Amago Akihisa (Amago Haruhisa) (1/2)San'in male

In the late Muromachi period, there was a daimyo who developed from the shugodai of Izumo and rose to become a powerful daimyo in the San'in region. This is the Amago family. The Amago family split from the Sasaki and Kyogoku families in Omi Province and moved to Izumo Province. A great man was born to this Amago family, Tsunehisa Amago. Tsunehisa quickly cut down the forces around him. The person who was born as Tsunehisa's grandson and became the head of the family was Haruhisa Amago. This time, we will take a look at Akihisa Amago, who advocated supremacy over the San'in.

What is the Amago family?

The Amago family into which Akihisa Amago was born is rooted in the Sasaki family of the Uda-Genji clan. The Amago family also had strong connections with the Kyogoku and Rokkaku families, which were prominent in Omi Province during the Muromachi period.

Kamakura Period

Minamoto no Yoritomo founded the Kamakura Shogunate. Hideyoshi Sasaki and his four children (Sadatsuna, Tsunetaka, Moritsuna, and Takatsuna) who served Yoritomo consistently served Yoritomo without betraying him, and were given important positions when the shogunate was established. He was appointed as the guardian of various regions, and his main territory was Omi Province (present-day Shiga Prefecture).
Hideyoshi Sasaki's grandson, Nobutsuna Sasaki, ruled Omi Province, but upon his death, he divided the territory among his children. The third son, Yasutsuna Sasaki (Rokkaku), ruled mainly in the area of Rokuhara and became the founder of the Rokkaku clan, which flourished mainly in southern Omi. The fourth son, Ujinobu Sasaki (Kyogoku), approached the regent Hojo clan in Kamakura, held important positions in the shogunate, and became the founder of the Kyogoku clan, a daimyo that continued until the Meiji period.

Nanbokucho period

Takauji Sasaki (great-grandson of Ujinobu Sasaki), who was born into the Sasaki Kyogoku family, grew in power and influence during the Nanbokucho period. Takahisa Sasaki, the grandson of Takauji, lived in Amago-go, Kora-sho, Omi Province (Kora-cho, Shiga Prefecture), and took the surname Amago. From here, the Amago clan, which was separated from the Sasaki clan and the Kyogoku clan, began.

Muromachi Period

Takahisa Amago, who founded the Amago clan, became the founder of the Omi Amago clan. And Takahisa Amago's second son was Mochihisa Amago. Amago Mochihisa was appointed as the guardian of Izumo Province, and upon entering Izumo Province, he became the lord of Gassan-Tomida Castle. This Amago Mochihisa became the founder of the Izumo Amago clan.

The Onin War occurred around the time of Kiyosada Amago, the son of Mochihisa Amago who founded the Izumo Amago clan. Gradually, the country entered the Sengoku period, when many warriors fought against each other. Kiyosada Amago belonged to the Kyogoku family, the main branch of the clan, and served as the shugodai of Izumo Province, but he gradually began to show signs of becoming independent. And Kiyosada Amago's son was Tsunehisa Amago. Tsunehisa Amago fought with the Ouchi clan, a large power located in the west, centering on Izumo Province, and invaded the Yamana clan in the east. The Amago family took control of the San'in region one after another, and Tsunehisa Amago's power grew to such an extent that he was known as the ``sovereign of 11 countries.'' The grandson of Tsunehisa Amago is Akihisa Amago.

Birth of Amago Akihisa and succession to the family headship

The Amago family moved from Omi Province and advocated domination in the San'in region.
When Tsunehisa Amago became the head of the Amago family, it greatly expanded its power. This Tsunehisa was the head of the family in 1514. Amago Akihisa was born as the second son of Amago Tsunehisa's eldest son Masahisa. However, Akihisa's older brother died young. His father, Masahisa Amago, also died during the battle of Izumo Ayo Castle when Akihisa was four years old. At this point, the position of head of the family turned to Akihisa.

When Amago Akihisa grew up, he was ordered by his grandfather Tsunehisa to become the shugodai of Hoki Province (present-day Tottori Prefecture) and govern the eastern side of the Amago family's territory. And when Akihisa turned 24 years old. In 1537, when Tsunehisa Amago retired, he became the head of the Izumo Amago family.

Expansion of power from Sanin

The following year, Tenbun 7 (1538), Amago Akihisa became the head of the family. He captured and captured the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine owned by the Ouchi family, a large power located to the west of the Amago family that controlled Suo Province and other areas.

Furthermore, to the east of the Amago clan, they subdued Inaba Province, and from there they invaded Harima Province (present-day southwestern Hyogo Prefecture), and in 1539, they captured Tatsuno Castle, expanding their reach into the western part of Kinai, mainly in the San'in region. We will expand our power by building a stronghold.

He then attacked Miki Castle belonging to the Bessho family and drove back Harumasa Akamatsu, a powerful feudal lord in Harima Province who had joined the Bessho family. He also tried to stabilize the power of Amago territory by bringing the kokujinshu and shugo daimyo of each country under his influence. After becoming the head of the family, Amako Akihisa steadily expanded his territory.

Battle of Yoshida Koriyama Castle

The Amago family used Harima Province as a foothold and showed an attitude of moving to Kyoto. There was one person, Shogun Yoshiharu Ashikaga, who felt a sense of crisis. Yoshiharu requested the Ouchi family, which was located to the west of the Amago family, to put a check on them.

The Ouchi family accepted this request and invaded Aki Province (present-day Hiroshima Prefecture). Amago Akihisa temporarily refrained from invading the Kinai area after being attacked by Kokujinshu, the daimyo of Aki Province who belonged to the Amago family. In the 9th year of Tenbun (1540), Amago Akihisa attacked Mori Motonari, a kokujin shu of Aki Province, in order to retaliate for the invasion of the Ouchi family. His grandfather, Tsunehisa Amago, who had retired, opposed this expedition, but Akihisa, who wanted to change the situation with an armed invasion, went ahead with it. As Amago Akihisa often tried to defuse situations through military force, his family seemed to view him as ``short-minded, lacking in the skills of a general, hot-tempered, and lacking in humanity.''

In both cases, Amago Akihisa attacked Yoshida Koriyama Castle, the residence of the Mori clan. At first, the situation was in Amago's favor as the locals and feudal lords of Aki Province and Iwami Province (western part of Shimane Prefecture) saw Amago's power and sided with Amago.

However, Mouri Motonari suffered a crushing defeat as he confined himself to Yoshida-Koriyama Castle and lost his family due to a thorough siege battle and reinforcements from Ouchi who rushed in as reinforcements. (Battle of Yoshida Koriyama Castle)

Battle of Gassan Tomita Castle

Now, the Amago family suffered a crushing defeat at Yoshida Koriyama Castle. The following year, Tenbun 10 (1541), Amago Tsunehisa's grandfather, Amago Tsunehisa, passed away. The Kokujinshu who belonged to the Amago family switched sides to the Ouchi family after seeing Tsunehisa's death. The Amago family suddenly turned into a crisis.
Also, around this time, Amago Akihisa received a letter from Yoshiharu Ashikaga and began to call himself Amago Haruhisa (from now on in this story, he will be called Amago Akihisa).

and Tenbun 11 (1542). The Ouchi family attacked Gassan-Tomida Castle, the residence of Amago Akihisa. The Amago family holed up in Gassan-Tomida Castle and waged a thorough siege battle. Then, the Ouchi family, which had been attacking the castle, became exhausted from the long siege, and the local people who had defected to the Ouchi family also defected. In the end, the Ouchi family gave up on attacking Gassan-Tomida Castle and retreated. During this retreat, the Amago family launched a fierce pursuit. The Ouchi clan suffered a crushing defeat, with many of the locals to whom it belonged killed in battle, and Motonari Mori almost lost his life.

After (the first Battle of Gassan-Tomida Castle), Amago Akihisa, who defeated the Ouchi family, expanded his power to the surrounding area, centering on the San'in region such as Izumo, Hoki, Mimasaka, and Oki. .

Battle with the Ouchi family and recovery of power

Amago Akihisa, who returned his army led by the Ouchi family to Gassan-Tomida Castle and attacked them, recaptured the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, which had been captured in 1543, the following year. From there, they strengthened their influence over the eastern side of Amago territory and the entire Inaba province, and repeatedly skirmished with kokujinshu and daimyo of surrounding countries.