Hidetsugu Toyotomi

A military commander in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Commonly known as Magoshichiro. Son of Miyoshi Ichiro, his mother was Hideyoshi's older sister Zuiryuin Nisshu. In 1583 (Tensho 11), he distinguished himself in the capture of Ise and the Battle of Shizugatake, but the following year he was defeated by Tokugawa Ieyasu's army in the Battle of Nagakute, for which he was severely reprimanded by Hideyoshi. In 1585, due to his achievements in the conquest of Kishu and Shikoku, he was allowed to use the name Hashiba, was given 430,000 koku in Omi, and built his castle in Hachiman. In 887, he marched to conquer the Shimazu clan, and in 90, he was the commander in chief of the Siege of Odawara, where he attacked Yamanaka Castle in Sagami, and then entered Mutsu and put down the Kunohe Rebellion. As a reward for his achievements, he was awarded a total of 1 million koku of rice in Owari and northern Ise, the former territories of Oda Nobukatsu, and moved his castle to Kiyosu. When Hideyoshi became regent in 85, Hidetsugu was promoted to Ukonoe Chujo, the following year to Sangi, and the year after that to Gonchuunagon. He was seen as Hideyoshi's successor and was rapidly promoted in rank. In November 1691, three months after Hideyoshi's beloved son Tsurumaru died at a young age, he became Hideyoshi's adopted son, and on the 4th of the following month he became Minister of the Interior, and on the 28th he became Regent, and was given the throne of Jurakudai. In February of the following year, Emperor Goyozei visited Jurakudai, marking the height of his prosperity.

In August 1593 (Bunroku 2), Hideyoshi gave birth to Hideyori, the second son born to his concubine Yodo-dono, and Hidetsugu became estranged from Hideyoshi due to speculations over the issue of succession. His violent and unscrupulous behavior became more and more noticeable, and rumors of Hidetsugu plotting rebellion began to spread. In July 1595, Hidetsugu issued a written oath stating that he had no ambition, but Hideyoshi took advantage of Hidetsugu's actions and the rumors in the public, stripping him of his position as chancellor, banishing him to Mount Koya, and forcing him to commit seppuku. In August, he killed his entire family at Sanjo-gawara in Kyoto. Hidetsugu loved bravery as well as scholarship and literature, and his encouragement of these is particularly notable in the history of literature.

[Masanobu Hashimoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

安土(あづち)桃山時代の武将。豊臣秀吉の甥(おい)。通称孫七郎。三好一路(いちろ)の子、母は秀吉の姉瑞竜院日秀(ずいりゅういんにっしゅう)。1583年（天正11）伊勢(いせ)攻略・賤ヶ岳(しずがたけ)の戦いで戦功をたてたが、翌年の長久手(ながくて)の戦いでは徳川家康の軍に大敗し、秀吉から厳しく叱責(しっせき)された。85年、紀州征伐、四国征伐の活躍により羽柴(はしば)氏を称することを許され、近江(おうみ)で43万石を与えられ八幡(はちまん)に居城を築く。87年島津征伐に出陣、90年の小田原の陣では主将となり相模(さがみ)山中城を攻め、ついで陸奥(むつ)に入って九戸(くのへ)の乱を鎮定。論功行賞により織田信雄(おだのぶかつ)の旧領尾張(おわり)・北伊勢、つごう100万石を与えられ清洲(きよす)に居城を移した。85年秀吉が関白となったとき、秀次も右近衛(うこのえ)中将となり、翌年参議、翌々年には権中納言(ごんちゅうなごん)となり、秀吉の後継者と目され官位も急速に昇進した。秀吉の愛児鶴丸が夭死(ようし)した3か月後の91年11月には秀吉の養嗣子(ようしし)となり、翌月4日内大臣、同28日には関白となり、聚楽第(じゅらくだい)を譲られた。翌年2月、聚楽第に後陽成(ごようぜい)天皇の行幸を仰ぎ一代の盛儀を極めた。

　1593年（文禄2）8月、秀吉が愛妾(あいしょう)淀殿(よどどの)所生の次男秀頼(ひでより)を得てから、継嗣問題をめぐる思惑から疎遠をきたし、粗暴で不謹慎な性行も目だつようになり、秀次謀反の噂(うわさ)が取りざたされるに至った。95年7月、秀次より野心のない旨の誓紙が出されたが、秀吉は秀次の行動や世間の噂を利用し、関白職を奪って高野山(こうやさん)に追放して切腹させ、8月その一族を京都三条河原で斬殺(ざんさつ)した。秀次は勇を好むとともに、学問・文芸を好み、これを奨励した点は文芸史上特筆される。

［橋本政宣］

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