was a retainer of Japanese feudal lord

Uesugi Fusayoshi Uesugi (sometimes written ''Uyesugi'') is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: People *Uesugi clan, a Japanese samurai clan **Uesugi Akisada, (1454–1510), a samurai of the Uesugi clan ** Uesugi Harunori (1751–1822), a Ja ...

, and a ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

'' in his own right, during Japan's

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 ...

. He is perhaps best known as the biological father of Nagao Kagetora, who would be adopted into the

Uesugi clan The is a Japanese samurai clan which was at its peak one of the most powerful during the Muromachi and Sengoku periods (14th to 17th centuries). Appert, Georges. (1888) ''Ancien Japon,'' p. 79./ref> At its height, the clan had three main branch ...

Uesugi Kenshin , later known as was a Japanese ''daimyō''. He was born in Nagao clan, and after adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. He was one of the most powerful ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period. Known as ...

, and has become one of the most famous Sengoku-period ''daimyōs''.

Biography

Tamekage was born as the son of

Nagao Yoshikage was a Japanese samurai clan. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Nagao," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 39 retrieved 2013-5-5. History The Nagao clan descend from T ...

, the deputy military governor of

Echigo was an old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. It bordered on Uzen, Iwashiro, Kōzuke, Shinano, and Etchū Provinces. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Echigo''" in . It corresponds today to Niigata ...

. His mother came from the

Takanashi clan The Takanashi clan () of Shinano Province were direct descendants of Minamoto no Yorisue, son of Yorinobu. One of the grandsons of Yorisue soon on took the name Takanashi. Takanashi Tadanao was a noted retainer of the Minamoto clan during t ...

of Shinano. According to

George Bailey Sansom Sir George Bailey Sansom (28 November 1883 – 8 March 1965) was a British diplomat and historian of pre-modern Japan, particularly noted for his historical surveys and his attention to Culture of Japan, Japanese society and culture. Early lif ...

, Nagao Tamekage's career makes him representative of the emergence of the ''daimyōs'', and the shift of regional power from 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 ...

(''constables ''), governors, and other government officials to independent lords. Serving as Deputy (''shugo-dai'') to Fusayoshi, shugo of

Echigo Province was an old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. It bordered on Uzen, Iwashiro, Kōzuke, Shinano, and Etchū Provinces. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Echigo''" in . It corresponds today to Niigata ...

, Tamekage led his lord's Yamanouchi Uesugi forces to victory against the Ōgigayatsu Uesugi in a series of conflicts from 1500–1505. However, one of a number of ''nari-agari mono'' (成り上がり者), or "upstarts" of this period, Tamekage sought to usurp his lord, and battled with Uesugi forces a number of times in the first decade of the 16th century. In 1506, after Yoshikage was killed in action at the

Battle of Hannyano A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, the ''Igarashi'' and ''Ishida'' clans of the Chūetsu area (central part of Echigo) rebelled, but this was pacified before long by Tamekage who had succeeded his father as head of the Echigo-Nagao clan. He ultimately laid siege to Uesugi Fusayoshi in 1507, at Matsunoyama in

, and Fusayoshi was killed. Tamekage then went on to pursue a number of campaigns of his own, gathering territory and power. In 1510, Tamekage plotted with Jinbo Nagakiyo in an attempt to overtake the Jinbo clan from within, using his status as shugo-dai to bring Nagakiyo to his side. Nagakiyo then brought his brother Jinbo Nagatsuna into the plot, which revolved around overthrowing Jinbo Yoshimune and allying with the Uesugi. The plot stretched longer than a year, and Tamekage's patience grew thin. It is believed that Tamekage "arranged" for correspondence between himself and the brothers to be discovered by an ally of Yoshimune, which would lead to their executions, perhaps a quicker route to weakening the Jinbo than the possibly ill-conceived plot with Nagakiyo. The Jinbo brothers were executed, and the Jinbo weakened. Tamekage then engaged

Uesugi Akisada was a samurai of the Uesugi clan, Kantō Kanrei and ''shugo'' (Constable) of Kōzuke and Musashi Province. His loss of the Izu Province to Hōjō Sōun in 1492–1498 marked a significant development of Japan's Sengoku period. Nagao Tamekage, ...

, and defeated him as well, with the help of

Hōjō Sōun , also known as was Japanese ''daimyo'' and the first head of the Later Hōjō clan, one of the major powers in Japan's Sengoku period. Although he only belonged to a side branch of the main, more prestigious Ise family, he fought his way up, gain ...

, another growing power in the region. Within a few years, Nagao and Hōjō brought about the complete collapse of the Uesugi clan.

Death

Later in 1536, he was defeated and killed at the

Battle of Sendanno The battle of Sendanno was a battle during the Sengoku period (16th century) of Japan, one of many fought by ''daimyōs'' (feudal lords) who sought to suppress the anti-samurai uprisings of the Ikkō-ikki. The Ikki were mobs of peasants, commoners ...

against the

Ikkō-ikki were rebellious or autonomous groups of people that were formed in several regions of Japan in the 15th-16th centuries; backed up by the power of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism, they opposed the rule of governors or ''daimyō''. Mainly con ...

Kaga Province was a province of Japan in the area that is today the south and western portion of Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Kaga bordered on Echizen, Etchū, Hida, and Noto Provinces. It was part of Hokurikudō Circuit. Its abbr ...

. However, the ''Senran-ki'' records him stepping down in favor of his third son and becoming a monk in 1540.

References

*Abe, Yoshichiro "Sengoku no Kassen Zenroku" (戦国の合戦全録) Japan, 1973 {{DEFAULTSORT:Nagao, Tamekage 1536 deaths Uesugi clan Japanese warriors killed in battle Year of birth unknown