was a Japanese samurai

Samurai

is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

 and lord of Kurokawa Castle

Aizuwakamatsu Castle

, also known as Tsuruga Castle is a traditional castle in northern Japan, at the center of the city of Aizuwakamatsu, in Fukushima Prefecture.- History :The castle was constructed by Ashina Naomori in 1384, and was originally named...

 (Aizu Castle) in the early Sengoku period

Sengoku period

The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

. He was the 14th generation lord of the Ashina

Ashina clan

The , descended from Taira clan through the Miura clan, was a Japanese clan during the Sengoku period. Sometimes the kanji characters "芦名" and "葦名" are used also. The name came from the area called Ashina in the city of Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture....

 (Sawara) family. He is also known as .

Moritaka was born the son of , lord of Sukagawa Castle. He was adopted by Ashina Morioki to continue the family line, and as per that arrangement, married Morioki's daughter. After Moritaka's succession

Order of succession

An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...

 however, he, for unknown reasons, became very unpopular amongst his retainers. This had led to his assassination

Assassination

To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...

at the hands of , with Moritaka dying at the age of 24. Ashina Morishige would become Moritaka's successor because his own son, Kiōmaru, had died at the age of 2.