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[[Image:Takeda_shingen.gif||thumb|left|The most famous portrait of Takeda Shingen, the authenticity of which has been questioned.  Certain scholars have suggested that this was in fact a painting of a Hatakeyama lord from Noto province.]]

[[Image:Takeda_shingen.gif||thumb|left|The most famous portrait of Takeda Shingen, the authenticity of which has been questioned.  Certain scholars have suggested that this was in fact a painting of a Hatakeyama lord from Noto province.]]

Takeda Shingen was the eldest son of the aggressive warlord [[Takeda Nobutora]] ([[1493]]-1573).<ref>The Takeda clan had been powerful in Kai from the 12th Century, when Takeda Nobuyoshi (a grandson of Minamoto Yoshiie's brother Yoshimitsu, 1138-1186) had sided with Minamoto Yoritomo during the Gempei War. The Takeda's power had increased in the Ashikaga era, and branches became strong in Aki and Wakasa, as well as Kai. Mori Motonari eventually defeated the Aki branch in 1540; the Wakasa Takeda became vassals of the Asakura by 1560 and faded from history.  

Takeda Shingen was the eldest son of the aggressive warlord [[Takeda Nobutora]] ([[1493]]-1573).<ref>The Takeda clan had been powerful in Kai from the 12th Century, when Takeda Nobuyoshi (a grandson of Minamoto Yoshiie's brother Yoshimitsu, 1138-1186) had sided with Minamoto Yoritomo during the Gempei War. The Takeda's power had increased in the Ashikaga era, and branches became strong in Aki and Wakasa, as well as Kai. Mori Motonari eventually defeated the Aki branch in 1540; the Wakasa Takeda became vassals of the Asakura by 1560 and faded from history.  

</ref>Takeda Nobutora had secured the position of the Takeda in [[Kai province|Kai]] after various struggles and established the Takeda capital at [[Tsutsujigaseki]] in Fuchu in [[1519]]. In the course of his career Nobutora clashed with various outside powers, including the Hôjô of [[Sagami province|Sagami Province]], the Imagawa of [[Suruga province|Suruga Province]] and the [[Suwa clan|Suwa]] and [[Imai clan|Imai]] of [[Shinano province|Shinano Province]].  In 1521, Nobutora was compelled to fend off an invasion from Suruga led by [[Kushima Masanari]] in support of the [[Oi clan|Ôi]] family, who had defied Nobutora's authority. Nobutora sent his pregnant wife, the daughter of Oi Nobutatsu, from the Tsutsujigaseki mansion to [[Yogaiyama Castle]] [要害山城].  Word came to Nobutora, commanding his army against Kushima's 15,000-man host, that a son had been born.  Nobutora defeated Masanari at the [[Battle of Iidagawara]] and afterwards named his son Katsuchiyo.<ref>Katsuchiyo can be translated as '1000 Victories in Succession', or, as Hiroaki Sato does in Legends of the Samurai, 'Victory Forever'.</ref>  

</ref>Takeda Nobutora had secured the position of the Takeda in [[Kai province|Kai]] after various struggles and established the Takeda capital at [[Tsutsujigasaki yakata|Tsutsujigasaki]] in Fuchu in [[1519]]. In the course of his career Nobutora clashed with various outside powers, including the Hôjô of [[Sagami province|Sagami Province]], the Imagawa of [[Suruga province|Suruga Province]] and the [[Suwa clan|Suwa]] and [[Imai clan|Imai]] of [[Shinano province|Shinano Province]].  In 1521, Nobutora was compelled to fend off an invasion from Suruga led by [[Kushima Masanari]] in support of the [[Oi clan|Ôi]] family, who had defied Nobutora's authority. Nobutora sent his pregnant wife, the daughter of Oi Nobutatsu, from the Tsutsujigaseki mansion to [[Yogaiyama castle]] [要害山城].  Word came to Nobutora, commanding his army against Kushima's 15,000-man host, that a son had been born.  Nobutora defeated Masanari at the [[Battle of Iidagawara]] and afterwards named his son Katsuchiyo.<ref>Katsuchiyo can be translated as '1000 Victories in Succession', or, as Hiroaki Sato does in Legends of the Samurai, 'Victory Forever'.</ref>  

In 1533, Nobutora arranged for him to marry the daughter of [[Uesugi Tomooki|Ôgigayatsu-Uesugi Tomooki]], who still held considerable lands in the [[Kanto]].  The girl died attempting to deliver Katsuchiyo's first child, however.  By this time Nobutora was at odds with both the Imagawa and Hôjô families and they were pressing him on his southern borders.  He was lucky in that [[Imagawa Ujichika]] died suddenly and a struggle for power ensued amongst his brothers.  Nobutora backed [[Imagawa Yoshimoto|Yoshimoto]], the eventual victor, and in the aftermath married a daughter to him.  In return, Yoshimoto acted as a go-between to arrange for the marriage of Katsuchiyo and the daughter of court noble [[Sanjo Kimiyori]].  Katsuchiyo celebrated his coming-of-age ceremony later that year and the shôgun, [[Ashikaga Yoshiharu]], sent permission for Katsuchiyo to incorporate 'Haru' in his adult name, and Katsuchiyo thus became known as Harunobu. He was also given the honorific title Shinano no Kami.  Despite this memorable coming of age ceremony, it would seem that Nobutora took a disliking to Harunobu in favor of his second son, Takeda Nobushige. The reasons for this  are not clear, and this part of Shingen's life has been heavily embellished over the centuries.   

In 1533, Nobutora arranged for him to marry the daughter of [[Uesugi Tomooki|Ôgigayatsu-Uesugi Tomooki]], who still held considerable lands in the [[Kanto]].  The girl died attempting to deliver Katsuchiyo's first child, however.  By this time Nobutora was at odds with both the Imagawa and Hôjô families and they were pressing him on his southern borders.  He was lucky in that [[Imagawa Ujichika]] died suddenly and a struggle for power ensued amongst his brothers.  Nobutora backed [[Imagawa Yoshimoto|Yoshimoto]], the eventual victor, and in the aftermath married a daughter to him.  In return, Yoshimoto acted as a go-between to arrange for the marriage of Katsuchiyo and the daughter of court noble [[Sanjo Kimiyori]].  Katsuchiyo celebrated his coming-of-age ceremony later that year and the shôgun, [[Ashikaga Yoshiharu]], sent permission for Katsuchiyo to incorporate 'Haru' in his adult name, and Katsuchiyo thus became known as Harunobu. He was also given the honorific title Shinano no Kami.  Despite this memorable coming of age ceremony, it would seem that Nobutora took a disliking to Harunobu in favor of his second son, Takeda Nobushige. The reasons for this  are not clear, and this part of Shingen's life has been heavily embellished over the centuries.