Minamoto no Makoto (noble) (源信 (公卿))
MINAMOTO no Makoto (810 - February 13, 869) was a noble during the first half of the Heian Period. He was the patriarch of the Minamoto clan and the eldest of the first generation Minamoto clan. His father was Emperor Saga, and his mother is said to have come from Hiroi clan, Hirohata clan or Fujii clan.
In 814, he received the family name of MINAMOTO no Ason, and he was given Sakyo Ichijo-bo and he became the head of his clan. Along with his brothers, MINAMOTO no Tokiwa, MINAMOTO no Sadamu and MINAMOTO no Toru, he was called the Saga Genji clan and he became very powerful within the Imperial Court. He became a Sangi at the age of 22, and he became a Sadaijin (Minister of the Left) in 857.
In 866, during the Affair of Otenmon, he was charged with arson because of a false accusation by Dainagon (chief councilor of state) TOMO no Yoshio, with who he did not get along, and Tomo no Dainagon ekotoba depicts the people in the besieged mansion wailing in desperation. Daijo-daijin FUJIWARA no Yoshifusa defended him and he was declared innocent.
This incident gave Makoto a tremendous mental distress, and thereafter, he locked up his gate and confined himself to his mansion. On February 13, 869, he went hunting for a change of air, but he fell off the horse and fell into a deep mud. He was rescued but he died few days later. He was awarded the rank of Shoichii (Senior First Rank) in the following year.