Ikeda Tsuneoki (1536 – May 18, 1584), also known as Ikeda Nobuteru, was a prominent daimyo of the Ikeda clan and a distinguished military commander during Japan's Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He served under the influential warlords Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Tsuneoki’s connection to Nobunaga began early, as his mother, Yotokuin, was Nobunaga’s wet nurse and later became a concubine to Oda Nobuhide, Nobunaga's father.
Early Life and Background
Tsuneoki’s childhood name is unknown, but he was commonly called Katsuzaburo. His father, Ikeda Tsunetoshi, served Oda Nobuhide. Born in one of several debated provinces (Owari, Mino, Settsu, or Omi), Tsuneoki rose to prominence as one of the four karo (senior retainers) at Kiyosu Castle. He held the title of Kii-no-kami ("Governor of Kii Province") and adopted the courtesy name Shozaburo. Later in life, after becoming a priest, he referred to himself as Shonyū.
Military Achievements
1556–1570: Early Campaigns
- In 1556, Tsuneoki played a key role in suppressing the treasonous Oda Nobuyuki, Nobunaga’s younger brother.
- In 1560, he led forces in the historic Battle of Okehazama against Imagawa Yoshimoto.
- By 1570, he commanded troops at the Battle of Anegawa, contributing to Nobunaga’s victory over the Azai-Asakura alliance.
1571–1577: Consolidation of Power
- Tsuneoki participated in the Siege of Mount Hiei, a campaign to neutralize the militant Buddhist monks of Ishiyama Honganji, and the attacks on Nagashima Ikko-ikki.
- He fought at the Siege of Makishima Castle in 1573, securing the surrender of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the last Ashikaga shogun.
- Tsuneoki’s victories continued at the Battles of Nagashino (1575) and Tedorigawa (1577), where he fought the Takeda and Uesugi clans, respectively.
1580–1582: Rising Influence
- In 1580, Tsuneoki captured Hanakuma Castle, defeating Araki Murashige, and was rewarded with domains in Settsu Province.
- Following the Incident at Honnō-ji in 1582, Tsuneoki led 4,000 troops under Hashiba Hideyoshi’s command at the Battle of Yamazaki, defeating Akechi Mitsuhide. He also participated in the Kiyosu Castle conference, which determined Nobunaga’s successor.
1583–1584: Final Campaigns
- In 1583, Tsuneoki supported Hideyoshi at the Battle of Shizugatake against Shibata Katsuie, earning 130,000 koku in Mino Province and becoming lord of Ogaki Castle.
- In 1584, during the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, he captured Inuyama Castle but was ultimately defeated in a decisive engagement at Nagakute. Tsuneoki, along with his eldest son Ikeda Motosuke and son-in-law Mori Nagayoshi, was killed by Tokugawa Ieyasu’s forces.
Legacy
Despite his tragic death, Tsuneoki’s legacy endured through his children. His daughter Ikeda Sen survived the battle, and his second son, Ikeda Terumasa, succeeded him as head of the Ikeda clan. Terumasa later became a prominent daimyo under the Tokugawa shogunate. Tsuneoki is remembered as a loyal and skilled commander who played a crucial role in shaping the political and military landscape of his era.
See also
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Araki Murashige
Araki Murashige (1535 – June 20, 1586) was a samurai and retainer of Ikeda Katsumasa, the head of the powerful Settsu-Ikeda clan in Settsu Province. Initially serving under Katsumasa, he aligned himself with Oda Nobunaga after Nobunaga’s successful campaign to establish control over Kyoto.
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Yuki Hideyasu
Yuki Hideyasu (March 1, 1574 – June 2, 1607) was a Japanese samurai who lived during the Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods, serving as the daimyō of Fukui Domain in Echizen Province. Born Tokugawa Ogimaru, he was the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Lady Oman (also known as Lady Kogō), a handmaiden to Ieyasu’s wife, Lady Tsukiyama. Due to Ieyasu’s fears of his wife’s reaction to Oman’s pregnancy, Ogimaru and his twin brother were born in secrecy at the home of Honda Shigetsugu, one of Ieyasu’s retainers. Oman’s other son eventually became a priest, while Ogimaru was raised apart from Ieyasu, whom he only met at the age of three, in a meeting arranged by his older half-brother, Matsudaira Nobuyasu.
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Tsutsui Sadatsugu
Tsutsui Sadatsugu (June 6, 1562 – April 2, 1615) was a prominent figure in the Sengoku and early Edo periods, known as the cousin and adopted heir of Tsutsui Junkei, the feudal lord of Yamato Province. Following Junkei's death in 1584, Toyotomi Hideyoshi relocated Sadatsugu to Iga Province, where he oversaw the construction of Iga Ueno Castle, marking the height of his prominence.
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Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
Matsudaira Kiyoyasu (September 28, 1511 – November 29, 1535) served as the 7th lord of the Matsudaira clan during Japan's tumultuous Sengoku period. Renowned as the paternal grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of Japan's "great unifiers," Kiyoyasu expanded his clan’s influence, bringing all of northern Mikawa Province under his control after subduing the Saigo clan. His power was further symbolized by the construction of Okazaki Castle, a testament to the Matsudaira’s growing dominance.
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Matsudaira Hirotada
Matsudaira Hirotada (June 9, 1526 – April 3, 1549) was a daimyo and lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa Province during Japan’s turbulent Sengoku Period. He is best known as the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.
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Oda Nobutaka
Oda Nobutaka (1558–1583) was a samurai of the Oda clan, also known as Kanbe Nobutaka after being adopted as the head of the Kanbe clan, which governed the central region of Ise Province. He was the third son of Oda Nobunaga, born to a concubine named Sakashi. Nobutaka was referred to as "San Shichi," possibly because he was born on the seventh day of the third month in the Japanese lunar calendar. However, there is a theory suggesting he was born twenty days earlier than his elder brother, Oda Nobukatsu, but due to delays in reporting and the low status of his mother’s family, he was acknowledged as Nobunaga’s third son.
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Yamauchi Kazutoyo
Yamauchi Kazutoyo (also spelled Yamanouchi; 1545/1546? – November 1, 1605) was a prominent samurai and retainer who served Oda Nobunaga and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Japan's Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. His father, Yamauchi Moritoyo, was a descendant of Fujiwara no Hidesato and a senior retainer of the Iwakura Oda clan, which opposed Oda Nobunaga. Moritoyo was also the lord of Kuroda Castle in Owari Province. Kazutoyo is especially renowned for his marriage to Yamauchi Chiyo, whose wisdom and resourcefulness played a key role in his rise to prominence.
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Saito Tatsuoki
Saito Tatsuoki (6 September 1548 - 1573) was a daimyo of Mino Province during Japan's Sengoku period and the third-generation lord of the Saito clan. He was the son of Saito Yoshitatsu and grandson of Saito Dosan. His mother was a daughter of Azai Hisamasa, making him a nephew of Azai Nagamasa and a relative of Oda Nobunaga's first wife, Nohime, who was also a daughter of Saito Dosan.
