Hatakeyama Motokuni (畠山基国)
Motokuni HATAKEYAMA (born in 1352, birth date unknown - February 14, 1406) was a shugo daimyo (military governor) as well as a shogunal deputy of the Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun),who lived from the period of the Northern and Southern Courts through the Muromachi period. His father was Yoshito HATAKEYAMA. His children were Mitsuie HATAKEYAMA and Mitsunori HATAKEYAMA (the Notohatakeyama clan). His official post was Uhyoe no kami (Captain of the Right Division of Middle Palace Guards).
Summary
He served the second Seii Taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") Yoshiakira ASHIKAGA and the third Seii Taishogun Yoshimitsu ASHIKAGA of the Muromachi bakufu and served as the Shugo of Yamashiro, Noto, Kawachi, and Ecchu Provinces. Motokuni first became the Shugo of Echizen Province where his father Yoshito had served as the Shugo; however, Motokuni gave up this post for a Shiba clan member as Echizen Province was originally their branch province, and he instead was granted by the Shiba clan the Shugo post for Ecchu Province. For Noto Province, Ujiyori YOSHIMI and then Muneshige HONJO served as the Shugo, but both of them fell from power and Motokuni therefore took over the post, and later on the province became a branch province of the Hatakeyama clan. Motokuni rose to the Shugo post for Yamashiro Province after the Yamana clan fell from power during the Discord of the Meitoku Era.
Events
In 1382, he constructed Wakae-jo Castle which later became the base of Kawachi Province operations by the Hatakeyama clan. In the Discord of the Meitoku Era initiated by the Yamana clan in 1391, Motokuni joined the battle as one of the bakufu members. In June, 1398, he was appointed to take over the Shogunal Deputy post from Yoshimasa SHIBA and remained in the post for 6 years until July, 1404, and then Motokuni's post was taken over by Yoshishige SHIBA. In 1399, he fought in the Oei Rebellion initiated by the Ochi clan. January 26, 1406, he died at the age of 53. Since his legal son, Mitsuie HATAKEYAMA, had been ousted at the time of Motokuni's death, the other son Mitsunori HATAKEYAMA took over the family headship instead. His posthumous Buddhist name was Chozenjidonoshungantokugen.
Motokuni was the first Hatakeyama to become a shogunal deputy, and since the Hatakeyama clan later became the so-called Sankanrei ke (three clans whose member was eligible to be shogunal deputy) in the Muromachi period, Motokuni is called the father of the Hatakeyama clan's resurgence.