Takeda Katsuyori was a younger son of [[Takeda Shingen]] and prior to Shingen's death, the head of the Suwa Clan. In [[1542]] Takeda Shingen had defeated [[Suwa Yorishige]] and taken his daughter as a mistress, a relationship that in 1546 produced Katsuyori. Katsuyori was born into troubled circumstances. His mother was seen as the product of unfortunate circumstances and hardly on the same level as the Lady Sanjo, Shingen's principle wife and a woman of courtly blood and refinement. Shingen avoided possible controversy by naming Katsuyori the head of the Suwa Clan (hence the 'Yori' in his name); as Suwa Katsuyori he was removed from the Takeda family to a greater or lesser degree, and posed no threat to the heir, Takeda Yoshinobu. This did not prevent Shingen from making use of Katsuyori in battle, where the young man proved himself a brave and exceptionally skilled fighter. | Takeda Katsuyori was a younger son of [[Takeda Shingen]] and prior to Shingen's death, the head of the Suwa Clan. In [[1542]] Takeda Shingen had defeated [[Suwa Yorishige]] and taken his daughter as a mistress, a relationship that in 1546 produced Katsuyori. Katsuyori was born into troubled circumstances. His mother was seen as the product of unfortunate circumstances and hardly on the same level as the Lady Sanjo, Shingen's principle wife and a woman of courtly blood and refinement. Shingen avoided possible controversy by naming Katsuyori the head of the Suwa Clan (hence the 'Yori' in his name); as Suwa Katsuyori he was removed from the Takeda family to a greater or lesser degree, and posed no threat to the heir, Takeda Yoshinobu. This did not prevent Shingen from making use of Katsuyori in battle, where the young man proved himself a brave and exceptionally skilled fighter. |