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*''Died: [[1807]]''
*''Died: [[1807]]''
Mori Yoshiki was a prominent middle-ranking retainer of the [[Yamauchi clan]], lords of [[Tosa han]].
Mori Yoshiki was a prominent late 18th century retainer of the [[Yamauchi clan]], lords of [[Tosa han]].
His father, [[Mori Hirosada]], a member of the Yamauchi clan's mounted guard, died when Yoshiki was five years old. Yoshiki's cousin Mori Hirotake then became head of the Mori family. Two years later, Hirotake adopted Yoshiki as heir. Whether this was out of a desire on Hirotake's part to restore the family to Hirosada's direct lineage, or as the result of pressure from Yoshiki's mother is unclear. In either case, seven-year-old Yoshiki, who had just begun to get used to Hirotake as his brother, now had to re-accustom himself to a relationship with Hirotake as his adoptive father.
His father, [[Mori Hirosada]], a member of the Yamauchi clan's mounted guard, died when Yoshiki was five years old. Yoshiki's cousin Mori Hirotake then became head of the Mori family. Two years later, Hirotake adopted Yoshiki as heir. Whether this was out of a desire on Hirotake's part to restore the family to Hirosada's direct lineage, or as the result of pressure from Yoshiki's mother is unclear. In either case, seven-year-old Yoshiki, who had just begun to get used to Hirotake as his brother, now had to re-accustom himself to a relationship with Hirotake as his adoptive father.
After only a few months in that position, in [[1798]]/1, Yoshiki was elevated to junior administrator, the highest post someone of his birth could achieve. He was now a member of the top policy-making organs of the domainal government, below only the senior administrators and the lord himself. As with his position as inspector, he spent only one month out of every three on duty, rotating with two other officials.
After only a few months in that position, in [[1798]]/1, Yoshiki was elevated to junior administrator, the highest post someone of his birth could achieve. He was now a member of the top policy-making organs of the domainal government, below only the senior administrators and the lord himself. As with his position as inspector, he spent only one month out of every three on duty, rotating with two other officials.
Yoshiki served as junior administrator for three years. He advocated a number of policy shifts, including reducing the household’s expenses so as to enable tax reductions. One way he suggested to do this was to cut back on positions which were duplicated between the companion regiment and the domainal administration, having a single person do both. The senior administrators, frustrated with having to deal with Yoshiki, got rid of him by having him promoted in [[1801]] to guardian of [[Yamauchi Toyooki]], the 8-year-old heir to the domain. This put Yoshiki in charge of Toyooki’s upbringing, among other responsibilities, and also returned Yoshiki to the companion regiment. He accompanied the young Toyooki to Edo in [[1802]], and back to Tosa in [[1804]], at which point he was pushed into retirement.
He spent the remaining three years of his life writing, studying, and socializing. Like his father, Yoshiki was an avid reader and copier of historical records and other sorts of manuscripts, and also shared these freely, frequently giving books to others who expressed an interest. He died in [[1807]], leaving behind many diaries and other documents, which were later compiled by his fourth son, [[Mori Masana]] (b. [[1805]]), who also gathered stories from his mother and other relatives, and from Yoshiki’s friends, compiling these into a biography of Yoshiki which serves as a valuable resource on Yoshiki's life, domainal politics, and the like for historians today.
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