History of Asia

Easy-to-understand history of the Battle of Sekigahara and the flow to the battle

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who seized the opportunity to unify the world due to the sudden death of Oda Nobunaga, also took in the vassals of his former Nobunaga's child, and achieved the unification of the world brilliantly.

Hideyoshi will place senior and magistrate positions within the administration to facilitate the reign of the world.
Ieyasu Tokugawa who was the leader of the elders Is mainly military relations Mitsunari Ishida who was also in a position to organize the magistrates Is administrative work To partition.

Originally, Ieyasu had an alliance with Nobunaga, and Ieyasu's feelings toward Hideyoshi, who was his vassal, must have been regrettable. It was natural for me to think that I would take the world after Nobunaga.

However, Hideyoshi, who was sensitive to Nobunaga's death and did not miss the opportunity, was one good . It was. For the unification of the world, for the peace of all people, I will go down to Hideyoshi's army gate once.

Ieyasu Tokugawa under the Toyotomi administration

To help Hideyoshi unify the world, Ieyasu will play an important role in supporting Hideyoshi in the conquest of Joshu, Odawara, and Kyushu. However, Hideyoshi, who achieved the unification of the world, is not satisfied with Japan alone and begins to turn his ambitions to neighboring Korea *.

Ieyasu, who felt the danger when he saw Hideyoshi running to expand his territory without listening to the opinions of others, further strengthened his speculation toward the construction of a new nation.

* It seems that the Korean troops were dispatched with an eye on the future Ming dynasty.

It was Mitsunari Ishida, who was in charge of domestic affairs as a magistrate, who was unable to achieve the desired results by sending troops to the neighboring country, Ming.

It may be said that the battle of Sekigahara has begun because of the widening of the gap between the aides who give up on the old lord and the people who are trying to support them.

Power struggle between Mitsunari Ishida and Ieyasu Tokugawa

When Toyotomi Hideyoshi died at the age of 61, cracks began to appear within Hideyoshi's administration. Hideyoshi, who was originally unable to have a child, loves Toyotomi Hideyori, a child who was given to him when he was old. However, when Hideyoshi died, Hideyori was only five years old.

With this, no decent politics can be achieved.

There, a power struggle begins between Ieyasu, who wants to successfully seize Hideyori's guardianship, and Sansei, who had seen his ambitions early on.

Ieyasu will make the vassals of the former Hideyoshi one after another through political marriages and arrangements, and will steadily improve the house.
Recently, Mitsunari's parents, Yoshitsugu Otani, the magistrates, and friends from Ohmi will be brought in to compete against each other. It really appears.

Mitsunari was not well received, led by Kiyomasa Kato and Masanori Fukushima, who are highly regarded in Hideyoshi's hawkish division. Hideyoshi urged the war hawks to compete with the magistrates on a case-by-case basis, but after his death, he completely backfired and had a terrible relationship that made him uncomfortable looking at each other. It will be.

At one point, anti-Sansei Kato Kiyomasa and other war hawk warlords attack Sansei's mansion and attempt to assassinate. Fearing that, Sansei escapes to Ieyasu's mansion. Ieyasu's chief retainer, Tadakatsu Honda, will take care of him and head to Ieyasu's sleeping quarters.

Ieyasu recognizes the importance of this and gives both of them as a samurai's lesson. Kiyomasa was ordered to pull once, and Mitsunari was responsible for this uproar, his hometown Sawayama . Is ordered. In fact, Sansei, who has become indefinitely unscrupulous, suffers from hopelessness.

At that time, Ieyasu was suspected of rebellion by the Uesugi family in Tohoku . I heard that there is, and I will send a large army with me. Upon hearing that, Sansei saw it as a great opportunity. Uesugi from Joshu However, the main body of Sansei from behind Ieyasu will be defeated if Ieyasu is pinched and shot.

In this way, the Western Army gathered in response to Sansei And Ieyasu's East Army Will engage in a battle in Sekigahara Town, Gifu Prefecture. This is a battle called the Battle of Sekigahara. The battle, which was also called the battle of the world division, ended in just half a day, and Sansei was captured by the military commander of the East Army and beheaded in Kyoto Rokujogawara.

In this way, the unprecedented great battle in Japanese history, which is said to be 200,000 for both armies, ended in 1603 . Ieyasu Tokugawa Is Edo Shogunate Will be opened.