Rokkaku Yoshihide (六角義秀)
Yoshihide ROKKAKU (1532-1569) was a busho (Japanese military commander) who lived between the Sengoku and the Azuchi Momoyama periods. He was a son of Ujitsuna ROKKAKU, a direct descendant of the Rokkaku clan (or a son of Yoshisane ROKKAKU, a son of Ujitsuna). His mother was a Naishi no suke (a court lady of the first rank) of Emperor Gonara. His lawful wife was a daughter of Nobuhiro ODA (an adopted daughter of Nobunaga). He had children such as Yoshisato ROKKAKU and Ujisada ROKKAKU. His government post was Sangi (councillor) and Shuri no daibu (Master of the Office of Palace Repairs). His childhood name was said to be Hiyoshimaru or Kamejumaru.
According to a commonly accepted theory of history, it is considered that Sadayori ROKKAKU, a younger brother of Ujitsuna, succeeded to the family estate, and since then the descendants of Sadayori had succeeded to the family estate of the Rokkaku clan. The descriptions below are based on the different opinion that the descendants of Ujitsuna succeeded to the family estate of the Rokkaku clan.
Career
IN 1545, he was celebrated his coming of age, calling himself Yoshihide, and served Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun).
After a while, he protected Kunitomo village in Omi Province and made people there produce guns systematically by order of Shogun Yoshiteru ASHIKAGA, who was positive about bringing in guns and learned how to make gunpowder. Since then Kunitomo village was known as an area that produced guns until the period of Toyotomi government, being managed and protected by the government.
In 1553, when Yoshiteru and Nagayoshi MIYOSHI fought a battle, Yoshihide got injured; since then Yoshikata ROKKAKU took a part of Jindai (one of roles as a deputy of a load) instead of Yoshihide, who was in poor health. However, Yoshikata's exclusive right caused Kannonji family feud, which brought bakufu on the brink of collapse.
Yoshikata's exclusive right formed a remote cause of the assassination of Shogun Yoshiteru in 1565, and then Yoshiaki ASHIKAGA, Yoshiteru's younger brother was patronized. He used diplomacy arranging marriage between Oichi no kata, Nobunaga ODA's younger sister by the same mother (there are various different theories about it), and Nagamasa ASAI (there is a theory that it was Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI who arranged the marriage), and gathered supportive power such as Oda, Asai, and Asakura in order to oppose Matsunaga and Miyoshi clans who assassinated Yoshiteru. In addition, he protected Kakukei in his territory, making him return to secular life under the name of Yoshiaki ASHIKAGA, and succeeded in installing him as a rival of shogun Yoshihide ASHIKAGA. Although he was not strong enough to act as a busho, he seemed not to have been completely sick in bed.
After that he was trifled with a splitting up and a confusion of his family. In 1568, when Nobunaga went to the capital (Kyoto), Yoshihide was in cooperation with him and went under the command of Nobunaga. It is not clear what happened to him later, but it is said that he passed away during the period of Nobunaga's reign. The year of his death is said to be 1569.
Henki (a portion of the name of a person in high rank, which is given to a retainer to show the subordination)
There is a theory that he employed Hideyoshi when he was still wandering about. A historical fact was written in the article of 1575, and it states that he gave henki to Tokichiro, who called himself Motoyoshi then, and had him call himself Hideyoshi; The fact was also told by Hideyoshi himself in the article of 1582 (17th and 18th volumes of "Kogen Bukan" [literally, the Directories of Bakufu Officialdom of the Minamoto Clan of Omi Province; and this book relates the time of the last four generations of the Sasaki Rokkaku clan in the form of a diary]).
In addition, he is said to have given henki to Dosan SAITO and Mitsuhide AKECHI.