Date Masamune 伊達政宗 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Head ofDate clan | |
| In office 1584–1636 | |
| Preceded by | Date Terumune |
| Succeeded by | Date Tadamune |
| Daimyō ofSendai Domain | |
| In office 1600–1636 | |
| Succeeded by | Date Tadamune |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bontenmaru September 5, 1567 |
| Died | June 27, 1636(1636-06-27) (aged 68) Edo, Japan |
| Height | 159.4 cm (5 ft 3 in) |
| Spouse | Megohime |
| Children | Date Hidemune Date Tadamune Irohahime Muuhime |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Onamihime (aunt) Rusu Masakage (uncle) Ishikawa Akimitsu (uncle) Kokubu Morishige (uncle) Date Shigezane (cousin) Mogami Yoshiaki (maternal uncle) |
| Nickname(s) | "Dokuganryū" One-Eyed Dragon of Ōshū |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Date clan Toyotomi clan Eastern Army Tokugawa shogunate |
| Rank | Daimyo |
| Unit | Date clan |
| Commands | Sendai domain |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Hitotoribashi Battle of Kōriyama Siege of Kurokawa Battle of Suriagehara Siege of Sukagawa Kunohe Rebellion Korean Campaign Sekigahara Campaign Battle of Matsukawa Osaka Campaign |
Date Masamune (伊達 政宗;DAH-tay; September 5, 1567 – June 27, 1636) was a Japanesesamurai anddaimyō during theAzuchi–Momoyama period through the earlyEdo period. Heir to a long line of powerful feudal lords in theTōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city ofSendai. An outstanding tactician, he was made all the more iconic for his missing eye, as Masamune was often calleddokuganryū (独眼竜), or the"One-Eyed Dragon ofŌshū".[1] As a legendary warrior and leader, Masamune is a character in a number ofJapanese period dramas.
Date Masamune was born as Bontenmaru (梵天丸) later Tojirō (藤次郎), as the eldest son ofDate Terumune, likely born inYonezawa Castle (in modernYamagata Prefecture).[2] At the age of 14 in 1581, Masamune led his first campaign, helping his father fight theSōma clan. His buddhist name is “Zuiganjiden Teizan Zenri Daikoji”. In 1584, at the age of 17, Masamune succeeded his father, Terumune, who chose to retire from his position asdaimyō. Masamune's army was recognized by its black armor and golden headgear.
Masamune is known for a few things that made him stand out from otherdaimyō of the time. In particular, his famous crescent-moon-bearinghelmet won him a fearsome reputation. As a child,smallpox robbed him of sight in his right eye, though it is unclear exactly how he lost the organ entirely.[3] Various theories behind the eye's condition exist. Some sources say he plucked out the eye himself when a senior member of the clan pointed out that an enemy could grab it in a fight. Others say that he had his trusted retainerKatakura Kojūrō gouge out the eye for him, making him the "One-Eyed Dragon" of Ōshu.[4]
TheDate clan had built alliances with neighboring clans through marriages over previous generations, but local disputes remained commonplace. Shortly after Masamune's succession in 1584, a Date retainer namedŌuchi Sadatsuna defected to the Ashina clan of theAizu region. Masamune declared war on Ōuchi and the Ashina for this betrayal, and started a campaign to hunt down Sadatsuna. Formerly amicable alliances were cast aside as he began to attack and conquer the lands of Sadatsuna's allies in pursuit, even those of his kin inMutsu andDewa Province.
In the winter of 1585, one of these allies,Nihonmatsu Yoshitsugu felt defeat was approaching and chose to surrender to the Date instead. Masamune agreed to accept the surrender, but on the heavy condition that the Nihonmatsu give up most of their territory to the Date. This resulted in Yoshitsugu kidnapping Masamune's father Terumune during their meeting in Miyamori Castle, where Terumune was staying during the time. The incident ended with Terumune and Yoshitsugu killed as the fleeing Nihonmatsu party clashed with the pursuing Date troops near theAbukuma River.[5]
Due to the death of Date Terumune by the hands of Nihonmatsu Yoshitsugu, Masamune swore vengeance. In January 1586, Masamune had his revenge by launching an attack against the Nihonmatsu at theBattle of Hitotoribashi.[6] The following year, Date Masamune once again attacked Nihonmatsu atBattle of Koriyama in 1588, the son of Hatakeyama Yoshitsugu set the castle on fire and fled toAizu. Various records of the event exist, although they present different accounts of its circumstances. That same year, he effectively won aseries of battles against theSoma andAshina clans.[7]
In 1589, the Date clan fought many battles with their neighbours afterwards, including theSiege of Kurokawa andBattle of Suriagehara against Ashina clan. After defeating the Ashina clan, Masamune madeKurokawa Castle inAizu domain his base of operations. Later, Masamune fought in theSiege of Sukagawa and defeatedNikaidō clan. In the end 1589, Masamune sealed the Date clan's hegemony over southernMutsu Province.
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In 1590,Toyotomi Hideyoshiseized Odawara Castle and compelled theTōhoku-regiondaimyō to participate in the campaign. Although Masamune refused Hideyoshi's demands at first, he had no real choice in the matter since Hideyoshi was the virtual ruler of Japan. Masamune still delayed, infuriating Hideyoshi. Expecting to be executed, Masamune, wearing his finest clothes and showing no fear, faced his angry overlord. Not wanting further trouble, Hideyoshi spared his life, saying that "He could be of some use."
Being a major power in northern Japan, Masamune was naturally viewed with suspicion, as any potential rival would be viewed. Toyotomi Hideyoshi reduced the size of his land holdings after his tardiness in coming to theSiege of Odawara againstHōjō Ujimasa.
In 1591, Masamune forfeited the ancestral land of the Date Clan (present dayDate City,Kawamata,Koori, andKunimi) to Hideyoshi, causing widespread riots. He never regained the territory.[8]
After he fought againstKunohe Rebellion, he was given Iwatesawa and the surrounding lands as his home domain. Masamune moved there, rebuilt theIwatesawa Castle, renamed itIwadeyama, and encouraged the growth of a town at its base.[9] Masamune stayed at Iwadeyama for 13 years and turned the region into a major political and economic center.
He and his men served with distinction in the HideyoshiKorean invasions In 1592–1598.
In 1598, after Hideyoshi's death, Masamune began to supportTokugawa Ieyasu—apparently at the advice ofKatakura Kojūrō.Tokugawa Ieyasu increased the size of his lands again, but was constantly suspicious of Masamune and his policies. Although Tokugawa Ieyasu and other Date allies were always suspicious of him, Date Masamune for the most part served the Tokugawa loyally.
In 1600, under Tokugawa eastern army, he fought in Sekigahara Campaign atSiege of Shiroishi andSiege of Hasedo. Later, Tokugawa Ieyasu awarded Masamune the lordship of the huge and profitableSendai Domain, which made Masamune one of Japan's most powerfuldaimyō. Tokugawa had promised Masamune a one-millionkoku domain, but, even after substantial improvements were made, the land only produced 640,000koku, most of which was used to feed the Edo region.
In 1604, Masamune, accompanied by 52,000 vassals and their families, moved to what was then the small fishing village ofSendai. He left his fourth son, Date Muneyasu, to rule Iwadeyama. Masamune would turn Sendai into a large and prosperous city.
In 1614 and 1615, he fought in theOsaka campaigns against theToyotomi Clan.
Later in 1616, when Tokugawa Ieyasu was on his deathbed, Masamune visited him and read him a piece ofZen poetry. Masamune was highly respected for hisethics; a still-quoted aphorism is, "Rectitude carried to excess hardens into stiffness; benevolence indulged beyond measure sinks into weakness."
Masamune was viewed with caution by Ieyasu andHidetada, but gained trust during the reign ofIemitsu. As someone who did not experience theWarring States period, Iemitsu had a fondness for hearing stories from the warlords who lived during that time, such as Masamune andTachibana Muneshige.[10] In 1636, Masamune died of a combination ofesophageal cancer andperitonitis at the age of 68 years. He was returned to Sendai in the same daimyō procession as when he was alive. Thebakufu gave approval for his eldest legitimate son,Date Tadamune, to inherit the Date clan territory.
Masamune expanded trade in the northeastern Tōhoku region. Although initially faced with attacks by hostile clans, he managed to overcome them after a few defeats and eventually ruledone of the largest fiefdoms of the laterTokugawa shogunate. He built many palaces and worked on many projects to beautify the region. He is also known to have encouraged foreigners to come to his land. Even though he funded and promoted an envoy to establish relations with the Pope in Rome, he was likely motivated at least in part by a desire for foreign technology, similar to that of other lords, such asOda Nobunaga. Further, once Tokugawa Ieyasu outlawed Christianity, Masamune reversed his position, and though disliking it, let Ieyasu persecute Christians in his domain. For 270 years, Tōhoku remained a place of tourism, trade, and prosperity.Matsushima, for instance, a series of tiny islands, was praised for its beauty and serenity by the wanderinghaiku poetMatsuo Bashō.
He showed sympathy for Christian missionaries and traders in Japan. In addition to allowing them to come and preach in his province, he also released the prisoner and missionaryPadre Sotelo from the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Date Masamune allowed Sotelo as well as other missionaries to practice their religion and win converts in Tōhoku.
Masamune notably funded and backed one of Japan's few journeys of far-flung diplomacy and exploration in this period. He ordered the building of the exploration shipSan Juan Bautista, using foreign (European)ship-building techniques. He sent one of his retainers,Hasekura Tsunenaga, Sotelo, and an embassy numbering 180 on a successful voyage to establish relations with the Pope inRome. This expedition visited such places as thePhilippines,Mexico,Spain and Rome. Previously, Japanese lords had never funded this sort of venture, so it was probably the first successful voyage.[11] At least five members of the expedition stayed inCoria (Seville) of Spain to avoid the persecution of Christians in Japan. 600 of their descendants, with the surname Japón (Japan), are now living in Spain.
When the Tokugawa government banned Christianity, Masamune had to obey the law. However, some sources suggest that Masamune's eldest daughter, Irohahime, was a Christian.[12]
According to 21st century historian Watanabe, no historical documents have been found from the Sengoku period that refer to Masamune as the "One-Eyed Dragon." The moniker was first found in the 1830, the famous Confucian scholarRai San'yō wrote a poem about Masamune in his "Eishi Zekku" (Eishi Quaal Poems), in which he referred to him as the "One-Eyed Dragon". Originally, "One-Eyed Dragon" nickname was the nickname of Li Keyong, who was active in the lateTang Dynasty in China. Li Keyong was known as an excellent military commander, and Daimon suspected that San'yō most likely compared Masamune to Li Keyong in that poem.
There is no record of Masamune ever wearing an eyepatch. A portrait of Date Masamune (by Yasunobu Kano) held by the Sendai City Museum is depicted with both eyes open, in accordance with Masamune's will. Portraits and wooden statues made after his death show both eyes open, with the right eye slightly smaller. Daimon also discusses how Masanune's eyepatch appearance fluctuated in 20th century entertainment. The 1942 film "Dokuganryu Masamune" marked the first time Masamune appeared wearing an eyepatch. ActorKen Watanabe, who played the lead role of Masamune in the 1987 NHK historical drama "Dokuganryu Masamune," appeared wearing an eyepatch made from the tsuba of a sword over his right eye. Since then, this appearance has become established for portrayals of Masamune.[26]
Masamune is the protagonist of the anime seriesMasamune Datenicle, produced by thecity of Date in collaboration with FukushimaGainax in order to promote the city's historic connection to the Date Clan. In this series, he is depicted as a child taking on the role of leader of his clan for the first time. Previous leaders of the Date Clan manifest in order to help him prepare for his first battle.[27]
Theprofessional wrestling organizationOsaka Pro Wrestling featured two wrestlers using thering namesMasamune and Hideyoshi, who together form thetag team "Sengoku".[28][29]
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| Preceded by none | Daimyō of Sendai 1600–1636 | Succeeded by |
