Kōriki Kiyonaga Explained

Kōriki Kiyonaga
Native Name:高力 清長
Order:Lord of Iwatsuki
Term Start:1590
Term End:1600
Successor:Kōriki Tadafusa
Birth Date:1530
Birth Place:Mikawa Province, Japan
Death Date:March 12, 1608
Death Place:Edo, Japan
Spouse:A daughter of Abe Michikane
Nickname:"Buddha Kōriki"
Rank:Bugyō
Commands:Iwatsuki Domain
Allegiance: Matsudaira clan
Imagawa clan
Tokugawa clan
Tokugawa Shogunate
Unit: Koriki clan
Battles:Siege of Terabe (1558)
Siege of Marune (1560)
Battle of Azukizaka (1564)
Siege of Kakegawa (1569)
Battle of Komaki and Nagakute (1584)
Siege of Odawara (1590)

was a Japanese daimyō during the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. A native of Mikawa Province, Kiyonaga served the Tokugawa clan during its battles, until 1600. In Mikawa, he served as one of Tokugawa Ieyasu "three magistrates" (san-bugyō).

Together with Amano Yasukage and Honda Shigetsugu. Yasukage was known for his patience, Shigetsugu for his fortitude, and Kiyonaga for his leniency; this leniency earned him the nickname of "Buddha Kōriki" (Hotoke Kōriki 仏高力).

Biography

Born in Mikawa, Kiyonaga first served Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1552.

In 1535, when Oda Nobuhide of Owari Province invaded Mikawa, his father Kōriki Yasunaga and grandfather Kōriki Shigenaga were both slain in a battle.[1] Kiyonaga later served Matsudaira Hirotada.

From 1552, Kiyonaga served a son of Hirotada, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and followed Ieyasu during his time as a hostage in Suruga Province.

Kiyonaga was also active in various battles including Siege of Terabe 1558.

In 1560, Kiyonaga followed Ieyasu also Siege of Marune. In May, he followed Ieyasu and participated in Imagawa Yoshimoto invasion of Owari, where he achieved great success at the Battle of Otaka Castle. He also transported provisions to Ōtaka Castle at the Battle of Okehazama.

In 1562, When Ieyasu proclaimed his independence from the Imagawa clan after the death of Yoshimoto, he accompanied Ieyasu to Kiyosu Castle in Owari when he signed the Kiyosu Alliance with the Oda clan.

In 1563 Kiyonaga manage to subdue Toro Honshu-ji Temple in the eastern Mikawa during the suppression war of the Mikawa Ikkō-ikki.

In 1564, Kiyonaga also participate in the Battle of Batogahara. After this suppression campaign ended, Kiyonaga was involved in the protection of Buddhist statues and Sutra texts of the affected territories. Due to his attempts of preventing the religious scriptures dispersal and restore the temples and shrines to their original state, he was given the nickname Buddha Kōriki by the peoples of that territories where he operates.

In 1565, he was appointed as one of the three magistrates of Mikawa, together with Amano Yasukage and Honda Shigetsugu.

In 1569, he joined in the pacification of Tōtōmi Province at Siege of Kakegawa castle.

In 1584 he took part in the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute against Toyotomi Hideyoshi, After the war, he served as a messenger to Hideyoshi, and at this time Kiyonaga impresssed Hideyoshi, and in 1586 he was given the surname Toyotomi.

In 1590, After Siege of Odawara (1590), Kiyonaga became a daimyō, when he was granted the 20,000 koku fief of Iwatsuki.

In 1592, Kiyonaga also assisted with ship construction for the Seven-Year War 1592-1598.

As he was preceded in death by his son Masanaga, Kiyonaga retired after the Sekigahara, and passed down family headship to his grandson Tadafusa.

Appendix

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Book: Miyamoto Yoshimi . 三河三奉行の実像に迫る--最初期の領国支配を任された個性の異なる三人とは? Vol. 52, No. 3 . Approaching the real figures of the Mikawa Three Magistrates--Who were the three men with different personalities who were entrusted with the governance of the domain in the early period? Vol. 52, No. 3 . 2007 . 歴史読本 . 2 June 2024 . Ja.