Maeda Toshiie

Maeda Toshiie
Personal Information
Born:	January 15, 1539
Place of Birth:	Arako Province
Died:	April 27, 1599
Cause of Death:	Illness
Place of Death:	Unknown
Style name:	前田 利家
Served:	Oda Toyotomi
Participation(s):	Battle of Okehazama Battle of Moribe Battle of Jushijo Siege of Inabayama Castle Siege of Okawachi Castle Battle of Anegawa Siege of Odani Castle Battle of Nagashino Battle of Tedorigawa Battle of Shizugatake Battle of Komaki and Nagakute - Siege of Suemori Siege of Toyama Siege of Odawara Castle (1590) - Siege of Hachigata (1590)

Maeda Toshiie (前田 利家), was the fourth son of Maeda Toshiharu and one of the Toyotomi clan's council of Five Elders.

Biography

Military Career

Serving The Oda

During his early career under the Oda clan, Maeda Toshiie's stipend was 125 koku. During his early years of service to Oda Nobunaga, Toshiie's conduct was exemplary and in 1556 his stipend was tripled after he suffered a wound in his right eye. This occurred during an attack on Nobunaga's unruly brother Oda Nobuyuki. Maeda Toshiie was involved in a incident were he left the Oda's service for a time. The incident involved a man who was master of the tea ceremony named Juami, whom Toshiie accused of stealing the wooden anchor from one of Toshiie's swords. This was no trivial matter, because without the peg to hold the blade securely inside the handle there was a risk that Toshiie's sword would fall to pieces in battle. Juami sought refuge with an other retainer and Nobunaga forbid Toshiie to exact revenge. Toshiie ignored the order and killed Juami when Nobunaga was present. The fact that Toshiie had disobeyed a command was more serious than murder, so he was dismissed from Nobunaga's service as a punishment.

In June 1560, Imagawa Yoshimoto assembled an army of possibly 25,000 men for an advance on Kyoto. Oda Nobunaga, whose territory he was first to invade, sent scouts to get an up to date picture of the situation. They reported that his border fortresses of Washizu and Marune were destroyed and that the vast bulk of the Imagawa army, including the commander-in-chief himself, had chosen to rest at a place called Dengaku - hazama, a wooden gorge where they were celebrating their victories in some style.

Oda Nobunaga took up position at Zenshoji, quite near the Imagawa's fort of Narumi, and directly in line with Dengaku - hazama. Here Nobunaga rigged up a dummy army and led 3,000 men on a circular route through the wooded hills to drop down beside Dengaku - hazama from the north.

Maeda Toshiie quietly joined Nobunaga's side and fought well, but is not readmitted into Nobunaga's service, but when Yoshimoto Imagawa's forces were routed, Toshiie came before Nobunaga and showed him not one but two enemy heads that he had taken. Toshiie won back Nobunaga's favor and was again recognized as a retainer.

Some time after the ambush at Okehazama the Saito clan's daimyo Saitō Yoshitatsu had died and his son Saitō Tatsuoki became the new daimyo. The Saito clan's retainers weren't pleased with Tatsuoki and Nobunaga saw this as an opportunity to attack Mino. As Inabayama castle was built on top of a mountain two attacks were launched. One involved climbing, the other across the river.

At the Battle of Moribe, Maeda Toshiie managed to take the head of one of Nobunaga's top rivals, Adachi Rokuhyoe. This was sufficient proof of Toshiie's loyalty and skill, so Nobunaga took Toshiie back into his service and raised his stipend to 1,125 koku.

Oda Nobunaga attacked Asakura Yoshikage at Echizen-Tetsuzuyama. Maeda Toshiie also took part. During the Oda's advance into Echizen against the Asakura clan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi captured the fortress of Kanagasaki. Nobunaga's army then fought a celebrated fighting retreat from Echizen. Oda Nobunaga's troops had advanced against the Azai's Odani castle and faced the allied forces at the Battle of Anegawa, while some troops laid siege to Yokoyama castle. Maeda Toshiie fought at Anegawa in 1570 and after the destruction of the Asakura, he received the fief of Funchu in Echizen province, worth 33,000 koku.

In 1575, during the Battle of Nagashino, Maeda Toshiie took part as the General of the Gunnery Infantry.

In 1577, Maeda Toshiie participated in the Battle of Tedorigawa against the forces of the Uesugi clan.

In 1581, Maeda Toshiie was transferred from Echizen to Noto province.

In 1582, after the Battle of Honnō-ji, Maeda Toshiie burned down Tempeiji temple at Noto-Sekidozan and defeated Nukui Kagataka, Miyake Munetaka, and the priest-soldiers while serving the Shibata.

In 1583, Maeda Toshiie served as a rearguard commander for the Shibata forces during the Battle of Shizugatake.

Serving The Toyotomi

In 1584, during the Komaki and Nagakute campaign, Maeda Toshiie aligned with the Toyotomi faction and opposed his former comrade-in-arms Sassa Narimasa at the Siege of Suemori. Toshiie successfully defeated Sassa’s forces, and this victory solidified his position as the most powerful daimyō in the region.

In 1585, Maeda Toshiie engaged once more with the forces of Sassa Narimasa during the latter’s defense of Toyama Castle. Following his defeat, Sassa Narimasa submitted, and his former domains were subsequently incorporated into an expanded fief granted to Maeda Toshiie.

In 1590, during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's siege of the Hōjō clan's capital of Odawara. As a 'curtain-raser' to the siege of Odawara, Maeda Toshiie and Uesugi Kagekatsu laid siege on Hachigata castle with 35,000 troops. The garrison under Hōjō Ujikuni held out for one month.

Maeda Toshiie was responsible for administrative and logistical duties at Nagoya during the Toyotomi campaigns in Korea.

Death

Maeda Toshiie passed away on the 27th April 1599.