Fujiwara no Sumitomo's Rebellion

     Much damage was being caused frequently by pirates in the Seto Inland Sea during the years of Shohei and Tenkei, or in the early 10th century. Fujiwara Sumitomo (?-941), who was in the rank subordinate to the lower seventh place in the noble class hierarchy, was appointed as an aide of the Iyo Province Governor, and was also in charge of the subjugation of pirates. He later became the head of the pirates based in Heburi Island in Iyo Province by the 6th year of Shohei (in 936), and organized 1,000 boats. The latest researches have pointed out, however, that the character of the pirates which Sumitomo was supposed to repress and that of the armed groups with which Sumitomo started rebellion were different.

    The Imperial Court had restructured its organizations and some lower-level personnel had been cut. Those who had been restructured around the Seto Inland Sea used to come from wealthy farmers in the area. They became pirates insisting on their right to “tax” goods being sent to Kyoto. Meanwhile, the armed groups including Sumitomo were intermediate-ranked officials who had been sent to the area because of their mastery of martial arts to repress those pirates and to maintain public order and who settled there later, without going back to Kyoto. The armed groups of Sumitomo and others are said to be those who missed the opportunity to rise the court hierarchy due to their parents' early death, etc., who dropped out of the aristocratic circles of the capital, and who were planning recovery of their lost chances by distinguishing themselves in wars and battles. That is, they were almost in the same position as early generations of samurais in Eastern Japan. However, their deeds' of valor were sometimes seized by the higher-ranked aristocrats in Kyoto, or were the target of exploitation of those who started their new tenure as an attorney governor. Moreover, the fact that Fujiwara Motona, who was Sumitomo's father's cousin, was the governor of Iyo Province from the second year of Shohei to the fifth. Sumitomo was dispatched as an agent of Motona there and took on the duties to send taxes to Kyoto.

    Sumitomo is supposed to have established the networks with the pirates of lower-level ex-personnel originating from the wealthy farmers. In December, the second year of Tenkei (in 939), Sumitomo ordered his man, Fujiwara Fumimoto to attack Fujiwara Sanetaka and Shimada Koremoto, executive officers of Bizen and Harima Provinces accordingly, at Suki Station in Settsu Province. Fumimoto sliced off their noses, took their wives, and killed their children. The report that Taira Masakado (?-940) started his rebellion in Eastern Japan and established himself as a new emperor was brought to Kyoto, and the Imperial Court was astonished and afraid that Masakado and Sumitomo started their rebellions in the East and the West in collusion.

    The Imperial Court appointed Ono Yoshifuru (884-968) a punitive expeditionary agent in Sanyo, and Mianamoto Tsunemoto (?-961) a vice-agent on January 16 in the 3rd year of Tenkei (in 940), but also conferred the rank subordinate to the lower fifth place on Sumitomo to conciliate on January 30. The Imperial Court concentrated its military power to Eastern Japan for the time. Although Sumitomo accepted the conferment, he kept being opportunistic and did not stop his piracy.

    On February 5, Sumitomo attacked the armory in Awaji Province and robbed arms. In those days, arson was frequently caused at many places in Kyoto, and Ono Yoshifuru reported, "Sumitomo’s are rowing their boats up toward Kyoto". The Imperial Court was afraid that Sumitomo’s would attack Kyoto, and arranged soldiers at 14 gates of the capital. It also dispatched Fujiwara Yoshiyuki to Yamazaki, which is at an entrance to Kyoto, on February 22nd to strengthen its defense. Yamazaki was, however, burned down with a mysterious arson on February 26th. Those incidents suggest that Sumitomo's influence has covered not only over the Seto Inland Sea but also reached the armed groups dissatisfied with the Imperial Court’s rules in Settsu Province. The management of Sumitomo’s army also included the aid of Yamashiro Province.

    The situation was very serious against the government, and there was a direct threat to the capital. The report of Masakado's defeat was brought to Kyoto on February 25. Sumitomo returned his boats to Hiburi-jima Island, perhaps being disturbed by this news. Consequently, an official letter from Dazaifu and that from Korea safely reached Kyoto in June, and Minister-of-the-Left, Fujiwara Nakahira, dispatched the messenger to Wu and Yue in July. In spite of the peace, the Imperial Court became positive to the Sumitomo subjugation, because the concentration of their military power to Western Japan became possible after Masakado was perished in Eastern Japan. When the conquest-of-the-East army which had been to the Masakado’ subjugation returned to the capital in May. The Imperial Court concluded in June that Fujiwara Sanetaka attacked Fujiwara Fumimoto, and his punitive order was taken out. The order was provocation against Sumitomo by the Imperial Court whether he would hand over Fumimoto and submit to the Court, or was to be subjugated as its enemy. After the success in subjugating Masakado, the Imperial Court seems to have deepened its confidence in repressing Sumitomo.

    In August, Sumitomo, on the other hand, attacked Iyo and Sanuki Provinces with 400 boats, and committed arson, burned more than 100 military boats of Bizen and Bingo Provinces, and, furthermore, attacked Nagato Province and robbed government properties. In October, Sumitomo defeated the soldiers of Dazaifu, the regional capital in Kyushu, and the punitive expeditionary agent. In November, he attacked and burned the mint bureau in Suo Province. In December, he attacked Hata County, Tosa Province.

    In February, in the 4th year of Tenkei (in 941), Fujiwara Tsunetoshi, one of the leading members of Sumitomo’s armies, however, surrendered to the Imperial Army. The Imperial Army attacked Sumitomo's headquarters in Heburi-jima Island, and broke this. Sumitomo’s army escaped west, attacked and occupied Dazaifu. Although Sumitomo's younger brother, Fujiwara Suminori, tried to invade Yanagawa, he was beaten by the army of Tachibana Kimiyori, an active commander of Dazaifu, at Kamaike.

    The Imperial Army led by Ono Yoshifuru arrived in Kyushu in May. Yoshifuru attacked by the land route, and Okura Harumi attacked by the sea route. Sumitomo burned Dazaifu and met the Imperial Army led by Okura Harumi at Hakata Bay. After the severe battle, the Sumitomo army was routed and about 800 boats were taken by the Imperial Army. Sumitomo rode on a small boat and escaped to Iyo Province. In June, Sumitomo was arrested by Tachibana Toyasu, a guarding agent, when he was hiding in Iyo Province, and died in prison.