Maeda Toshiie was born to the fourth son of Toshiharu Maeda, a landlord of Arako, Aichi-gun, Owari.
I wasn't particularly blessed with being born, I wasn't in a position to succeed the family, and I wasn't blessed with any special talent.
Nevertheless, he, Toshiie Maeda, became the founder of "Kaga Hyakumangoku".
This time, I would like to talk about Toshiie Maeda, who has more courage than anyone else and called Nobunaga Oda, who was feared to be the Demon Lord of the Sixth Heaven, as "a man with hair on his liver."
Spear's left
Maeda Toshiie was poor.
As for how poor he was, he was so poor that he had to live next to Ashigaru, Tokichiro Kinoshita, who was unknown to anyone.
The two families, who both served Nobunaga Oda and were very close to each other, lived in the castle town of Kiyosu Castle.
In the turbulent world of Sengoku, the two families help each other, talk about their dreams, and the relationship lasts for the rest of their lives.
Toshiie served as Nobunaga's chief retainer, Hayashi Hidesada, but he began serving as Nobunaga's kosho when he was 15 or 16 years old.
It seems that Nobunaga's kosho was called Utsuke, and Toshiie in his youth was also a leaner. His clothes are flashy and quarreling, and in the battle of Kiyosu, the first team, he played an active role in raising the ranks of the enemy, became a member of Nobunaga's elite unit Akamo Clothes, and became a wife called "Matsu". It seems that it was around here that I met Hideyoshi.
Toshiie Maeda seems to have made good progress, but in his early twenties he had a fight with Nobunaga's favorite Chabozu and killed him.
Nobunaga was furious and asked Toshiie for seppuku, but at this time, Katsuie Shibata pleaded for help, and although he managed to save his life, he was fired by a vassal of the Oda clan.
It is said that Toshiie, who went after that, was taken care of by Atsuta Jingu.
A year later, Yoshimoto Imagawa, a daimyo, passed through the country of Owari. Toshiie Maeda, who heard this, could not stand, armed himself, and participated in the battle between Okehazama without permission.
The nickname of the spear on the left is not Date, but he has achieved the result of raising several leaders, but Nobunaga still did not forgive Toshiie, but after that he continued to defeat the enemy without permission, and Nobunaga finally regained Toshiie's vassal. I decided to do it.
Even so, since he is on the side of Nobunaga during the battle between Toshiie and Okehazama, it may be said that he has an eye for people from the results. From an objective point of view, Imakawa had an overwhelming advantage, and was it due to loyalty or belief in Nobunaga's victory? If I had a chance to meet Toshiie Maeda in that world, I would love to hear from you.
Aside from that, Toshiya continued to take up wherever Nobunaga went, and fought the battles of Kanegasaki and Anegawa between the Asai and Asakura forces, the battle with Honganji, and the battle with Ikko-ikki. However, in the battle of Nagashino, which is the battle with Mr. Takeda, he participates as a gunner.
After that, he joined the army of the Shibata Katsuie, who is also his benefactor, settled Kaga's Ikko-ikki, gained military service in Hokuriku, and finally became the lord of Nanao Castle and grew into a daimyo with a territory of 230,000 stones. ..
It can be said that it is a typical upstart episode in the Warring States period.
After Nobunaga's death
In 1582, a major incident occurs in Zipangu, an island country in the Far East.
Akechi Mitsuhide defeated the lord Oda Nobunaga at Honnoji Temple.
Former best friend Toyotomi Kinoshita, who changed his name to Hideyoshi Hashiba due to the world-famous "Chugoku Otsuka", defeated Akechi Mitsuhide in the Battle of Yamazaki.
At that time, Toshiie Maeda was in a battle with Kagekatsu Uesugi with Katsuie Shibata, and was clearly delayed by one step.
Eventually, it became a question of who would succeed Nobunaga, and the confrontation between Hideyoshi and Katsuie Shibata became inevitable.
While all over Japan was watching over both armies, the public's attention was focused on where Toshiie Maeda would go.
Are you a close friend who talked about your dreams together when you were young, or a lifesaver?
What kind of feelings did Toshiie Maeda have at that time?
The battle took place at Mt. Shizugatake.
Toshiie Maeda, who has a large force of 230,000 stones, appeared on the side of Katsuie Shibata.
Did you still side with the lifesaver?
Everyone thought so, but it wasn't.
Toshiie Maeda left the battlefield in the middle of the war without moving his troops to the end.
Neither my best friend nor my benefactor betrayed me.
After the battle was over, Katsuie Shibata visited Toshiie Maeda.
It is said that Katsuie Shibata simply thanked him "Thank you."
After that, Hideyoshi Hashiba came.
Hideyoshi said, "I'm hungry, so let me eat."
After that, he survived the turbulent world of the Warring States as a good friend of Hideyoshi, and fought with Shikoku, Kyushu, and Odawara, and watched his best friend become a world-renowned man.
The dream of becoming a world-renowned man, similar to a young man's idiot, came true.
After unification of the world
Hideyoshi changed his name to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, gained the status of Kampaku and Taiko, and became a world-renowned man.
Toshiie Maeda became a Go-Bugyō with Ieyasu Tokugawa, Kagekatsu Uesugi, Terumoto Mori, and Hideie Ukita, and while assisting Hideyoshi, he restrained other daimyo.
It is said that Hideyoshi was the only person who could speak to Hideyoshi, who became a world-renowned man, in his later years, and was a strong ally of Toyotomi even after his death.
Ieyasu, who is aiming for the world, is said to have been unable to raise his head only to Toshiie.
As evidence, when Toshiie Maeda died in 1599, Ieyasu revealed his ambitions, and in 1600, the Battle of Sekigahara, the largest battle in Japanese history, began, and 15 years later, Toyotomi was destroyed. Resulting in.
After Toshiie's death, Toshiie's wife Matsu took hostage under Ieyasu, who showed his intention to conquer Kaga. Ieyasu Ieyasu couldn't go against Matsu, and the Maeda clan ruled Kaga as it was.
Personal evaluation of Toshiie Maeda
In a sense, he was a very lucky person.
Hideyoshi was the luckiest in the Warring States period, but Toshiie is probably the second.
Of course, it's not just about luck.
Hideyoshi who became a world-renowned man because he saw the courage to admit even Nobunaga, the depth of loyalty to follow Oda Nobunaga even if he was exiled, and the in-law who does not betray his benefactors and best friends. It can be said that even Ieyasu couldn't do anything if he trusted and had that virtue.
The strong ones do not survive, but the survivors are strong.
In the Warring States period, various heroes were born and disappeared.
However, Toshiie Maeda survived the difficult times and his descendants prospered greatly.
Toshiie Maeda is also one of the heroes who has made a name for himself in Japanese history.