Shimazu Tadatsune

• Born: 1576
• Died: 1638
• Sons: Shimazu Tadayuki
• Titles: Chûnagon, Satsuma no kami, Ôsumi no kami
• Other names: Iehisa, Matsudaira Iehisa
• Distinction: Lord of Satsuma, Ôsumi, and Hyûga
• Japanese: 島津忠恒 (Shimazu Tadatsune)

Tadatsune was the 3rd son of Shimazu Yoshihiro. He became the daimyô of the Shimazu following his family's involvement in the Sekigahara Campaign and went to Edo in 1603 to personally pledge his loyalty to Tokugawa Ieyasu. He received the character 'Ie' from Tokugawa Ieyasu and surname Matsudaira.

Tadatsune (now known as Iehisa) thus became the first Edo period lord of Satsuma han; he requested, and received, permission to invade the Ryûkyû Kingdom, and did so in 1609.

He led troops at the Osaka Winter Campaign and was on his way to join the Osaka Summer Campaign with 13,000 troops but arrived after the castle had fallen. He won favor with the Tokugawa Bakufu in 1609 by sending an expedition to Okinawa that resulted in the king of that island being brought to Edo and tribute given.

Iehisa rose through the court ranks over the course of his career; in 1599 he held the title of Minor Captain (少将, shôshô) and the Lower Senior Fourth Rank. He was named Royal Advisor and concurrently Middle Captain (参議兼中将) in 1617, and was then raised to the title of Chûnagon and to the Junior Third Rank in 1626.

References

• Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005