Changes

The following year, after gaining the support of three of the Regents ([[Mori Terumoto|Môri Terumoto]], [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]], and [[Ukita Hideie]]), Mitsunari rallied a host of daimyô (predominantly from the western provinces) against Ieyasu. One of his first acts was to take as hostages the wives of Tokugawa supporters who happened to be in Osaka. On 22 August the [[Sekigahara Campaign]] began. In the lead-up to the climactic battle, Mitsunari argued with Môri Terumoto and named the half-hearted lord of the Môri nominal commander of the 'western' forces. Frustrated by Terumoto's reluctance, Mitsunari asked him to guard Hideyori at [[Osaka castle|Osaka Castle]]. This evident ploy on Mitsunari's part to maintain his importance in the unfolding events deeply insulted the Môri, and in the [[Battle of Sekigahara]] on 21 October that clan would contribute little. In the meantime, Mitsunari and his compatriots had hoped that Uesugi Kagekatsu would be able to delay Ieyasu himself from marching west long enough for the Western forces to consolidate their hold on the provinces around Kyoto. To this end, a number of Western contingents became involved in sieges that would only serve to remove them from the decisive field of battle. To Western dismay, Kagekatsu was rather handily contained by [[Date Masamune]] and [[Mogami Yoshiaki]] and Ieyasu moved quickly westward on the Tokaido road. [[Gifu castle|Gifu Castle]], in [[Mino province|Mino Province]], held by Western ally [[Oda Hidenobu]], fell to an attack by [[Fukushima Masamori]] and [[Ikeda Terumasa]], clearing the way for Tokugawa's main body. Yet the field remained more or less even between the two main armies, as another Tokugawa army, led by Ieyasu's heir, Hidetada, became pointlessly wrapped up in an abortive attack on [[Sanada Masayuki|Sanada Masayuki's]] [[Ueda castle|Ueda Castle]] in [[Shinano province|Shinano Province]].  

The following year, after gaining the support of three of the Regents ([[Mori Terumoto|Môri Terumoto]], [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]], and [[Ukita Hideie]]), Mitsunari rallied a host of daimyô (predominantly from the western provinces) against Ieyasu. One of his first acts was to take as hostages the wives of Tokugawa supporters who happened to be in Osaka. On 22 August the [[Sekigahara Campaign]] began. In the lead-up to the climactic battle, Mitsunari argued with Môri Terumoto and named the half-hearted lord of the Môri nominal commander of the 'western' forces. Frustrated by Terumoto's reluctance, Mitsunari asked him to guard Hideyori at [[Osaka castle|Osaka Castle]]. This evident ploy on Mitsunari's part to maintain his importance in the unfolding events deeply insulted the Môri, and in the [[Battle of Sekigahara]] on 21 October that clan would contribute little. In the meantime, Mitsunari and his compatriots had hoped that Uesugi Kagekatsu would be able to delay Ieyasu himself from marching west long enough for the Western forces to consolidate their hold on the provinces around Kyoto. To this end, a number of Western contingents became involved in sieges that would only serve to remove them from the decisive field of battle. To Western dismay, Kagekatsu was rather handily contained by [[Date Masamune]] and [[Mogami Yoshiaki]] and Ieyasu moved quickly westward on the Tokaido road. [[Gifu castle|Gifu Castle]], in [[Mino province|Mino Province]], held by Western ally [[Oda Hidenobu]], fell to an attack by [[Fukushima Masamori]] and [[Ikeda Terumasa]], clearing the way for Tokugawa's main body. Yet the field remained more or less even between the two main armies, as another Tokugawa army, led by Ieyasu's heir, Hidetada, became pointlessly wrapped up in an abortive attack on [[Sanada Masayuki|Sanada Masayuki's]] [[Ueda castle|Ueda Castle]] in [[Shinano province|Shinano Province]].  

The sudden movement of Ieyasu saw a valley surrounding the village of Sekigahara nominated by default as the battleground. Mitsunari's make-shift strategy was sound - he intended to draw Ieyasu into the valley and fall on him from all sides. To this end Ukita, Konishi, Otani, Shimazu, and others were positioned to the eastern edge of the valley, while, on high ground to the south, Kobayakawa's large contingent was drawn up, reinforced there by the Wakizaka and others. The Chosokabe, Môri, and Ankokuji deployed on the hills to the south east of the rest of the army and were destined to contribute almost nothing to the contest, owing in large part to Môri's disinclination to offer battle. Yet, the Western forces were in the actual event undone by the betrayal of Kobayakawa and those positioned with him. Mitsunari's coalition, shaky and of uneven quality even prior to the battle, was utterly defeated, and Mistunari himself was apprehended some days later. In the meantime, the Ishida's castle of Sawayama was attacked and Mitsunari's brother, Masazumi, commited suicide. Mitsunari's father followed suit. Mitsunari himself was taken to the Rokujôgahara execution grounds in Kyoto and was beheaded on 1600/10/1 along with [[Ankokuji Ekei]] and [[Konishi Yukinaga]].  

The sudden movement of Ieyasu saw a valley surrounding the village of Sekigahara nominated by default as the battleground. Mitsunari's make-shift strategy was sound - he intended to draw Ieyasu into the valley and fall on him from all sides. To this end Ukita, Konishi, Ôtani, Shimazu, and others were positioned to the eastern edge of the valley, while, on high ground to the south, Kobayakawa's large contingent was drawn up, reinforced there by the Wakizaka and others. The Chôsokabe, Môri, and Ankokuji deployed on the hills to the south east of the rest of the army and were destined to contribute almost nothing to the contest, owing in large part to Môri's disinclination to offer battle. Yet, the Western forces were in the actual event undone by the betrayal of Kobayakawa and those positioned with him. Mitsunari's coalition, shaky and of uneven quality even prior to the battle, was utterly defeated, and though Mitsunari himself escaped into the forests of Mt. Ibuki, to the north of the battlefield, he was captured by Tokugawa-loyal forces five days later. In the meantime, the Ishida's castle of Sawayama was attacked and Mitsunari's brother, Masazumi, commited suicide. Mitsunari's father followed suit.  

 

Mitsunari himself was taken to the Rokujôgahara execution grounds in Kyoto and was beheaded on 1600/10/1 along with [[Ankokuji Ekei]] and [[Konishi Yukinaga]]. Their heads were put on display at Sanjô Bridge in Kyoto, and according to at least one source from the time, "more than ten thousand people came to look."<ref>Morgan Pitelka, ''Spectacular Accumulation'', University of Hawaii Press (2016), 125.</ref>

==References==

==References==

* Initial text from [http://www.samurai-archives.com Samurai-Archives.com] FWSeal & CEWest, 2005

* Initial text from [http://www.samurai-archives.com Samurai-Archives.com] FWSeal & CEWest, 2005.

[[Category:Samurai]][[Category:Sengoku Period]]

[[Category:Samurai]][[Category:Sengoku Period]]