samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
during the
Sengoku period
The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615.
The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...
.Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003) "Saitō,"_''Nobiliare_du_Japon'',_p._50_[PDF_54_of_80 /nowiki>.html" ;"title="DF 54 of 80">"Saitō," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 50 [PDF 54 of 80 /nowiki>">DF 54 of 80">"Saitō," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 50 [PDF 54 of 80 /nowiki> retrieved 2013-4-30.
He proved a capable commander and was able to defeat attempts by
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan.
Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...
to avenge Dôsan's death, but died of his illness in 1561.
Biography
Yoshitatsu was the son of
Saitō Dōsan
, also known as Saitō Toshimasa (斎藤 利政), was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Saitō Dōsan"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 809.
He was also known as the for his ruthless tactics. His hono ...
. However, rumors that Yoshitatsu was in fact not Dōsan's real son (that is, that he was actually the son of
Toki Yorinari
, also known as Toki Yoriaki, retrieved 2013-5-10. was a Japanese
(Toki Yoshiyori), the ''
shugo
, commonly translated as “(military) governor,” “protector,” or “constable,” was a title given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the ''shōgun'' to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan. The pos ...
'' of
Mino Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today southern Gifu Prefecture. Mino was bordered by Ōmi to the west, Echizen and Hida to the north, and Shinano to the east, and Ise, Mikawa, and Owari to the south. Its abbreviat ...
who Dōsan displaced in influence) persisted--with Dōsan apparently considering naming one of his other sons, Nagatatsu, as heir. Yoshitatsu had come to suspect his father's intentions. Though he actually did suffer from leprosy, Yoshitatsu feigned illness and murdered his two younger brothers in 1555, declaring war on Dōsan.
In May 1556, at the
Battle of Nagara-gawa
The was a battle that took place along the banks of the Nagara River in Mino Province in April 1556. The site of the battle is in present-day Gifu city, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was a battle between Saitō Dōsan and his son, Saitō Yoshitat ...
, Yoshitatsu led an army to the Nagara river, prompting Dōsan to take up a position on the opposite side of the river. Yoshitatsu's vanguard opened the attack by crossing the river and cutting deeply into Dosan's ranks. They nearly reached Dōsan's headquarters before being savaged by a counterattack. Yoshitatsu then led the bulk of his forces across the river. In the course of the fighting, Dōsan was killed.
Yoshitatsu thereafter assumed control of Mino until he died in 1561.
Yoshitatsu's son,
Saitō Tatsuoki
was a daimyō in Mino Province during the Sengoku period and the third generation lord of the Saitō clan. He was a son of Saitō Yoshitatsu. His mother was daughter of Azai Hisamasa and nephew of Azai Nagamasa, a grandson of Saitō Dōsan. He ...
, was defeated by
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan.
Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...
in 1567 at the
Siege of Inabayama
The of 1567 was the final battle in Oda Nobunaga's campaign to defeat the Saitō clan in their mountaintop castle and conquer Mino Province, Japan.
It was a short two-week siege, fought between 13 and 27 September 1567, or in the Japanese ca ...
; and the clan disappeared.
See also
*
Saitō Dōsan
, also known as Saitō Toshimasa (斎藤 利政), was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Saitō Dōsan"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 809.
He was also known as the for his ruthless tactics. His hono ...
*
Battle of Nagaragawa
The was a battle that took place along the banks of the Nagara River in Mino Province in April 1556. The site of the battle is in present-day Gifu, Gifu, Gifu city, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was a battle between Saitō Dōsan and his son, Saitō ...