|
Toyotomi Hideyori (豊臣秀頼),
1593-1615,
was the son and designated successor of
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of
Japan.
However, Hideyoshi died in
1598 and his armies lost the
Battle of Sekigahara to
Tokugawa Ieyasu in
1600, who then seized power. Continuing to view the young Hideyori as
a potential threat, Ieyasu attacked Hideyori in the
Siege of Osaka in
1614. The attack failed, but Hideyori was induced to sign a truce and
dismantle the defenses of his stronghold
Osaka Castle.
In 1615, Ieyasu betrayed the truce and attacked again. Hideyori was
forced to flee to the mountains, where he committed suicide at the age of
22, putting an end to the Toyotomi clan and paving the way for the
250-year
Tokugawa Shogunate.
|
