Personnalité historique

Kōno Michinao

Iyo no kami · Danjō-shōsuke · Lord of Yuzuki Castle

Kōno Michinao (died 1587), known as Iyo no kami, was the last head of the Kōno clan to rule from Yuzuki Castle, seat of the governors of Iyo Province since the 14th century. He became head of the household at a very young age in 1568, governed with the support of relatives and vassals, allied himself with the Mōri through marriage, and had to face attacks by the Miyoshi and then the invasions of Chōsokabe Motochika. In 1585, during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's conquest of Shikoku, he held out for about a month in Yuzuki before surrendering to Kobayakawa Takakage. Spared but dispossessed, he died two years later at Takehara, in Aki. He should not be confused with his namesake Kōno Michinao (Danjō-shōhitsu), head of the clan in the early 16th century.

Portrait de Kōno Michinao
Décès14 juillet 1587 (Tenshō 15), Takehara (province d'Aki) ; causes discutées (maladie selon l'avis dominant)
FonctionIyo no kami · Danjō-shōsuke
MaisonClan Kōno
ÉpoqueSengoku period
Histoire & patrimoine

A lord between three powers

In the 1570s and 1580s, the Kōno domain was caught in a pincer: to the south, the Chōsokabe of Tosa; to the east, Hideyoshi's forces; to the north, the Mōri, with whom Michinao allied himself through marriage. The Mōri, occupied with the Oda, could not, however, effectively come to his aid against the incursions from Tosa.

Château de YuzukiChâteau de Yuzuki
Frise chronologique

Repères dans sa vie

1568

Succeeds Kōno Michinobu (who was ill) as head of the clan, adopted as his son.

1572

The Miyoshi of Awa attack the Kōno lands.

1581

Marries Yano no Tsubone, niece of Mōri Terumoto, strengthening the alliance with the Mōri; the same year, Chōsokabe Motochika invades Iyo.

1585

Besieged in Yuzuki Castle by the troops of Kobayakawa Takakage during the invasion of Shikoku; surrenders after about a month and loses his domain.

1587

Dies at Takehara, Takakage's fief in Aki, without an heir; his grave still survives there.

Patrimoine associé

Les châteaux liés à cette personnalité

1 lieu
Réseau historique

Personnalités liées

Portrait de Kobayakawa Takakage
Kobayakawa TakakageAdversary, then protectorReceives his surrender in 1585; Michinao ends his days on his lands at Takehara.→
Portrait de Mōri Terumoto
Mōri TerumotoAlly (uncle of his wife)Marriage in 1581 to Yano no Tsubone, niece of Terumoto.→
Portrait de Chōsokabe Motochika
Chōsokabe MotochikaAdversaryInvades Iyo from 1581 and captures several Kōno castles.→
Portrait de Kōno Michimori
Kōno MichimoriChâteau en commun→
Approfondir

Kōno Michinao dans l’histoire

The fall of Yuzuki

In 1585, Kobayakawa Takakage leads the offensive in Iyo ordered by Hideyoshi. Entrenched in Yuzuki, protected by its double moats and earthworks, Michinao holds out for about a month before capitulating. His life is spared, but the Kōno clan loses its domain and the castle is abandoned. Sources differ on his death in 1587 at Takehara: illness according to the prevailing view, suicide according to other hypotheses.

Documentation

Sources de la fiche

Cette synthèse croise plusieurs sources pour documenter les lieux, événements et relations historiques.