Azai (clan)

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Azai Coat of Arms

The Azai ( Japanese 浅井氏 , Azai-shi ) were a family of Japanese warrior class ( Buke ) , which differ from the Fujiwara derived and by the end of the Sengoku period was significant.

genealogy

  • Sukemasa ( 亮 政 ; † 1542) rebelled against his master Kyōgoku Takaie and resided in Odani Castle ( 小 谷 ; province Ōmi ), which he himself had built in 1516. He subjugated the northern part of this province and successfully defended it against Rokkaku Takayori ( 六角 高 頼 ; † 1520).
  • Hisamasa ( 久 政 ; 1524–1573) a son of Sukemasas, took over his father's domain and continued to defend it against the Rokkaku. However, he was defeated and had to submit. His main vassals gathered and forced Hisamasa to withdraw and hand over the administration to his son Nagamasa. He reluctantly accepted this and withdrew to his castle, Odani. When the castle was conquered by Oda Nobunaga in 1573 , he committed seppuku .
  • Nagamasa ( 長 政 ; 1545–1573) was chosen by Hisamasa's vassals to replace his father, who had submitted to the Rokkaku. When he was attacked by Rokkaku Yoshikata ( 六角 義 賢 ; 1521–1598), he defeated him in 1561 and took over a number of its castles. He then attacked Saitō Tatsuoki ( 斎 藤 龍興 ; 1548–1573) and besieged him in his castle Ōgaki and was about to take over part of his domain. But Nobunaga did not want to allow that and warred him. After eight years of conflict, peace was finally made. In 1568 Nagamasa married a sister of Nobunaga. But the following year the dispute flared up again. Nagamasa won Asakura Yoshikage ( 朝 倉 義 景 ; 1533–1573) as an ally and was also supported by the monks of the monastery on Hiei Mountain . Nevertheless, he was defeated in the battle of the Ane-gawa River ( 姉 川 ; Province Ōmi). By protest of the emperor uchgimachi and the shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki peace was made in 1570. But this peace was short-lived, Hisamasa was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi , and Nobunaga besieged Odani. When Nagamasa saw that all was lost, he handed his wife and daughters over to his brother-in-law, set the castle on fire and, together with his father and two sons, committed seppuku . This ended this princely family.
  • Yodo-gimi ( 淀 君 ; 1567-1615), the eldest daughter, was married to Hideyoshi, the second with Kyōgoku Takatsugu ( 京 極 高 次 ; 1560-1609) and the third with Tokugawa Hidetada . This became mother of Tokugawa Iemitsu and the Dainagon Tadanaga.

literature

  • Edmond Papinot: Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan. Reprint of the 1910 edition. Tuttle, 1972, ISBN 0-8048-0996-8 .