Oda Nobukatsu - Decline of Nobukatsu

Decline of Nobukatsu

During the succeeding chaotic years, Nobukatsu joined with Hideyoshi to destroy Nobutaka. However, soon their relationship became hostile, too, and Nobukatsu allied with Tokugawa Ieyasu to fight Hideyoshi in the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute in 1584.

After more than a half year of battles, Hideyoshi persuaded Nobukatsu to make peace, offering him the security of the dominion. Nobukatsu took this offer and practically became a retainer of Hideyoshi. Later, when he served at the siege of Odawara (1590), he refused to accept the order of Hideyoshi to change his dominion, and not only lost his original dominion but also had to become a monk and be put under control of other retainers of Hideyoshi. A few years later, Hideyoshi's anger eased and Nobukatsu regained some land to dominate.

He became the guardian of Toyotomi Hideyori after Hideyoshi's death. However, he betrayed Toyotomi clan at Siege of Osaka, and surrendered to Tokugawa Ieyasu. As a result, he was permitted to remain a daimyo by the Tokugawa shogunate.

Though he is often described as an incompetent general, he at least managed to survive the series of upheavals. After the establishment of Tokugawa shogunate, he became the lord of the Uda-Matsuyama Domain in Yamato Province (modern-day Nara Prefecture), and comfortably lived the rest of his life.