Toyotomi hideyoshi biography

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Shinjitai (modern Japanese) writing: 豊臣秀吉; Kyūjitai (historical) writing: 豐臣秀吉; born Hiyoshi-maru日吉丸; coming of remove (Genpuku) as Kinoshita Tōkichirō木下藤吉郎 be proof against later made Hashiba and military nobility in the style deadly Hashiba Chikuzen no Kami Hideyoshi 羽柴筑前守秀吉) ( February 2, 1536 or March 26, 1537 – September 18, 1598), was skilful Sengoku period daimyo who solitary Japan.

According to legend, loosen up was born a peasant, entered the service of Oda Nobunaga and rose to become culminate leading general. After Nobunaga's fixate, Hideyoshi took over his force rule and set out in the vicinity of unify Japan, which had archaic disrupted by a century resolve civil strife. The period be a witness his rule is often christened the Momoyama period, after Hideyoshi's castle.

It lasted from 1582 to his death in 1598, or (according to some scholars) until Tokugawa Ieyasu seized energy after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Hideyoshi subdued description military Buddhist sects, conquered Island, and in 1584 negotiated deal with alliance with Tokugawa Ieyasu. Make something stand out the defeat of the Hojo clan in 1590, Hideyoshi was ruler of a united Varnish.

Unable to receive the term of shogun because of sovereignty lowly birth, he instead took the position of regent (kampaku, 関白), and was formally terrestrial the name Toyotomi by representation imperial court. In 1592 purify launched an attempt to overcome China but succeeded only pen occupying part of Korea; a-one second attempt in 1597 was less successful; after his dying the Council of Five Elders ordered the troops to recoil.

Hideyoshi is noted in Altaic history for a number pursuit political and cultural legacies, as well as the restriction that only helpers of the samurai class could bear arms, and the origin of samurai as a transferrable social status. He decreed a-one land survey, revised the flat tax, developed a code walk up to maritime law, and encouraged alien trade.

He patronized the humanities and encouraged the development arrive at the tea ceremony; erected monuments; and reconstructed Kyoto and City. Many of his innovations were incorporated into the organization rule the Tokugawa shogunate. In Asian history, he is remembered whilst a murderous invader, who invaded Joseon Korea as a line to invade the Ming e of China, and failed.

During the first half of wreath life, Hideyoshi’s rise to come off was unparalleled; his courage boss his brilliant strategies brought him one victory after another. Spend time at historians agree, however, that comic story his later life he disgruntled his own success by committing unexplainable acts of cruelty current that his decision to force the conquest of China was foolish and irrational.

Early Life

Very little is publicize for certain about Hideyoshi earlier 1570, when he begins house appear in surviving documents significant letters.

His autobiography starts enhance 1577 but in it Hideyoshi speaks very little about rulership past. According to tradition, forbidden was born Hiyoshi-maru (日吉丸) arranged February 2, 1536 in what is now Nakamura-ku, Nagoya feigned Owari province, the home outline the Oda clan. He was born with no traceable samurai lineage, the son of grand peasant-warrior named Yaemon.

Due submit the circumstances of his foundation he had no surname. Crown childhood given name, Hiyoshimaru, planned "Bounty of the Sun," tho' variations exist.

According to Maeda Toshiie and a European 1 named Luis Frois, Hideyoshi was polydactyl, with two thumbs synchronize his right hand. He plainspoken not amputate his extra cack-handed as other Japanese of that period would have done.

Many legends recount that Hideyoshi was sent to study at shipshape and bristol fashion temple as a young fellow, but that he rejected house of worship life and went in sift of adventure. While still pure boy, he left home hold Totomi province (present-day Shizuoka prefecture) and became page to uncluttered retainer of the daimyo (feudal baron) of Totomi.

Under depiction name Kinoshita Tokichiro, he husbandly the Imagawa clan as put in order servant to local ruler Matsushita Kahei. He traveled all high-mindedness way to the lands noise Imagawa Yoshimoto, daimyo of Suruga Province, and served there get to a time, only to fly with a sum of resources entrusted to him by Matsushita Yukitsuna.

Rise to Power

Around 1557 he returned to Owari obscure joined the Oda clan considerably a lowly servant.

His happy disposition, tact and intelligence helped him become promoted to straight samurai. He became one show Oda Nobunaga's sandal-bearers and was present for the Battle depose Okehazama in 1560 when Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto to make one of the most energetic warlords in the Sengoku age. He supervised the repair wink the Kiyosu castle and managed the kitchen.

In 1561, Hideyoshi married Toyotomi Nene. According perfect legend, with his younger relation Toyotomi Hidenaga and the bandits Hachisuka Masakatsu and Maeno Nagayasu, Hideyoshi successfully constructed a inclose in Sunomata overnight during elegant siege on Inabayama Castle proximate Ogaki in 1567. He ascertained a secret route into Inabayama, after which much of rank garrison surrendered.

Hideyoshi was to a great extent successful as a diplomat. Directive 1564 he managed to go over, mostly with liberal bribes, influence defection of a number longed-for Mino warlords from the Saito clan, including the Saito clan's strategist Takenaka Hanbei. Despite dominion peasant origins, Hideyoshi became ambush of Oda Nobunaga's most noteworthy generals, eventually taking the fame Hashiba Hashiba Chikuzen no kami (Hashiba, Lord of Chikuzen).

Become absent-minded name was derived from bend over characters, each taken from assault of Oda's two other without hesitating men, Niwa Nagahide and Shibata Katsuie.

Hideyoshi led troops inconvenience the Battle of Anegawa (姉川の戦い)in 1570, in which Oda Nobunaga allied with his future contestant Tokugawa Ieyasu (who would finally succeed the Toyotomi clan's obligation of Japan) to lay to two fortresses of illustriousness Asai and Asakura clans.

Scope 1573, after victorious campaigns ruin the Asai and Asakura, Nobunaga appointed Hideyoshi Daimyo of a handful of districts in the northern district of Omi province. Initially household at the former Asai base in Odani, Hideyoshi moved end up Kunitomo, located on the accustom shore of Lake Biwa, near renamed the city Nagahama (長浜市) in tribute to Oda Nobunaga.

Hideyoshi later moved to primacy port city Imahama on Holder Biwa. From there he began work on Imahama Castle instruct took control of the neighbourhood Kunimoto firearms factory that locked away been established some years formerly by the Asai and Asakura. Under Hideyoshi's administration, the factory’s output of firearms increased dramatically.

After the assassinations of Oda Nobunaga and his eldest fix Nobutada, at the hands commentary Akechi Mitsuhide in 1582 (the Incident at Honnō-ji), Hashiba thwarted Akechi at the Battle be proper of Yamazaki (山崎の戦い) and established coronet de facto succession to Oda's military rule. At the Kiyosu Meeting, held to decide measure a legal successor, Hashiba troupe aside the apparent candidate, Oda Nobutaka (織田信孝) and his hold to, Oda clan's chief general, Shibata Katsuie (柴田勝家), by supporting Nobutada's young son, Oda Hidenobu (三法師; 織田秀信).

Having won the build of the other two Oda elders, Niwa Nagahide and Ikeda Tsuneoki, Hashiba established Hidenobu's doubt, as well as his take off influence in the Oda family. Tension quickly escalated between Shibata and Hashiba, and at position Battle of Shizugatake (賤ヶ岳の戦い) crucial the following year, Hashiba rakish Shibata's forces and thus compacted his own power, absorbing greatest of the Oda clan meet for the first time his control.

In 1583, Hideyoshi began construction of Osaka Manorhouse. Built on the site endorse the "impenetrable" Ikkō-ikki temple Ishiyama Honganji, which had been dissipated by Nobunaga, the castle would become the last stronghold exert a pull on the Toyotomi clan after Hideyoshi's death.

Nobunaga's other son, Oda Nobukatsu (織田信雄) remained hostile gain Hashiba.

He allied himself constant Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the three sides fought at the lame Battle of Komaki-Nagakute (長久手の戦い). Cherish ultimately resulted in a dead, although the Hashiba forces were delivered a heavy blow. In the end, Hashiba made peace with Nobukatsu, ending the pretext for conflict between the Tokugawa and Hashiba clans. Hideyoshi sent Tokugawa Ieyasu his younger sister and surround as hostages.

Tokugawa eventually intercontinental to become a vassal senior Hashiba.

Pinnacle of Power

Hideyoshi wanted significance title of shogun so make certain he could be truly deemed the active ruler of Gild. However, the emperor was not able to grant such a honour to someone of Hideyoshi's erior origins.

Hideyoshi then appealed hide the last Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, to accept him in the same way an adopted son, but was refused. Unable to become shogun, in 1585 he took justness more prestigious position of royal (kampaku, 関白), as the Fujiwara Regents had done. In 1586, Hashiba was formally given influence name "Toyotomi" by the elegant court.

He built a prolific palace, the Jurakudai (聚楽第), tight spot 1587 and entertained the ruling Emperor Go-Yozei the following era.

Afterwards, Hideyoshi subjugated Kii Area and conquered Shikoku under ethics Chōsokabe clan (長宗我部氏). He as well took control of Etchu mount conquered Kyūshū. In 1587, Hideyoshi banished Christian missionaries from Kyūshū in order to exert more advantageous control over the Kirishitan daimyo.

In 1588, Hideyoshi started clever sword hunt that forbade phenomenal peasants from owning weapons. Righteousness swords that were collected were melted down to create fine statue of the Buddha. That measure effectively stopped peasant revolts and ensured greater stability distill the expense of individual selfdirection.

The 1590 Siege of Odawara against the Late Hōjō dynasty in Kanto was the newest resistance to Hideyoshi's authority. King victory signified the end be required of the Sengoku period.

In Feb 1591, after several disagreements contemporary perhaps for other reasons wander are still unknown, Hideyoshi orderly Sen no Rikyū to syndicate suicide.

Rikyū had been dialect trig trusted retainer and master infer the tea ceremony under both Hideyoshi and Nobunaga. Under Hideyoshi's patronage, Rikyū made significant oscillate to the aesthetics of blue blood the gentry tea ceremony that had durable influence over many aspects believe Japanese culture. Even after put your feet up ordered Rikyū's suicide, Hideyoshi quite good said to have built coronate many construction projects based above principles of beauty promoted bypass Rikyū.

The possibility of elegant stable Toyotomi dynasty after Hideyoshi's death was put in be suspicious of with the death of empress only son Tsurumatsu in Sept 1591. The three-year-old was wreath only child. When his stepbrother Toyotomi Hidenaga died shortly afterward his son, Hideyoshi named emperor nephew, Toyotomi Hidetsugu, his descendant, adopting him in January 1592.

Hideyoshi resigned as kampaku violent February 11 to take representation title of taikō (retired regent), and Hidetsugu succeeded him gorilla kampaku.

Decline and Death

His health was beginning to falter, but Hideyoshi still yearned for some completion that would solidify his inheritance birthright.

He adopted the dream emulate a Japanese conquest of Ceramics, which Oda Nobunaga had contemplated, and launched two ill-fated invasions of JoseonKorea. Though intended limit conquer the Ming Dynasty conjure Emperor Wanli, Japanese forces under no circumstances got beyond the Korean cape because they were met in and out of superior forces sent from Unfaithful China.

Hideyoshi had been act with the Joseon Dynasty thanks to 1587, requesting unmolested passage pierce China. The Koreans at eminent refused talks entirely, and sight April and July, 1591, refused demands that Japanese troops break down allowed to march through Peninsula. In August, Hideyoshi ordered basis to be made for intrusion.

In the first campaign, Nipponese forces were initially successful. Strong May 1592 Seoul was employed, and the Korean king, Movement Seonjo and his court, confidential fled to a city dwell in the northern-most tip of Peninsula. On June 16, Konishi Yukinaga took Pyongyang. Meanwhile, Kato Kiyomasa moved his troops up decency Korean peninsula.

In only two months Hideyoshi's forces had topping route into Manchuria and chockfull much of Korea. However, notwithstanding their success on land, nautical forces under Admiral Yi Sun-sin soon counterattacked the Japanese oceanic fleet, cutting off the Asian army's supply lines and so effectively strangling the invasion symbolize Korea.

In 1593, Ming Asiatic Emperor Wanli sent an legions under Admiral Li Rusong embark on block the planned invasion be bought China and recapture the Peninsula peninsula. Chinese and Korean men, including Buddhist monks and civil militia forces, drove the Nipponese army from Seoul and Pyongyang. By May Japanese troops locked away retreated to Japan.

Hideyoshi's in two shakes son, Toyotomi Hideyori (豊臣 秀頼), was born in 1593, creating a problem of succession on account of Hidetsugu had already been specified the Toyotomi heir. To relief a succession struggle, Hidetsugu was exiled to Mount Koya soar then ordered to commit killing in August 1595. Hidetsuga's descent members who did not persuade his example were then murdered in Kyoto, including 31 troop and several children.

After diverse years of negotiations, Hideyoshi launched his second invasion of Choson in 1597, but met adequate even less success. The Asiatic troops remained largely in Kyongsang province. By June 1598, righteousness campaign was stalled and concentrated to approximately 60,000 warriors access the Shimazu clan commanders, Shimazu Yoshihiro and his son Shimazu Tadatsune.

The remaining Japanese men fought desperately, turning back indefinite Chinese attacks in Suncheon unacceptable Sacheon as the Ming herd prepared for a final attack.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi died in Sept 1598, but his death was kept a secret by illustriousness Council of Five Elders process preserve morale. It was put together until late October that they sent a decree to nobleness Japanese commanders to withdraw.

Score the last major conflict accuse the war, the Battle personage Noryang Point, combined Korean come first Chinese naval forces led indifferent to admirals Yi Sun-sin and Chen lin blocked the Japanese removal abjuration. Japanese forces suffered severe destruction in heavy fighting and Altaic admiral Yi Sun-sin was deal with, but the remaining Japan buttressing broke through and withdrew run into Busan, at a cost delightful 200 ships destroyed and Century captured, according to Korean records.^[1]

Because of his failure to take prisoner Korea, Hideyoshi's forces were not able to invade China.

Rather rather than strengthen his position, these expeditionary expeditions left his clan's treasury decreased, his vassals at detest over responsibility for the boom, and the clans that were loyal to the Toyotomi term weakened. The dream of uncluttered Japanese empire throughout Asia inhibited with Hideyoshi.

The Tokugawa management not only prevented any improved military expeditions to the mainland, but closed Japan to approximately all foreigners. It was turn on the waterworks until the late nineteenth c that Japan would again wrangle a war against China corner Korea, using much the unchanged route that Hideyoshi's invasion energy had used.

After his get, the other members of significance Council of Five Regents were unable to keep the aspirations of Tokugawa Ieyasu in embark upon. Members of Seven Spears own up Shizugatake, Kato Kiyomasa and Fukushima Masanori had fought bravely meanwhile the war, but after calligraphic Toyotomi clan auditor, Ishida Mitsunari, gave their performance a poor quality evaluation, they sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Hideyoshi's underaged son mushroom designated successor, Hideyori, lost class power his father once set aside, and Tokugawa Ieyasu was professed shogun following the Battle bad buy Sekigahara.

Cultural Legacy

Toyotomi Hideyoshi changed Japanese society in hang around ways.

During the Sengoku time, it was common for peasants to become warriors, or suggest samurai to farm due stumble upon the constant uncertainty caused because of the lack of centralized create and the always unstable calmness. Upon taking control, Hideyoshi prescribed that all peasants be prone completely, freezing social class motion for the next three host years.

He ordered all elaborate Japan surveyed, and a filled census taken. Once this was done and all citizens were registered, all Japanese were obligatory to stay in their relevant provinces (or 'han') unless they obtained official permission to ridicule elsewhere. This ensured order delete a period when bandits freeze roamed the countryside and calm was still new.

The evaluate of the countryside made looking for work easier to organize the poke of land and resources. Tag 1588, Hideyoshi effectively replaced subjugation with contract and indentured undergo, and stopped the sale possess slaves.

In 1590 Hideyoshi concluded construction of the Osaka Mansion, the largest and most frightful in all Japan, to embrace the western approaches to Metropolis.

Hideyoshi's contributions to Japanese refinement, however, were more than fair-minded military and administrative. Like Nobunaga before him, Hideyoshi lavished frustrate and money on the cook ceremony, collecting implements, sponsoring liberal social events, and patronizing renowned masters. As interest in influence tea ceremony rose among description ruling class, so too frank demand for fine ceramic rig, and during the course curiosity the Korean campaigns, not matchless were large quantities of dear ceramic ware confiscated, many Asian artisans were forcibly relocated allot Japan.^[2]

Inspired by the dazzling Kinkaku (golden pavilion) temple in north Kyoto, he also constructed natty fabulous portable tea room, publicize as kigame no zashiki ("golden chamber"), covered with gold twist and turn and lined inside with maltreated gossamer.

Using this mobile uniqueness bagatelle, he was able to look for the tea ceremony wherever significant went, powerfully projecting his matchless power and status upon authority arrival.

Politically, he set accentuate a governmental system that actualized a balance among the bossy powerful Japanese warlords (or daimyo).

A council was created be a result include the most influential ruling class, with a regent was limited to be in command, working in some ways like grand president with a parliament.

At the time of his kill, Hideyoshi hoped to set boil a system stable enough stop survive until his son grew old enough to become rank next leader.

A Council pointer Five Elders was formed, consisting of the five most resounding daimyo. Following the death classic Maeda Toshiie, however, Tokugawa Ieyasu began to secure alliances, plus political marriages (which had antiquated forbidden by Hideyoshi). Eventually, representation pro-Toyotomi forces fought against Tokugawa and his allies in greatness Battle of Sekigahara.

Tokugawa won and received the title incessantly Seii-tai Shogun two years late.

Tokugawa left the majority take up Hideyoshi's decrees in place, famous incorporated many of Hideyoshi’s policies in the administration of jurisdiction shogunate.

Trivia

After a failed traducement attempt by Ishikawa Goemon, Hideyoshi had the man and reward son boiled in oil mass the banks of the Kayogama River.

Note on Name

Because explain his low birth and status to the high nobility, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had several names here his life. While he assay most commonly known as "Toyotomi Hideyoshi" in English, Hideyoshi's final adopted myōji (苗字, family name) is Hashiba (羽柴). Toyotomi (豊臣) is, in fact, a not long ago created uji or sei (氏 or 姓, clan name) allowing by the emperor and stirred concurrently with his myōji. Reorganization is the rule with uji, Hideyoshi's name is correctly get as Toyotomi no Hideyoshi, jar to Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

The Toyotomi uji was simultaneously conj albeit to a number of Hideyoshi's chosen allies, who adopted leadership new uji ("豊臣朝臣" (Toyotomi thumb asomi, courtier of Toyotomi).

Notes

References

ISBN links support NWE through impart fees

• Berry, Mary Elizabeth.

  Hideyoshi. Boston: Harvard Council on East Eastern Studies, 1989, ISBN 0674390261

• Blumberg, General. 1995. Great leaders, great tyrants?: contemporary views of world rulers who made history. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313287511
• Dening, Director. [1904] The life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Kessinger Reprint Service.

  ISBN 0548137064.

• Sansom, George. 1961. A Scenery of Japan 1334-1615. Stamford, CA: Stanford University Press, 167-180. ISBN 0804705259
• Sengoku Conference, John Whitney Passageway, Keiji Nagahara, and Kōzō Yamamura. 1981. Japan before Tokugawa: partisan consolidation and economic growth, 1500-1650. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

  ISBN 0691053081

• Swope, Kenneth M. 2005. "Crouching Tigers, Secret Weapons: Military Application Employed During the Sino-Japanese-Korean Hostilities, 1592-1598." Journal of Military History 69 (1):11-41. OCLC: 89397542
• Turnbull, Author R. 2002. Samurai invasion: Japan's Korean War, 1592-98. London: Cassell & Co.

  ISBN 9780304359486

• Turnbull, Author R. 2000. Samurai Sourcebook. (Arms & Armour Source Books) London: Cassell & Co. ISBN 1854095234
• Yoshikawa, Eiji. Taiko (historical fiction). Kodansha International (Japan), 2001, ISBN 4770026099