Mōri clan

Grave of Yamaguchi Mōri clan at Mount Koya

The Mōri clan (毛利氏, Mōri-shi) was a family of daimyō, descended from Oe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki province. Their name was derived from a shoen in Mōri, Aikō district, Sagami province. The generation of Hiromoto began to name themselves Mōri.

After the Jokyu incident Mōri was appointed to the jito office of a shoen in Aki province. During the Kamakura period Mōri was one of prominent Gokenin family due to the fame of their ancestor Hiromoto. At the end of Kamakura Shogunate, Mori was distant from the Shogunate and showed a favorable attitude to Ashikaga Takauji.

In Sengoku period Mori Motonari succeeded to expand their power to the whole Aki province and then other neighbor provinces. In his generation Mori became the daimyo from a local Gokenin.

After a struggle between Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who led his army as a general of Oda Nobunaga, the both sides made peace and Mori remained as a daimyo who kept five provinces in Chugoku. In 1600 Mori Terumoto led the West Army in the Battle of Sekigahara nominally. The West Army lost the battle and the Mori clan lost theee eastern provinces and moved their capital from Hiroshima to currentday Hagi, Yamaguchi. The newer fief, Mori han consisted in two provinces: Natago province and Suo province. Derived from the former, Mori han was referred often Choshuhan. (han of Nagato province).

After Meiji Restoration the system of han and daimyo was abolished. Mori was titled as duke.

This article incorporates text from OpenHistory.