Ashikaga Yoshitane

, also known as Ashikaga Yoshimura, was the 10th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who headed the shogunate first from 1490 to 1493 [Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Annales des empereurs du japon," pp. 361-362.] and then again from 1508 to 1521 during the Muromachi period of Japan. [Titsingh, pp. 367-371.]

Yoshitane was the son of Ashikaga Yoshimi and grandson of the sixth shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori. In his early life, he was named Yoshiki (sometimes translated as Yoshimura), and then YoshitadaAckroyd, Joyce. (1982). "Lessons from History: The Tokushi Yoron," p. 331.] -- including the period of when he is first installed as shogun; however, he changed his name to Yoshitane in 1501 during a time when he was temporarily exiled, and it is this name by which he is generally known today. [Titsigh, p. 364.]

The 9th shogun Ashikaga Yoshihisa died in 1489 on a battlefield of southern Omi province. Yoshihisa left no heir; and Yoshitane became "Seii Taishogun" a year later. [Titsingh, p. 361.]

Events of Yoshitane's "bakufu"

Significant events shape the period during which Yoshitane was shogun:Ackroyd, p. 331.]
* 1490 -- Yoshitane appointed shogun. [see above] ]
* 1491 -- Hōjō Sōun gains control of Izu. [see above] ]
* 1493 -- Hatakeyama Yoshitoyo forces Yoshitane to abdicate. [see above] ]
* 1500 -- Emperor Go-Kashiwabara acedes. [see above] ]
* 1508 -- Ōuchi Yoshioki restores Yoshitane. [see above] ]
* 1520 -- Dissension over Hosokawa succession; Takakuni becomes Kanryō; Yoshitane opposes Takakuni and Kanryō is driven out. [see above] ]
* 1521 -- Emperor Go-Kashiwabara . [see above] ]

In 1493, Yoshitane lost in a power struggle rose with Hosokawa Masamoto and he was formally replaced by the eleventh shogun, Ashikaga Yoshizumi. [Titsingh, p. 362.]

In 1508, with the support of Ōuchi Yoshioki, Yoshitane regained the position of "Seii Taishogun" from Yoshizumi. [Titsingh, pp. 366-367.]

Eventually, after a further power struggle with the Hosokawa clan and Hosokawa Takakuni, Yoshitane was forced to withdraw to Awaji Island. He died in Awa province on the island of Shikoku.Titsingh, p. 370.]

Hosokawa Takakuni arranged for the replacement of Yoshitane with the twelfth shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiharu. [see above] ]

Yoshitane's heirs and successors

Shogun Yoshitane adopted the son of a cousin, Yoshizumi; and he designate Yoshitsuna as his heir and as his anticipated successor as shogun. However, when Yoshitane died prematurely, he was not succeeded by the one he chose; rather, his father's newly designated heir was accepted by the shogunate as Shogun Yoshizumi.Ackroyd, p. 298.]

Expressed in different terms: After the death of his son, Shogun Yoshimasa adopted the son of his brother, Yoshimi. After the death of his adopted son, Yoshimasa adopted the son of another brother, Masatomo. Shogun Yoshimasa was succeeded by Shogun Yoshihisa (Yoshimasa's natural son), then by Shogun Yoshitane (Yoshimasa's first adopted son), and then by Shogun Yoshizumi (Yoshimasa's second adopted son). Yoshizumi's progency would become shoguns in due course. [see above] ]

Eventually, the great-grandson of Yoshitane would be installed as a puppet shogun for a brief period; but external power struggles will unseat him and, the Ashikaga dynasty of shoguns will be ended. [see above] ]

Eras of Yoshitane's "bakufu"

The span of years in which Yoshitane was shogun are more specifically identified by more than one era name or "nengō". [Titsingh, pp. 352-372.]
* "Entoku" (1489-1492)
* "Meiō" (1492-1501)
* "Bunki" (1501-1504)
* "Eishō" (1504-1521)
* "Daiei" (1521-1528)

Notes

References

* Ackroyd, Joyce. (1982) "Lessons from History: The Tokushi Yoron." Brisbane: University of Queensland Press. 10-ISBN 0-702-21485-X; 13-ISBN 978-0-702-21485-1 (cloth)
* Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834), [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652] , "Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon." Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. [http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran ... Click for digitized, full-text copy of this text (in French.]