Taira no Ietsugu (平家継)
TAIRA no Ietsugu (date of birth unknown to August 14th, 1184) was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the end of the Heian period. He belonged to the Ise-Heishi (Taira clan) and he was the son of TAIRA no Iesada. His younger brother was TAIRA no Sadayoshi. He mainly lived in Hirata, Yamada County, Iga Province, so he is also called Ietsugu HIRATA or Nyudo HIRATA.
His father, Iesada, was known as the most loyal subject in the Taira family, and Ietsugu also served TAIRA no Kiyomori as the so called "central core" of the Taira family's private army who controlled the samurai in Iga Province, which was traditionally under the influence of the Ise-Heishi (Taira clan).
In December, 1180, when there was an insurrection of the Minamoto clan in Omi Province soon after the Emperor came back to Kyoto, Ietsugu, by the order of Kiyomori, led the soldiers from Iga and Ise to suppress it, and defeated Takanori NOSE, who raised his army against the Taira Family, and captured the castle of Yoshikane KASHIWAGI, Koga Nyudo.
In July, 1183, he had a battle with MINAMOTO no Yukiie, who entered Iga proceeding to Kyoto ("Kikki"(The Diary of Tsunefusa YOSHIDA)). Soon after the Taira family left Kyoto, he did not go with them, but in July, 1184, after the Battle of Ichinotani, he caused a rebellion on a large scale leading the remnants of the Taira family in Iga and Ise along with TAIRA no Nobukane and FUJIWARA no Tadakiyo, also members of the Taira family (Three days rebellion of the Taira clan).
And attacking the mansion of Koreyoshi OUCHI, Governor of Iga Province, killing the many retainers of Koreyoshi, he invaded Koga County, Omi Province, and had a battle with the Minamoto's army led by Hideyoshi SASAKI at the mansion of OHARA in that county. The rebel army led by Ietsugu was eventually suppressed after fighting fiercely and defeating Hideyoshi SASAKI, and after the defeat Ietsugu's head was cut off.