Kobayakawa Hideaki
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Kobayakawa Hideaki (小早川秀秋, 1582–December 1, 1602) was fifth son of Kinoshita Iesada and the nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
He was adopted by Hideyoshi and called himself Hashiba Hidetoshi(羽柴秀俊) and Shusen(秀栓). He was then again adopted by Kobayakawa Takakage and renamed himself to Hideaki. Because he gained the rank of Saemon no Toku(左衛門督) or in China Shikkingo(執金吾) at genpuku and held the title of Chunagon(中納言), Hideaki was also called Kingo Chunagon(金吾中納言).
During Battle of Keicho, he led the reinforcement to rescue Ulsan Castle from Ming army. Fighting in the frontline with a spear, he managed to capture an enemy commander and successfully breached the siege. However, Hideyoshi saw the danger of a reckless charge by the general commanding an army and deprived him of his domain, Chikugo after returning. Hideaki angered by having his domain taken away, believed the lie circulated by Tokugawa Ieyasu that this had been Ishida Mitsunari's doing from jealousy. He never forgot or forgave Mitsunari and would work to undermine his position.
Before the battle of Sekigahara, Hideaki happened to be in Osaka and acted as though he would go along with Mitsunari even though he had intended to betray him having secretly communicated with Ieyasu for an eventual betrayal. Cautious for knowing Hideaki held ill feelings, Mitsunari and Otani Yoshitsugu offered Hideaki the position of kampaku until Toyotomi Hideyori grow old enough to rule himself and two additional domains around Osaka upon the victory. On the day of the battle, Ieyasu's force did not fare well with Ukita Hideie winning against Fukushima Masanori, Otani Yoshitsugu also winning against Todo Takatora. Hideaki did not move and agitated and desperate Ieyasu ordered troops to fire blanks against Hideaki troop to force a betrayal. Hideaki then ordered attack into Otani troop and while this attack was beaten back temporalily, rest of samurai who promised betrayal turned and attacked and the battle was over in a day with Mitsunari's force being wiped out.
Afterward, he also had a success in the siege of Sawayama held by Mitsunari's father Ishida Masatsugu and gained Bizen and Mimasaka for a total of 550,000 koku. But Hideaki passed away suddenly two years later, and with no one to succeed, Kobayakawa clan disbanded.
External links
- samurai-archives.com (http://www.samurai-archives.com/hideaki.html) - page on Kobayakawa Hideaki; contains information on the Battle of Sekigahara as well
- City of Okayama (http://www.city.okayama.okayama.jp/museum/rekidai/koba/hideaki.htm)ja:小早川秀秋