Changes

* ''Born: [[1566]]''

* ''Born: [[1566]]''

* ''Died: [[1636]]''

* ''Died: [[1636]]''

[[Image:Date_masamune.jpg||thumb|right|Date Masamune - Although he had lost his right eye to a childhood sickness, he apparently requested that this picture be done with both his eyes intact.]]

[[Image:Date_masamune.jpg||thumb|right|Date Masamune - Although he had lost his right eye to a childhood sickness, he apparently requested that this picture be done with both his eyes intact.]]

Date Masaume was the eldest son of [[Date Terumune]], a lord of the Rikuzen area of [[Mutsu province|Mutsu]]. His mother was a daughter of [[Mogami Yoshimori]]. Masamune was born in September 1566 at Yonezawa and first went by the name Botenmaru. He received the name Tojirou Masamune in [[1578]] and the following year was married to the daughter of [[Tamura Kiyoaki]]. He went on his first campaign in [[1581]], helping his father fight the [[Soma clan|Soma family]].  

Date Masaume was the eldest son of [[Date Terumune]], a lord of the Rikuzen area of [[Mutsu province|Mutsu]]. His mother was a daughter of [[Mogami Yoshimori]]. Masamune was born in September 1566 at Yonezawa and first went by the name Botenmaru. He received the name Tojirô Masamune in [[1578]] and the following year was married to the daughter of [[Tamura Kiyoaki]]. He went on his first campaign in [[1581]], helping his father fight the [[Soma clan|Soma family]].  

Masamune assumed control of the [[Date clan|Date]] in [[1584]] with the retirement of his father. Shortly afterwards, he suffered the defection of a Date retainer named [[Ouchi Sadatsuna]] to the [[Ashina clan|Ashina]] of the Aizu region. Masamune declared war on the Ashina in retaliation. However, Masamune's army was halted at Hibara by the Ashina general, [[Iwashiro Morikuni]], and forced to retreat. Three months later, Masamune besieged the [[Ouchi clan|Ouchi's]] stronghold at Otemori and inflicted a terrible price on the traitors, allegedly putting some 800 people of all ages to the sword. When word of this slaughter reached the Ouchi at [[Obama castle|Obama Castle]], they burned Obama and fled. At the same time, tensions between the Date and their traditional rivals the [[Hatakeyama clan|Hatakeyama]] began to flare. The lord of the Hatakeyama, Yoshitsugu, evidently attempted to make peace with Masamune on a number of occasions, but the latter, young and hot-blooded, rebuffed each advance. Finally, Yoshitsugu turned to Terumune to mediate. The two former rivals sat down and feasted together in a most cordial manner. The following day, Yoshitsugu ostensibly came to thank Terumune for the enjoyable dinner. He then kidnapped Terumune at sword point, an act both unheard of and shocking. When Masamune returned from a morning of falconry to learn of his father's abduction, he called his men to arms and set off after Hatakeyama's entourage. They caught up with Hatakeyama near the Abukuma River. Terumune cried out for Masamune to open fire on them, regardless of his own safety, but his son hesitated. In the confusion, Terumune was cut down and Yoshitsugu somehow escaped to his castle of Nihonmatsu.  

Masamune assumed control of the [[Date clan|Date]] in [[1584]] with the retirement of his father. Shortly afterwards, he suffered the defection of a Date retainer named [[Ouchi Sadatsuna]] to the [[Ashina clan|Ashina]] of the Aizu region. Masamune declared war on the Ashina in retaliation. However, Masamune's army was halted at Hibara by the Ashina general, [[Iwashiro Morikuni]], and forced to retreat. Three months later, Masamune besieged the [[Ouchi clan|Ouchi's]] stronghold at Otemori and inflicted a terrible price on the traitors, allegedly putting some 800 people of all ages to the sword. When word of this slaughter reached the Ouchi at [[Obama castle|Obama Castle]], they burned Obama and fled. At the same time, tensions between the Date and their traditional rivals the [[Hatakeyama clan|Hatakeyama]] began to flare. The lord of the Hatakeyama, Yoshitsugu, evidently attempted to make peace with Masamune on a number of occasions, but the latter, young and hot-blooded, rebuffed each advance. Finally, Yoshitsugu turned to Terumune to mediate. The two former rivals sat down and feasted together in a most cordial manner. The following day, Yoshitsugu ostensibly came to thank Terumune for the enjoyable dinner. He then kidnapped Terumune at sword point, an act both unheard of and shocking. When Masamune returned from a morning of falconry to learn of his father's abduction, he called his men to arms and set off after Hatakeyama's entourage. They caught up with Hatakeyama near the Abukuma River. Terumune cried out for Masamune to open fire on them, regardless of his own safety, but his son hesitated. In the confusion, Terumune was cut down and Yoshitsugu somehow escaped to his castle of Nihonmatsu.  

In 1589, Date defeated the Soma, and bribed an important Ashina retainer, [[Inawashiro Morikuni]], over to his side. He then assembled a powerful force and marched straight for the Ashina's headquarters at Kurokawa. The Date and Ashina forces met at [[Battle of Suriagehara|Suriagehara]] on 5 June, and Masamune's forces carried the day, Masamune leading a charge against faltering Ashina ranks, and breaking them. Unfortunately for the Ashina, Date men had destroyed their avenue of escape, a bridge over the Nitsubashi River, and those who did not drown attempting to swim to safety were mercilessly put to the sword. By the battle's end, Masamune could count something like 2,300 enemy heads in one of the more bloody and decisive battles of the Sengoku period to happen in the far north.  

In 1589, Date defeated the Soma, and bribed an important Ashina retainer, [[Inawashiro Morikuni]], over to his side. He then assembled a powerful force and marched straight for the Ashina's headquarters at Kurokawa. The Date and Ashina forces met at [[Battle of Suriagehara|Suriagehara]] on 5 June, and Masamune's forces carried the day, Masamune leading a charge against faltering Ashina ranks, and breaking them. Unfortunately for the Ashina, Date men had destroyed their avenue of escape, a bridge over the Nitsubashi River, and those who did not drown attempting to swim to safety were mercilessly put to the sword. By the battle's end, Masamune could count something like 2,300 enemy heads in one of the more bloody and decisive battles of the Sengoku period to happen in the far north.  

This would be Date Masamune's last expansionist adventure, however. With the coming of the next year Hideyoshi besieged the [[Hojo clan|Hojo's]] [[Odawara castle|Odawara Castle]]. Hideyoshi ordered Date to participate, which he did, though it is said he put off his arrival so that his spies could report on the likely victor. Since the outcome of the siege was obvious, Date presented himself before Hideyoshi and apologized for his lateness. Following the conclusion of the siege, however, Hideyoshi ordered Date to relinquish his newly won holdings in [[Aizu]] (perhaps using Date's tardiness as a pretext) and be content with Yonezawa (200,000 koku), a much-reduced income that doubtlessly did not sit so well with Masamune.  

This would be Date Masamune's last expansionist adventure, however. With the coming of the next year Hideyoshi besieged the [[Hojo clan|Hojo's]] [[Odawara castle]]. Hideyoshi ordered Date to participate, which he did, though it is said he put off his arrival so that his spies could report on the likely victor. Since the outcome of the siege was obvious, Date presented himself before Hideyoshi and apologized for his lateness. Following the conclusion of the siege, however, Hideyoshi ordered Date to relinquish his newly won holdings in [[Aizu]] (perhaps using Date's tardiness as a pretext) and be content with Yonezawa (200,000 koku), a much-reduced income that doubtlessly did not sit so well with Masamune.  

In [[1592]], Date served in Hideyoshi's headquarters at Nagoya on Kyushu during the Korean invasion. Three years later, he found himself implicated in the suspected treason of [[Toyotomi Hidetsugu]] and was ordered to pack up and move his household to Iyo on Shikoku, an unthinkable fate (to Date) averted through the good offices of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. All in all, it is not surprising that Date readily joined Tokugawa when war came between the latter and [[Ishida Mitsunari]] began in [[1600]]. He had already married a son to one of Ieyasu's daughters (an act which in itself had aggravated tensions between Ieyasu and his fellow san-bugyo members) and was likely contemplating how best his remote forces could aid Tokugawa when war began. In the event, he and [[Mogami Yoshiakira]] of [[Dewa province|Dewa]] held the forces of [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]] at bay, with Masamune's first contribution to the war effort being the [[Siege of Hataya]]. The battles in the north culminated with Masamune's attack on [[Fukushima castle|Fukushima Castle]]. Date and Mogami's efforts allowed Tokugawa to move west in confidence, and, of course, the campaign culminated in the total victory at [[Battle of Sekigahara|Sekigahara]] in October 1600. In the aftermath, Date's lands were enlarged to 600,000 koku, and he built a new castle town (Aoba-jo) at Sendai.  

In [[1592]], Date served in Hideyoshi's headquarters at Nagoya on Kyushu during the Korean invasion. Three years later, he found himself implicated in the suspected treason of [[Toyotomi Hidetsugu]] and was ordered to pack up and move his household to Iyo on Shikoku, an unthinkable fate (to Date) averted through the good offices of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. All in all, it is not surprising that Date readily joined Tokugawa when war came between the latter and [[Ishida Mitsunari]] began in [[1600]]. He had already married a son to one of Ieyasu's daughters (an act which in itself had aggravated tensions between Ieyasu and his fellow san-bugyo members) and was likely contemplating how best his remote forces could aid Tokugawa when war began. In the event, he and [[Mogami Yoshiakira]] of [[Dewa province|Dewa]] held the forces of [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]] at bay, with Masamune's first contribution to the war effort being the [[Siege of Hataya]]. The battles in the north culminated with Masamune's attack on [[Fukushima castle|Fukushima Castle]]. Date and Mogami's efforts allowed Tokugawa to move west in confidence, and, of course, the campaign culminated in the total victory at [[Battle of Sekigahara|Sekigahara]] in October 1600. In the aftermath, Date's lands were enlarged to 600,000 koku, and he built a new castle town (Aoba-jo) at Sendai.  

The [[Katakura clan|Katakura]], [[Shiroishi clan|Shiroishi]], [[Endo clan|Endo]], [[Rusu clan|Rusu]], [[Oniniwa clan|Oniniwa]], and [[Hasekura clan|Hasekura]] clans served the Date loyally.  

The [[Katakura clan|Katakura]], [[Shiroishi clan|Shiroishi]], [[Endo clan|Endo]], [[Rusu clan|Rusu]], [[Oniniwa clan|Oniniwa]], and [[Hasekura clan|Hasekura]] clans served the Date loyally.  

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

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