Ieyasu himself went on to become Shogun, bringing the Sengoku Jidai to a close. In the aftermath of the battle several western generals committed suicide, their leader Ishida Mitsunari was executed and many others lost control of their fiefdoms in favour of those who supported the Tokugawa. To coax him into action, Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered his troops to fire upon Hideaki’s, a gamble which paid off when he promptly chose to join Ieyasu! The subsequent assault on western positions caused four generals to immediately switch sides, severely weakening the western forces, which soon fell apart. Realising that his involvement was crucial to the outcome, Hideaki ignored Ishida Mistunari‘s signal to join him, but did not rush to help the Tokugawa either. As his position overlooked them, Hideaki could either surround Ieyasu or bolster his army. At the Battle of Sekigahara, Ieyasu and Mitsunari’s armies clashed, each awaiting Hideaki to join their side in the battle. Both sides tried to enlist the aid of Kobayakawa Hideaki and other more moderate daimyos. Soon there were two camps Ieyasu’s eastern side and Mitsunari’s western side. Wanting power for himself, Tokugawa pitted himself against the loyalist council members, including Ishida Mitsunari.

However, one of the elders, Tokugawa Ieyasu, was unable to accept Toyotomi Hideyori as shogun, as the Toyotomi were originally of peasant stock.

3 Tokugawa Ieyasu (Tokugawa Clan and Allies)īefore his death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, unifier of Japan, established the Council of Five Elders to rule as regents until his heir Hideyori, came of age.

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