Matsudaira Nobutsuna
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese daimyo
of the early Edo period
, who ruled the Kawagoe Domain
. First serving Tokugawa Iemitsu
as a page
, Nobutsuna was renowned for his sagacity. He was named a rōjū
in 1633. Nobutsuna led the shogunal forces to their final victory over the rebellion at Shimabara
. His court title was Izu no Kami, which was the origin of his nickname, "Izu the Wise" (Chie Izu 知恵伊豆).
. He was adopted as the heir of his uncle, Matsudaira Masatsuna, in 1601. After being introduced to Hidetada
and Ieyasu, he was appointed as page to Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu
. He was greatly admired by Iemitsu, and renowned within the Tokugawa administration for his sagacity.
In the early years of his service, he was a hatamoto
; he later became a daimyo. In 1623, he received the court title of Izu no Kami. He became daimyo in 1633, receiving the Oshi Domain
as his fief.
After the failure of Itakura Shigemasa
to subdue the rebellion at Shimabara
in 1637-38, Nobutsuna took command of the allied armies laying siege to Hara Castle
, bringing the campaign to a successful conclusion.
In his later years, he joined senior Tokugawa officials such as Hoshina Masayuki in supporting the underaged 4th shogun, Ietsuna
.
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of the early Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, who ruled the Kawagoe Domain
Kawagoe Domain
The was a feudal domain of Japan during the Momoyama and Edo periods of the history of Japan. It was located in Iruma District, now part of Saitama Prefecture, in Musashi Province . The domain had its headquarters at Kawagoe Castle in the present-day city of Kawagoe.The domain had its beginning in...
. First serving Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.-Early life :...
as a page
Page (servant)
A page or page boy is a traditionally young male servant, a messenger at the service of a nobleman or royal.-The medieval page:In medieval times, a page was an attendant to a knight; an apprentice squire...
, Nobutsuna was renowned for his sagacity. He was named a rōjū
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
in 1633. Nobutsuna led the shogunal forces to their final victory over the rebellion at Shimabara
Shimabara Rebellion
The was an uprising largely involving Japanese peasants, most of them Catholic Christians, in 1637–1638 during the Edo period.It was one of only a handful of instances of serious unrest during the relatively peaceful period of the Tokugawa shogunate's rule...
. His court title was Izu no Kami, which was the origin of his nickname, "Izu the Wise" (Chie Izu 知恵伊豆).
Biography
Nobutsuna was born in 1596, the son of Ōkōchi Hisatsuna, a senior retainer of Tokugawa IeyasuTokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
. He was adopted as the heir of his uncle, Matsudaira Masatsuna, in 1601. After being introduced to Hidetada
Tokugawa Hidetada
was the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
and Ieyasu, he was appointed as page to Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.-Early life :...
. He was greatly admired by Iemitsu, and renowned within the Tokugawa administration for his sagacity.
In the early years of his service, he was a hatamoto
Hatamoto
A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...
; he later became a daimyo. In 1623, he received the court title of Izu no Kami. He became daimyo in 1633, receiving the Oshi Domain
Oshi Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Musashi Province. It was headquartered in Oshi Castle.-List of Daimyo:* Matsudaira clan # Ietada* Matsudaira clan # Tadayoshi...
as his fief.
After the failure of Itakura Shigemasa
Itakura Shigemasa
was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period. The lord of Fukōzu han in Mikawa Province, he was a personal aide to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Son of the Kyoto Shoshidai Itakura Katsushige, and younger brother of Itakura Shigemune ....
to subdue the rebellion at Shimabara
Shimabara Rebellion
The was an uprising largely involving Japanese peasants, most of them Catholic Christians, in 1637–1638 during the Edo period.It was one of only a handful of instances of serious unrest during the relatively peaceful period of the Tokugawa shogunate's rule...
in 1637-38, Nobutsuna took command of the allied armies laying siege to Hara Castle
Hara Castle
is a castle in Hizen Province. During the Shimabara Rebellion , the rebellious peasants were besieged there.As a result of the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637, the Shogunate decided to expel the Portuguese from Japan...
, bringing the campaign to a successful conclusion.
In his later years, he joined senior Tokugawa officials such as Hoshina Masayuki in supporting the underaged 4th shogun, Ietsuna
Tokugawa Ietsuna
was the fourth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan who was in office from 1651 to 1680. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, thus making him the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-Early Life :...
.
Further reading
- Morris, Ivan (1975). The nobility of failure: tragic heroes in the history of Japan. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.