Amago Haruhisa
Encyclopedia
was a powerful warlord in Chūgoku region
, Japan
. He is the second son of Amago Masahisa. Initially named Akihisa (詮久), he changed his name to Haruhisa in 1541 after Ashikaga Yoshiharu
offered to let him use a kanji
from his name.
After his father, Amago Masahisa, died early in battle, he became the head of Amago clan
in 1537 after his grandfather stepped down. He launched a series of invasions to expand his domain, going as far as Harima. But in 1540, the Siege of Koriyama
against Mōri Motonari
ended in a humiliating defeat, and many of his retainers defected believing that Haruhisa's days were numbered. His grandfather Amago Tsunehisa
died the next year and Ōuchi Yoshitaka
launched a counter attack to finish the Amago clan. Haruhisa managed to stave off the invasion, encouraging those retainers who had defected earlier, and after gathering enough troops, managed to repel it. From this point, Haruhisa worked to secure his footing and control of such domains as Izumo
, Hoki
, Mimasaka
, and Oki
. When on 1551, Ōuchi Yoshitaka was killed by Sue Harukata
's rebellion, in 1552, the Muromachi shogunate offered Haruhisa lordship over eight domains including those four domains he already fully controlled.
In his later years, Haruhisa suddenly decided to kill his uncle Amago Kunihisa
as well as those retainers under him collectively called Shingūtō (新宮党) from the town Shingū which was their power base, resulting in a serious shortage of battle-proven leaders. While it was generally thought, largely from various fiction works that emphasize Mori Motonari's prowess, that this action was carried out by Motonari in order to weaken Haruhisa's power, it is now thought most likely that this was a move by Haruhisa himself to solidify control of the Amago clan.
When Sue Harutaka lost against Mori Motonari dying in the Battle of Itsukushima, Haruhisa saw an opportunity to claim Iwami
and making an alliance with Ogasawara clan of Iwami, moved to claim Omori Silver Mine. Motonari launched a counter attack and both clashed in a string of battles with no clear winner. Haruhisa collapsed in Gassantoda Castle
on 1560 while engaged in a battle against Motonari and died on January 9.
It is written in Unyo Gunjitsuki that Amago Hisayuki commented that Haruhisa was "Quick to act, lacking in the discipling of a general; quick to seek battle, lacking in forgiveness."
Chugoku region
The , also known as the , is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. It has a population of about 7.8 million.- History :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He is the second son of Amago Masahisa. Initially named Akihisa (詮久), he changed his name to Haruhisa in 1541 after Ashikaga Yoshiharu
Ashikaga Yoshiharu
was the 12th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who held the reins of supreme power from 1521 through 1546 during the late Muromachi period of Japan...
offered to let him use a kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
from his name.
After his father, Amago Masahisa, died early in battle, he became the head of Amago clan
Amago clan
The , descended from the Emperor Uda by the Sasaki clan .Sasaki Takahisa in the 14th century, having lost his parents at the age of three years, he was brought up by a nun...
in 1537 after his grandfather stepped down. He launched a series of invasions to expand his domain, going as far as Harima. But in 1540, the Siege of Koriyama
Siege of Koriyama
took place from 1540 until 1541 in Yoshida, Aki Province, Japan during the Sengoku period. Amako Haruhisa, with 30,000 men, attacked Koriyama Castle, which belonged to Mōri Motonari and was defended by 8,000 men. When Mōri sent an army to relieve the siege, Amako was forced to leave....
against Mōri Motonari
Mori Motonari
was a prominent daimyō in the west Chūgoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century.-Early years:Mōri Motonari was born under the name Shojumaru in a small domain of Aki province in 1497. He is said to have been born at Suzuo Castle, his mother's homeland...
ended in a humiliating defeat, and many of his retainers defected believing that Haruhisa's days were numbered. His grandfather Amago Tsunehisa
Amago Tsunehisa
was a powerful warlord who gained the hegemony in Chūgoku region, Japan starting as a vassal of the Rokkaku clan. He ruled the domains of Inaba, Hōki, Izumo, Iwami, Oki, Harima, Mimasaka, Bizen, Bitchū, Bingo, and Aki....
died the next year and Ōuchi Yoshitaka
Ouchi Yoshitaka
was a daimyo of Suo province and a son of Ōuchi Yoshioki.In 1522, he fought the Amago clan along with his father, Yoshioki, to win the control of Aki province. Upon Yoshioki's death in 1528, Yoshitaka became the head of Ōuchi clan. In the 1530s, he led a military actions in the northern Kyūshū,...
launched a counter attack to finish the Amago clan. Haruhisa managed to stave off the invasion, encouraging those retainers who had defected earlier, and after gathering enough troops, managed to repel it. From this point, Haruhisa worked to secure his footing and control of such domains as Izumo
Izumo Province
was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province is in the Chūgoku Region.- History :It was one of the regions of ancient Japan where major political powers arose...
, Hoki
Hoki Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the western part of Tottori Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Hōki bordered on Inaba, Mimasaka, Bitchū, Bingo, and Izumo Provinces....
, Mimasaka
Mimasaka Province
or was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today northeastern Okayama Prefecture. Mimasaka bordered Bitchū, Bizen, Harima, Hōki, and Inaba Provinces....
, and Oki
Oki Province
was an old province of Japan which is now Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Oki province consisted of the Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan, located off the coast of the provinces of Izumo and Hōki....
. When on 1551, Ōuchi Yoshitaka was killed by Sue Harukata
Sue Harukata
was a retainer of the Ōuchi clan in the Sengoku period in Japan. Harukata would later become a daimyo. He was the second son of Sue Okifusa, senior retainer of the Ōuchi clan. His childhood name was Goro. Before Harukata he had the name of Takafusa...
's rebellion, in 1552, the Muromachi shogunate offered Haruhisa lordship over eight domains including those four domains he already fully controlled.
In his later years, Haruhisa suddenly decided to kill his uncle Amago Kunihisa
Amago Kunihisa
was a son of Tsunehisa.Kunihisa's faction was named Shingūtō after the town, Shingu where it was based. He had been called "On the military matters, he is like a kami and a oni" from his father, Tsunehisa. But he often looked down on those who did not do well on the battlefield and was obnoxious...
as well as those retainers under him collectively called Shingūtō (新宮党) from the town Shingū which was their power base, resulting in a serious shortage of battle-proven leaders. While it was generally thought, largely from various fiction works that emphasize Mori Motonari's prowess, that this action was carried out by Motonari in order to weaken Haruhisa's power, it is now thought most likely that this was a move by Haruhisa himself to solidify control of the Amago clan.
When Sue Harutaka lost against Mori Motonari dying in the Battle of Itsukushima, Haruhisa saw an opportunity to claim Iwami
Iwami Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the western part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Iwami bordered Aki, Bingo, Izumo, Nagato, and Suō provinces.In the Heian era the capital was at modern-day Hamada....
and making an alliance with Ogasawara clan of Iwami, moved to claim Omori Silver Mine. Motonari launched a counter attack and both clashed in a string of battles with no clear winner. Haruhisa collapsed in Gassantoda Castle
Gassantoda Castle
Gassantoda Castle is a mountain castle, or yamashiro, located in Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Today, only its ruins still stand.-Significance:...
on 1560 while engaged in a battle against Motonari and died on January 9.
It is written in Unyo Gunjitsuki that Amago Hisayuki commented that Haruhisa was "Quick to act, lacking in the discipling of a general; quick to seek battle, lacking in forgiveness."
See also
- Amago Siki(in Japanese) - A detailed site with a complete record of Amago clan.