Editing Mii-dera (section)

==History==
===Founding, and feuds===
Onjō-ji was founded in the [[Nara period]].<ref>Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1956). ''Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794-1869,'' p. 114.</ref> The temple was founded in 672 following a dispute over [[Chrysanthemum Throne|Imperial succession]]. [[Emperor Tenji]] had died, and his son was killed by Tenji's brother, who was then enthroned as [[Emperor Tenmu]]. Temmu founded Onjō-ji in honor and memory of his brother.

The name ''Mii-dera'' ("Temple of Three Wells") came about nearly two centuries later. It was given this name by [[Enchin]], one of the earliest abbots of the [[Tendai]] Sect. The name comes from the springs at the temple which were used for the ritual bathing of newborns, and in honor of [[Emperor of Japan|Emperors]] Emperor Tenji and Emperor Tenmu, and [[Empress Jitō]], who contributed to the founding of the temple. Today, the [[Main Hall (Japanese Buddhism)|Kondō]], or Main Hall, houses a spring of [[Sacred waters|sacred water]]. Under Enchin's guidance, from 859 to his death in 891, Mii-dera gained power and importance, eventually becoming (along with [[Tōdai-ji]], [[Kōfuku-ji]], and [[Enryaku-ji]]) one of the four chief temples charged with the spiritual guidance and protection of the capital. It was during this time also that Enryaku-ji and Mii-dera split away from one another, developing two branches of the Tendai sect, called [[Jimon and Sanmon]]. For the most part, this was more a geographic rivalry than an ideological schism, but it was an intense one nonetheless, and only grew more severe after Enchin's death.

The rivalry turned violent in the second half of the 10th century, over a series of official appointments to other temples, and similar slights. The [[Sōkan|zasu]] of Enryaku-ji in 970 formed the first permanent standing army to be recruited by a religious body. Mii-dera can be assumed to have established one very soon afterwards. In 989, a former abbot of Mii-dera by the name of [[Yokei]] was to become abbot of Enryaku-ji; but none of the monks of Enryaku-ji would perform services under his direction. He soon resigned. But in 993, the monks of Mii-dera took revenge, destroying a temple where [[Ennin]], founder of Enryaku-ji's Sanmon sect, had once lived. The monks from Enryaku-ji retaliated, destroying more than 40 places associated with Enchin. In the end, over 1,000 monks of Enchin's Jimon sect fled permanently to Mii-dera, cementing the split between the two Sects. Over the course of the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries, there continued to be similar incidents, over the appointment of abbots (''zasu''), involving many ''[[sōhei]]'', or warrior monks. Mii-dera was burned to the ground by the ''sōhei'' of Enryaku-ji four times in the 11th century alone. There were, however, times that the two united against a common enemy, including an attack on the Kōfuku-ji in [[Nara, Nara|Nara]] in 1081 (avenging the burning of the Mii-dera by Kōfuku-ji monks that same year), and a united attack on Nara once more in 1117.

===The Genpei Wars===
At the end of the 12th century, the attentions of the monks of [[Mount Hiei]] were turned towards a greater conflict: the [[Genpei War]]. The [[Taira]] and [[Minamoto]] families supported different claimants to the [[Chrysanthemum Throne]], and in June 1180, the Minamoto brought their claimant, [[Prince Mochihito]], to the Mii-dera, fleeing from Taira [[samurai]]. Mii-dera asked for aid from Enryaku-ji, but was denied. The monks of the Mii-dera joined the Minamoto army, and fled to the [[Byōdō-in]], a [[Fujiwara clan]] villa, which had been converted to a monastery by Mii-dera monks (see [[Battle of Uji (1180)]]).

Angered at the Mii-dera/Minamoto alliance, [[Taira no Kiyomori]] ordered the destruction of Mii-dera, and of many of the temples of Nara (see [[Siege of Nara]]).<ref name=Turnbull2>{{Cite book |last=Turnbull |first=Stephen |title=The Samurai Sourcebook |publisher=Cassell & Co. |year=1998 |isbn=1854095234 |page=200}}</ref> 

The monks of Mii-dera figured once more in the Genpei War, fighting alongside Taira sympathisers against [[Minamoto no Yoshinaka]], who invaded [[Kyoto]] in 1184, [[Siege of Hōjūjidono|setting fire to the Hōjūjidono Palace]] and kidnapping the retired emperor, [[Emperor Go-Shirakawa|Shirakawa&nbsp;II]].

Following the Genpei War, there was a long period of relative peace, as the temples of Kyoto and Nara, including the Mii-dera, were rebuilt. As the temples regained strength, rivalries reappeared, though little to no violence actually erupted between Mii-dera and Enryaku-ji. In 1367, when a novice from Mii-dera was killed at a toll barrier established by the temple of [[Nanzen-ji]], warrior monks from Mii-dera set out to attack Nanzen-ji; when the ''[[shōgun]]''{{'}}s forces were sent to quell the rebellion, they discovered Mii-dera's monks to be supported by ''sōhei'' from Enryaku-ji and Kōfuku-ji as well. A year later, another battle erupted, over comments made by the abbot of Nanzen-ji; the monks of Mii-dera, along with their allies, defeated the shogun's forces once again.

===Sengoku period and beyond===
In the late 16th century, Mii-dera, along with many of the other nearby temples, sought alliances, for military (defensive) strength, as well as military power. The territories of the Asai and Asakura families were closest to [[Mount Hiei]], but these families, as well as others the temples had allied with, were rivals of [[Oda Nobunaga]]. These two families suffered heavy defeats at the hands of [[Oda Nobunaga|Nobunaga]] and his chief general [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]], so in 1571 they sought a stronger alliance with the temples. That same year, [[Oda Nobunaga|Nobunaga]] set to destroying everything on [[Mount Hiei]], starting with the town of Sakamoto at the foot of the mountain, and setting his sights on Enryaku-ji at the summit. Much of Mii-dera was destroyed, as the warrior monks failed against [[Oda Nobunaga|Nobunaga's]] large and highly trained samurai army.

Following these attacks, the monks of [[Mount Hiei]] were finally granted a reprieve, and rebuilt their temples once more. Mii-dera has never been attacked or destroyed since then.