Shibata Katsuie

A military commander from the Sengoku period to the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Gonroku and Shuri no Suke. A senior retainer of the Oda clan. He initially served Nobunaga's younger brother Nobuyuki. He sided with Nobuyuki in his rebellion, but surrendered and informed Nobunaga of another plot. In June 1570 (Genki 1), while defending Chokoji Castle in Omi (Shiga Prefecture), he was attacked by Rokkaku Shotei for drinking water, but he defeated Mizugame and went on a raid, winning the battle and earning the brave name of Bin-wari Shibata. In September 1575 (Tensho 3), Nobunaga pacified Echizen, gave it to Katsuie, placed him in Kitanosho (Fukui City), and made him the general governor of the Hokuriku region. Katsuie pacified Kaga in 80 and advanced into Ecchu, but with Sassa Narimasa and Maeda Toshiie under his command, he faced off against Uesugi Kagekatsu in 82. He was wary of Kagekatsu's pursuit during the Honnoji Incident and was unable to go to Kyoto. He tried to appoint Nobunaga's third son, Kanbe Nobutaka, as his successor, and opposed Sanboshi (Nobunaga's eldest grandson, Hidenobu), who was recommended by Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi. He also replaced Hideyoshi, Korezumi Nagahide, and Ikeda Nobuteru in general administration. In response to these developments, Hideyoshi allied himself with Nobutaka, who shared his discontent, and in 83 he raised an army with Takigawa Kazumasu and others on his side. Hideyoshi attacked Nobutaka at Gifu Castle, forcing him to surrender, and attacked Kazumasu at Ise Nagashima Castle. When Katsuie soon set out on a mission, he turned back from Ogaki Castle, where he was on a second expedition, and fought a decisive battle at Shizugatake in Omi. Katsuie was defeated here and was pursued, and on April 24th he committed suicide at Kitanosho Castle together with his wife Oichi (Odani no Kata). There are differing theories about his age at death, including that he was 57, 58, or 62. There is also a popular belief that after the downfall of the Azai clan, a dispute arose between Katsuie and Hideyoshi over Odani no Kata, which became the cause of discord between the two men.

[Takahiro Okuno]

"The Chronicle of Nobunaga, edited by Takahiro Okuno and Yoshihiko Iwasawa (1969, Kadokawa Shoten)" ▽ "Maeda Toshiie, by Yoshihiko Iwasawa (1966, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)" ▽ "The Battle of Shizugatake, by Mitsuhisa Takayanagi (1978, Shunjusha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

戦国時代から安土(あづち)桃山時代の武将。権六(ごんろく)、修理亮(しゅりのすけ)。織田氏の宿老(しゅくろう)。初め信長の弟信行に仕えた。信行の反逆に味方したが降伏し、再度の陰謀を信長に密告した。1570年（元亀1）6月、近江(おうみ)（滋賀県）長光寺(ちょうこうじ)城を守っているとき、六角承禎(ろっかくしょうてい)のため飲料水攻めになるが、水瓶(みずがめ)を破り出撃して勝ち、瓶割り柴田の勇名を得たという。75年（天正3）9月、信長は越前(えちぜん)を平定すると、勝家にこれを与え、北庄(きたのしょう)（福井市）に置き、北陸の総管とした。勝家は80年に加賀を平定し、越中(えっちゅう)に進出するが、佐々成政(さっさなりまさ)、前田利家(としいえ)らを組下とし、82年には上杉景勝(かげかつ)と対戦。本能寺の変では景勝の追撃を警戒し、上洛(じょうらく)できなかった。信長の後継者をめぐり、信長の三子神戸信孝(かんべのぶたか)をたてようとし、羽柴(はしば)（豊臣(とよとみ)）秀吉が推す三法師(さんほうし)（信長の嫡孫秀信(ひでのぶ)）に対抗した。また秀吉、惟住長秀(これずみながひで)、池田信輝(いけだのぶてる)の3人と交代して庶政をみることになった。これらの動きに対し、同じ不満をもった信孝と結び、83年に滝川一益(たきがわかずます)らも味方にして挙兵した。秀吉は信孝を岐阜城に攻めて降伏させ、一益を伊勢(いせ)長島城に攻めた。やがて勝家が出撃したため、再征中の大垣城から引き返し、近江賤ヶ岳(しずがたけ)で決戦した。ここで敗戦した勝家は急追され、4月24日妻お市の方（小谷(おだに)の方）とともに北庄城で自殺。享年57、58、62など異説がある。浅井氏滅亡ののち勝家と秀吉との間に小谷の方をめぐって争奪がおこり、これが両人不和の原因になったという俗説もある。

［奥野高広］

『奥野高広・岩沢愿彦校注『信長公記』（1969・角川書店）』▽『岩沢愿彦著『前田利家』（1966・吉川弘文館）』▽『高柳光寿著『賤ヶ岳之戦』（1978・春秋社）』

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