《34》Medieval Hakata - The Battle of Tatarahama (Part 2)...A small number of Ashikaga troops battle a large army of Emperor Godaigo's faction
- Originally, it was Ashikaga Takauji who helped Emperor Godaigo to overthrow the Kamakura Bakufu and realize the Kenmu restoration. However, he rebelled against Emperor Godaigo's directly ruled government and was defeated by the forces of Nitta Yoshisada and Kitabatake Akiie and fled to Kyushu. It was the battle of Tatarahama that reversed his inferior position and led to the establishment of the Muromachi Bakufu.
- Most of the powerful clans in Kyushu sided with Emperor Godaigo's faction, and the army of Kikuchi Taketoshi and others in Higo swelled to over 20,000 cavalry, while the Ashikaga army was said to be only about 2,000 cavalry. There are various theories about the difference in strength, but there is no doubt that there was an overwhelming gap between the Kikuchi forces and the Ashikaga forces.
- However, the small number of Ashikaga troops worked together to overcome the deadly battle and reverse the formation. Kikuchi's army was probably defeated due to the disadvantageous weather conditions at the time, low morale, and betrayals by their allies, resulting in great confusion.Today, there is the "Kabuto-zuka" ( the mound of helmets) at the site of the old battlefield to commemorate those who died in this battle. /
中世博多-多々良浜の戦い（その２）…少数の足利軍が後醍醐天皇派の大軍と合戦
- もともと後醍醐天皇を助けて鎌倉幕府を倒し、建武の中興を実現したのは足利尊氏でした。しかし後醍醐天皇の親政に不信を抱いて反旗を翻し、いったんは新田義貞、北畠顕家の軍に敗れ九州に逃れたのでした。その劣勢を巻き返して室町幕府を開くことにつながったのが多々良浜の合戦だったといえます。
- 九州の諸豪族の大半は後醍醐天皇派に味方し、肥後の菊池武敏らの軍勢は2万騎以上に膨れ上がりましたが、一方で足利軍は約2千騎に過ぎなかったと言われています。兵力差には諸説がありますが、菊池軍の戦力とは圧倒的な開きがあったことは間違いないでしょう。
- しかし少数の足利軍は一丸となって死闘を乗り越え形成を逆転させました。菊池軍は当時の天候の不利や士気の低下、味方の寝返りなどがあったため、総崩れとなり敗走したようです。現在も古戦場跡に、このときの戦死者を祭る「兜塚」があります。