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Mitsunari was the son of [[Ishida Masatsugu]] and was born at Ishida in [[Omi province|Ômi Province]]. He was recruited into [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi|Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi's]] service around [[1578]], in part due to his cultural acuity. While he saw military service at [[Battle of Shizugatake|Shizugatake]] and elsewhere, his main function was that of an administrator. He accumulated a fief of some 200,000 koku and was given [[Sawayama castle|Sawayama Castle]] in Ômi. He became distrusted and disliked by many, in part due to his 'civilian' nature and in part to the power he wielded within the Toyotomi goverment. He issued numerous orders in Hideyoshi's name and often acted as Hideyoshi's representative. He was dispatched to Korea during the second campaign there in [[1597]] as Inspector of Forces. In the course of carrying out his duties he earned the hatred of both [[Kuroda Yoshitaka]] and [[Kobayakawa Hideaki]], whom Ishida reported as being lax in their conduct.  

Mitsunari was the son of [[Ishida Masatsugu]] and was born at Ishida in [[Omi province|Ômi Province]]. He was recruited into [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi|Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi's]] service around [[1578]], in part due to his cultural acuity. While he saw military service at [[Battle of Shizugatake|Shizugatake]] and elsewhere, his main function was that of an administrator. He accumulated a fief of some 200,000 koku and was given [[Sawayama castle|Sawayama Castle]] in Ômi. He became distrusted and disliked by many, in part due to his 'civilian' nature and in part to the power he wielded within the Toyotomi goverment. He issued numerous orders in Hideyoshi's name and often acted as Hideyoshi's representative. He was dispatched to Korea during the second campaign there in [[1597]] as Inspector of Forces. In the course of carrying out his duties he earned the hatred of both [[Kuroda Yoshitaka]] and [[Kobayakawa Hideaki]], whom Ishida reported as being lax in their conduct.  

In [[1598]] Mitsunari was named one of the Five Commisoners (san-bugyo) responsible with maintaining the civil affairs of the realm while Hideyori came of age. He was out-spoken and at times tactless, but held enough support to challenge [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], the most powerful of the Regents. He argued - with some cause - that Ieyasu was undermining both the legacy of the late Taikô and his final wishes. Ieyasu countered by painting Mistunari (also with some validity) as an unscrupulous schemer. Mistunari went so far as to attempt the assassination of Ieyasu in [[1599]], and narrowly avoided his own death at the hands of several Tokugawa loyalists (thanks, ironically and mysteriously, to help from Ieyasu himself).  

In [[1598]] Mitsunari was named one of the Five Commisoners (go-bugyo) responsible with maintaining the civil affairs of the realm while Hideyori came of age. He was out-spoken and at times tactless, but held enough support to challenge [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], the most powerful of the Regents. He argued - with some cause - that Ieyasu was undermining both the legacy of the late Taikô and his final wishes. Ieyasu countered by painting Mistunari (also with some validity) as an unscrupulous schemer. Mistunari went so far as to attempt the assassination of Ieyasu in [[1599]], and narrowly avoided his own death at the hands of several Tokugawa loyalists (thanks, ironically and mysteriously, to help from Ieyasu himself).  

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]].