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Revision as of 04:41, 16 November 2002 by Archibald Fitzchesterfield (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Toyotomi Hideoshi (豊臣 秀吉 1536-1598)
Despite his poor peasant background, Toyotomi Hideyoshi become one of Oda Nobunaga's most distinguished generals and after Oda's death in 1582, succeeded him as military ruler and eventually united Japan in 1590.
Hideyoshi wished to take the title of shogun, but first, he could not get permission from the emperor, and second, he tried to get the Muromachi shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki to accept him as an adopted son, and was refused. Unable to become shogun, Hideyoshi took the position of kampaku, or regent, in 1585 in the same manner as the Fujiwara. In 1591, he resigned as kampaku and took the title of taiko while his adopted son Hidetsugu (actually his nephew) succeeded him as kampaku.
The period of his rule from 1582 to his death in 1598, or until Tokugawa Ieyasu seized power after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, is known as the Momoyama period, named after his castle.