Ukita Hideie

A military commander in the Azuchi-Momoyama period and lord of Okayama Castle. He was the eldest son of Naoie, and his childhood name was Hachiro. He was originally called Ieuji, and later changed his name to Hideie, taking one character from Toyotomi Hideyoshi's name. After his father Naoie's death, he was raised by Hideyoshi, and in 1589 (Tensho 17), he married Hideyoshi's adopted daughter, Gohime, the third daughter of Maeda Toshiie. In 1582, he led a total of 20,000 cavalry in the attack on Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu (Okayama Prefecture), and was rewarded for his efforts. He was awarded 90,000 koku east of the Kawabe River in Bitchu, and together with his father's territories of Bizen and Mimasaka (Okayama Prefecture), he ruled over 500,000 koku. From then on, he served under Hideyoshi in the unification of the country, and in 87 he was promoted to councilor and junior third rank, in 94 (Bunroku 3) he was promoted to provisional middle counselor for his military achievements in the Korean campaign, and in 97 (Keicho 2) he crossed the sea as a military inspector together with Mori Hidemoto for the second Korean campaign, and the following year he became one of the Five Elders, and after Hideyoshi's death he was involved in key political affairs with Tokugawa Ieyasu and others. During this time, under Hideyoshi's direction, he renovated Okayama Castle extensively, developed the castle town to give it a new look, and is said to have carried out a general land survey in 94-95. However, due to his own arrogance, the forced land survey within the domain, and the oppression of the Nichiren sect, his senior vassals came into conflict between the Nichiren sect followers (military commanders) and the Christian followers (civil servants), leading to frequent turmoil within the household and the departure of the military commanders. In the Battle of Sekigahara, Hideie was pushed by Ishida Mitsunari and others to become a commander in chief of the Western Army, but after the Western Army was defeated, Hideie sought refuge with Shimazu Yoshihiro and retreated to Satsuma, but in 1606 (Keicho 11) he was exiled to Hachijojima. Hideie shaved his head and took the name Kyufuku, and it is said that his legitimate descendant Kuro and a dozen others followed him to the island. He lived a miserable life on the island, and died of an illness on November 20, 1271.

[Sumio Taniguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

安土(あづち)桃山時代の武将で岡山城主。直家(なおいえ)の嫡男で幼名は八郎、初め家氏と名のり、のちに豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉の一字を賜って秀家と改めた。父直家の没後は秀吉に養われ、1589年（天正17）秀吉の養女で前田利家(としいえ)の三女豪姫(ごうひめ)をめとる。82年備中(びっちゅう)（岡山県）高松城の攻略には、総勢2万余騎を出陣させて秀吉に加担して賞詞を受け、備中河辺(かわべ)川以東の9万石を授けられ、父の遺領の備前(びぜん)、美作(みまさか)両国（岡山県）をあわせて50余万石を領す。以後は秀吉の麾下(きか)として全国統一戦に従い、87年には参議、従三位(じゅさんみ)、94年（文禄3）には朝鮮出征の軍功で権中納言(ごんちゅうなごん)、97年（慶長2）の朝鮮再征には毛利秀元(もうりひでもと)とともに監軍として渡海し、翌年には五大老の一員に加わり、秀吉の没後、徳川家康らと政務の枢機にあずかった。この間、秀吉の指揮を仰いで岡山城を大改築し、城下町を整備して面目を一新し、94～95年には惣検地(そうけんち)を実施したといわれる。しかし一面、自らの驕慢(きょうまん)と領内検地の強行、日蓮(にちれん)宗弾圧などを契機として、重臣たちは日蓮宗徒＝武将派と切支丹(キリシタン)徒＝文吏派に対立して家中騒動が頻発し、武将派が離脱した。関ヶ原の戦いでは石田三成(みつなり)らに推されて西軍の将帥(しょうすい)となり、西軍の敗北で秀家は島津義弘(よしひろ)を頼って薩摩(さつま)に落ちたが、1606年（慶長11）八丈島へ遠流(おんる)された。秀家は剃髪(ていはつ)して休福と号し、同島へは嫡子孫九郎ら十数名が従ったという。島では悲惨な生活を送り、明暦(めいれき)元年11月20日病死したという。

［谷口澄夫］

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