He is believed to have taken over as the head of the Kawachi-Genji after his foster father, MINAMOTO no Yoshitada (who was actually his uncle and the fourth son of MINAMOTO no Yoshiie), was assassinated.
養父（実は叔父）源義忠（源義家の四男）の暗殺事件のあと河内源氏の家督を継いたという。