Sō clan

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The Sō (宗氏 -shi) were a Japanese clan that ruled the Tsushima Island from the Kamakura period to the end of the Edo period.

Historians consider that the Sō clan was an offshoot of the Koremune clan, who served as local officials of Dazaifu and Tsushima Province. During the Kamakura period, the Sō clan extended its influence on Tsushima as the deputy of the nominal Governor of Tsushima, the Shōni clan. When the Mongols invaded Japan in 1274, Sō Sukekuni, the first known Sō clan member, fought against the Mongols and died in Tsushima. During the Nanboku-cho period, the Sō clan fought for its master, the Shōni clan and seized some portion of Chikuzen Province. Although Sō Sumishige became Governor of Tsushima sometime before 1378, the vassal relationship to the Shōni clan continued until the late 15th century. In the course of breaking away from the Shōni clan, the Sō clan started to clame that it originated in a grandson of Taira no Tomomori. The Sō clan moved its base from northern Kyūshū to Tsushima around 1408. Although it struggled to keep its territory on Kyūshū, it was finally purged from that region by the Ōuchi clan in the middle 15th century.

Being based on the mountainous island, the Sō clan heavily relied on trade with Korea. Fortunately, the Sō clan shared mutual interests with the Joseon Dynasty. The Sō were required to greatly reduce the number of pirate attacks on Korea, and in return would be granted a virtual monopoly on trade with their neighbors on the peninsula.

The Sō clan submitted itself to Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1587 and sent troops in the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598). Sōon afterwards, however, the clan took it upon themselves to repair relations with Korea, sending a number of envoys under the guise of being official shogunal envoys. In doing this, the clan sought to improve their position with both the shogunate and Korea. There is evidence that they altered official documents from both to make themselves look better to the other ^[1]

Although the Sō fought against Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara, they were allowed to continue to rule Tsushima. The Sō clan's Tsushima Fuchu domain, which governed Tsushima and Tashiro of Hizen Province, was given the status of 100 thousand koku class han although it was actually under 30 thousand koku. After it managed to resume diplomatic relations with Korea, the Tokugawa shogunate entrusted it to diplomatic negotiations and trade with Joseon.

The last ruler Sō Shigemasa (Yoshiaki) became Governor of Izuhara Prefecture in 1871. After the Abolition of the han system, he was given the title of count (hakushaku) in 1884.

[edit] Clan lords of Sō family

1. Sō Shigehisa (重尚)
2. Sō Sukekuni (助國)
3. Sō Moriakira (盛明)
4. Sō Morikuni (盛國)
5. Sō Tsuneshige(經茂)
6. Sō Sumishige (澄茂)
7. Sō Yorishige (頼茂)
8. Sō Sadashige (貞茂)
9. Sō Sadamori (貞盛)
10. Sō Shigemoto (成職)
11. Sō Sadakuni (貞國)
12. Sō Kimori (材盛)
13. Sō Yoshimori (義盛)
14. Sō Morinaga (盛長)
15. Sō Masamori (将盛)
16. Sō Haruyasu (晴康)
17. Sō Yoshishige (義調)
18. Sō Shigehisa (茂尚)
19. Sō Yoshizumi (義純)
20. Sō Yoshitoshi (義智)
21. Sō Yoshinari (義成)
22. Sō Yoshizane (義真)
23. Sō Yoshitsugu (義倫)
24. Sō Yoshimichi (義方)
25. Sō Yoshinobu (義誠)
26. Sō Michihiro (方熙)
27. Sō Yoshiyuki (義如)
28. Sō Yoshishige (義蕃)
29. Sō Yoshinaga (義暢)
30. Sō Yoshikatsu (義功)
31. Sō Yoshikatsu (義功)
32. Sō Yoshitada (義質)
33. Sō Yoshiaya (義章)
34. Sō Yoshinori (義和)
35. Sō Yoshiaki (義達)
36. Sō Shigemochi (重望)
37. Sō Takeyuki (武志)

[edit] References

1. ^ *Nakamura, Shunsuke. "[ A look at how an ancient clan forged ties with Korean dynasty." Asahi Shimbun. 27 Oct 2005.

• Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
• Sansom, George (1961). "A History of Japan: 1334-1615." Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
• Sansom, George (1963). "A History of Japan: 1615-1867." Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.