Horio Yoshiharu

After seeing Yoshiharu wrestling a wild boar, Toyotomi Hideyoshi brought Yoshiharu into his service. Yoshiharu served Hashiba Hideyoshi (Toyotomi Hideyoshi) when Oda Nobunaga attacked Inabayama Castle in 1567.[1]

In 1582, after the Battle of Tenmokuzan, he executed Oyamada Nobushige when Nobushige went to the Oda clan camp. When Hideyoshi attacked Bitchū Takamatsu Castle, Yoshiharu conducted an inquest into the death of Shimizu Muneharu.

After the death of Nobunaga, He shined as a retainer of Hideyoshi. Horio killed Saito Toshikazu after he attempt to scroll past Hideyoshi's lines at the Battle of Yamazaki.[2] He was involved in various battles such as the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583.

In 1590, Hideyoshi awarded him 120,000 koku at Hamamatsu, Tōtōmi Province because of the credit for the siege of Odawara. Horio Yoshiharu, Nakamura Kazuuji and Ikoma Chikamasa were appointed the three chūrō by Hideyoshi in his last years, and participated in the "Toyotomi administration".

In 1598, Yoshiharu switched his allegiance to Tokugawa Ieyasu after the death of Hideyoshi. In 1599, he transferred responsibility as head of the family to his son, Horio Tadauji, and was given 50,000 koku as a domain to live after retirement at Fuchu, Echizen Province.

In 1600, Yoshiharu took part in Ieyasu's force. He killed Kaganoi Shigemochi, who killed Mizuno Tadashige on August 27 at Chiryu, Mikawa Province, but was injured by Shigemochi. Because of that, he could not take part in the Battle of Sekigahara on October 21. However, Ieyasu gave him 240,000 koku at Toda, Izumo Province after the battle, because Yoshiharu had killed Shigemochi and Tadauji had substituted the performance of exploits at the battle on his behalf.