FwSeal
07-25-2001, 01:29
Here are a few more lesser-known sengoku period figures...
HORIIE KAGETADA
d.1576
Kagetada succeded his grandfather Kagezane and was a vassal of the Asakura. He led 1,000 troops in Asakura Norikage's attack on Daishôji in Kaga Province in 1555. Kagetada grew in power within the Asakura retainer band and drew the suspicion of Asakura Yoshikage, who in 1567 accused Kagetaka of treasonous behavior. After a military confrontation between the two families, peace was made and Kagetada went off to Noto Province in retirement. He returned to active life and Echizen in 1574, when that province was in the throes of an ikko-ikki insurrection. When Oda Nobunaga regained control of Echizen (which he had taken from the Asakura in 1573), he accepted the services of the Horie and gave Kagetada's son a fief. Nobunaga changed his mind in 1576, however, and ordered Kagetada and his son to commit suicide.
KYOGOKU Wakasa no kami TAKATSUGU
(1560-1609)
Takatsugu was the heir of Kyogoku Takayoshi, a nominal vassal of the Asai of Omi. Takatsugu first served Oda Nobunaga, whose niece he married. At the time of Akechi Mitsuhide's rebellion against Nobunaga in 1582, Takatsugu attempted to take advantage of the situation with an abortive attack on Nagahama Castle in Ômi Province. Mitsuhide was soon destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi at Yamazaki, however, and Takatsugu found himself isolated. He therefore sought the protection of Hori Hidemasa, who conveyed him into the service of Shibata Katsuie. When Katsuie was defeated by Hideyoshi and commited suicide in 1583, Takatsugu fled to the estate of Takeda Motoaki (who was married to Takatsugu's sister). Motoaki was killed soon afterwards on Toyotomi Hideyoshi's orders, but Takatsugu was given a fief even as his sister was to taken as a concubine to Hideyoshi at Osaka Castle. Perhaps due to this connection, Takatsugu enjoyed great favor by Hideyoshi and his income was progressively raised from 2,500 koku to 10,000, 28,000, and finally 60,000-koku and Ôtsu Castle in Ômi Province. In 1600 he sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu and as a result was besieged by a 'western' army of 15,000 men. After a few days fighting he surrendered and fled to Mt. Kôya, though he was later granted a 92,000-koku fief in Wakasa Province at Obama.
His sons included Tadataka and Tadamasa.
OBATA NOBUSADA
(1540-1592)
Nobusada joined the Takeda around 1560 after fleeing his lands in Kôzuke Province. He had his old fief restored to him by Shingen the following year and proved to be one of the latter's most dependable generals. He led large forces at the Battles of Mimasetoge and Mikatagahara and was very useful in the Takeda's Kôzuke campaigns. He commanded somewhere around 500 men at the Battle of Nagashino for Takeda Katsuyori. When the Takeda fell in 1582, he joined first Takigawa Kazumasa and then the Hôjô, finally ending up with Sanada Masayuki (1590).
ODA NOBUSUMI
(d.1582)
Nobusumi was the son of Oda Nobuyuki, Nobunaga's younger brother. Despite the fact that his father had been killed on Nobunaga's orders, Nobusumi continued in his uncle's service and was given Ômizo Castle in Ômi Province. In 1578 he was stationed in Osaka, and remained there until his death four years later. He accompanied his cousin Nobuo on the 1581 inasion of Iga Province and the following year took part in the invasion the Takeda domain, this time under his cousin Oda Nobutada. He was to join his cousin Nobutada in a projected invasion of Shikoku, but this was cut short by the death of Nobunaga in June 1582. As Nobusumi was married to a daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide, Nobutaka doubted his loyalty and when they were preparing to join Hideyoshi's army to attack Mitsuhide, Nobusumi was murdered on his cousin's orders.
TAKEDA Gyôbushôyû NOBUKADO
1529-1582
Nobukado was Takeda Nobutora's 3rd son and a younger brother of Takeda Shingen. While not known as a great captain, he was an avid painter (examples of his work survive to the present day, including portraits of his mother and father) and a man of learning in general. He also acted as his brother's double from time to time. After Shingen's death, he served as an advisor to Katsuyori and fought at Nagashino (1575). He held Takato Castle in Shinano until his nephew (and in fact son-in-law) Nishina Morinobu came of age and took over the position. When Oda Nobunaga invaded the Takeda lands in 1582, Nobukado attempted to flee but was captured and beheaded by Oda troops at the Zenkoji in Shinano province. There is a theory that Nobukado, as opposed to Shingen, had in fact been the one to fend off an attack by a lone Uesugi horseman in the course of the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima (that horseman being either Uesugi Kenshin himself or a Uesugi retainer by the name of Arakawa).
YOKOMICHI Hyogonosuke
d.1570
Hyogonosuke was a retainer of Amako Yoshihisa and distinguished himself at the Siege of Gassan-Toda Castle. When the castle was surrendered to the Môri, Hyogonosuke went to Kyoto and at first took up with Matsunaga Hisahide. When Hyogonosuke learned that Yamanaka Shikanosuke was raising an army to restore the Amako, he hastened to join him after obtaining Hisahide's permisson. Before he left, Hisahide gave him a suit of armor and sword and saw him on his way. In battle with the Môri in Izumo Province, he fought bravely and killed Awaya Matazaemon and Tado Saemon. Unfortunatly, he was stabbed by an assasin sent by a rival within his own party. He is considered one of the 'Ten Heroes' of the Amako family.
HORIIE KAGETADA
d.1576
Kagetada succeded his grandfather Kagezane and was a vassal of the Asakura. He led 1,000 troops in Asakura Norikage's attack on Daishôji in Kaga Province in 1555. Kagetada grew in power within the Asakura retainer band and drew the suspicion of Asakura Yoshikage, who in 1567 accused Kagetaka of treasonous behavior. After a military confrontation between the two families, peace was made and Kagetada went off to Noto Province in retirement. He returned to active life and Echizen in 1574, when that province was in the throes of an ikko-ikki insurrection. When Oda Nobunaga regained control of Echizen (which he had taken from the Asakura in 1573), he accepted the services of the Horie and gave Kagetada's son a fief. Nobunaga changed his mind in 1576, however, and ordered Kagetada and his son to commit suicide.
KYOGOKU Wakasa no kami TAKATSUGU
(1560-1609)
Takatsugu was the heir of Kyogoku Takayoshi, a nominal vassal of the Asai of Omi. Takatsugu first served Oda Nobunaga, whose niece he married. At the time of Akechi Mitsuhide's rebellion against Nobunaga in 1582, Takatsugu attempted to take advantage of the situation with an abortive attack on Nagahama Castle in Ômi Province. Mitsuhide was soon destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi at Yamazaki, however, and Takatsugu found himself isolated. He therefore sought the protection of Hori Hidemasa, who conveyed him into the service of Shibata Katsuie. When Katsuie was defeated by Hideyoshi and commited suicide in 1583, Takatsugu fled to the estate of Takeda Motoaki (who was married to Takatsugu's sister). Motoaki was killed soon afterwards on Toyotomi Hideyoshi's orders, but Takatsugu was given a fief even as his sister was to taken as a concubine to Hideyoshi at Osaka Castle. Perhaps due to this connection, Takatsugu enjoyed great favor by Hideyoshi and his income was progressively raised from 2,500 koku to 10,000, 28,000, and finally 60,000-koku and Ôtsu Castle in Ômi Province. In 1600 he sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu and as a result was besieged by a 'western' army of 15,000 men. After a few days fighting he surrendered and fled to Mt. Kôya, though he was later granted a 92,000-koku fief in Wakasa Province at Obama.
His sons included Tadataka and Tadamasa.
OBATA NOBUSADA
(1540-1592)
Nobusada joined the Takeda around 1560 after fleeing his lands in Kôzuke Province. He had his old fief restored to him by Shingen the following year and proved to be one of the latter's most dependable generals. He led large forces at the Battles of Mimasetoge and Mikatagahara and was very useful in the Takeda's Kôzuke campaigns. He commanded somewhere around 500 men at the Battle of Nagashino for Takeda Katsuyori. When the Takeda fell in 1582, he joined first Takigawa Kazumasa and then the Hôjô, finally ending up with Sanada Masayuki (1590).
ODA NOBUSUMI
(d.1582)
Nobusumi was the son of Oda Nobuyuki, Nobunaga's younger brother. Despite the fact that his father had been killed on Nobunaga's orders, Nobusumi continued in his uncle's service and was given Ômizo Castle in Ômi Province. In 1578 he was stationed in Osaka, and remained there until his death four years later. He accompanied his cousin Nobuo on the 1581 inasion of Iga Province and the following year took part in the invasion the Takeda domain, this time under his cousin Oda Nobutada. He was to join his cousin Nobutada in a projected invasion of Shikoku, but this was cut short by the death of Nobunaga in June 1582. As Nobusumi was married to a daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide, Nobutaka doubted his loyalty and when they were preparing to join Hideyoshi's army to attack Mitsuhide, Nobusumi was murdered on his cousin's orders.
TAKEDA Gyôbushôyû NOBUKADO
1529-1582
Nobukado was Takeda Nobutora's 3rd son and a younger brother of Takeda Shingen. While not known as a great captain, he was an avid painter (examples of his work survive to the present day, including portraits of his mother and father) and a man of learning in general. He also acted as his brother's double from time to time. After Shingen's death, he served as an advisor to Katsuyori and fought at Nagashino (1575). He held Takato Castle in Shinano until his nephew (and in fact son-in-law) Nishina Morinobu came of age and took over the position. When Oda Nobunaga invaded the Takeda lands in 1582, Nobukado attempted to flee but was captured and beheaded by Oda troops at the Zenkoji in Shinano province. There is a theory that Nobukado, as opposed to Shingen, had in fact been the one to fend off an attack by a lone Uesugi horseman in the course of the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima (that horseman being either Uesugi Kenshin himself or a Uesugi retainer by the name of Arakawa).
YOKOMICHI Hyogonosuke
d.1570
Hyogonosuke was a retainer of Amako Yoshihisa and distinguished himself at the Siege of Gassan-Toda Castle. When the castle was surrendered to the Môri, Hyogonosuke went to Kyoto and at first took up with Matsunaga Hisahide. When Hyogonosuke learned that Yamanaka Shikanosuke was raising an army to restore the Amako, he hastened to join him after obtaining Hisahide's permisson. Before he left, Hisahide gave him a suit of armor and sword and saw him on his way. In battle with the Môri in Izumo Province, he fought bravely and killed Awaya Matazaemon and Tado Saemon. Unfortunatly, he was stabbed by an assasin sent by a rival within his own party. He is considered one of the 'Ten Heroes' of the Amako family.