Fujiwara no Sumitomo

- Period: Heian Period
- Occupation: Provincial Officer of Iyo Province
- Family: Fujiwara no Yoshinori (father)
- Birth: –
- Death: 941AD
Fujiwara no Sumitomo
Fujiwara no Sumitomo (藤原 光隆) was a member of the Fujiwara Clan. He was the son of Fujiwara no Yoshinori and died in 941AD after leading a failed rebellion.1
In the early 930’s he was sent to serve as a minor provincial offical of Iyo Province and later in 936AD was given orders to surpress pirate actrivity in the Inland Sea. However, he eventually became the leader of the pirates instead.
The leader of Iyo then adopted a policy of appeasement and so pirate activity lessened.
Later in January 940AD Sumitomo rose up against the government, corresponding with another rebellion in the north-east led by Taira no Masakado. The Court tried to stop Sumitomo by giving him the 5th Court Rank, however he continued to attack settlements in 11 provinces along the Inland Sea with his pirates.
A few months later in March, Masakado was killed and so the court turned their attention to Sumitomo. A large fleet was sent against him, led by Ono no Yoshifuru and Sumitomo found himself defeated in Hakata Bay. He fled to Iyo where he was then killed.2 He was killed by Fujiwara no Tadabumi.1
Footnotes
1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.
2. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.
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