Toyotomi forces · Hashiba → Toyotomi
Toyotomi Hidenaga
“The Major Counsellor of Yamato”
Born at Nakamura in Owari as Hashiba Hideyoshi's younger brother, he followed early the brother who had risen from the peasantry. Rather than flashy feats of arms, he showed rare talent for intrigue, administration, logistics and the management of the other commanders, and supported his brother's rise from behind the scenes. In the western campaign he pacified Tajima and Inaba, and after Honnō-ji he attended the Kiyosu conference with his brother. As commander-in-chief of the invasion of Shikoku in Tenshō 13 he forced Chōsokabe Motochika to surrender, and in the Kyushu campaign he led the Hyūga front and beat the Shimazu at Nejirozaka. His mild, sincere character won trust from friend and foe alike; he held about a million koku in Yamato, Kii and Izumi from Kōriyama Castle. As the "mediator" standing between Hideyoshi and the proud daimyo he stabilised the regime, but died of illness in Tenshō 19. So deeply was he missed that people said, "If only Hidenaga had lived," and his death marked the beginning of the Toyotomi decline.
- Epithet
- “The Major Counsellor of Yamato”
- Rank / office
- Junior Second Rank, Provisional Major Counsellor
- Domain / base
- Yamato, Kii and Izumi (Kōriyama Castle)
- Banner / crest
- Paulownia
- Side
- Toyotomi forces
- Lived
- 1540–1591 (aged 52)
Life
- Tenbun 9 Birth Born at Nakamura in Owari, according to tradition, as the younger brother of the future Hideyoshi.
- Tenshō 5 The Western Campaign Followed his brother's western army and won distinction pacifying Tajima and Inaba.
- Tenshō 11 Shizugatake Took part in Shizugatake, where his brother beat Shibata Katsuie, and helped establish his supremacy.
- Tenshō 13 Invasion of Shikoku; Major Counsellor of Yamato Commanded the invasion of Shikoku, received Kii and Yamato in addition and became lord of Kōriyama Castle.
- Tenshō 15 Kyushu Campaign; Nejirozaka Led the Hyūga front in the Kyushu campaign and beat the Shimazu at the battle of Nejirozaka.
- Tenshō 19 Death Died of illness at Kōriyama Castle. Without its deputy, the Toyotomi regime lost its power of mediation.
Battles in this archive5 battles
- Siege of Tottori Tenshō 9 Tottori Castle, Inaba Province Hideyoshi's brother. He pacified Tajima, entered Inaba and held the western side, blocking the route of any Mōri relief: an unglamorous but reliable contribution. Watch ▸
- Battle of Yamazaki 13th day of the 6th month, Tenshō 10 Yamazaki, Yamashiro Province Eleven days after Honnō-ji. Hideyoshi, back from the west in the Great Return, ends Akechi Mitsuhide's "three-day reign" on rain-soaked Mount Tennō. Watch ▸
- Battle of Shizugatake 21st day of the 4th month, Tenshō 11 Shizugatake, Ōmi Province An all-night forced march from Mino, the pursuit by the Seven Spears, and Maeda Toshiie's withdrawal. The decisive battle north of Lake Biwa that chose Nobunaga's successor. Watch ▸
- Battle of Komaki and Nagakute 9th day of the 4th month, Tenshō 12 Nagakute, Owari Province Ieyasu pursues Hideyoshi's detached force through the night as it heads for Mikawa, and destroys it at Nagakute. The only battle in which Ieyasu ever took on Hideyoshi. Watch ▸
- Invasion of Shikoku Tenshō 13 Ichinomiya Castle, Awa Province Commander-in-chief of the invasion. He led the expedition in his brother's place and took Ichinomiya not by storm but by cutting off its water: the loyal deputy at his finest. Watch ▸
Related sites
- Yamato Kōriyama Castle ruins (Nara)
- Dainagon-zuka (Yamato Kōriyama)
- Shungaku-in (Nara)
FAQ
- Who was Toyotomi Hidenaga?
- Toyotomi Hideyoshi's younger brother, the "finest deputy in the realm," who supported him all his life. Gifted in war, administration and diplomacy, he held about a million koku in Yamato, Kii and Izumi.
- How did Hidenaga die?
- He died of illness at his castle of Yamato Kōriyama in Tenshō 19 (1591), aged 52. Having lost the mediator who stood between Hideyoshi and the daimyo, the Toyotomi regime is said to have begun to unravel after his death.
- Which battles did Hidenaga take part in?
- The western campaign, Yamazaki, Shizugatake, the invasion of Shikoku and the Kyushu campaign (the battle of Nejirozaka), among others. He was commander-in-chief of the invasion of Shikoku, where he forced Chōsokabe Motochika to surrender.