Ieyasu was the founder and first shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which effectively ruled Japan from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.He lived to the age of 74 was the first political administrator to bring the whole of Japan under his control.
Background
Ieyasu Tokugawa was born on January 31, 1543 in Okazaki, Aichi, Japan. He was known in early childhood as Takechiyo. Ieyasu was born the eldest son of Hirotada Matsudaira, Lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa (Aichi Prefecture).His mother was called Denzuin, daughter of Tadamasa Mizuno. His mother and father were step-siblings. They were just 17 and 15 years old, respectively, when Ieyasu was born. When he was two years old his mother was divorced due to discord between the Matsudaira and Mizuno families. As both husband and wife remarried and both went on to have further children, Ieyasu eventually had 11 half-brothers and sisters.
Education
At 5 he was fated to be taken as political hostage by Nobuhide Oda, father of Nobunaga, and was detained at Atsuta (near Nagoya) for three years. At seven, he lost his father. He was then taken hostage by Yoshimoto Imagawa, a rival of the Oda Clan. His name was changed to Motonobu in 1556 and in 1558 (age 16) he married the daughter of Chikanaga Sekiguchi, a vassal of the Imagawa family. He was permitted to return to his native province with his wife who was later called Tsukiyamadono. He also changed his name to Motoyasu.
Career
In 1559 when Yoshimoto of the Imagawa Clan was at war with Oda's forces it was Ieyasu (age 17) who came to the former's rescue.This was his first military success in the early stage of his life. In 1560 Yoshimoto was killed in Battle at Okehazama. Ieyasu urged Ujizane Imagawa (Yoshimoto's son) to wage battle to avenge his father's death, but Ujizane would not listen to this advice. This drove Ieyasu to side with Nobunaga.In 1563 (age 21) he changed his name from Motoyasu to Ieyasu under which name he was to be permanently known.
In 1567 he received the title of Mikawa-no-Kami (Lord of Mikawa) and changed his family name to Tokugawa after the name of his ancestors' native village of Tokugawa in Kozuke Province. Ieyasu made no scruples of changing sides if he found such actions to his advantage. He formed an alliance with Shingen (Harunobu) Takeda, the famous warrior of Kai Province, and fought and subdued Ujizane Imagawa and took the province of Totomi.
In 1572 Ieyasu, with the aid of Nobunaga, fought Shingen Takeda at Mikatagahara, near Hamamatsu (Shizuoka Prefecture), but was defeated. However in 1573, Shingen died from illness and was succeeded by his son, Katsuyori. In 1575, aided by Nobunaga, Ieyasu succeeded in scattering the forces of Katsuyori near Nagashino Castle in Mikawa. In 1579, with the forces of Nobunaga, he marched into Koshii (Yamanashi Prefecture) and defeated Katsuyori, who then killed himself at Mt.Temmokuzan. Ieyasu (age 37) thus came to occupy the provinces of Suruga, Totdmi, Mikawa and Koshu.
In 1582 when he was at Osaka he learned of the murder at Tennoji Temple of Nobunaga by one of Nobunaga's own generals, Mitsuhide Akechi. He hurried to Mikawa to raise a force to attack Mitsuhide, but learned of Mitsuhide's slaying by the forces of Hideyoshi before he could reach the scene of battle. In 1584 Ieyasu agreed to cooperate with Nobuo Oda (Nobunaga's heir) to fight against Hideyoshi and at the battle of Komakiyama in Owari Province (Aichi Prefecture) defeated Hideyoshi's army. However, sensing that he could profit more by gaining the friendship of Hideyoshi, he deserted Nobuo Oda, made peace with the former, and took in marriage, Asahi-no-Kata, the sister of Hideyoshi.
In 1590, he led an army against the Hojo, of Odawara, and occupied the greater part of the Kanto provinces at that time and he rewarded his faithful henchmen liberally. He built an imposing castle at Edo (Tokyo) and his descendants were to make this stronghold their capital for two-and-a-half centuries. At Hideyoshi's deathbed in 1598 Ieyasu (age 56) was entrusted with the care of Hideyori, Hideyoshi's heir.
In August 1600, factions jealous of leyasu's growing power rose against him in battle. The campaign culminated in the great battle of Sekigahara (October 21, 1600), a war comparable in import in Japanese history to the Battle of Hastings. Ieyasu won a resounding victory. Forty thousand of the enemy were killed. With this great battle over, Ieyasu had more time to devote to matters of administrative and cultural affairs.
He paid obeisance to the Emperor. He summoned scholars to Fushimi, ordered maps of the provinces to be compiled anew and in various ways propagated cultural education. Fearing the influence of Christianity he took measures to suppress its growth.
In 1603, he (age 61) received from the Emperor the title of Sei-i-Tai Shogun. In 1605 he abdicated in favor of his son, Hidetada with a view to consolidating the reign of his family.
In 1611 he went to Kyoto and betrothed his granddaughter Senhime to Hideyori. the son and heir of Hideyoshi, as a precautionary step to gain the latter's obedience and friendship. In this, however he failed as supporters of Hideyori conspired to augment his power. Enmity between Ieyasu and Hideyon continued to mount. Yodogimi, Hideyori's mother, believing her son to be the lawful successor to Hideyoshi's mantle and power over Japan, was especially envious of Ieyasu´s growing influence to the detriment of her son. Attempts were made to overcome the cleavage by Ieyasu, resulting in a temporary lull following uneasy preparations for war at Osaka in the closing months of 1614 known in history as the Osaka Fuyuno- Jin (the Osaka Winter Campaign).
In 1616, Ieyasu died at age 73. The cause of death is thought to have been cancer or syphilis. His remains were buried at the Gongens' mausoleum at Kunōzan, Kunōzan Tōshō-gū (久能山東照宮). As a common view, many people believe that "after the first anniversary of his death, his remains were reburied at Nikkō Shrine, Nikkō Tōshō-gū (日光東照宮). His remains are still there." Neither shrine has offered to open the graves, so the location of Ieyasu's physical remains are still a mystery.
Religion
While at first tolerant of Christianity, his attitude changed after 1613 and the executions of Christians sharply increased.
Views
Quotations:
"Life is like unto a long journey with a heavy burden. Let thy step be slow and steady, that thou stumble not. Persuade thyself that imperfection and inconvenience are the lot of natural mortals, and there will be no room for discontent, neither for despair. When ambitious desires arise in thy heart, recall the days of extremity thou hast passed through. Forbearance is the root of all quietness and assurance forever. Look upon the wrath of thy enemy. If thou only knowest what it is to conquer, and knowest not what it is to be defeated; woe unto thee, it will fare ill with thee. Find fault with thyself rather than with others."
"The strong manly ones in life are those who understand the meaning of the word patience. Patience means restraining one's inclinations. There are seven emotions: joy, anger, anxiety, adoration, grief, fear, and hate, and if a man does not give way to these he can be called patient. I am not as strong as I might be, but I have long known and practiced patience. And if my descendants wish to be as I am, they must study patience."
Personality
Ieyasu had a number of qualities that enabled him to rise to power. He was both careful and bold - at the right times, and in the right places. He was not very well liked nor personally popular, but he was feared and he was respected for his leadership and his cunning.
He was capable of great loyalty: once he allied with Oda Nobunaga, he never went against him, and both leaders profited from their long alliance. He was known for being loyal towards his personal friends and vassals, whom he rewarded, He was said to have a close friendship with his vassal Hattori Hanzō. However, he also remembered those who had wronged him in the past. It is said that Ieyasu executed a man who came into his power because he had insulted him when Ieyasu was young. He could be ruthless when crossed. For example, he ordered the executions of his first wife and his eldest son - a son-in-law of Oda Nobunaga; Oda was also an uncle of Hidetada's wife Oeyo.
He was cruel, relentless and merciless in the elimination of Toyotomi survivors after Osaka. For days, dozens and dozens of men and women were hunted down and executed, including an eight-year-old son of Hideyori by a concubine, who was beheaded.
