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, also known as Hongan-ji Kennyo (本願寺 顕如), was the 11th head of the Hongan-ji
in Kyoto
, and Chief Abbot of Ishiyama Hongan-ji
, cathedral fortress of the Ikkō-ikki
(Buddhist
warrior monks and peasants who opposed samurai rule), during its siege at the end of the Sengoku Period
. He engineered many alliances, and organized the defenses of the cathedral to the point that most at the time considered Ishiyama Hongan-ji to be unbreachable.
In 1570, Takeda Shingen
, a relative of Kōsa through marriage, faced not one but three major rivals: Oda Nobunaga
, Tokugawa Ieyasu
, and Uesugi Kenshin
. He asked the Abbot for aid, and Kōsa persuaded the Ikkō sectarians (also called Monto
) in Kaga Province
to rise up against Uesugi Kenshin. Several years later, after the death of Takeda Shingen
, Kōsa secured the aid of the Mōri clan
in fighting Oda Nobunaga and defending the Hongan-ji's supply lines from blockade.
Oda Nobunaga's Siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji
began in 1570, and would be the longest siege in Japanese history. In accordance with Kōsa's strategic organization of the defenses and alliances, the fortress was all but impervious to attack, and the Mōri clan fleet defended the supply lines for some time. Kōsa (and the Mōri) requested aid from both Takeda Katsuyori
(son of Shingen) and Uesugi Kenshin, as well as the Ikkō armies of other provinces, to attack Nobunaga, relieving the siege. But neither Takeda nor Uesugi answered his call. When Nobunaga attacked the fortress with 3,000 troops, the monks answered with 15,000; Nobunaga then turned to attacking Kōsa's allies, the Asakura
, Uesugi
, and Azai clans as well as other outposts of Ikkō-ikki monks. The Abbot wrote a desperate letter to Ikko followers in Musashi
and Sagami
Provinces, asking them to stand fast, and to send supplies and reinforcements. The fortress' supplies were nearly exhausted, and their outposts were nearly all destroyed by 1580. Nobunaga ordered the Abbot to evacuate the fortress, and to leave Osaka
. Kōsa deliberated with his allies, particularly the Mōri, and then left for Kii Province
, hoping to raise reinforcements. He left his son in charge of the fortress, who surrendered after an Imperial Messenger arrived with an official request from the Emperor
that he do so. The fortress mysteriously burned down after the monks left it.
Despite this incredible defeat, Kōsa remained devoted to the Ikko sect, and to the idea of regaining a central cathedral fortress for the sect. He began to enlist the help of Ikko sectarians to aid Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, in order to gain Hideyoshi's favor. In 1583, Kōsa sent Ikko warriors to harass Hideyoshi's enemy Shibata Katsuie
, and in 1587 he sent messengers to Kyushu, asking Ikko leaders there to act as guides for Hideyoshi's army in Satsuma Province
. In 1589, Hideyoshi granted Kōsa his wish for a new Hongan-ji. The site was the shrine to the patriarch Shinran
, in Kyoto; it was moved in 1591, and is now known as the Nishi Hongan-ji
.
, Kessen III
and Mōri Motonari: Chikai no Sanya, and in Capcom
's Sengoku Basara 2
.
Hongan-ji
, also archaically romanized as Hongwanji, is the collective name of the largest school of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism...
in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, and Chief Abbot of Ishiyama Hongan-ji
Ishiyama Hongan-ji
For other uses, see Ishiyama .The ' was the primary fortress of the Ikkō-ikki, mobs of warrior monks and peasants who opposed samurai rule. It was established in 1496, at the mouth of the Yodo River, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. At the time, this was just outside of the remains of the...
, cathedral fortress of the Ikkō-ikki
Ikko-ikki
', literally "Ikkoshū Uprising", were mobs of peasant farmers, Buddhist monks, Shinto priests and local nobles, who rose up against samurai rule in 15th to 16th century Japan. They followed the beliefs of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism which taught that all believers are equally saved by Amida...
(Buddhist
Buddhism in Japan
The history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods, namely the Nara period , the Heian period and the post-Heian period . Each period saw the introduction of new doctrines and upheavals in existing schools...
warrior monks and peasants who opposed samurai rule), during its siege at the end of the Sengoku Period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
. He engineered many alliances, and organized the defenses of the cathedral to the point that most at the time considered Ishiyama Hongan-ji to be unbreachable.
In 1570, Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
, a relative of Kōsa through marriage, faced not one but three major rivals: Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
, Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
, and Uesugi Kenshin
Uesugi Kenshin
was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...
. He asked the Abbot for aid, and Kōsa persuaded the Ikkō sectarians (also called Monto
Monto
Monto was the nickname for a one-time notorious red light district in Dublin, the capital of Ireland...
) in Kaga Province
Kaga Province
was an old province in the area that is today the southern part of Ishikawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called .Ruled by the Maeda clan, the capital of Kaga was Kanazawa. Kaga bordered on Echizen, Etchū, Hida, and Noto Provinces...
to rise up against Uesugi Kenshin. Several years later, after the death of Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
, Kōsa secured the aid of the Mōri clan
Mori clan
The Mōri clan was a family of daimyō, descended from Ōe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki Province. Their name was derived from a shōen in Mōri, Aikō District, Sagami Province. The generation of Hiromoto began to name themselves Mōri.After the Jōkyū War, Mōri was appointed to the jitō...
in fighting Oda Nobunaga and defending the Hongan-ji's supply lines from blockade.
Oda Nobunaga's Siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji
Siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji
The , taking place from 1570 to 1580 in Sengoku period Japan, was an eleven-year campaign by warlord Oda Nobunaga against a network of fortifications, temples, and communities belonging to the Ikkō-ikki, a powerful faction of religious zealots. It centered on attempts to take down the Ikki's...
began in 1570, and would be the longest siege in Japanese history. In accordance with Kōsa's strategic organization of the defenses and alliances, the fortress was all but impervious to attack, and the Mōri clan fleet defended the supply lines for some time. Kōsa (and the Mōri) requested aid from both Takeda Katsuyori
Takeda Katsuyori
was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku Period, who was famed as the head of the Takeda clan and the successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was the son of Shingen by the , the daughter of Suwa Yorishige...
(son of Shingen) and Uesugi Kenshin, as well as the Ikkō armies of other provinces, to attack Nobunaga, relieving the siege. But neither Takeda nor Uesugi answered his call. When Nobunaga attacked the fortress with 3,000 troops, the monks answered with 15,000; Nobunaga then turned to attacking Kōsa's allies, the Asakura
Asakura clan
The ' are descendants of Prince Kusakabe , son of Emperor Temmu .The family was a line of daimyō which, along with the Azai clan, opposed Oda Nobunaga in the late 16th century...
, Uesugi
Uesugi clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan, descended from the Fujiwara clan and particularly notable for their power in the Muromachi and Sengoku periods ....
, and Azai clans as well as other outposts of Ikkō-ikki monks. The Abbot wrote a desperate letter to Ikko followers in Musashi
Musashi Province
was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Prefecture, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama...
and Sagami
Sagami Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...
Provinces, asking them to stand fast, and to send supplies and reinforcements. The fortress' supplies were nearly exhausted, and their outposts were nearly all destroyed by 1580. Nobunaga ordered the Abbot to evacuate the fortress, and to leave Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. Kōsa deliberated with his allies, particularly the Mōri, and then left for Kii Province
Kii Province
, or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato Provinces. The Kii Peninsula takes its name from this province....
, hoping to raise reinforcements. He left his son in charge of the fortress, who surrendered after an Imperial Messenger arrived with an official request from the Emperor
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
that he do so. The fortress mysteriously burned down after the monks left it.
Despite this incredible defeat, Kōsa remained devoted to the Ikko sect, and to the idea of regaining a central cathedral fortress for the sect. He began to enlist the help of Ikko sectarians to aid Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
, in order to gain Hideyoshi's favor. In 1583, Kōsa sent Ikko warriors to harass Hideyoshi's enemy Shibata Katsuie
Shibata Katsuie
or was a Japanese military commander during the Sengoku Period who served Oda Nobunaga.-Biography:Katsuie was born in the Shibata family, a branch of the Shiba clan . Note the differences between , , and the .Katsuie was the retainer of Oda Nobukatsu...
, and in 1587 he sent messengers to Kyushu, asking Ikko leaders there to act as guides for Hideyoshi's army in Satsuma Province
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
. In 1589, Hideyoshi granted Kōsa his wish for a new Hongan-ji. The site was the shrine to the patriarch Shinran
Shinran
was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino at the turbulent close of the Heian Period and lived during the Kamakura Period...
, in Kyoto; it was moved in 1591, and is now known as the Nishi Hongan-ji
Hongan-ji
, also archaically romanized as Hongwanji, is the collective name of the largest school of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism...
.
In popular culture
In fiction, Kōsa usually appears with the name Honganji Kennyo. Kennyo appears as a non-playable character in Koei's video games Samurai WarriorsSamurai Warriors
is the first title in the series of video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based loosely around the Sengoku period of Japanese history and it is a spinoff of the Dynasty Warriors series...
, Kessen III
Kessen III
is a PlayStation 2 video-game produced by Koei and is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga.-Historical background:The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590...
and Mōri Motonari: Chikai no Sanya, and in Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
's Sengoku Basara 2
Sengoku Basara 2
Sengoku Basara 2 is a sequel to the video game Sengoku Basara , released in Japan on July 27, 2006 for the PlayStation 2. A revision with additional features named Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes was released on November 29, 2007...
.
Sources
- George Sansom. A History of Japan: 1334-1615. Stanford: Stanford University Press (1961)