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56-526: The Hiroshima Domain ( 広島藩 , Hiroshima-han ) was a large domain that owned all of Aki Province and half of Bingo Province . It occupies most of current Hiroshima Prefecture. The domain office was located at Hiroshima Castle in Sato District, Aki Province (renamed Numata District in 1664), Hiroshima (present-day Motomachi, Naka Ward, Hiroshima City , Hiroshima Prefecture ). It is often called Geishu Domain (or Aki Domain). The Hiroshima Domain

112-634: A massive punitive expedition to Kyushu, to be led by his son Tokugawa Hidetada . This force was to be composed of Eastern Army forces thereupon engaged in the West, including the armies of Katō Kiyomasa , Kuroda Yoshitaka , Nabeshima Naoshige , and the Tachibana clan . However, this operation was aborted once Shimazu Yoshihisa , the head of the Shimazu clan , entered negotiations with Ieyasu. Shimazu-Tokugawa deliberations continued until 1602 and were aided by

168-464: A mocking letter highlighting Ieyasu's own violations of Hideyoshi's orders. Mitsunari met with Ōtani Yoshitsugu , Mashita Nagamori and Ankokuji Ekei , conspiring to raise an anti-Tokugawa army, of which Mōri Terumoto was appointed to be the overall commander. This coalition formed what came to be referred to as the Western Army. Terumoto immediately marched and captured Osaka Castle while

224-627: A simplified family tree of the Asano lords. Aki Province When Emperor Shōmu ordered two official temples for each province (one for male Buddhist priests and one for nuns ), two temples were founded in Aki Province. The provincial temple was founded in present-day Saijō , Higashihiroshima . In the late Heian Period (12th century), Aki Province became well known for the Itsukushima Shrine . Taira no Kiyomori realized

280-442: Is possible this perceived disparity was the result of those generals choosing to decline Ieyasu's offers of extensive compensation. As for the generals of the defeated Western Army, roughly 87 daimyō had their domains confiscated and their power stripped due to their support of Mitsunari in the battle. The long-standing Chōsokabe clan , headed by Chōsokabe Morichika , was stripped of its title and domain of Tosa Province , which

336-521: The De Liefde  [ nl ] , a Dutch trading ship, were also used by the Tokugawa army in this battle. During the battle of Sekigahara, several commanders of the Western Army changed sides, allying with the Tokugawa and changing the course of the battle. Perhaps the most notable of these defectors was Kobayakawa Hideaki , the nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, whose disgruntlement with his uncle

392-602: The Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Mori Terumoto , the clan's leader, was defeated, and their territory was significantly reduced. Fukushima Masanori became the satrap of Aki and Bingo , succeeding the Mori clan . He re-evaluated the land and obtained a larger territory. Masanori implemented changes in the military and education systems, but compromises were made in Aki due to the influence of local feudal lords. The Sengoku period saw

448-617: The Chūgoku region . Following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the Mōri were forced out of Hiroshima by Tokugawa Ieyasu and relocated their base to Hagi Castle , losing most of their eastern territories. The Hiroshima han (domain) was subsequently established with Fukushima Masanori as its daimyō (feudal lord), covering Aki Province and parts of neighboring Bingo Province . However, nineteen years later, Hiroshima Castle suffered extensive flood damage and Fukushima repaired it in violation of

504-526: The Council of Five Elders Toyotomi Hideyoshi appointed for his son Hideyori , sided with Ishida Mitsunari before the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, and lost Aki and many of his other domains. After a short rule by Fukushima Masanori , in 1619, Asano Nagaakira was appointed as the daimyō of Hiroshima Domain with 420,000 koku . Until the Meiji Restoration , the Asano governed almost all

560-770: The Second Long March , the Hiroshima domain gradually aligned itself with the Choshu Domain . In 1867, they formed an alliance with the Choshu and Satsuma clans to overthrow the Shogunate. However, their plea to restore imperial rule to the 15th Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu , was seen as opportunistic, leading to mistrust and their removal from the mainstream of the Meiji Restoration. Despite this,

616-656: The Tokugawa - Matsudaira dynasty. Asano Nagaaki , the second son of Asano Nagamasa , who served as Gobugyo under the Toyotomi administration , became the feudal lord of Aki and eight districts of Bingo from the Kishu Domain . Despite being smaller than the Fukushima territory , it gained approval from the shogunate with a detection level of 426,000 koku. Hiroshima benefited from excellent maritime transport through

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672-707: The Tokugawa shogunate 's laws on the construction and repair of castles (see buke shohatto ). The shogunate then ordered Fukushima to Kawanakajima Domain , and awarded Hiroshima to the Asano clan , who ruled it for the remainder of the Edo period . Under the Tokugawa Kokudaka system for domains the Hiroshima Domain was assessed at 426,500 koku , the sixth-largest domain in Japan, excepting those held by

728-498: The Eastern Army and promised that the Mōri clan would change sides during the battle, on the condition they would be pardoned after the war. Kuroda Yoshitaka and Kuroda Nagamasa served as representatives of the Eastern Army in this correspondence with Hiroie. Hiroie and his senior retainer Fukubara Hirotoshi presented hostages to the Tokugawa side as proof for their cooperation with the latter. At dawn on October 21, 1600,

784-524: The Fukushima. To the south, Ōtani Yoshitsugu was outnumbered in a successful attack led by Kobayakawa Hideaki; Yoshitsugu committed suicide and his troops retreated shortly thereafter. The Ōtani retreat left the Western Army's right flank wide open, which Masanori and Hideaki then exploited to roll the flank of the Western Army. Mitsunari, realizing the situation was desperate, also began retreating his troops. Meanwhile, Western Army commander Shima Sakon

840-515: The Hiroshima Domain joined the government army and fought in the Boshin War . In 1869, the 12th lord of the domain, Asano Nagakoto , became the governor of the Hiroshima Domain after the restoration of land ownership. The domain reported a total debt of 3,742,290 ryo to the Meiji government in the same year. In 1871, the Hiroshima Domain was abolished and became Hiroshima Prefecture , along with

896-439: The Mōri; Mōri Hidemoto , cousin of and commander under Terumoto, genuinely attempted to meet and aid the Western Army, though his efforts were sabotaged by Hiroie, who, under the pretense of being busy eating his meal, stationed his troops in front of Hidemoto, obstructing them from advancing and relieving Mitsunari. Hiroie also obstructed another Western Army contingent led by daimyō Chōsokabe Morichika from marching and attacking

952-505: The Seto Inland Sea route with Osaka and established a monopoly on timber, iron, paper, and other goods from the early stages of its establishment. Additionally, it made significant profits by skillfully manipulating rice market prices and purchasing rice from other domains at low prices. Chosei followed the policies of the Fukushima clan era while simultaneously adopting a strict approach towards local clans in order to modernize

1008-438: The Tokugawa advance guard stumbled into Ishida's army; neither side saw each other because of dense fog caused by earlier rains. Both sides panicked and withdrew, but each was now aware of their adversary's presence and location. Mitsunari placed his position in defensive formation, while Ieyasu deployed his forces south of the Western Army position. Last-minute orders were issued and the battle began. Traditional opinion has stated

1064-508: The Tokugawa forces. One of the first and most notable weak points within the Western Army forces developed on Ukita Hideie's front. During the engagement, Hideie's forces began to wane and were steadily overcome by the forces of Fukushima Masanori due to the latter's superior troop quality. The disparity in combat effectiveness may have been attributable to the prior insurrection within the Ukita clan , which caused many senior samurai vassals of

1120-557: The Toyotomi clan. At this time, political tensions were high in the capital; rumors circulated of assassination attempts towards Ieyasu, while a son of Maeda Toshiie , Toshinaga , was accused of being involved in such conspiracies and forced to submit to Ieyasu. Uesugi Kagekatsu , one of Hideyoshi's regents , stood against Ieyasu by building up his army, which Ieyasu officially questioned, demanding answers from Kyoto about Kagekatsu's suspicious activity. Naoe Kanetsugu responded with

1176-399: The Ukita to desert and join the Tokugawa faction. Hideie was thereby forced to enter Sekigahara with fresh recruits of rōnin mercenaries to fill the gap left within his army. This proved fatal over the course of long-term combat against the Fukushima clan's more disciplined and trained regular troops; the Ukita clan ranks began to break and finally collapse under pressure despite outnumbering

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1232-545: The allies instrumental in his victory: Notably, Kobayakawa Hideaki, whose defection from the Western Army contributed greatly to Ieyasu's victory, was bestowed a domain which covered parts of Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province and which was worth 520,000 koku. Perhaps surprisingly, Ieyasu bestowed only meager domain increases to the three remaining Shitennō (Ii Naomasa, Honda Tadakatsu, and Sakakibara Yasumasa ), his closest high-ranking generals, as compared to those he offered to newer commanders and vassals. However, it

1288-434: The battle began around 8:00 am; however, recent Japanese historians' research estimates that the battle actually began closer to 10:00 am. The battle started when Ii Naomasa , previously heavily involved in the Battle of Gifu Castle , commanded his famed unit of 3,600 crimson-clad Ii no Akazoane ("Ii's red devils") to attack the center of the Western Army. According to historian Watanabe Daimon, by many indications of

1344-445: The battle in the Eastern Army's favor. These four commanders are recorded to have established contact and concluded deals with Tōdō Takatora , one of the main commanders of the Eastern Army, several days before the battle. Mōri Terumoto , then daimyō of the Mōri clan , also defected from the Western Army during the battle by keeping his forces entrenched at Osaka Castle rather than joining

1400-510: The battle lasting twice as long. The combined Eastern Army forces of Tokugawa Hidetada and Sakakibara Yasumasa , who commanded as many as 38,000 soldiers, were at the time of the battle bogged down in the Siege of Ueda against Sanada Masayuki . At the same time, 15,000 Western Army soldiers were being held up by 500 troops under Hosokawa Yūsai in the Siege of Tanabe in Maizuru , many of

1456-457: The battle records, the assignment of Naomasa as ichiban-yari (the first unit to engage the enemy) suggests the armies may have already been settled before the battle. Fukushima Masanori concurred with Naomasa's intention to lead the first attack, as Naomasa was appointed by Ieyasu as the supreme field commander and was therefore responsible for all commands and strategies during the battle. Naomasa charged forward with 30 spearmen and clashed with

1512-512: The battle, then sending his vassal Kikkawa Hiroie to quietly surrender to Ieyasu afterward. Professor Yoshiji Yamasaki of Toho University states that any neutrality-for-territorial-preservation agreement was ineffective at best and badly backfired for the Mōri at worst, as their domains were greatly reduced by the Tokugawa following the battle, and some Mōri troops notably did fight with the Western Army at Sekigahara rather than maintaining their neutrality. Sentiments of defection were divided among

1568-520: The castle for Katsunari. In response, Katsunari immediately wrote to Ii Naomasa asking that Ieyasu pardon Tanenaga, which Ieyasu accepted. The most prominent political effect of the Eastern Army victory in Sekigahara was the shifting authority to assign military ranks and redistribute lands from the Toyotomi clan to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Immediately following the battle, Ieyasu redistributed domains worth 6.8 million koku , primarily as recompense for

1624-646: The conclusion of the Battle of Sekigahara has served as the de facto beginning of the Edo period, and more generally, of the return of stability to Japan. In 1664, Hayashi Gahō , Tokugawa historian and rector of Yushima Seidō , wrote: Evil-doers and bandits were vanquished and the entire realm submitted to Lord Ieyasu, praising the establishment of peace and extolling his martial virtue. That this glorious era that he founded may continue for ten thousands upon ten thousands of generations, coeval with heaven and earth. In 1931,

1680-484: The development of castle towns and domestic industry in Hiroshima. However, in 1615, Aki Province was destroyed, Hiroshima Castle was demolished, and only Kannabe Castle remained in Bingo Province. The Mizuno family destroyed Hiroshima Castle and moved to Fukuyama Castle . Mihara Fortress had been abandoned, but the Fukushima family secretly relocated a turret from the destroyed Tomo Castle . In 1619, Masanori

1736-410: The domain, Asano Tsunaaki , who was Mitsuaki's eldest son, had Kujo Michifusa 's daughter as his legal wife and successor wife. Michifusa's mother was Toyotomi Kanshi , the daughter of Toyotomi Hidekatsu . As a result, the Asano clan inherited the bloodline of the Toyotomi clan through the female line. After the death of the 14th shogun, Tokugawa Iemochi , and the defeat of the shogunate army in

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1792-419: The establishment of prefectures nationwide. Reports indicated that there were over 830,000 ryo of uncollected domain bills, which were to be exchanged by the Meiji government , after the abolition of domains and the establishment of prefectures. The Hiroshimashinden Domain (広島新田藩), founded in the 1730s by Asano Nagakata , member of the Asano clan , received 30,000 koku of rice. Governed by daimyo Edo Sadafu,

1848-456: The former refusing to advance out of their respect for the Hosokawa. Due to these incidents, large proportions of both armies' forces ultimately never participated in the clash at Sekigahara. Another Western Army contingent that failed to reach the Sekigahara battlefield was led by Tachibana Muneshige , who had been stalled by Kyōgoku Takatsugu in the Siege of Ōtsu . As result, Muneshige

1904-469: The governing structure. Mitsunori, the second lord of the domain and Nagaaki's second son, was the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. With permission from the shogunate, Mitsunori distributed 50,000 koku to his illegitimate brother, Nagaharu Asano, establishing the Miyoshi domain as a branch domain. Mitsunori focused on improving the roads and was granted permission to use the surname Matsudaira. The third lord of

1960-694: The han system in 1871 by the Meiji government and its territory was absorbed into Hiroshima Prefecture . During the Kamakura period , Mori Tsunemitsu granted his fourth son, Mori Tokichika , Yoshidanosho in Aki Province . Tokichika's descendants remained in Echigo while ruling indirectly over the territory of Aki. However, during the Northern and Southern Courts period , Mori Tokichika's great-grandson Mori Motoharu moved to Aki and directly ruled over

2016-472: The intercession of Kiyomasa, Yoshitaka, and Tachibana Muneshige ; ultimately, the Shimazu clan avoided punishment, becoming the only Western Army-aligned clan to avoid losing territory after the defeat at Sekigahara. On November 6, Ishida Mitsunari, Konishi Yukinaga and Ankokuji Ekei were captured and executed. In 1603, Ieyasu was officially appointed as shōgun by Emperor Go-Yōzei ; as such,

2072-470: The latter was incapacitated by a shot from a rifleman. The Western Army forces continued to crumble without the arrival of reinforcements, further complicated by the waves of defections, until the battle had finally concluded. Historian Andō Yūichirō estimated that the battle in Sekigahara took place in its entirety over a mere 2 hours – from 10 am to noon – contrary to the Edo-period accepted theory of

2128-421: The leadership of Mitsunari's father Ishida Masatsugu and brother Masazumi. Following the defection of retainer Moritomo Hasegawa and other defenders, the castle was opened to the besieging army; most of Mitsunari's relatives, including Masatsugu, Masazumi, and Mitsunari's wife Kagetsuin, were killed in battle or committed suicide. In response to Shimazu Yoshihiro 's support of the Western Army, Ieyasu prepared

2184-414: The location of the battle was registered as a Monument of Japan . The positions of Ieyasu and Mitsunari's armies, and that of the death of Ōtani Yoshitsugu, are commemorated therein. The participants of the Battle of Sekigahara are listed below, with corresponding troop count estimates (in tens of thousands): ○ = Main daimyō who participated in the Battle of Sekigahara ● = Daimyō who defected Below

2240-476: The main army of the Tokugawa were still on their way to suppress Kagekatsu. At first, Mitsunari wanted to use Gifu Castle , which at that time was commanded by Oda Hidenobu (the grandson of Oda Nobunaga ), and Ōgaki Castle as choke points to impede the advances of the Eastern Army (the Tokugawa-led coalition). However, this plan was foiled by a number of campaign events: Following these failures and

2296-542: The main family lived in Edo. In 1864, the Hiroshimashinden Domain established a Yoshida Jinya in Yoshida , now Akitakada City . By 1869, it was absorbed into the Hiroshima Domain, ending the Hiroshimashinden Domain. * The years listed are those in which the lord occupied Hiroshima castle, not the years of his life. ** All of the lords after Asano Nagaakira enjoyed the same 426,500 koku. The following

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2352-645: The province. Aki Province was abolished in 1871, and renamed to Hiroshima Prefecture . After some mergers the current area of Hiroshima Prefecture was established. Itsukushima jinja was the chief Shinto shrine ( ichinomiya ) of Aki. [REDACTED] Media related to Aki Province at Wikimedia Commons Battle of Sekigahara Sekigahara Gunki Taisei: 8,000–32,000 killed Tokugawa Jikki; The Chronicles of Toshogu Shrine: 35,270 killed Sekigahara Gunki Taisei: 4,000–10,000 killed The Battle of Sekigahara ( Shinjitai : 関ヶ原の戦い ; Kyūjitai : 關ヶ原の戰い , Hepburn romanization : Sekigahara no Tatakai ),

2408-455: The ranks of the Western Army. Meanwhile, Fukushima Masanori advanced from his position, following Naomasa and immediately engaging with troops led by Ukita Hideie . At this point, the battle entered a deadlock. Ōta Gyūichi, who was present at the battle, wrote in his chronicle that "friends and foes are pushing each other" and "gunfire thunders while hails of arrows fly in the sky". According to records from Spanish accounts, 19 cannons from

2464-399: The region in 5 weeks after killing about 273 enemies. On September 17, Ieyasu dispatched his army, led by Kobayakawa Hideaki, to attack Sawayama Castle in Ōmi Province , the home base of Mitsunari. Most of the castle's troops had been sent to Sekigahara, leaving the castle's garrison with only 2,800 men. Despite Mitsunari's absence, the defense of the castle was initially successful under

2520-485: The shrine's importance and donated funds for a new complex of buildings and sutra scrolls. Itsukushima (Miyajima) had a good sea port and had clear strategic significance. In the Sengoku Period , it was the original seat of the Mōri clan until 1600. In 1555, Mōri Motonari won the Battle of Itsukushima against Sue Harutaka and established his power in the western part of Honshū . Mōri Terumoto , one of

2576-703: The territory at Koriyama Castle . The Mori clan grew in power and became a prominent feudal lord in Aki Province during the Muromachi period. In the Sengoku period, they defeated various clans, including the Takeda and Ouchi clans , and established their dominance over the Chugoku region. Hiroshima Castle was built in 1591 and became the Mori clan's residence, making Hiroshima the political and economic center. However, in

2632-504: The threat against Osaka Castle, Mitsunari changed his plan and prepared his army for an open battle on the field of Sekigahara against the main body of the Eastern Army, led by Ieyasu. As preparation for this inevitable conflict, Ieyasu had purchased massive quantities of Tanegashima matchlocks . However, one day before the beginning of the battle, Kikkawa Hiroie , vassal of the Western Army-allied Mōri clan , colluded with

2688-522: Was a historical battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 ( Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture , Japan, at the end of the Sengoku period . This battle was fought by the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu against a coalition led by Ishida Mitsunari , from which several commanders defected before or during the battle, leading to a Tokugawa victory. The Battle of Sekigahara

2744-408: Was based at Hiroshima Castle in Aki Province , in the modern city of Hiroshima , located in the Chūgoku region of the island of Honshu . The Hiroshima Domain was ruled for most of its existence by the daimyō of the Asano clan and encompassed Aki Province and parts of Bingo Province with a Kokudaka system value of 426,500 koku . The Hiroshima Domain was dissolved in the abolition of

2800-480: Was consequently given to Yamauchi Kazutoyo in recognition of his service to the Tokugawa. Several former Chōsokabe retainers resisted the forcible takeover by the Tokugawa and Yamauchi; in response, Ii Naomasa sent military reinforcements to assist Kazutoyo in suppressing the rebellion of Chōsokabe vassals in Tosa. Suzuki Hyōe, vassal of Naomasa, relieved Kazutoyo with an army transported by 8 ships, ultimately pacifying

2856-641: Was engaged by the troops of Kuroda Nagamasa , who had taken a detour on the north to flank the Mitsunari and Sakon positions. In the end, Sakon was shot and fatally wounded by a round from an arquebus. Following the capitulation of Sakon's unit, Shimazu Yoshihiro found his troops completely surrounded by Masanori and Honda Tadakatsu from the front, while Hideaki troops attacked his rear. The Shimazu troops only managed to break their encirclement after devastating casualties, escaping with only 200 soldiers remaining; even then, they were pursued by Ii Naomasa until

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2912-515: Was exploited by the Tokugawa to sway his loyalty. Two prevailing theories exist regarding the timeline of Hideaki's defection: Regardless of what actually transpired, the turncoat Kobayakawa forces overwhelmed Yoshitsugu's position. At the same time, Yoshitsugu's troops also engaged the units led by Tōdō Takatora , and Oda Yūraku . Following the defection of Hideaki, Western Army leaders Wakisaka Yasuharu , Ogawa Suketada , Akaza Naoyasu and Kutsuki Mototsuna also changed sides, further turning

2968-566: Was forced to remain at Osaka Castle after learning of the Western Army's annihilation at Sekigahara. However, when Mōri Terumoto (also at Osaka Castle) offered his surrender to the Eastern Army, Muneshige departed with his army and returned to his homeland in Kyushu . As soon as the news of the Eastern Army's victory at Sekigahara reached Ogaki Castle, which at the time was still besieged by Mizuno Katsunari, Western Army-affiliated garrison commander Akizuki Tanenaga immediately surrendered and opened

3024-530: Was found guilty of unauthorized renovations to Hiroshima Castle and his territory was significantly reduced. He was transferred to the Kawanakajima Domain . In 1589, Hiroshima Castle was commissioned by Mōri Terumoto , head of the powerful Mōri clan and a member of Toyotomi Hideyoshi 's Council of Five Elders . In 1591, Terumoto relocated to Hiroshima while it was still under construction, using it as his base to rule his domain covering most of

3080-463: Was only 5 years old, causing a power vacuum in Japan. In the years following the Imjin War and the death of Hideyoshi, factional disputes arose between Ishida Mitsunari and seven former Toyotomi generals including Katō Kiyomasa . Tokugawa Ieyasu gathered both Kiyomasa and Fukushima Masanori to his cause in a bid to challenge the opposition from Mitsunari, who claimed to fight on behalf of

3136-421: Was the largest battle of Japanese feudal history and is often regarded as the most important. Mitsunari's defeat in the battle of Sekigahara is generally considered to be the beginning point of the Tokugawa shogunate , which ruled Japan for another two and a half centuries until 1868. The final years of Toyotomi Hideyoshi 's reign were turbulent. At the time of Hideyoshi's death, his heir, Toyotomi Hideyori ,

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