Kobayakawa Takakage
Kobayakawa Takakage | |
---|---|
小早川隆景 | |
Head of Kobayakawa clan | |
In office 1574–1597 | |
Preceded by | Kobayakawa Shigehira |
Succeeded by | Kobayakawa Hideaki |
Personal details | |
Born | 1533 (1592) |
Kobayakawa Takakage (小早川 隆景, 1533 – July 26, 1597) was a
At first he opposed
Early life
He was born in 1533 with the childhood name Tokujumaru (徳寿丸) as the third son of Mōri Motonari and his main wife Myōkyū.[2] In 1541 the 13th head of the Takehara branch of the Kobayakawa clan, Kobayakawa Okikage (小早川興景), got ill and died while attacking Sato-Kanayama Castle (佐東銀山城). In November, 1543 since he had no heir Tokujumaru was declared successor because he was a cousin of Okikage's wife. So at twelve years of age he had become the 14th head of the Takehara-Kobayakawa clan (竹原小早川氏) and received the name Kobayakawa Takakage (小早川隆景).[3][4]
In 1547, when Ōuchi Yoshitaka attacked Kannabe castle (神辺城) in Bingo Province, Takakage served as one of his commanders and was highly commended for capturing Kannabe castle's support castle (支城), the Ryuoyama Fort (龍王山砦) with the Kobayakawa army alone.
The other branch of the Kobayakawa clan was the Numata-Kobayakawa clan (沼田小早川氏). The head of the family, Kobayakawa Shigehira (小早川繁平) was young and blind due to an eye disease so in 1550 it was decided that Takakage would become heir of the Numata branch and finally merge the two rival branches of the clan.[2] The Takehara-Kobayakawa branch ceased to exist and Takakage moved into Takayama Castle (高山城), the main base of the Numata branch. In 1552 Takakage decided to build a new main castle across the Numata River (沼田川) and called it is Niitakayama Castle (新高山城).[5] He married Lady Toida, daughter of Kobayakawa Masahira and sister of the blind Kobayakawa Shigehira in order to cement his succession. They would never have children for unknown reasons but they would later adopt to keep the clan alive.
Mōri's Two Rivers
After this the Kobayakawa clan was incorporated into the clans following the powerful Mōri clan of his father, Mōri Motonari. The Kobayakawa would become an important naval force under the direct control of his father. His older brother, the second son of Motonari was adopted into the Kikkawa clan and became Kikkawa Motoharu. They were both together pillars of the Mōri forces and were known as "Mōri's Two Rivers" (Mōri Ryōsen, 毛利両川).[2]
In 1555 at the Battle of Miyajima, Takakage led his naval forces under control of the Mōri clan and broke the naval blockade of the Ōuchi clan forces under the command of Sue Harukata. He sailed straight toward Miyao Castle in a feint,[6] then retreated so he could be in a position to return the following day, his attack synchronized with the overland assault.[7] At dawn, Takakage and his 1,500 troops landed before the small fortress, and the sound of shell trumpets signalled that all units were in position and the attack commenced. As Takakage's force rushed the front gate of Miyao Castle, Mōri and his troops hit the Ōuchi position from behind. Caught completely by surprise, many of the Ōuchi troops scattered in disarray. Hundreds tried to swim to the mainland and drowned in the attempt. Many more saw that defeat was inevitable and committed seppuku. By 18 October 1555, resistance had ended at a cost of about 4,700 dead among the Ōuchi army. Sue Harukata escaped from the confines of Miyao Castle, but when he saw that escape from the island was not possible, he also committed suicide by seppuku.[8]
In 1557 Takakage took part of the Conquest of Bōcho (防長経略) and the Mōri forces took both
In 1563
In 1568 Kobayakawa Takakage fought in the Battle of Torisaka and the 1568 Battle of Tatarahama. In 1570 he fought in the Battle of Nunobeyama.[5] In 1571, Takakage was sent to help the Mimura clan (三村氏) of Kojima (児島), Bizen Province against Urakami Munekage (浦上宗景) but the Murakami and Awa Pirates helped and Takakage was forced to withdraw to Aki Province.
After the death of Mōri Motonari in 1571, "Mōri's Two Rivers" (Kobayakawa Takakage and
Conflict with Nobunaga
At the start of 1574 the power of
The 15th shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshiaki had a falling out with Oda Nobunaga in 1576 and invited Mōri Terumoto to join the 2nd Oda Encirclement Plan (第2次信長包囲網). The alliance consisted of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Mōri Terumoto, Uesugi Kenshin, Takeda Katsuyori and the Ishiyama Hongan-ji monks. The allies really didn't have too much success against the powerful Oda armies. The significant event here is the formation of all these powerful men, who were oftentimes not the best of friends. That same year (1576) at the First Battle of Kizugawaguchi, Kobayakawa Takakage led the Mōri naval forces with Murakami Takeyoshi. The Mōri navy successfully thwarted an Oda blockade of the Ishiyama Honganji led by Kuki Yoshitaka.
Two years later in 1578 at the
Hashiba Hideyoshi (羽柴秀吉) who is later known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a general under Oda Nobunaga in charge of the push into the Chūgoku region. He had increasingly intense tactics and the Mōri forces continued to be pushed backwards. In 1579, Ukita Naoie of Bizen Province believed the fight against Nobunaga was hopeless and claimed illness, only sending a small token force to aid the Mōri.[11] In 1580, Miki Castle (三木城) of Harima Province which had held off the Oda forces for two years falls. In addition in 1581, Tottori Castle (鳥取城) of Inaba Province falls after falling prey to starvation and the castle master, Kikkawa Tsuneie (吉川経家) commits suicide.
In 1582 the
That year in 1582, Takakage had moved his main castle of Niitakayama Castle (新高山城) to Mihara Castle facing the Seto Inland Sea.
Service under Hideyoshi
In 1583 when Hideyoshi defeated Shibata Katsuie at the Battle of Shizugatake the Mōri had retained neutrality but they abandoned the opportunistic line and reached out to become subordinates of Hideyoshi. At this time Kobayakawa Takakage offers up his adopted son, Kobayakawa Hidekane, who is really his younger brother as hostage to Hideyoshi.
After this Takakage cooperates positively with Hideyoshi and in 1585 during Hideyoshi's
Starting in 1586 Takakage took part in Hideyoshi's
In 1587, his retainer Kōno Michinao (河野通直) who he had transferred to Takehara died. This left Takakage with the problem of taking care of the provinces in
The Toyotomi uji was simultaneously granted to a number of Hideyoshi's chosen allies, who adopted the new uji "豊臣朝臣" (Toyotomi no asomi, courtier of Toyotomi). In July, 1588, he gave this to Takakage. Two years later he participated in the Siege of Odawara (1590) when he took Tokugawa Ieyasu's Okazaki Castle.
In 1592 when Hideyoshi orders the
In 1594 there is a letter sent to the commanders of the Mōri forces in Korea. It was addressed to Kobayakawa Takakage from Katō Kiyomasa saying that Hideyoshi wanted to give his nephew Hashiba Hideaki (羽柴秀俊) as an adopted son to the Mōri clan for adoption. Mōri Terumoto was already 40 years old and had no heir. Fearing that this would make the heir to the Mōri clan someone without Mōri blood he adopted Hideaki himself and he became known as Kobayakawa Hideaki.
Death
In 1595 Takakage was appointed to the Council of Five Elders by Hideyoshi along with Ukita Hideie, Maeda Toshiie, Uesugi Kagekatsu, and the famous Tokugawa Ieyasu. Then he handed over his estate to his adopted son Kobayakawa Hideaki and retired to Mihara Castle. Hideyoshi gave him a retirement fief of 50,150 koku. He also built Najima Castle (名島城) in Fukuoka. Takakage died two years later at Mihara Castle on July 26, 1597,[2] and was buried at Beisan Temple (Beisan-ji, 米山寺) in Nuta, Numata.
After the death of Takakage the role of the "Mōri's Two Rivers" went to his nephews Kikkawa Hiroie (吉川広家) and Mōri Hidemoto (毛利秀元).
On hearing the news of Takakage's death, Kuroda Kanbei lamented and said: "The last wise man in Japan has gone."
Family
- Father: Mōri Motonari (毛利元就, 1497–1571)
- Mother: Myōkyū (妙玖, 1499–1546) – daughter of Kikkawa Kunitsune (吉川国経).
- Adoptive father: Kobayakawa Okikage (小早川興景, 1519–1541)
- Siblings:
- Sister: name unknown - died young, taken hostage by the Takahashi clan (高橋氏) and later killed.
- Brother: Mōri Takamoto (毛利隆元, 1523–1563)
- Sister: Goryū no Tsubone (五龍局, d. 1574) – wife of Shishido Takaie (宍戸隆家).
- Brother: Kikkawa Motoharu (吉川元春, 1530–1586)
- Half-brother: Ninomiya Naritoki (二宮就辰, 1546–1607)
- Half-brother: Hoida Motokiyo (穂井田元清, 1551–1597)
- Half-brother: Suginomori Motoaki (椙杜元秋, 1552–1585)
- Half-brother: Izuha Mototomo (出羽元倶, 1555–1571)
- Half-brother: Amano Motomasa (天野元政, 1559–1609)
- Half-brother: Suetsugu Motoyasu (末次元康, 1560–1601)
- Half-brother: Kobayakawa Hidekane (小早川秀包, 1567–1601)
- Wife: Lady Toida, daughter of Kobayakawa Masahira (d. 1619)
- Adopted Children:
- Kobayakawa Hidekane (1567–1601) (also Takakage's half-brother)
- Kobayakawa Hideaki (小早川秀秋, 1567–1601)(The nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi)
Retainers
- Hayashi Nagayoshi (林長由, c.1560–?), son of Hayashi Narinaga who served Mōri Motonari. He also served Takakage's adopted sons. Jirōuemon (郎右エ門), Tamba-no-kami (丹波守).
- Saionji Kinmochi (西園寺公広, 1537–1588), possibly assassinated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
- Kono Michinao (河野通直, 1564–1587), possibly assassinated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Iyo-no-kami (伊予守).
- Murakami Kagechika (村上景親, 1558–1610)
- Murakami Kagehiro (村上景広, 1554–1627)
- Awaya Kagekatsu (粟屋景雄, ?–?)
- Ikuchi Kagemori (生口景守, ?–?)
- Isokane Kagemichi (磯兼景道, ?–?)
- Oka Kagetada (岡景忠, ?–1630)
- Katsura Kagenobu (桂景信, ?–?)
- Kanehisa Kagekatsu (包久景勝, ?–?)
- Kunishige Kageuji (國貞景氏, ?–?)
- Shimizu Kageharu (清水景治, 1571–1649)
- Mokake Kagetoshi (裳懸景利, ?–?)
- Masuda Kageyoshi (益田景祥, 1577–1630)
- Teshima Kageshige (手嶋景繁, ?–?)
- Shirai Kagetane (白井景胤, ?–?)
- Jinzai Kagemichi (神西景通, ?–?)
Popular culture
- Portrayed by Toshiaki Megumi in the 1997 NHK Taiga drama TV series Mōri Motonari.
- He also appeared in Gunshi Kanbei as virtually head of the Mōri clan.
- He appears as a playable character in the video game series Samurai Warriors and its crossover game Warriors Orochi.
See also
Media related to Kobayakawa Takakage at Wikimedia Commons
- Kobayakawa Hideaki
- Mōri Motonari
- Mōri Terumoto
- Kikkawa Motoharu
- Mihara Castle
- Mihara Domain
- Hayashi Narinaga
References
- ISBN 0521223555.
- ^ a b c d "小早川隆景(読み)こばやかわたかかげ日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)「小早川隆景」の解説". kotobank. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ Wilson, William Scott (2015). The Pocket Samurai.
- ISBN 0804705259.
- ^ ISBN 1854095234.
- ^ West, C.E. (2005). Seal, F.W. (ed.). Battle of Miyajima.
- ^ Turnbull, Stephen R. (1977). The Samurai: A Military History. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co. pp. 131–134.
- ^ Turnbull, Stephen (1998). The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & Co. p. 213.
- ISBN 978-1134243693.
- ISBN 1854095234.
- ISBN 978-1472800039.
- ISBN 978-1780961361.
- ISBN 9781854095237.
- Frédéric, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia". Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.