Tokugawa Ieyasu

:This page is about a prominent shogun in Japanese history. See Tokugawa (disambiguation) for other meanings of the term

Biography

Early Life (1543-1556)

Tokugawa Ieyasu was born on January 31, 1543 in the Mikawa province. Originally named Matsudaira Takechiyo, he was the son of Matsudaira Hirotada (1526-1549), a lord of Mikawa who spent most of his time at war with the Oda and Imagawa clans. The Matsudaira family was split: one side wanted to be a vassal of the Imagawa clan, while the other side (Takechiyo and Hirotada's clan) prefered the Oda. This family feud was the reason behind the murder of Hirotada's father (Takechiyo's grandfather), Matsudaira Kiyoyasu (? - 1536). Unlike his father and the majority of his branch of the family, Hirotada saw the Imagawa as the lesser of two evils. Hirotada's loyalty to the Imagawa caused the remainder of his family to support the Oda even more strongly than before. In 1548, when the Oda clan invaded Mikawa, Hirotada turned to Imagawa Yoshimoto, the head of the Imagawa clan, for help to repel the invaders. Yoshimoto agreed to help under the condition that Hirotada send his son Takechiyo to Sumpu as a hostage in exile. Hirotada consented, despite the protestations of the Matsudaira family. Takechiyo and a group of non-Matsudaira servants were sent to Sumpu as hostages.

Related Topics:
January 31 - 1543 - Mikawa - Matsudaira Hirotada - 1526 - 1549 - Oda - Imagawa - Matsudaira Kiyoyasu - 1536 - 1548 - Sumpu

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Oda Nobuhide, the leader of the Oda, learned of this arrangement and attacked Takechiyo's entourage en route to Sumpu. Takechiyo was abducted and confined to Owari's Kowatari Castle. Nobuhide threatened to execute Takechiyo unless Hirotada severed all ties with the Imagawa. Hirotada replied that sacrificing his own son would show his seriousness in his pact with the Imagawa clan. Takechiyo was not harmed. In 1549, Hirotada died of natural causes, and a short time later, Nobuhide also died. The deaths dealt a heavy blow to an already weakened Oda and left the Matsudaira leaderless. With the Imagawa in a strong position, Yoshimoto sent an army under his father's younger brother, Imagawa Sessai, to attack an Oda castle where Oda Nobuhiro, Nobuhide's eldest son and the new head of the Oda, lived. Sessai, who was also a brilliant statesman, took the castle and took Nobuhiro hostage. Bargaining with Nobuhide's second son, Oda Nobunaga, he offered to return the castle to the Oda and spare Nobuhiro's life only if Takechiyo was handed over to the Imagawa. Nobunaga reluctantly agreed, and both Nobuhiro and the captured castle were returned to the Oda. Sessai, meanwhile, returned to Sumpu with Takechiyo. Takechiyo grew up in Sumpu, but his kinsmen in Mikawa were apprehensive about the future of the Matsudaira family now that the Oda were weakened and that the Matsudaira were vassals to the Imagawa.

Related Topics:
Oda Nobuhide - 1549 - Oda Nobunaga

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Rise to Power (1556-1584)

In 1556, Takechiyo came of age, and changed his name to Matsudaira Motoyasu. Allowed to return to his native Mikawa, the Imagawa ordered him to fight the Oda clan in a series of battles. Motoyasu won his first battle at Terabe, thus making a name for himself. By this time, Oda Nobuhiro had died, and the leadership of the Oda clan had passed to Oda Nobunaga, Nobuhiro's younger brother. Soon after these battles, the Matsudaira clan and the Mikawa soldiers began to petition for greater autonomy from the Imagawa. Unfazed, in 1560 Yoshimoto assembled 20,000 men (many of them from Mikawa) and marched on Kyoto - the first daimyo to do this since 1538. Motoyasu was dispatched from Mikawa with his men to attack the fortress of Marune. Successful in capturing the fort, Motoyasu and the Mikawa men stayed there to defend it. Because of this, Motoyasu and his men avoided the bloody Battle of Okehazama, fought near Nagoya (close to the present day town of Arimatsu), in which the Imagawa were defeated and Imagawa Yoshimoto was slain. Motoyasu retreated with his men back to Mikawa, and finally, with the death of Yoshimoto, decided to rid himself of Imagawa influence.

Related Topics:
Terabe - 1560 - Kyoto - Daimyo - 1538 - Battle of Okehazama

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Motoyasu decided to ally with the Oda, striking a secret deal with Oda Nobunaga. This secrecy was necessary since most of the Matsudaira family - including Motoyasu's wife and infant son, Hideyasu - were still held hostage in Sumpu by the new head of the Imagawa, Yoshimoto's son, Imagawa Ujizane. In 1561, Motoyasu and his men marched on and captured the Imagawa fortress of Kaminojo, signalling to Nobunaga that Motoyasu was no longer loyal to the Imagawa. Motoyasu killed the castle commander, Udono Nagamochi, and took Nagamochi's wife and two sons hostage. Ujizane, reasoning that the Udono were more important retainers than the Matsudaira, released the Matsudaira family in return for Udono's wife and children.

Related Topics:
Hideyasu - Imagawa Ujizane - 1561 - Udono Nagamochi

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Now having freedom of action with the return of his family, Motoyasu set about reforming the Matsudaira clan after years of decay, and pacifying Mikawa. He also nurtured and strengthened his vassals by awarding them with land and re-distributing the castles in Mikawa to the most important retainers and vassals (including Honda Tadakatsu, Ishikawa Kazumasa, Koriki Kiyonaga Sakai Tadatsugu, and Sakikabara Yasumasa), in 1566.

Related Topics:
Honda Tadakatsu - Ishikawa Kazumasa - Koriki Kiyonaga - Sakai Tadatsugu - Sakikabara Yasumasa - 1566

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In 1564, Motoyasu defeated the Mikawamonto, a militaristic anti-Matsudaira group, almost losing his life in the process when he was struck by a bullet that did not penetrate his armor. In 1565, he attacked the Imagawa defences in Totomi. In 1567, he petitioned Emperor Ogimachi to change his surname to Tokugawa., taking the name Tokugawa Ieyasu. In so doing, he began to claim descent from the Minamoto clan through the Nitta clan, and ultimately, descent from the Imperial Family. At the same time, he designed a separate family tree which claimed descent from the Fujiwara. Modern historians today use this as proof that Ieyasu's claims of imperial heritage were fabricated (as the Ashikaga did before him) to legitimize himself.

Related Topics:
1564 - Mikawa - Monto - Bullet - 1565 - Imagawa - Totomi - 1567 - Emperor - Ogimachi - Surname - Minamoto - Nitta - Fujiwara - Ashikaga

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Even though the Tokugawa family was symbolically independent, they still could not survive without the Oda clan, and were subject to Oda Nobunaga himself. When Nobunaga captured Kyoto in 1568, thus becoming the de-facto leader of Japan, many of the victorious troops were Tokugawa troops. At the same time, Ieyasu himself was eager to expand his own territories. He and Takeda Shingen, the head of the Takeda clan, in Kai, entered a pact, where they together would annex the rest of the Imagawa territory. In 1570, Ieyasu's troops finally annexed Totomi, and later Shingen occupied Suruga and the Imagawa capital of Sumpu. However, by this time, the Takeda-Tokugawa alliance was on the decline, and Ieyasu even sheltered his former enemy, Imagawa Ujizane, promising to restore Totomi and Suruga to him. At the same time, Ieyasu attempted to make another alliance with Uesugi Kenshin, the head of the Uesugi clan and the arch-enemy of the Takeda clan. Having secured the support of the Uesugi, Ieyasu moved his capital from Hamamatsu in Mikawa to Totomi (where he would be closer to Shigen).

Related Topics:
Kyoto - 1568 - Takeda Shingen - Takeda - 1570 - Totomi - Suruga - Uesugi Kenshin - Hamamatsu

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With the Imagawa land completely absorbed within the Tokugawa sphere of influence, the Imagawa clan became vassals of the Tokugawa, with the Uesugi as strong allies to the Tokugawa. The Tokugawa and the Takeda were ready to go to war. Ieyasu still had the support of Nobunaga, but Nobunaga thought that some of Ieyasu's doings were dangerous and provocative. In 1570, however, Ieyasu led 5,000 of his own men to aid Nobunaga at the Battle of Anegawa against the Asai and Asakura clans thus stengthening the Tokugawa-Oda alliance. However, Ieyasu would not be able to aid Nobunaga for another two years because in 1571, the Takeda clan attacked.

Related Topics:
1570 - Anegawa - Asai - Asakura - 1571

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In 1572, the Takeda took Futamata Castle from Ieyasu, and Shingen defeated Ieyasu at the Battle of Mikatagahara, where Ieyasu almost lost his life while leading his troops. Takeda Shingen died in 1573, and was succeeded by his son and heir, Takeda Katsuyori, who managed to capture the fort of Taketenjin in 1574. However, despite the capture of this important Tokugawa port, the Takeda ascendancy was nearing its end. In 1575, Katsuyori attacked Nagashino Castle in Mikawa, and Ieyasu asked Nobunaga for help. When Nobunaga showed some apprehension at attacking the Takeda, Ieyasu threatened to make peace with the Takeda and attack the Oda clan's positions in Owari and Mino. Nobunaga changed his mind, and led his army into Mikawa. The Oda-Tokugawa force of 38,000 inflicted a devastating defeat to the Takeda on June 28, 1575, although for the next several years, Takeda Katsuyori continued to raid Tokugawa and Oda territory frequently.

Related Topics:
Futamata - Battle of Mikatagahara - Takeda Shingen - 1573 - Takeda Katsuyori - Taketenjin - 1574 - 1575 - Nagashino - June 28

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In 1579, Ieyasu's wife, and his eldest son, Tokugawa Nobuyasu, were accused of conspiring with Takeda Katsuyori to assasinate Nobunaga. Ieyasu's wife was beheaded and Hideyasu was forced to commit harakiri. Ieyasu then named his third and favorite son, Tokugawa Hidetada, as heir, since his second son was to be adopted by another ascendant samurai, Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Related Topics:
1579 - Tokugawa Nobuyasu - Harakiri - Tokugawa Hidetada - Samurai - Toyotomi Hideyoshi

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In 1582, another combined Oda-Tokugawa force attacked and destroyed the Takeda ranks. Takeda Katsuyori, as well as his eldest son and heir, Takeda Nobukatsu, commited harakiri. Now that the Takeda were no longer a threat, Ieyasu could help Nobunaga with his campaign to reunify Japan. For his help, Ieyasu received de jure control of Suruga province (including Sumpu) and areas bordering the Hojo clan. The Tokugawa and Hojo allied, since Ieyasu was on friendly terms with Hojo Ujinori, younger brother of the head of the Hojo clan, Hojo Ujimasa.

Related Topics:
Takeda Nobukatsu - Hojo - Hojo Ujinori - Hojo Ujimasa

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In late 1582, Ieyasu was staying in Sakai, Settsu Province, when he received word that Oda Nobunaga had been assasinated by Akechi Mitushide, head of the Akechi clan. Ieyasu slipped away back to Mikawa, afraid that he too, would be assasinated. Ieyasu did not wish to attack the Akechi clan, but the Tokugawa did take advantage of the situation taking both Kai and Shinano. After a decisive victory at the Battle of Yamazaki. Hojo Ujimasa, feeling threatened, sent troops into Kai. However, no fighting took place, and the Hojo and Tokugawa made peace soon after. In order to save face, Ieyasu gave some lands in Kai and Shinano to the Hojo. Ieyasu begain modifying his administration, basing it on the model of the now-defunct Takeda, integrating Takeda into the Tokugawa army. In 1583, the top candidates to lead Japan were Toyotomi Hideyoshi (the adopted father of Ieyasu's second son) and Shibata Katsuie. Ieyasu stayed neutral in this conflict, and Hideyoshi defeated Katsuie at the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583. After Shibata Katsuie commited harakiri, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his Toyotomi clan became the de-facto rulers of Japan.

Related Topics:
Sakai - Akechi Mitushide - Kai - Shinano - Yamazaki - Toyotomi Hideyoshi - Shibata Katsuie

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The Road to Sekigahara (1584-1600)

In 1584, Ieyasu decided to support Oda Nobukatsu, the eldest son and heir of Oda Nobunaga. This was intended to provoke Hideyoshi into battle, since the Oda were weakened after the murder of Nobunaga and the Tokugawa had now eclipsed the Oda in power (though the ruling Toyotomi were more powerful than both of them). With the assent of Oda Nobukatsu, Tokugawa troops took the traditional Oda stronghold of Owari, in an effort to entice Hideyoshi onto the battlefield. Hideyoshi responded by sending an army into Owari, beginning his Komaki Campaign. During the campaign Oda Nobukatsu broke his pact with the Tokugawa, making a separate truce and allying with Hideyoshi. Ieyasu won the only notable battle of the campaign, the Battle of Nagakute. Finally, at the end of 1584, a truce between the Toyotomi/Oda and the Tokugawa was reached. The Oda clan and their terrtories (including Owari) were absorbed into Toyotomi's lands, marking an end to the Oda clan's political power. Ieyasu went to Osaka in 1585, and promised to end the fighting against Hideyoshi.

Related Topics:
Oda Nobukatsu - Komaki Campaign - 1584 - Osaka - 1585

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Despite Ieyasu's promise, the Komaki Campaign had made Hideyoshi distrustful of Ieyasu, and there was only one instance (the Odawara Campaign of 1590) where Toyotomi and Tokugawa fought together on the battlefield. In 1585, Ishikawa Kazumasa left Ieyasu for Hideyoshi, after which Ieyasu reformed all of the Tokugawa military structure on the Takeda model. The Tokugawa did not participate in Hideyoshi's invasions of Shikoku and Kyushu, nor in the pacification of Honshu, but did act as a buffer between in the conflicts between the Toyotomi and the Hojo in the 1580's. Ieyasu did his best for Hojo Ujimasa, but in the end, the Tokugawa elected to support the Toyotomi in 1589 when the Odawara Campaign would begin.

Related Topics:
1590 - 1585 - Ishikawa Kazumasa - Shikoku - Kyushu - Honshu - 1589

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In Hideyoshi's invasion of the Hojo clan's territories in 1590, Ieyasu himself led 30,000 men to battle. The Toyotomi-Tokugawa forces laid siege to the city of Odawara. During this campaign, Hideyoshi and Ieyasu became closer - Hideyoshi offered a trade-off. He offered Ieyasu the eight Kanto provinces in return for the five provinces that were the traditional stronghold of the Tokugawa and their Matsudaira ancestors, which Ieyasu then held. In 1590, the Hojo were defeated and their lands were annexed by the Toyotomi, ending the clan's 450 year reign.

Related Topics:
Odawara - Kanto

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Eagerly accepting Hideyoshi's offer, Ieyasu gave up the five provinces of Mikawa, Totomi, Suruga, Shinano, and Kai and moved his new power base to the Kanto region, setting himself up in the castle town of Edo in Kanto. Ieyasu was now a great lord to be reckoned with. Furthermore, being surrounded by the sea and the mountains allowed Tokugawa to remain far from the mainstream of Japanese politics, giveing the Tokugawa a unique autonomy from the Toyotomi.

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In 1592, Hideyoshi invaded Korea as a prelude to his plan to attack China and India and "rule the world". Though the Japanese armies took the capital, they were harassed by Korean guerillas throughout the mountainous country. The Tokugawa never took part in this attack, During the campaign, Ieyasu remained in Kyushu, probably so Hideyoshi could keep careful watch of the Tokugawa. Despite his absence, Ieyasu's retainers and vassals were able to consolidate Edo and the other new Tokugawa lands. In 1598, the Japanese withdrew from Korea, and Ieyasu returned to Edo.

Related Topics:
Korea - China - India - Rule the world - Guerilla

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In 1593, Hideyoshi fathered a son and heir, Toyotomi Hideyori. In 1598, he called a meeting that would determine six regents responsible for ruling for his son after Hideyoshi himself died. The six that were chosen as regents (tairo) for Hideyori were Maeda Toshiie, Mori Terumoto, Ukita Hideie, Uesugi Kagekatsu, Kobayakawa Takakage, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Aside from Ieyasu, the other five men were retainers of Ieyasu who were also loyal to Hideyoshi. Ieyasu was the most powerful of the six.

Related Topics:
1593 - Heir - Toyotomi Hideyori - 1598 - Tairo - Maeda Toshiie - Mori Terumoto - Ukita Hideie - Uesugi Kagekatsu - Kobayakawa Takakage

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Lead-up to the Battle of Sekigahara (1598-1603)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi finally died in 1598. He was succeeded by his son and heir Hideyori, who was officially put in the care of one of his regent Maeda Toshiie. As soon as Hideyoshi died, Ieyasu began to make alliances with various anti-Toyotomi families, alienating his fellow regents. When Toshiie died in 1599, Ieyasu led his troops to Fushimi and occupied Osaka Castle, which angered the four remaining regents (Takakage had died). Opposition to Ieyasu was led most valiantly by Ishida Mitsunari who was not himself a regent but had previously attempted to assasinate Ieyasu in 1599. A few of Ieyasu's top generals wanted to kill Ishida, but Ishida ironically found refuge with Ieyasu.

Related Topics:
Toyotomi Hideyoshi - 1598 - Hideyori - Maeda Toshiie - 1599 - Fushimi - Ishida Mitsunari

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The "friendship" between Ieyasu and Ishida was soon broken, however. Japan split into two factions - the "eastern camp" centered around Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the "western camp" around Ishida Mitsunari. Mitsunari was determined to attack first, allying himself with Regent Uesugi Kagekatsu who had a fief not far from Ieyasu's center of Edo. Ishida wanted Uesugi to engage Ieyasu's troops long enough so that the Western faction could take Edo and defeat the Eastern faction. In June 1600, Kagekatsu and Ieyasu clashed. Ieyasu and his allies, the Date and Mogami clans, defeated the Uesugi and Ieyasu then led an army west to defeat the Ishida in October. Although Ishida managed the heroic effort of re-taking Fushimi from Ieyasu, this took a great deal of time for Ishida's troops.

Related Topics:
Uesugi Kagekatsu - June - 1600 - Date - Mogami - Ishida - October

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Meanwhile, in the province of Shinano, Ieyasu had stationed 36,000 Tokugawa men, led by Ieyasu's son and heir Tokugawa Hidetada for no apparent reason. Ieyasu knew, however, that the Kobakawa clan, led by Kobayakawa Hideaki, were planning to defect from the Ishida side, and that the Mori clan intended to remain neutral.

Related Topics:
Shinano - Tokugawa Hidetada - Kobakawa clan - Kobayakawa Hideaki - Mori clan

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The Battle of Sekigahara began on October 21, 1600, a total of 160,000 Ishida and Tokugawa men facing each other across the battlefield. The Kobayakawa and the Mori remained in the mountains, obviously the deciding factor as to who won the battle. Hidetada, who had been summoned by Ieyasu from Shinano, had not yet arrived. Just as the Tokugawa appeared to be defeated, the Mori and Kobayakawa rushed to the aid of the Tokugawa attack, defeating and crushing Ishida. The Battle of Sekigahara was a Tokugawa and Eastern victory. The Western bloc had been crushed, Kobayakawa and Mori affirmed their alliance with Tokugawa, and over the next few days Ishida Mitsunari and other western generals were beheaded. Tokugawa Hidetada finally arrived, but only after the battle had finished. Tokugawa Ieyasu was now the de facto ruler of Japan.

Related Topics:
Battle of Sekigahara - Beheaded - De facto

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Immediatly after the victory at Sekigahara, Ieyasu redistributed land to the vassals who had served him. Vassals who had pledged allegience to him before Sekigahara were known as the fudai daimyos, while those who pledged allegience to him after were known as tozama daimyos. Ieyasu left some western daimyo intact, such as the Shimazu clan, but others were completely abolished. However, Toyotomi Hideyori was allowed to become a common citizen. living a quiet life in Osaka Castle while Tokugawa Ieyasu ruled Japan.

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Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1603-1605)

In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu received the title of 'shogun' from Emperor Go-Yozei, at the age of 60. Ieyasu's heir was still his son Tokugawa Hidetada. As shogun, he inaugurated the Tokugawa bakufu, the third shogunal government (after the Minamoto and the Ashikaga).

Related Topics:
Shogun - Go-Yozei - Tokugawa bakufu - Minamoto - Ashikaga

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Surprisingly, after only a short time as Shogun, he abdicated in 1605. His successor was his son and heir, Tokugawa Hidetada, who became the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty and bakufu.

Related Topics:
1605 - Tokugawa Hidetada - Bakufu

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Retired Shogun Ieyasu (1605-1616)

Despite his abdication in favor of Hidetada, Ieyasu, held the position of Cloistered Shogun (Ogosho) and was still very much the effective ruler of Japan, remaining so until his death. Ieyasu retired to Sumpu, and supervised the construction of Edo Castle. In place of his son, Shogun Hidetada, Retired Shogun Ieyasu supervised diplomatic affairs with the Netherlands and Spain in 1609, and chose to distance Japan from them.

Related Topics:
Netherlands - Spain

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In 1611, Ieyasu, at the head of 50,000 men, visited Kyoto to witness the coronation of Emperor Go-Mizunoo, even though his son was the official Shogun. In Kyoto, Ieyasu ordered the remodling of the imperial court and buildings, and forced the remaining western daimyo to sign an oath of fealty to him. In 1613, he composed the Kuge Shohatto, a document which put the court daimyo under strict supervision, leaving them as mere ceremonial figureheads. In 1614, he signed the Christian Expulsion Edict which banned Christianity, expelled all Christians and foreigners, and banned Christians from practicing their religion. As a result, many Christian Japanese fled to the Spanish Philippines.

Related Topics:
Go-Mizunoo - Philippines

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In 1615, he prepared the Buke Shohatto, a document setting out the future of the Tokugawa regime.

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The climax of the early Edo period was the Siege of Osaka of 1614-1615. Although Hideyori was still living in Osaka Castle and did not plan to rebel against Ieyasu, Ieyasu used a pretext to attack. Initially, the Tokugawa were repulsed by the remnants of the Toyotomi, led by an anxious Hideyori, but Ieyasu ordered a counter-attack. The Tokugawa, led by Shogun Hidetada, attacked Osaka castle in a lengthy siege. Finally, in late 1615, Osaka Castle fell to the Tokugawa, and Hideyori, his mother (Hideyoshi's widow, Yodogimi), and his infant son and heir, commited seppuku. His wife, Senhime (a granddaughter of Ieyasu), was rescued by Ieyasu and did not suffer the same fate as her husband, son, and mother-in-law. With the Toyotomi finally extinguished, the Tokugawa were free to develop Japan.

Related Topics:
Siege of Osaka - 1614 - 1615 - Seppuku - Senhime

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In 1616, Ieyasu fell ill and died in his bed at the age of 73. He had many children, and could die in peace knowing that he had created many branches of the family to continue the Tokugawa dynasty. He was buried in Nikko Toshogu.

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