Shimazu Takahisa
Template:Short description Template:Family name hatnoteTemplate:Infobox officeholder Template:Nihongo, a son of Shimazu Tadayoshi, was a daimyō during Japan's Sengoku period. He was the fifteenth head of the Shimazu clan.
Biography
In 1514, he is said to have been born in Izaku Castle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 1526, Takahisa was adopted as the successor to Shimazu Katsuhisa and became head of the clan.<ref name=kotobank>Template:Cite web</ref> He launched a series of campaigns to reclaim three provinces: Satsuma, Osumi, and Hyūga.<ref name=kotobank/> While he made some progress, it would be up to the next generation in the Shimazu family to successfully reclaim them. He nurtured such future leaders like Shimazu Yoshihisa and his brothers Yoshihiro, Toshihisa and Iehisa who would, for a short time, see the Shimazu clan take over the entire island of Kyūshū; he is also said to have a daughter of unknown name.
Takahisa actively promoted relationships with foreign people and countries. He was the first daimyo to bring Western firearms into Japan, following the shipwreck of a number of Portuguese on Tanegashima in 1543. In 1549, he welcomed St. Francis Xavier and met Xavier in Ijyuin Castle.<ref name=kotobank/> He granted the Jesuit protection to proselytize in his domain, but later retracted his support of Christianity under pressure from local Buddhist monks.<ref>Miki, Tamon: "The Influence of Western Culture on Japanese Art"; Monumenta Nipponica (19, 3/4) 1964 p. 380–401</ref> Takahisa also held a diplomatic relationship with the Ryūkyū Kingdom.
In 1549, he used "Portuguese-derived" firearms to take Kajiki castle.<ref name="Turnbull2">Template:Cite book</ref>
In 1554, Shimazu Takahisa had to take action against his rebellious kokujin vassals, Ito clan and Kimotsuki clan, at Siege of Iwatsurugi Castle.
In 1570, he relinquished the family head position to Shimazu Yoshihisa.<ref name=kotobank/> He died in 1571.<ref name=kotobank/>
Notable retainers
References
- Frédéric, Louis (2002). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Template:People of the Sengoku period Template:Authority control