Hideaki Kobayakawa

Japanese: 小早川秀秋 - こばやかわ・ひであき

Year of death: October 18, 1602 (December 1, 1602)
Year of birth: Tensho 10 (1582)
A military commander in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The fifth son of Kinoshita Iesada, the older brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's wife Kodaiin (Kita no Mandokoro). His mother was the daughter of Sugihara Shichirozaemon Ietsugu. Born in Nagahama, Omi Province (Shiga Prefecture). His childhood name was Tatsunosuke. He was adopted by Hideyoshi early on and raised under Kodaiin, and took the name Hashiba Hidetoshi. In 1591, he became the head of the Uemon clan, and was called "Kingo" by his Chinese name. He was later given 100,000 koku in Kameyama, Tanba Province. In 1593, he marched to Nagoya in Hizen Province to fight in the Korean War (the Bunroku Invasion). In August of the same year, Hideyoshi's concubine Yodo gave birth to a son named Tomaru (Hideyori), and he became the adopted son of Kobayakawa Takakage, and in November of the same year, he went to Mihara in Bingo Province. After Takakage's death in June 1597 (Keicho 2), he took the name Hideaki. In the same year, he crossed the sea as the commander-in-chief of the army when the Korean invasion was resumed (Keicho Era), and fought bravely at the Battle of Ulsan the following year, but Hideyoshi criticized him for his lack of leadership and other actions unbecoming of a general, and he was ordered to return to Japan immediately. During this time, his territories in Chikuzen Province and other areas were confiscated and he was transferred to Kitanosho in Echizen Province, but in the fourth year after Hideyoshi's death, his territories were returned to him. Around this time, he deepened his relationship with Tokugawa Ieyasu, and at the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), he initially sided with Ishida Mitsunari on the Western side, setting up camp on Mt. Matsuo, but midway through the battle, he suddenly switched sides to the Eastern side, contributing to the victory of Ieyasu's forces. After the war, he was awarded 570,000 koku of land in Bizen and Mimasaka, the former territories of Hideie Ukita of the Western Army, and entered Okayama, where he changed his name to Hideaki and began to rule his new territory. However, his rule was unstable, and he died at the age of 21 in the same year. The recently discovered "Ashimori Kinoshita Family Documents" reveal his close personal relationship with Kodaiin. <References> "Kobayakawa Family Documents" "Kinoshita Family Documents in the Osaka Castle Keep"

(Hiroyuki Honda)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：慶長7.10.18(1602.12.1)
生年：天正10(1582)
安土桃山時代の武将。豊臣秀吉の正室高台院(北政所)の兄木下家定の5男。母は杉原七郎左衛門家次の娘。近江国(滋賀県)長浜に生まれる。幼名は辰之助。早くより秀吉の養子として高台院のもとで養育され,羽柴秀俊を名乗る。天正19(1591)年右衛門督となり,唐名により「金吾」と呼ばれた。その後,丹波国亀山に10万石を与えられる。文禄2(1593)年,朝鮮出兵(文禄の役)のため肥前国名護屋に出陣。同年8月,秀吉の側室淀が拾丸(秀頼)を生んだことで小早川隆景の養子となり,同3年11月に備後国三原に赴いた。慶長2(1597)年6月に隆景が死去したのちは秀秋を名乗る。同年,朝鮮再出兵(慶長の役)の際には軍の総大将として渡海し,翌年の蔚山の戦いでは自ら刃を交えて奮戦するが,指導力の欠如など大将らしからぬ行動を秀吉に問われ,急遽帰国を命じられた。その際筑前国その他の所領を没収され越前国北庄に移されるが,秀吉没後の同4年,再び所領を戻された。その前後から徳川家康との関係を深くし,関ケ原の戦(1600)では当初西軍の石田三成方として松尾山に陣を敷いたものの,戦い途中でにわかに東軍方に転じ,家康軍の勝利に貢献した。戦後,その功により西軍の宇喜多秀家の旧領であった備前・美作57万石を与えられ,岡山に入り,秀詮と名を変えて新領地支配に臨むが,支配は安定せず,同7年21歳で夭逝した。なお近年発見された『足守木下家文書』からは,高台院との近しい人間関係が窺える。<参考文献>『小早川家文書』『大阪城天守閣所蔵木下家文書』

(本多博之)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

<<: Kobayashi [city] - Kobayashi

>>: Takakage Kobayakawa