Oda Nobuyuki (織田信行)
Nobuyuki ODA was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the Sengoku period (period of warring states). Although his name is widely known as Nobuyuki, only Nobukatsu, Tatsunari and Nobunari are found in self-issued documents. Apart from the name Nobuyuki, he is more often called as Nobukatsu. His common name was Kanjuro (勘重郎) (also written as 勘十郎).
His father was Nobuhide ODA and his mother was Dota-gozen, who was also a mother of Nobunaga ODA. He was a younger brother-uterine of Nobunaga. He was the lord of Suemori-jo Castle (Owari Province). He had sons including Nobusumi TSUDA, who was killed after he Honnoji Incident, and Nobukane ODA, who served Nobutaka ODA, a son of Nobunaga.
Biography
He was born in 1536 as the fourth son of Nobuhide ODA.
His elder brother Nobunaga ODA acted foolishly throwing incense powder at butsuzen (before the Buddha or a mortuary tablet) in a funeral ceremony for his father Nobuhide in 1551, where as Kanjuro Nobuyuki was described with opposing act as 'he dressed in a dignified manner and acted in accord with the rules of etiquette' ("Shinchoko-ki" [Biography of Nobunaga ODA]).
In May 1555, Tatsunari (changed name from Nobuyuki) started to claim kanto (government service) of danjo no jo (a post named "jo" [referring to a judge] in the "Danjo" [referring to the Ministry of Justice]), which was claimed by family head for generations, over the head of Nobunaga and he became the only opponent of Nobunaga in the family.
In June 1555, hearing that his younger brother Hidetaka ODA was mistakenly killed by Saizo SUGA who was a vassal of his uncle Nobutsugu ODA, he became infuriated and he burnt down castle town of Moriyama-jo Castle (Owari Province), which was residence of Nobutsugu.
In April 1556, the father-in-law Dosan SAITO who was a supporter of Nobunaga defeated and died in a battle against legitimate son Yoshitatsu SAITO, and Tatsunari took up arms against Nobunaga with Hidesada HAYASHI, Michitomo HAYASHI and Katsuie SHIBATA to embezzle Shinogi and Sango which were the land directly controlled by Nobunaga. However on August 24, Katsuie SHIBATA was defeated in Inou, and Michitomo HAYASHI die on the battlefield (Battle of Inou). Defeated Tatsunari besieged in Suemori-jo Castle (Owari Province) and Tatsunari, Hidesada HAYASHI and Katsuie SHIBATA were pardoned through real mother Dota-gozen of both Nobunaga and Tatsunari. Danjo no jo Tatsunari changed his name to Musashi no kami (Governor of Musashi Province) Nobunari.
In 1557, Nobunari plotted for a rebellion again by communicating secretly to Nobuyasu ODA of Iwakura-jo Castle (Owari Province) and tried to embezzle Shinogi and Sango. However, Katsuie SHIBATA, who was in opposition to Nobunari and his vassals, reported the movement to Nobunaga. After that Nobunari received a news of Nobunaga falling ill and he confirmed the truth of the rumor with Katsuie SHIBATA.
Nobunari was persuaded by Katsuie as 'If you can deceive Lord Nobunaga into writing a letter of hand over, Oda family shall be yours, as Lord Nobutomo ODA is already dead.'
On November 2, Nobunari visited Kiyosu-jo Castle for inquiry of Nobunaga; however he was killed by Hidetaka KAWAJIRI in tsugi-no-ma (anteroom of the main formal reception) of north castle tower of Kiyosu-jo Castle, under the order of Nobunaga. He died at age of 21.
His son Bomaru (later Nobusumi TSUDA) survived without problems as Dota-gozen saved the life.