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The '''{{nihongo|Negoro-gumishū|根来組衆|}}''' were an order of [[sohei|warrior monks]] based in Negoroji[[Negoro-ji]] temple, in [[Japan]]'s [[Kii Province]]. They were famous for their skill with firearms, as well as with more traditional monk weapons like the [[naginata]]. NegorojiNegoro-ji, along with many other warrior monasteries, came under [[Siege of NegorojiNegoro-ji|siege]] at the end of the 16th century; in [[1585]], the temple was burned to the ground by ththe forces of [[OdaToyotomi NobunagaHideyoshi]].
The monks of NegorojiNegoro-ji were devotees of the Shingi sect of [[Shingon]] [[Japanese Buddhism|Buddhism]], but were allied with monks of other sects, such as the [[IkkoIkkō-ikki]], as well as with [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], a chief rival of OdaToyotomi NobunagaHideyoshi. They aided their allies in a number of battles, including the [[siege of Ishiyama HonganjiHongan-ji]], the main base of the IkkoIkkō-ikki. When their own temple came under siege in 1585, its inhabitants are estimated to have numbered 30,000 to 50,000, though many escaped before the siege and sought refuge in [[Wakayama Castle|Ōta castle]], home of the [[Saiga Ikki]]. Following the destruction, twenty-five of the survivors joined Tokugawa Ieyasu's army, forming the core of his firearms squads.
An insight into the daily lives of the Negoro-gumi was provided by Father [[CasparGaspar Vilela]], a [[Jesuit]] missionary who visited the temple. He compared the monks to the [[Knights of Rhodes]], devoted warriors who would give anything to fight for their religion. However, he observed that the monks of Negoroji focused far more on military preparations than on prayer, and that many had not even taken monastic vows. Vilela was impressed by their martial prowess, the extent of their daily training, and the strength of their weapons and armor. These monks were not only expert [[arquebus|arquebusiers]]iers, but also some of the best gunsmiths in the country, and accomplished [[fletcher|fletchers]]. They celebrated military victories with all the pleasures enjoyed by a secular force, indulging in many things that an ascetic life ought to prohibit, such as women, [[wine, women and song]].
==ReferenceReferences==
*Turnbull, Stephen (2003). ''Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949-1603''. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
[[ja:根来]]
[[Category:Japanese warrior monks]]
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