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Abe clan 1

Abe clan

Abe clan (Abe-shi) was one of the oldest of the major Japanese clans (uji); and the clan retained its

prominence during the Sengoku period and the Edo period.[1] The clan's origin is said to be one of the original clans

of the Yamato people; they truly gained prominence during the Heian period (794-1185), and experienced a

resurgence in the 18th century. Abe is also a very common Japanese surname in modern times, though not everyone

with this name necessarily is descended from this clan.

Origins & History

According to the Nihon Shoki, the Abe were descended from a son of Emperor Kgen. [2] They originated in Iga

province (today Mie prefecture); a number of families originally from this region, and bearing the Abe name, also

claim descent from a legendary figure named Abi. Abi is said to have opposed Emperor Jimmu, the first legendary

emperor of Japan, in his plans to conquer the Yamato plain. The various Abe families thus settled in the far north of

Honsh, where they would become quite influential many centuries later in the Heian period. Though the clan name

was originally written as

, it changed to

around the 8th century. Though this origin is not positive, it islikely.

This northern region, which would come to be known as the provinces of Mutsu and Dewa, was conquered by the

Japanese sometime in the 9th century, and the native Emishi people there subjugated or displaced. While many

provinces at this time were overseen primarily by a governor, Mutsu saw to the rise of independent families called

gzoku who administered local affairs. The Abe were appointed as "Superintendent of the Aborigines" ostensibly to

control the local people who by now were a mix of Japanese immigrants and former Emishi tribesmen on behalf of

the central government, but in reality the government in Kyoto simply did not have control over the region, and was

recognizing this fact by appointing the Abe. The Abe for their part used their position to take control over the

so-called six districts roku-oku-gun located in what is now central Iwate prefecture surrounding the Kitakami river.

In time, they began to have disputes with the governor of Mutsu, an office held by a branch of the Fujiwara family,which erupted into violence in 1051.

The main reason given for the attack on the Abe was that they stopped paying taxes to Kyoto, and stopped

contributing to the local government. The governors of Mutsu and the commander of Dewa fort combined their

forces to attack the Abe, but were defeated. Desperate to quell this affront to their authority Kyoto appointed

Minamoto Yoriyoshi as Chinjufu-shogun. The position known as Chinjufu-shogun, or "Commander-in-chief of the

Defense of the North", was traditionally given by the court as a temporary appointment to a courtier (typically of

high rank) who was appointed as a national general to quell uprisings among the Emishi or Ebisu barbarians of

northern Honsh. Increasingly, as military power became privatized this position was rotated among a few clans.

In what has come to be termed the "Earlier Nine Years' War" (

,Zenkunen kassen), Abe Yoritoki waskilled, and his son Abe no Sadato defeated, by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and his son, Minamoto no Yoshiie. This war

broke the power of the Abe family, but in the prolonged fighting that took place the Minamoto would not have

prevailed had it not been for the aid of another powerful family, the Kiyowara. The Kiyohara clan of nearby Dewa

province, aided the Minamoto in defeating the Abe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dewa_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dewa_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kiyohara_clanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minamoto_no_Yoshiiehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_no_Sadatohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zenkunen_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=G%C5%8Dzokuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emishihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dewa_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mutsu_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Honsh%C5%ABhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yamato_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emperor_of_Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emperor_Jimmuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mie_prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iga_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iga_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emperor_K%C5%8Dgenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nihon_Shokihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_%28surname%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Heian_periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yamato_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edo_periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sengoku_periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_clans

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Abe clan 2

Other Abe families

Though many other major figures throughout history have been called Abe, it is difficult to know which were related

to the Abe clan of Iga and Mutsu. Abe no Nakamaro, a major court noble of the 8th century, for example, was from

the town of Abe, near Nara, and derived his family name thus.

A family by the name of Abe also proved significant during the Edo period, serving successively in the post of Rj,

or Elders, who advised the Tokugawa shogun. Again, it is difficult to determine whether or not this line was directlyrelated to the much earlier Abe clan, but it is of an importance itself nevertheless. Abe Tadaaki was the first to serve

as Rj, holding the post from 1633-71. He was very likely a son or other direct relation to Abe Masatsugu

(15691647) who served Tokugawa Ieyasu and fought under him at the decisive battle of Sekigahara. Other

members of the Abe family would succeed Tadaaki to the post for much of the Edo period (16031867), ending with

Abe Masahiro, who was chief of the Council ofRj at the time of the arrival of Commodore Perry.

Clan members of note

Abe no Hirafu (c. 575-664), also known as Abe no mi, one of the leading generals in the subjugation of the

Ainu Abe no Yoritoki (died 1057) - chinjufu shogun during the Zenkunen War

Abe no Sadato (101962)

Abe Masatsugu (15691647) - fought at Sekigahara, became afudai daimyo under the Tokugawa

Abe Tadaaki - first Abe clan member of theRj

Abe Masahiro - among the last of theRj, signed Treaty of Kanagawa

Abe no Seimei - famed practitioner of onmyd

Notes

[1] Meyer, Eva-Maria. "Gouverneure von Kyto in der Edo-Zeit." (http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/geschichte-japans/manabu/shoshidai.htm)

Universitt Tbingen (in German).[2] Asakawa, Kan'ichi. (1903). The Early Institutional Life of Japan, p.140.

References

Appert, Georges and H. Kinoshita. (1888).Ancien Japon.(http://books.google.com/

books?id=HYc_AAAAMAAJ&dq=ancien+japon&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0) Tokyo: Imprimerie

Kokubunsha.

Asakawa, Kan'ichi. (1903). The Early Institutional Life of Japan.(http://books.google.com/

books?id=K1MuAAAAYAAJ&dq=The+Early+Institutional+Life+of+Japan.&source=gbs_navlinks_s)

Tokyo: Shueisha. OCLC 4427686 (http://www.worldcat.org/title/

early-institutional-life-of-japan-a-study-in-the-reform-of-645-ad/oclc/4427686); see online, multi-formatted,

full-text book at openlibrary.org (http://openlibrary.org/books/OL6961540M/

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Nussbaum, Louis-Frdric. (2002).Japan Encyclopedia.(http://books.google.com/

books?id=y0zGAAAACAAJ&dq=Japan+Encyclopedia&lr=&client=firefox-a) Cambridge, Massachusetts:

Harvard University Press. 10-ISBN 0-674-00770-0; 13-ISBN 978-0-674-00770-3

Papinot, Edmund. (1906)Dictionnaire d'histoire et de gographie du japon. Tokyo: Librarie Sansaisha. ..Click

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0-8047-0523-2; 13-ISBN 978-0-8047-0523-3

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stanford_University_Presshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Bailey_Sansomhttp://www.unterstein.net/Toyoashihara-no-Chiaki-Nagaioaki-no-Mitsuho-no-Kuni/NobiliaireJapon.pdfhttp://www.unterstein.net/Toyoashihara-no-Chiaki-Nagaioaki-no-Mitsuho-no-Kuni/NobiliaireJapon.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edmund_Papinothttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harvard_University_Presshttp://books.google.com/books?id=y0zGAAAACAAJ&dq=Japan+Encyclopedia&lr=&client=firefox-ahttp://books.google.com/books?id=y0zGAAAACAAJ&dq=Japan+Encyclopedia&lr=&client=firefox-ahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louis-Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9richttp://openlibrary.org/books/OL6961540M/early_institutional_life_of_Japanhttp://openlibrary.org/books/OL6961540M/early_institutional_life_of_Japanhttp://www.worldcat.org/title/early-institutional-life-of-japan-a-study-in-the-reform-of-645-ad/oclc/4427686http://www.worldcat.org/title/early-institutional-life-of-japan-a-study-in-the-reform-of-645-ad/oclc/4427686http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shueishahttp://books.google.com/books?id=K1MuAAAAYAAJ&dq=The+Early+Institutional+Life+of+Japan.&source=gbs_navlinks_shttp://books.google.com/books?id=K1MuAAAAYAAJ&dq=The+Early+Institutional+Life+of+Japan.&source=gbs_navlinks_shttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kan%27ichi_Asakawahttp://books.google.com/books?id=HYc_AAAAMAAJ&dq=ancien+japon&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0http://books.google.com/books?id=HYc_AAAAMAAJ&dq=ancien+japon&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kan%27ichi_Asakawahttp://www.uni-tuebingen.de/geschichte-japans/manabu/shoshidai.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Onmy%C5%8Dd%C5%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_no_Seimeihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Treaty_of_Kanagawahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_Masahirohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_Tadaakihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fudaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_Masatsuguhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_no_Sadatohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zenkunen_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chinjufu_shogunhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_no_Yoritokihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_no_Hirafuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matthew_Perry_%28naval_officer%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_Masahirohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Sekigaharahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tokugawa_Ieyasuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_Masatsuguhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_Tadaakihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tokugawa_shogunhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R%C5%8Dj%C5%ABhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edo_periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nara%2C_Narahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abe_no_Nakamaro

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Abe clan 3

____________. (1961).A History of Japan: 1334-1615. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. 10-ISBN

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____________. (1963).A History of Japan: 1615-1867. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. 10-ISBN

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Turnbull, Stephen R. (1998). The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-371-1;

reprinted by Cassell & Co., London, 2000. ISBN 1-85409-523-4

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stephen_Turnbull_%28historian%29

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Article Sources and Contributors 4

Article Sources and ContributorsAbe clan Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=554479622 Contributors: ACSE, Ansei, BD2412, Bendono, BigBang19, Cholmes75, Cullen328, Ehistory, Enkyo2, Feydey, Green

Giant, Headbomb, Hmains, Hno3, John of Reading, K.H., Kusunose, Law soma, LordAmeth, Orpheus, Pascal666, Reedy, Rich Farmbrough, Tadashie, Urashimataro, 4 anonymous edits

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