Changes

==Independence==

==Independence==

Takechiyo came of age [[1556]], and received the name [[Matsudaira Motoyasu]], the “Moto-” coming from Yoshimoto himself. He was allowed to return to Mikawa that same year, and was tasked with fighting a series of battles against the Oda on the Imagawa's behalf. For all the damage the years of Imagawa interference and in-fighting had wrought, the famed fighting spirit of the Mikawa samurai was hardly tarnished. Motoyasu scored a notable local victory at Terabe and made a name for himself (at Nobunaga's expense) with the provisioning of [[Odaka Castle|Odaka]]. In that instance, Motoyasu had brought in much-needed supplies to a beleaguered fort by tricking the bulk of the attackers into marching away to face a non-existent enemy army. With these victories, the Mikawa men began to grumble that it was time for the Matsudaira to be allowed to set their own course. Yoshimoto, however, was much too busy with planning his most ambitious military endeavor to be bothered with such trivialities. In [[1560]], he assembled an army of as many as 20,000 men and prepared to march on Kyoto. No other daimyo had attempted such a move since [[Ouchi Yoshioki]] had restored [[Ashikaga Yoshitane]] in [[1508]] and was possible only after a decade of political dealing with the Takeda and Hojo clans. To this end, the Matsudaira would be in the vanguard of the army, though when the campaign began in June, Motoyasu was dispatched from the main army to bring down Marune. After a bit of tough fighting, the fort was brought down and the Mikawa men allowed to lager there for a time resting. For this reason Motoyasu and his clan were able to avoid the [[Battle of Okehazama]], which occurred some miles away and cost the life of Yoshimoto himself. Motoyasu readily retreated back across the border into Mikawa, and afterwards worked to free himself of Imagawa influence. Pragmatic despite his youth, Motoyasu proceeded to strike up an alliance with Nobunaga, though initially in secret - a number of his close family (including his infant son) were still held hostage in Sumpu by Yoshimoto's successor, Ujizane. In [[1561]] Motoyasu ordered the capture of Kaminojo, an endeavor that served a number purposes. Firstly, it sent a clear message to Nobunaga that the Matsudaira had really and truly cut their ties to the Imagawa. Secondly, Motoyasu got his hands on two sons of the slain castle commander, [[Udono Nagamochi]], which he used as barter with Ujizane. Perhaps due to the fact that the Udono were a important Imagawa retainer clan, Ujizane unwisely agreed to release Motoyasu's family members in return for the Udono children. As soon as he was reunited with his wife and son, Motoyasu was free to make any moves we wished without hindrance. The next few years were spent rebuilding a Matsudaira clan badly fragmented by years of strife and a province weakened by war. To this end he carefully nurtured and strengthened his retainer band by giving them lands and positions within the administration of Mikawa. Chief among his followers at this time were [[Ishikawa Kazumasa]], [[Sakai Tadatsugu]], [[Sakikabara Yasumasa]], [[Koriki Kiyonaga]], and [[Honda Tadakatsu]]. Luckily, there were castles to be had within Mikawa's borders, manned by Imagwa men, and these would be taken and redistributed by [[1566]].  

Takechiyo came of age [[1556]], and received the name [[Matsudaira Motoyasu]], the “Moto-” coming from Yoshimoto himself. He was allowed to return to Mikawa that same year, and was tasked with fighting a series of battles against the Oda on the Imagawa's behalf. For all the damage the years of Imagawa interference and in-fighting had wrought, the famed fighting spirit of the Mikawa samurai was hardly tarnished. Motoyasu scored a notable local victory at Terabe and made a name for himself (at Nobunaga's expense) with the provisioning of [[Odaka castle|Odaka]]. In that instance, Motoyasu had brought in much-needed supplies to a beleaguered fort by tricking the bulk of the attackers into marching away to face a non-existent enemy army. With these victories, the Mikawa men began to grumble that it was time for the Matsudaira to be allowed to set their own course. Yoshimoto, however, was much too busy with planning his most ambitious military endeavor to be bothered with such trivialities. In [[1560]], he assembled an army of as many as 20,000 men and prepared to march on Kyoto. No other daimyo had attempted such a move since [[Ouchi Yoshioki]] had restored [[Ashikaga Yoshitane]] in [[1508]] and was possible only after a decade of political dealing with the Takeda and Hojo clans. To this end, the Matsudaira would be in the vanguard of the army, though when the campaign began in June, Motoyasu was dispatched from the main army to bring down Marune. After a bit of tough fighting, the fort was brought down and the Mikawa men allowed to lager there for a time resting. For this reason Motoyasu and his clan were able to avoid the [[Battle of Okehazama]], which occurred some miles away and cost the life of Yoshimoto himself. Motoyasu readily retreated back across the border into Mikawa, and afterwards worked to free himself of Imagawa influence. Pragmatic despite his youth, Motoyasu proceeded to strike up an alliance with Nobunaga, though initially in secret - a number of his close family (including his infant son) were still held hostage in Sumpu by Yoshimoto's successor, Ujizane. In [[1561]] Motoyasu ordered the capture of Kaminojo, an endeavor that served a number purposes. Firstly, it sent a clear message to Nobunaga that the Matsudaira had really and truly cut their ties to the Imagawa. Secondly, Motoyasu got his hands on two sons of the slain castle commander, [[Udono Nagamochi]], which he used as barter with Ujizane. Perhaps due to the fact that the Udono were a important Imagawa retainer clan, Ujizane unwisely agreed to release Motoyasu's family members in return for the Udono children. As soon as he was reunited with his wife and son, Motoyasu was free to make any moves we wished without hindrance. The next few years were spent rebuilding a Matsudaira clan badly fragmented by years of strife and a province weakened by war. To this end he carefully nurtured and strengthened his retainer band by giving them lands and positions within the administration of Mikawa. Chief among his followers at this time were [[Ishikawa Kazumasa]], [[Sakai Tadatsugu]], [[Sakikabara Yasumasa]], [[Koriki Kiyonaga]], and [[Honda Tadakatsu]]. Luckily, there were castles to be had within Mikawa's borders, manned by Imagwa men, and these would be taken and redistributed by [[1566]].  

He defeated the militant Mikawa monto in March [[1564]] in a sharp encounter that saw him actually struck by a bullet that failed to penetrate his armor. Soon afterwards he began testing the Imagawa defenses in Totomi. Having thus begun to make a name for himself, in [[1566]] he petitioned the court to allow him to change his name to Tokugawa, a request that was granted and so from this point he became known as Tokugawa Ieyasu. He liked to claim that his blood was Minamoto, and cited descent from the Nitta clan to this end. In fact, little at all is known of the Matsudaira/Tokugawa prior to the 15th Century, and Ieyasu's claims seem a tad unsupportable. Some indication of the genealogical spin-doctoring Ieyasu freely engaged in can be gleaned from the fact that he also had an alternate family tree drawn up that claimed descent from the noble Fujiwara.  

He defeated the militant Mikawa monto in March [[1564]] in a sharp encounter that saw him actually struck by a bullet that failed to penetrate his armor. Soon afterwards he began testing the Imagawa defenses in Totomi. Having thus begun to make a name for himself, in [[1566]] he petitioned the court to allow him to change his name to Tokugawa, a request that was granted and so from this point he became known as Tokugawa Ieyasu. He liked to claim that his blood was Minamoto, and cited descent from the Nitta clan to this end. In fact, little at all is known of the Matsudaira/Tokugawa prior to the 15th Century, and Ieyasu's claims seem a tad unsupportable. Some indication of the genealogical spin-doctoring Ieyasu freely engaged in can be gleaned from the fact that he also had an alternate family tree drawn up that claimed descent from the noble Fujiwara.  

Though the Tokugawa could claim some modicum of freedom, they were very much subject to the requests of [[Oda Nobunaga]]. When Oda marched on Kyoto in [[1568]], Tokugawa troops were present, the first of many joint Oda-Tokugawa ventures. At the same time, Ieyasu was eager to expand eastward. He entered into a brief pact with [[Takeda Shingen]] of [[Kai Province|Kai]] and [[Shinano Province|Shinano]] aimed at absorbing the remaining Imagawa territory and by [[1570]] Ieyasu had added Totomi to his domain. The Takeda occupied Suruga and it may be that Ieyasu regretted his dealings with Shingen, for even before Shingen had taken Sumpu, Ieyasu was sheltering Ujizane and promising to restore his lands to him.1 Needless to say, Takeda-Tokugawa relations began to sink, made all the worse by an attempt on Ieyasu's part to secure an alliance with Shingen's great enemy [[Uesugi Kenshin]]. As to inflame the situation, Ieyasu then moved his headquarters to [[Hamamatsu Province|Hamamatsu]] in Totomi (closer to Shingen), an action even Nobunaga called needless provocative. Soon the Takeda and Tokugawa would be at war. In June of 1570, Ieyasu led 5,000 men to help Nobunaga win the [[Battle of Anegawa]] against the [[Asai Province|Asai]] and [[Asakura Province|Asakura]], a victory owed largely to the efforts of the Tokugawa men. This would be the last opportunity Ieyasu would have to send troops west for two years, as the Tokugawa were increasingly pressured by the advances of the Takeda. In [[1572]] Ieyasu lost [[Futamata Castle]], then suffered a defeat at the [[Battle of Mikatagahara]], where he was enticed to march out of Hamamatsu and face Shingen in open battle - and barely escaped with his life. Luckily for the Tokugawa, Takeda Shingen died later in the Spring of [[1573]], although his heir, [[Takeda Katsuyori|Katsuyori]], managed to capture the important Tokugawa fort of Taketenjin in [[1574]]. In [[1575]] Katsuyori surrounded [[Nagashino Castle]] in Mikawa, and when word reached Ieyasu, he called on Nobunaga for help. When the latter dragged his feet on the matter, Ieyasu went as far as to threaten to join the Takeda and spearhead an attack on Owari and Mino. This was the sort of talk that Nobunaga respected, and he immediately led an army into Mikawa. The combined Oda-Tokugawa force of some 38,000 crushed the Takeda army on 28 June but did not vanquish it. Katsuyori continued to bother the Tokugawa afterwards, and the Takeda and Tokugawa raided one another's lands frequently.  

Though the Tokugawa could claim some modicum of freedom, they were very much subject to the requests of [[Oda Nobunaga]]. When Oda marched on Kyoto in [[1568]], Tokugawa troops were present, the first of many joint Oda-Tokugawa ventures. At the same time, Ieyasu was eager to expand eastward. He entered into a brief pact with [[Takeda Shingen]] of [[Kai province|Kai]] and [[Shinano province|Shinano]] aimed at absorbing the remaining Imagawa territory and by [[1570]] Ieyasu had added Totomi to his domain. The Takeda occupied Suruga and it may be that Ieyasu regretted his dealings with Shingen, for even before Shingen had taken Sumpu, Ieyasu was sheltering Ujizane and promising to restore his lands to him.1 Needless to say, Takeda-Tokugawa relations began to sink, made all the worse by an attempt on Ieyasu's part to secure an alliance with Shingen's great enemy [[Uesugi Kenshin]]. As to inflame the situation, Ieyasu then moved his headquarters to [[Hamamatsu castle]] in Totomi (closer to Shingen), an action even Nobunaga called needless provocative. Soon the Takeda and Tokugawa would be at war. In June of 1570, Ieyasu led 5,000 men to help Nobunaga win the [[Battle of Anegawa]] against the [[Asai clan|Asai]] and [[Asakura clan|Asakura]], a victory owed largely to the efforts of the Tokugawa men. This would be the last opportunity Ieyasu would have to send troops west for two years, as the Tokugawa were increasingly pressured by the advances of the Takeda. In [[1572]] Ieyasu lost [[Futamata castle]], then suffered a defeat at the [[Battle of Mikatagahara]], where he was enticed to march out of Hamamatsu and face Shingen in open battle - and barely escaped with his life. Luckily for the Tokugawa, Takeda Shingen died later in the Spring of [[1573]], although his heir, [[Takeda Katsuyori|Katsuyori]], managed to capture the important Tokugawa fort of Taketenjin in [[1574]]. In [[1575]] Katsuyori surrounded [[Nagashino castle]] in Mikawa, and when word reached Ieyasu, he called on Nobunaga for help. When the latter dragged his feet on the matter, Ieyasu went as far as to threaten to join the Takeda and spearhead an attack on Owari and Mino. This was the sort of talk that Nobunaga respected, and he immediately led an army into Mikawa. The combined Oda-Tokugawa force of some 38,000 crushed the Takeda army on 28 June but did not vanquish it. Katsuyori continued to bother the Tokugawa afterwards, and the Takeda and Tokugawa raided one another's lands frequently.  

In [[1579]] Ieyasu's eldest son, [[Tokugawa Hideyasu|Hideyasu]], and his wife were accused of conspiring with Takeda Katsuyori. Due in part to pressure from Nobunaga, Ieyasu ordered his son to commit suicide and had his wife executed. Like his late rival, Takeda Shingen, Tokugawa was known to run hot and cold, and could be utterly merciless when the overall fortunes of his clan were at stake. He would in time name his 3rd son, Hidetada, as heir, since his second was to be adopted by [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]].  

In [[1579]] Ieyasu's eldest son, [[Tokugawa Hideyasu|Hideyasu]], and his wife were accused of conspiring with Takeda Katsuyori. Due in part to pressure from Nobunaga, Ieyasu ordered his son to commit suicide and had his wife executed. Like his late rival, Takeda Shingen, Tokugawa was known to run hot and cold, and could be utterly merciless when the overall fortunes of his clan were at stake. He would in time name his 3rd son, Hidetada, as heir, since his second was to be adopted by [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]].  

in Spring [[1582]] the Tokugawa joined Nobunaga in finally invading and destroying the Takeda and for his efforts Ieyasu received [[Suruga province]], an acquisition which must have brought him no small private satisfaction. He now bordered the Hojo, and cautiously sounded them out, his efforts helped in part by a personal friendship from his hostage days in Sumpu, [[Hojo Ujinori]], bother of the daimyo, Ujimasa.  

In Spring [[1582]] the Tokugawa joined Nobunaga in finally invading and destroying the Takeda and for his efforts Ieyasu received [[Suruga province]], an acquisition which must have brought him no small private satisfaction. He now bordered the Hojo, and cautiously sounded them out, his efforts helped in part by a personal friendship from his hostage days in Sumpu, [[Hojo Ujinori]], bother of the daimyo, Ujimasa.  

Ieyasu was staying in Sakai ([[Settsu province]]) when Nobunaga was killed by [[Akechi Mitushide]] in June 1582 and narrowly escaped with his own life back to Mikawa. The Tokugawa were not in a position to challenge Mitsuhide, but did take advantage of the uncertainty following the [[Battle of Yamazaki]] to take Kai and Shinano, a move that prompted the Hojo to send troops into Kai; no real fighting occurred, and the Tokugawa and Hojo made peace. Ieyasu gave some of his lands in Kai and Shinano to the Hojo, though found himself embarrassed in this respect by Sanada Masayuki the following year. In the meantime, Ieyasu readily availed himself of the example of government left behind by Takeda Shingen and was quick to employ surviving Takeda men within his own retainer band. He avoided becoming involved in the conflict between [[Shibata Katsuie]] and Toyotomi Hideyoshi that culminated in the [[Battle of Shizugatake]] ([[1583]]), but became aware that sooner or later Hideyoshi would come to test his own resolve.  

Ieyasu was staying in Sakai ([[Settsu province]]) when Nobunaga was killed by [[Akechi Mitushide]] in June 1582 and narrowly escaped with his own life back to Mikawa. The Tokugawa were not in a position to challenge Mitsuhide, but did take advantage of the uncertainty following the [[Battle of Yamazaki]] to take Kai and Shinano, a move that prompted the Hojo to send troops into Kai; no real fighting occurred, and the Tokugawa and Hojo made peace. Ieyasu gave some of his lands in Kai and Shinano to the Hojo, though found himself embarrassed in this respect by Sanada Masayuki the following year. In the meantime, Ieyasu readily availed himself of the example of government left behind by Takeda Shingen and was quick to employ surviving Takeda men within his own retainer band. He avoided becoming involved in the conflict between [[Shibata Katsuie]] and Toyotomi Hideyoshi that culminated in the [[Battle of Shizugatake]] ([[1583]]), but became aware that sooner or later Hideyoshi would come to test his own resolve.

==Rise to Power==

==Rise to Power==