Battle of Sekigahara
1600 · Sekigahara, Mino Province (present-day Sekigahara, Fuwa District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan) · World · Modern
After half a day of fierce fighting, Kobayakawa Hideaki of the Western Army changed sides and attacked Otani Yoshitsugu's troops; the Western Army's line collapsed, and Ishida Mitsunari and others were captured after the battle and beheaded.
Belligerents
Eastern Army
- Commanders
- Tokugawa Ieyasu, Fukushima Masanori, Kuroda Nagamasa
- Strength
- About 75,000 (some say nearly 90,000)
Western Army
- Commanders
- Ishida Mitsunari, Ukita Hideie, Konishi Yukinaga, Otani Yoshitsugu
- Strength
- About 80,000 (the nominal commander-in-chief, Mori Terumoto, was not present)
Background
After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the power of Tokugawa Ieyasu, head of the Council of Five Elders, grew steadily. Ishida Mitsunari allied with daimyo such as the Mori, Ukita and Uesugi and rose in arms against Ieyasu, and the two sides fought a decisive battle at Sekigahara in Mino.
Course of the battle
- Facing off in the fogIn thick early-morning fog the two armies formed up in the Sekigahara basin, with the Western Army holding the surrounding heights.
- Fierce deadlocked fightingOnce battle was joined, the Western Army units of Ishida, Ukita and others fought hard, and for a time the Eastern Army could not break through.
- Kobayakawa changes sidesOn Mount Matsuo, Kobayakawa Hideaki turned to attack the Western Army troops of Otani Yoshitsugu, and Wakisaka and others changed sides in his wake.
- Western Army routedThe Western Army collapsed along the whole line; Shimazu Yoshihiro broke out through the Eastern Army's ranks and retreated, and Ishida Mitsunari fled but was later arrested.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1600 |
|---|---|
| Place | Sekigahara, Mino Province (present-day Sekigahara Town, Fuwa District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan) |
| Result | After half a day of fierce fighting, Kobayakawa Hideaki of the Western Army changed sides and attacked Otani Yoshitsugu's troops; the Western Army's line collapsed, and Ishida Mitsunari and others were captured after the battle and beheaded. |
| Winner | Eastern Army |
| Casualties | Both sides suffered between several thousand and more than 10,000 killed and wounded (estimated); no precise records exist. |
| Territorial change | Tokugawa Ieyasu confiscated or reduced the domains of the Western Army daimyo, redistributed lands across the country, and won hegemony over the realm. |
Impact
The Battle of Sekigahara decided who would rule Japan; three years later Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the Edo shogunate, ushering in the more than 260-year Edo period.
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