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Revision as of 08:47, 6 January 2003 by Olivier (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Toyotomi Hideoshi (豊臣 秀吉) (1536-1598), was a Japanese general who united Japan. He succeeded his former liege, Oda Nobunaga. Later he invaded Korea.
The period of his rule is called the Momoyama period, after his castle. It lasted from 1582 to his death in 1598, or (according to some scholars) until Tokugawa Ieyasu seized power after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi was born at the place now called Nagoya. Despite his poor peasant background, he quickly became one of Oda Nobunaga's most distinguished generals. After Oda's death in 1582, he succeeded him as military ruler and, aided by Ieyasu Tokugawa, had by 1590 ended the Sengoku period by reunifying Japan.
Hideyoshi wanted the title of shogun because it was then the title of the practical ruler of Japan. However, the emperor didn't like his poor lineage, and refused to give him the title. Then he wanted the Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki to accept him as an adopted son, and was refused. Unable to become shogun, in 1585 Hideyoshi took the position of regent or kampaku (関白) just as the Fujiwara had. In 1591, he resigned as kampaku and took the title of taiko (retired regent). His adopted son Hidetsugu (actually his nephew) succeeded him as kampaku.
After gaining control of Japan, he began the bun-roku war (文禄の役) to annex Korea. On April, 1592, his generals invaded Korea. Within a month, the Japanese controlled almost the entire country. However, the Koreans soon rebelled, aided by the Ming dynasty. Resistance led by Lee Syun Shin (季舜臣) forced the Japanese army to retreat from Korea on December, 1592.
Unsatisfied, in 1596 Hideyoshi unwisely attempted to invade Korea again in the kei-cho war (慶長の役). This time the Japanese encountered a well-prepared defence. The result was a stalemate.
In 1598 Hideyohi died. The Japanese army withdrew and the kei-cho war ended.
This futile war caused the government led by another son, who succeeded him as regent, to collapse and be taken over by Ieyasu Tokugawa.
External Links
- Timeline of the invasion of Korea (CAVEAT: in Japanese)
- Hideyoshi Toyotomi (CAVEAT: in Japanese)