| The Battle of Kizakihara (or Kizakibaru) was a [[Sengoku period]] battle fought between the [[Ito clan|Itô]] and [[Shimazu clan]]s at Kizakihara in [[Hyuga province|Hyûga province]] (today, Ebino City in [[Miyazaki prefecture]]). It ended in the effective destruction of the Itô clan. | | The Battle of Kizakihara (or Kizakibaru) was a [[Sengoku period]] battle fought between the [[Ito clan|Itô]] and [[Shimazu clan]]s at Kizakihara in [[Hyuga province|Hyûga province]] (today, Ebino City in [[Miyazaki prefecture]]). It ended in the effective destruction of the Itô clan. |
− | Following Yoshisuke's capture of Obi, the Itô consolidated their hold over southern Hyûga and, along with the armies of their allies in the [[Sagara clan]], began advancing into territory traditionally held by the Shimazu. Yoshisuke desired to expand Itô influence into [[Osumi province|Ôsumi province]], and to this end supported clans within the borders of that province hostile to the Shimazu. Takahisa was nonetheless able to subdue Ôsumi and in 1572 was in a position to challenge Yoshisuke in open battle at Kizaki plain, on the Ôsumi-Hyûga border. [[Shimazu Yoshihiro]] managed to drive the Sagara into withdrawal by giving the impression he had larger forces than he actually did. The Itô then attempted a night siege of Yoshihiro's fortress at [[Kakuto castle|Kakutô]]<!--加久藤城--> and failed; as they retreated, the Itô forces were pursued and destroyed by the Shimazu. A great many of the Itô's most significant leaders, including their overall commander [[Ito Sukeyasu|Itô Sukeyasu]], were killed, marking the fall of the clan. | + | Following Yoshisuke's capture of Obi, the Itô consolidated their hold over southern Hyûga and, along with the armies of their allies in the [[Sagara clan]], began advancing into territory traditionally held by the Shimazu. Yoshisuke desired to expand Itô influence into [[Osumi province|Ôsumi province]], and to this end supported clans within the borders of that province hostile to the Shimazu. Takahisa was nonetheless able to subdue Ôsumi and in 1572 was in a position to challenge Yoshisuke in open battle at Kizaki plain, on the Ôsumi-Hyûga border. Takahisa died that year, but his second son, [[Shimazu Yoshihiro]], managed to drive the Sagara into withdrawal by giving the impression he had larger forces than he actually did. The Itô then attempted a night siege of Yoshihiro's fortress at [[Kakuto castle|Kakutô]]<!--加久藤城--> and failed; as they retreated, the Itô forces were pursued and destroyed by the Shimazu. A great many of the Itô's most significant leaders, including their overall commander [[Ito Sukeyasu|Itô Sukeyasu]], were killed, marking the fall of the clan. |
| The other major opposition to Shimazu control of Ôsumi - that is, the [[Nejime clan|Nejime]] and [[Kimotsuki clan]]s - were defeated the following year, and so Itô Yoshisuke fled to [[Bungo province]], leaving the Shimazu to re-establish their control of all three provinces ([[Satsuma province|Satsuma]], Ôsumi, and Hyûga). | | The other major opposition to Shimazu control of Ôsumi - that is, the [[Nejime clan|Nejime]] and [[Kimotsuki clan]]s - were defeated the following year, and so Itô Yoshisuke fled to [[Bungo province]], leaving the Shimazu to re-establish their control of all three provinces ([[Satsuma province|Satsuma]], Ôsumi, and Hyûga). |