Tokugawa Ieyasu

The Life of Tokugawa Ieyasu

In a small, insignificant samurai clan, was Tokugawa Ieyasu. When we picture a samurai general, we don’t usually see a patient one, but Tokugawa Ieyasu was one. “He was born as the only son of a small and struggling warlord in the province of Mikawa, somewhat to the north of present day Nagoya” (colombia.edu). Out of the many generals that fought in the sengoku jidai, he was one that became very famous. In the battle of Mikatagahara, he was allying with Oda Nobunaga which helped him during that battle. The Sengoku Jidai period started in 1467 and ended in 1567 and was ended because he created an unopposed shogunate. Tokugawa Ieyasu was important because he was very patient, made alliances, and ended the Sengoku

“Following his victory in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, however, Tokugawa Ieyasu swiftly consolidated power from his heavily fortified castle at Edo. From the beginning, the Tokugawa regime focused on re-establishing order in social, political and international affairs after a century of warfare.” (History.com). This example shows that he seized power after the battle of Edo Castle and that he was able to become Shogun and establish social order. This was the first step of ending the Sengoku Jidai when he created the shogunate. “He strengthened the social class lock and the isolation laws Toyotomi Hideyoshi made.” “He banned christianity forever, and instead everyone believed in Buddhism and Shintoism”(need) As ruler of Japan, he had complete control, no stress required. Until his retirement in 1605, which was a wise choice, he was unstoppable. With that, Nobuyasu, Ieyasu’s son, was not opposed after his death which carried on his legacy. Tokugawa Ieyasu was a significant person because of many reasons. The most important reasons he was successful during the Sengoku Jidai he was patient. Another factor to his success was his alliance making. His patience and his alliance making set him apart from other leaders of his time. With these skills, he was able to end the Sengoku Jidai. He lived for 60 years, outlasting Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Shingen. Finally, in 1616, he became sick and died. It’s important to learn about Ieyasu’s success. Out of all the ruling families, the Tokugawa family was most