Shibata Katsuie

Shibata Katsuie (柴田 勝家, 1522 – June 14, 1583) or Gonroku (権六) was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period. He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 Siege of Nagashima, but then fought in the 1577 Battle of Tedorigawa.[1]

Shibata Katsuie
柴田 勝家
Shibata Katsuie
Nickname(s)Demon Shibata (oni-shibata)
Born1522
Kamiyashiro, Owari Province
DiedJune 14, 1583(1583-06-14) (aged 60–61)
Kitanosho Castle, Echizen Province
Allegiance Oda clan
Unit Owari-Shibata clan
Battles/warsBattle of Ino
Battle of Okehazama
Siege of Inabayama
Siege of Chōkō-ji
Siege of Nagashima
Battle of Nagashino
Battle of Tedorigawa
Kaga Campaign
Siege of Uozu
Battle of Shizugatake
Spouse(s)Oichi
In this Japanese name, the surname is Shibata.

Early life
Myōtoku-ji(birthplace of Shibata Katsuie at Meitō-ku, Nagoya)

Katsuie was born in the village of Kamiyashiro (present-day Meitō-ku, Nagoya), a branch of the Shiba clan (who descended from the Ashikaga clan, and were the former suzerains of the Oda clan). Note the differences between Shibata (柴田), Shiba (斯波), and the Shibata clan of Echigo (新発田).

Military life

Katsuie was the retainer of Oda Nobukatsu (Oda Nobuyuki). When control of the Oda clan was contested, Katsuie initially supported his lord, Nobukatsu, against his elder brother Oda Nobunaga. In 1556, Katsuie launched a coup d'état against Nobunaga. He was defeated at the Battle of Inō, and in the aftermath Nobunaga had his brother executed, but impressed with the retainer's loyalty and bravery, spared the life of Katsuie. Katsuie pledged his services to Nobunaga, earning his praises.

In 1560 he fought against Imagawa Yoshimoto at the Battle of Okehazama.

In 1567 he participated in the Siege of Inabayama, in the first division of Oda Nobunaga's forces.

In 1570, while Oda–Tokugawa coalition fought at the Battle of Anegawa against the Asakura and Azai clans, Katsuie was at Chōkō-ji castle, under siege by 4,000 soldiers of the Rokkaku clan. Katsuie eventually won via an all-out attack, forcing the Rokkaku to retreat.[1]:220 This action, along with a series of brilliant victories, gained him renown as the "Oni Shibata", or "Demon Shibata".

In 1571 he fought in the Siege of Nagashima and has severely wounded.

In 1575 he fought in the Battle of Nagashino against Takeda Katsuyori.[2] After gaining control of Echizen, he took command of Kitanosho Castle (Hokujō) and was ordered to conquer the Hokuriku region.

In 1577 Nobunaga sent an army led by Shibata Katsuie and some of his most experienced generals to reinforce Shigetsura from Noto province against Uesugi Kenshin at Battle of Tedorigawa.

In 1580, he led an army, which included his general Sakuma Morimasa in a fight against the Kaga Ikko-ikki at Kanazawa Gobo.[1]:230 After controlling Noto, he began a campaign against Etchū Province in 1581.

In 1582, he and Sassa Narimasa successfully laid Siege to Uozu and Matsukura Castle.[1]:231

Death

In 1582, Nobunaga was betrayed at Honnō-ji by Akechi Mitsuhide. In a meeting in Kiyosu to determine the successor to Nobunaga, Katsuie initially supported the choice of Samboshi. He then supported Oda Nobutaka, the third son, for whom Katsuie had performed the genpuku ritual, and allied with Oda Nobutaka and Takigawa Kazumasu against Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Battle of Shizugatake
Main article: Battle of Shizugatake

In 1583, Katsuie sent his nephew Sakuma Morimasa to besiege Nakagawa Kiyohide at Shizugatake. Sakuma ignored Shibata's orders to withdraw to Ōiwa, and attacked Toyotomi Hideyoshi's returning forces. They retreated back into Echizen all the way to Kitanoshō castle, which was taken 3 days later. Katsuie committed seppuku, after killing his wife, Oichi and other members of his household, and set fire to the castle. He implored Oichi to take their daughters and leave, but she decided to follow his death, while letting her daughters escape.[3][4][1]:234

His death poem was:

夏の夜の　夢路儚き　後の名を　雲井にあげよ　山不如
Natsu no yo no
yumeji hakanaki
ato no na o
kumoi ni ageyo
yamahototogisu
"Fleeting dream paths, in the summer night! O bird of the mountain, carry my name beyond the clouds."
Grave of Shibata Katsuie

Family

Shibata Katsuie is a playable character in Koei Tecmo's Samurai Warriors 2: Empires and all subsequent Samurai Warriors, the Warriors Orochi games, and Sengoku Basara 4. He appears in Nioh 2 and Fate/Grand Order as a side character.

See also

References
  1. Turnbull, Stephen (2000). The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & C0. p. 78,221,228. ISBN 1854095234.
  2. Turnbull, Stephen (1977). The Samurai. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. pp. 156–160. ISBN 9780026205405.
  3. "Fukui Castle, Kitanosho Ruins". 2009-03-24. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  4. Sansom, George (1961). A History of Japan, 1334-1615. Stanford: Stanford University Press. p. 311-313. ISBN 0804705259.

http://www.samurai-archives.com/katsuie.html

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