| Nobutora was the eldest son of [[Takeda Nobutsuna]], the lord of [[Kai Province]]. His mother was from the [[Iwashita clan|Iwashita]] family. Nobutsuna died in [[1507]] and Nobutora duly succeeded him, only to suffer the revolt of his uncle, [[Takeda Nobue|Nobue]]. Nobutora put the rebellion down in [[1512]] and brought all of Kai under his effective control by [[1519]]. In that year, having gained the support of such Kai notables as the [[Anayama clan|Anayama]] and [[Oyamada clan|Oyamada]], Nobutora built a castle he named [[Yogai castle|Yogai]] on [[Maruyama]] near [[Fuchu]]. Fuchu, better known as [[Kofu]], would remain the center of the Takeda clan for the next sixty years. He fought a series of battles defending Kai's borders, defeating [[Fukushima Masashige]] in [[1521]] and [[Hojo Ujitsuna|Hôjô Ujitsuna]] in [[1526]]. He clashed with his rival [[Hiraga Genshin]] in [[1536]], and captured [[Un no kuchi]] thanks, reportedly, to the efforts of his eldest son [[Takeda Shingen|Harunobu]]. | | Nobutora was the eldest son of [[Takeda Nobutsuna]], the lord of [[Kai Province]]. His mother was from the [[Iwashita clan|Iwashita]] family. Nobutsuna died in [[1507]] and Nobutora duly succeeded him, only to suffer the revolt of his uncle, [[Takeda Nobue|Nobue]]. Nobutora put the rebellion down in [[1512]] and brought all of Kai under his effective control by [[1519]]. In that year, having gained the support of such Kai notables as the [[Anayama clan|Anayama]] and [[Oyamada clan|Oyamada]], Nobutora built a castle he named [[Yogai castle|Yogai]] on [[Maruyama]] near [[Fuchu]]. Fuchu, better known as [[Kofu]], would remain the center of the Takeda clan for the next sixty years. He fought a series of battles defending Kai's borders, defeating [[Fukushima Masashige]] in [[1521]] and [[Hojo Ujitsuna|Hôjô Ujitsuna]] in [[1526]]. He clashed with his rival [[Hiraga Genshin]] in [[1536]], and captured [[Un no kuchi]] thanks, reportedly, to the efforts of his eldest son [[Takeda Shingen|Harunobu]]. |
− | The following year made peace with the [[Suwa clan]] by marrying his third daugther [[ Nene (b.1528)|Nene]] to [[Suwa Yorishige]], and married his oldest daughter, [[Joukei-In]], to [[Imagawa Yoshimoto]] of [[Suruga province]], which would put Yoshimoto at odds with the Hôjô clan and result in the [[Kato no Ran]]. Despite Un no kuchi, Nobutora favored a younger son, [[Takeda Nobushige|Nobushige]] over Harunobu and planned to name him heir. Perhaps as importantly to the coming events, Nobutora had alienated his retainers with his arbitrary style of leadership and burdened the people of Kai with heavy taxes and forced labor. In the summer of [[1541]] he was overthrown by Harunobu and his chief retainers (perhaps most notably [[Amari Torayasu]] and [[Itagaki Nobutaka]]), although the manner in which this played out is not entirely clear. According to one version of the so-called 'bloodless coup', Nobutora departed for [[Suruga province]] to visit his daughter, the wife of Imagawa Yoshimto, and Harunobu seized power in his absence, possibly with the secret understanding of Yoshimoto. The people of Kai in any event celebrated his fall and the Takeda retainers accepted Shingen's rule without incident. Nobutora afterwards lived quietly in Suruga Province, at one point going to Kyoto to visit [[Ashikaga Yoshiteru]], and was watched first by the Imagawa and then by the Takeda when Suruga came under Takeda control after [[1569]]. | + | The following year made peace with the [[Suwa clan]] by marrying his third daugther [[ Nene (b.1528)|Nene]] to [[Suwa Yorishige]], and married his oldest daughter, [[Jokei-In|Jôkei-In]], to [[Imagawa Yoshimoto]] of [[Suruga province]], which would put Yoshimoto at odds with the Hôjô clan and result in the [[Kato no Ran]]. Despite Un no kuchi, Nobutora favored a younger son, [[Takeda Nobushige|Nobushige]] over Harunobu and planned to name him heir. Perhaps as importantly to the coming events, Nobutora had alienated his retainers with his arbitrary style of leadership and burdened the people of Kai with heavy taxes and forced labor. In the summer of [[1541]] he was overthrown by Harunobu and his chief retainers (perhaps most notably [[Amari Torayasu]] and [[Itagaki Nobutaka]]), although the manner in which this played out is not entirely clear. According to one version of the so-called 'bloodless coup', Nobutora departed for [[Suruga province]] to visit his daughter, the wife of Imagawa Yoshimto, and Harunobu seized power in his absence, possibly with the secret understanding of Yoshimoto. The people of Kai in any event celebrated his fall and the Takeda retainers accepted Shingen's rule without incident. Nobutora afterwards lived quietly in Suruga Province, at one point going to Kyoto to visit [[Ashikaga Yoshiteru]], and was watched first by the Imagawa and then by the Takeda when Suruga came under Takeda control after [[1569]]. |
| After Harunobu (Shingen) died in [[1573]], [[Takeda Katsuyori]] came to visit Nobutora and then allowed him to take up residence in [[Shinano province]]. He died on 27 March [[1574]] in Shinano (almost all western sources state that he died in 1573, perhaps owing to some earlier confusion with the death of Shingen), and was buried in Kai and his grave may be seen in Kofu today. Nobutora was recorded as an intemperate and even unstable man who was not well-liked by his retainers, though he was a warrior of some ability. Katsuyori was said to have been taken aback at how fearsome his grandfather looked even at 80 years of age. His wife, the daughter of [[Oi Nobukatsu|Ôi Nobutatsu]] and the mother of all his sons save [[Ichijo Nobutatsu|Ichijô Nobutatsu]], died in [[1552]]. His eldest daughter (who died in [[1550]]), the wife of Imagawa Yoshimoto, produced the latter's heir, [[Imagawa Ujizane|Ujizane]]. | | After Harunobu (Shingen) died in [[1573]], [[Takeda Katsuyori]] came to visit Nobutora and then allowed him to take up residence in [[Shinano province]]. He died on 27 March [[1574]] in Shinano (almost all western sources state that he died in 1573, perhaps owing to some earlier confusion with the death of Shingen), and was buried in Kai and his grave may be seen in Kofu today. Nobutora was recorded as an intemperate and even unstable man who was not well-liked by his retainers, though he was a warrior of some ability. Katsuyori was said to have been taken aback at how fearsome his grandfather looked even at 80 years of age. His wife, the daughter of [[Oi Nobukatsu|Ôi Nobutatsu]] and the mother of all his sons save [[Ichijo Nobutatsu|Ichijô Nobutatsu]], died in [[1552]]. His eldest daughter (who died in [[1550]]), the wife of Imagawa Yoshimoto, produced the latter's heir, [[Imagawa Ujizane|Ujizane]]. |