Changes

* ''Born: [[1544]]''

* ''Born: [[1544]]''

* ''Died: [[1608]]''

* ''Died: [[1611]]''

* ''Title: Awa no Kami''

* ''Title: Awa no Kami'' 安房守

* ''Distinction: Sometimes credited as one of [[Takeda Shingen's 24 Generals]]''

* ''Distinction: considered one of the most skilled samurai commanders of the later Sengoku Period; sometimes considered one of [[Takeda Shingen's 24 Generals]]''

Masayuki was the 3rd son of [[Sanada Yukitaka]] ([[1512]]-[[1574]]) and like his father first served [[Takeda Shingen]]. His first taste of battle, in fact, is said to have been at the famous [[Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima]]. He became head of the Sanada after his two elder brothers, Nobutsuna and Masateru, were killed at [[Battle of Nagashino|Nagashino]] in [[1575]]. As the power of the Takeda declined, Masayuki expanded into [[Kozuke province|Kôzuke]] and took [[Numata castle|Numata]] from the [[Go-Hojo clan|Hôjô]] in [[1580]]. In [[1585]] [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] demanded that Numata be returned to the Hôjô as part of a Tokugawa-Hôjô agreement signed that year. Masayuki refused and defeated a Tokugawa army sent to chastise him near Ueda after receiving the assistance of [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]]. Masayuki made peace with the Tokugawa by sending his son Nobuyuki as a hostage to Hamamatsu, and secured cemented an alliance with the Uesugi by sending his son Yukimura as hostage to Echigo. That same year, the Hôjô had tried and failed to bring down Numata, which was held by Masayuki's uncle, [[Yasawa Yoritsuna]].  

Masayuki was the 3rd son of [[Sanada Yukitaka]] ([[1512]]-[[1574]]) and like his father first served [[Takeda Shingen]]. His first taste of battle, in fact, is said to have been at the famous [[Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima]]. At one point he was known as Mutô Kibêjô 武藤喜兵衛尉, but his two elder brothers, Nobutsuna and Masateru, were killed in [[1575]] at [[Battle of Nagashino|Nagashino]], and he became head of the Sanada.  

Masayuki joined in [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi|Toyotomi Hideyoshi's]] [[1590]] [[Odawara Campaign]] by attacking Hôjô forts in Kôzuke and saw his territories increased somewhat as a result. In [[1600]] he initially acted as if in support of Tokugawa, then declared for the 'western' cause, although only after ordering his son Nobuyuki to join the Tokugawa camp. He and his son Yukimura (who was known at the time as Nobushige) were besieged in Ueda by [[Tokugawa Hidetada]] but succesfully resisted the Eastern forces, doing so in such a staunch manner that Ueda is considered one of the 'classic' sieges of Japanese history. After the [[Sekigahara campaign]] was concluded, Tokugawa Ieyasu banished both Masayuki and Yukimura to Kudoyama, where the former died some years later. Yukimura would go on fight and die for the Toyotomi cause at [[Osaka castle]] ([[1614]],[[1615]]), while Nobuyuki would live into his 90's, the elder branch of the Sanada thus preserved.  

 

In [[1582]] [[Oda Nobunaga]] attacked the Takeda, and as their cause was hopeless, Masayuki wrote the Hôjô requesting to become their vassal<ref>Letter from [[Hojo Ujikuni|Hôjô Ujikuni]] to Masayuki dated 1582/3/12 ([[Sanada Family Materials]], p. 57).</ref> and after Nobunaga’s death, sent hostages to them. But Shinano was semi-controlled in quick succession by various warlords, and Masayuki accepted whoever was in control. He ended up serving [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], who now ruled the former Takeda center of [[Kai province|Kai]].

 

 

In [[1585]]  Ieyasu demanded that Numata be returned to the Hôjô as part of a Tokugawa-Hôjô agreement signed that year. Masayuki refused, allied with [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]] of Echigo, and sent his second son [[Sanada Yukimura|Nobushige]] as a hostage to Kaizu in the 8th month in return for assistance at Numata against the Hôjô. In the intercalary 8th month (int. 8) he resisted an attack on Ueda by a Tokugawa army sent to chastise him. Also, the Hôjô failed to bring down Numata, which was held by Masayuki's uncle, [[Yasawa Yoritsuna]]. Masayuki asked [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi|Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi]] to intervene <ref>Letter from Hideyoshi to Masayuki dated 1585/10/17 ([[Sanada Family Materials]], p. 84).</ref> and finally made peace with the Tokugawa by sending his elder son [[Sanada Nobuyuki|Nobuyuki]] as a hostage to Hamamatsu.

 

In [[1589]] Hideyoshi arbitrated the dispute over Numata, giving it to the Hôjô, but let the Sanada keep [[Nagurumi castle]] and the Azuma district of Kôzuke, and also gave them part of the Ina district of  Shinano as a replacement for Numata. However, in the eleventh month the Hôjô commander in Numata attacked and took Nagurumi castle. Hideyoshi immediately announced he would attack the Hôjô, and the next year carried out the [[Odawara Campaign]]. Masayuki participated by attacking Hôjô forts in Kôzuke and saw his territories increased somewhat as a result. Numata was given to his elder son Nobuyuki.

 

In [[1600]] during the [[Sekigahara campaign]] Masayuki and his two elder sons accompanied the Tokugawa on their march against Uesugi Kagekatsu, but [[Ishida Mitsunari]]’s call to arms of 7/17 reached them in [[Shimotsuke province]]. Masayuki was furious that he had not been informed beforehand, <ref>Letter from Mitsunari to Masayuki dated 1600/7/30 ([[Sanada Family Materials]], p. 94).</ref> but he and Nobushige declared for the 'western' cause and returned to Ueda, though Nobuyuki joined the Tokugawa camp, probably with his father’s encouragement to preserve the family whichever side won. Masayuki and Nobushige were besieged in Ueda by [[Tokugawa Hidetada]] but succesfully resisted the Eastern forces, doing so in such a staunch manner that Ueda is considered one of the 'classic' sieges of Japanese history.  

 

Having won control of the country, at the end of the year, Tokugawa Ieyasu banished both Masayuki and Yukimura to Kudoyama of Kôyazan in [[Kai province]]. Nobuyuki, who had been given Ueda, supported them, but Masayuki in his lettters often complained of debt.  Apparently thought he would soon be pardoned,<ref>Letter of Masayuki dated 1603/3/15 ([[Sanada Family Materials]], p. 99).</ref> but that was not to be, and he died in 1611.  

 

Yukimura would become the major figure on the Toyotomi side during the [1614]-[1615] [[Osaka Campaign]], while Nobuyuki, who was later transfered to Matsushiro in NW Shinano, would live into his 90's, and his descendents ruled there until the Restoration.  

Masayuki is considered one of the most skilled samurai commanders of the later Sengoku Period, and foul play has traditionally been suspected in his death.  

Masayuki is considered one of the most skilled samurai commanders of the later Sengoku Period, and foul play has traditionally been suspected in his death.  

==References==

==References==

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[[Category:Samurai]][[Category:Sengoku Period]]

[[Category:Samurai]][[Category:Sengoku Period]]