How to End a War

Yoritomo was spared by the Taira clan as a child and eventually overthrew them. He knew first hand the potential danger of sparing even one life in war. It could be this experience that justified the massacre of the remaining Taira clan members when Yoritomo and the Minamoto Clan triumphed and came to power. Is exterminating the opposing side even after victory a justified and effective way of truly ending a war or is it barbaric and tyrannical to a point that could hurt the legitimacy of and faith in the victor as a governor?

On one hand, Yoritomo knew that future uprising was possible and wanted to eliminate that risk by all means. This awareness was influenced by his very own story of coming to power and knowing how power tends to move back and forth over time. Another justification could be that the massacre of the Taira would be considered a balancing act for the karmic forces. In this sense, the massacre is the ultimate and final negative retribution to the negative karma Kiyomori had accumulated.

On the other hand, the massacre could be considered completely immoral and unnecessary for the Minamoto to stay in power. The brutality of killing even the Taira children could have hurt the Minamoto’s historical popularity and legacy. In this sense, a decision either way whether to massacre or not posed itself to be risky in one way or another. The Minamoto Clan has been criticized for the brutality but is still revered and highly regarded in Japanese history.

Would you consider the massacre of the Taira to be justified?

If so, what factors lead you to this conclusion? If the Taira had not been purged, do you think there would have been an uprising against the Minamoto at some point?

If you think the massacre was not justified, how do you think history would have played out had the remaining Taira been spared?