Biography
Kanetsugu was born Higuchi Yoroku, at Sakato Castle in Echigo Province. His father, Higuchi SÅemon Kanetoyo, was a senior retainer of Nagao Masakage, the lord of Sakato Castle. When Yoroku came of age he married his first cousin Osen from maternal side, the widow of Uesugi retainer Naoe Nobutsuna, and took the Naoe family name in order to become head of the family line since Osen did not have any children from previous marriage nor have any male heir available to succeed the family.He became Uesugi councilor at the age of 22, quickly distinguished himself as an outstanding commander, and was involved in much of the fighting that took place on the Sea of Japan coast with Sassa Narimasa and Maeda Toshiie. Kanetsugu was also responsible for the actions of the Uesugi clan against the allies of the Tokugawa during the leadup to the climactic Battle of Sekigahara. Following the Uesugi clan's surrender to the Tokugawa, in 1601, their holdings were transferred to the much smaller fief of Yonezawa, with an income of 60,000 koku. Kanetsugu was granted a stipend shortly before he retired.
Read more about this topic: Naoe Kanetsugu
Famous quotes containing the word biography:
“A biography is like a handshake down the years, that can become an arm-wrestle.”
—Richard Holmes (b. 1945)
“Had Dr. Johnson written his own life, in conformity with the opinion which he has given, that every man’s life may be best written by himself; had he employed in the preservation of his own history, that clearness of narration and elegance of language in which he has embalmed so many eminent persons, the world would probably have had the most perfect example of biography that was ever exhibited.”
—James Boswell (1740–95)
“There never was a good biography of a good novelist. There couldn’t be. He is too many people, if he’s any good.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940)