda.)