Shitennō (Tokugawa clan)
The Four Heavenly Kings of the Tokugawa (徳川四天王, Tokugawa-shitennō) is a Japanese sobriquet describing four highly effective samurai generals who fought on behalf of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Sengoku period. They were famous during their lifetimes as the four most fiercely loyal vassals of the Tokugawa clan in the early Edo period.[1]
In 1586, according to "Sakakibara clan historical records", Ieyasu sent Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa, and Ii Naomasa as representatives to Kyoto, where three of them being regarded as "Tokugawa Sanketsu"(Three great nobles of Tokugawa).[2] Then in following month, the three of them joined by Tadatsugu Sakai to accompany Ieyasu in his personal trip to Kyoto, where the four of them "became famous".[2]
In 1894, Frederick Dickins also recorded in english language the existence of "four Tokugawa guardians" during Sengoku period, although Dickins did not mentions those individuals name.[3]
Etymology[edit]
The sobriquet evolved from the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Buddhist iconography. These are said to be the guardians of the four horizons.[4]
Fudai leaders[edit]
Each of these four generals was the founder of a cadet branch clan:
- Honda Tadakatsu[5] of the Honda clan[6]
- Ii Naomasa[7] of the Ii clan[8]
- Sakakibara Yasumasa[1] of the Sakakibara clan[9]
- Sakai Tadatsugu[1] of the Sakai clan[10]
Tokugawa Four Gallery[edit]
-
Ii Naomasa
(1561–1602) -
Honda Tadakatsu
(1548–1610) -
Sakakibara Yasumasa
(1548–1606) -
Sakai Tadatsugu
(1527–1596)
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b c Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric et al. (2005). "Sakakibara Yasumasa" in Japan Encyclopedia, pp. 811., p. 811, at Google Books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File Archived 24 May 2012 at archive.today.
- ^ a b Tetsuo Nakamura; Kazuo Murayama (1991). 徳川四天王: 精強家康軍団奮闘譜 歴史群像シリーズ22号. 学研プラス. pp. 111, 125. ISBN 4051053679. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ Dickins, Frederick Victor (1894), The Life of Sir Harry Parkes, vol. 2: Minister Plenipotentiary to Japan, London, Macmillian and co., p. 9
- ^ Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric et al. (2005). "Shi-tennō" in Japan Encyclopedia, pp. 875., p. 875, at Google Books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File Archived 24 May 2012 at archive.today.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Honda Tadakatsu" at p. 347., p. 347, at Google Books
- ^ Appert, Georges. (1888). "Honda" in Ancien Japon, pp. 65., p. 65, at Google Books
- ^ Nussbaum, "Ii Naomasa" at p. 374., p. 374, at Google Books
- ^ Appert, "Ii" at Ancien Japon, p. 67., p. 67, at Google Books
- ^ Appert, "Sakakiwara" at Ancien Japon, p. 77., p. 77, at Google Books
- ^ Appert, "Sakai" at Ancien Japon, p. 76., p. 76, at Google Books
References[edit]
- Appert, Georges and H. Kinoshita. (1888). Ancien Japon. Tokyo: Imprimerie Kokubunsha. OCLC 4429674
- Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 48943301
Further reading[edit]
- Bolitho, Harold. (1974). Treasures Among Men: The Fudai Daimyo in Tokugawa Japan. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-01655-0; OCLC 185685588
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