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Minamoto no Sanetomo (1192-1219, r. 1203-1219) was the third shogun of
the Kamakura Shogunate and the last head of the Minamoto clan of Japan.
Sanetomo was the second son of the founder of the Kamakura shogunate
Minamoto no Yoritomo, his mother was Hojo Masako, and his older brother was
the second Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie.
After the death of his father Yoritomo in 1199, Sanetomo's grandfather
Hojo Tokimasa usurped all political and military power of the shogunate,
relegating the position and title of Seii Taishogun, or shogun, to a mere
figurehead. Through hereditary succession, Sanetomo's older brother Yoriie
became Seii Taishogun in 1202, to only be stripped of the title a year later
and put under house arrest for plotting against the Hojo. Shortly thereafter
in 1203, Sanetomo became head of the Minamoto clan and was appointed Seii
Taishogun. In the next year, 1204, Yoriie was assassinated by the Hojo.
Sanetomo, understanding his own powerlessness in comparison to the Hojo
and not wanting to meet the same fate as his brother, put all of his time
and energy into writing poetry and gaining posts within the powerless but
honorary imperial court. Sanetomo was a talented poet, writing over 700
poems and having one of his tanka included in the anthology 100 Poems by 100
Poets (Ogura Hyakunin Isshu), a collection of Japanese poems of the Heian
and early Kamakura periods. Sanetomo also achieved the third highest post of
the imperial court, Minister of the Right (Udaijin), a type of
Vice-Minister, in 1218.
Sanetomo was assassinated on New Year's Day 1219 by his nephew, son of
the second Kamakura shogun Yoriie, at the steps of Tsurugaoka Hachiman
Shrine in Kamakura. With his assassination, the Seiwa Genji line of Minamoto
came to an end.
Minamoto no Sanetomo was succeeded by Kujo Yoritsune as fourth shogun of
the Kamakura shogunate.
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