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Saitō Dōsan | |
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| 斎藤道三 | |
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| Head ofSaitō clan | |
| In office 1542–1556 | |
| Succeeded by | Saitō Yoshitatsu |
| Lord of Mino | |
| In office 1542–1556 | |
| Preceded by | Toki Yorinari |
| Succeeded by | Saito Yoshitatsu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1494 |
| Died | May 28, 1556(1556-05-28) (aged 61–62) |
| Relations | Oda Nobunaga (son in law) Akechi Mitsutsuna (brother in law) |
| Children | Saitō Yoshitatsu Nōhime |
| Nickname | "Viper of Mino" |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Toki clan Saitō clan |
| Rank | Daimyo |
| Unit | Saitō clan |
| Commands | Inabayama Castle |
| Battles/wars | Mino Campaign (1542) Battle of Kanōguchi (1547) Battle of Nagara-gawa (1556) † |
Saitō Dōsan (斎藤 道三; 1494 – May 28, 1556), also known asSaitō Toshimasa (斎藤 利政), was a Japanesesamurai lord anddaimyo during theSengoku period.[1] He was also known as the"Viper of Mino" (美濃の蝮,Mino no Mamushi) for his ruthless tactics.[2] He was appointed Governor ofYamashiro by theImperial Court. After entering monkhood in his later years, he was also calledSaitō Yamashiro-nyudō-no-kami (斎藤山城入道守).
He has historical reputation as one ofJapan's Three Great Villains (日本三大梟雄), a nickname which he shared withMatsunaga Hisahide andUkita Naoie, due to their ambitious and treasonous personality, along with the habit of resorting to underhanded tactics and assassinations to eliminate their opposition.[3][4][5][6][7][8][a]
Saitō Dōsan has long been regarded as a symbolic figure of "Gekokujō" (the rise of those of lower status to positions of power), rising from a humble oil merchant to the ruler of Mino Province. However, recent research suggests that it was actually Dōsan's father who was the oil merchant. This implies that Dōsan's "Gekokujō" was a two-generation achievement involving both father and son.[12]
He became a daimyo throughGekokujō ofToki Yorinari atMino Province in 1542. Yorinari was forced out of Mino by Saitō Dōsan.[1]
The Saito fortress was located atInabayama castle.[13][14][15] He married Omi no kata, a sister ofAkechi Mitsutsuna (Akechi Mitsuhide's father).
He defeatedOda Nobuhide at theBattle of Kanōguchi in 1547.[16]
In 1549 Oda Nobuhide was defeated by Dōsan. Nobuhide made peace with Dōsan by arranging a political marriage between his son and heir,Oda Nobunaga, and Dōsan's daughter,Nōhime. Dōsan, therefore, became the father-in-law of Oda Nobunaga.[1][13] Dōsan supported the marriage which allowed Nobuhide to focus on facingImagawa Yoshimoto.
Several years later, rumors had started to circulate that Dōsan's firstborn son,Saitō Yoshitatsu, was not his natural son and Dōsan started to consider another son, Saitō Kiheiji, or even his son-in-lawOda Nobunaga, as his heirs. This caused Yoshitatsu to rebel and kill his two younger brothers. In 1556, the forces of Dōsan and Yoshitatsu clashed in theBattle of Nagara-gawa which resulted inthe death of Dōsan.[1][13]
Dōsan's head was taken by a man called Komaki Genta, a retainer of Yoshitatsu's sonSaitō Tatsuoki. His remains were originally interred inSōfuku-ji, but they were later moved toJōzai-ji because theNagara River kept overflowing and covering his burial mound.[17] Both temples are located in the city ofGifu which celebrates Dōsan with an annual festival.[18]
Saitō Dōsan is known for having a large number ofpseudonyms and for frequently changing his name. Some believe that this is because there were two Saitōs Dōsan, father and son, and the son adopted his father's name after his death. Other names of Saitō Dōsan are Minemaru (峰丸), Hōrenbō (法蓮坊), Matsunami Shogorō (松浪庄五郎), Nishimura Kankurō Masatoshi (西村勘九郎正利), Shinkurō (新九郎), Nagai Norihide (長井規秀), and Saitō Sakondayu Toshimasa (斎藤左近大夫利政).The name Saitō was adopted from the formershugodai of Mino who had been overcome by theNagai clan in the 1520s.[citation needed]
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