Tadaoki went into battle
during his first military campaign with his father in the
service of Oda Nobunaga at the age of 15, the Iga Mountain
Campaign (1579) was most likely to have been his first military
engagement. For their services Fujitaka and Tadaoki were
awarded Tango province (110 thousand Koku) by Oda Nobunaga
in 1580. They ruled Tango Province from Tanabe Castle in
Maizuru, an important port city, on the western coast of
Japan, servicing Kyoto at the time.
Oda Nobunaga also arranged
the marriage of Tadaoki to Akechi Tama, (Hosokawa Gracia)
Akechi Mitsuhide's daughter whom he married at the age of
eighteen in 1580. Akechi Mitsuhide ruled Tamba Province
which was geographically adjacent to Tango Province.
Within two years of this
marriage Akechi Mitsuhide rebelled against Oda Nobunaga
assassinating him while he was conducting a tea ceremony
at Honno Temple in Kyoto. Akechi turned to Fujitaka and
Tadaoki for support in his rebellion however they both sided
with Toyotomi Hideyoshi against Akechi and carefully isolated
Tama from the repercussions of her fathers misconduct. Tama's
life was saved because of her association with Tadaoki who
kept Tama in excile while the politics of the situation
were sorted out. Because the Hosokawa had sided with the
Toyotomi in the matter Hideyoshi recommended reconciliation
to Tama and that Tadaoki bring her back into his family
from exile while the rest of the Akechi clan was systematically
eliminated.
Tadaoki's uncanny abilities
to make appropriate political decisions were demonstrated
throughout the transitions of power from, Oda Nobunaga,
Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokogawa Ieyasu during the unification
of Japan. When others were destroyed and their daimyo's
eliminated from having a future Tadaoki consistently ended
up on the winning team by being a valued militiary leader
and through his ability to make astute political decisions.
Tadaoki also became one of
Hideyoshi's leading military commanders and played essential
roles in the Komaki Campaign (1583) and the Odawara Campaign
(1590).During which time his association and friendship
with Tokogawa Ieyasu became stronger.Tadaoki was present
on the side of the Toyotomi campaigns to conquer Shikoku
and Kyushu. Sen No Rikyu was often in the company of Toyotomi
Hideyoshi during these military compaigns to provide services
in the tea ceremony.
Tadaoki Hosokawa further
proved his value by being directly invovled in helping Toyotomi
Hideyoshi acquire additional social status through helping
him along with Sen No Rikyu to create the famous Grand Kitano
Tea Ceremony (1587). Hideyoshi being from a humble backround
used culture as a tool in the legitimization of his rule.
Tadaoki was what Toyotomi was not and that was the product
of true gentry.
Tadaoki commanded 3,500 troops
in the Ninth Division during the first invasion of Korea
in 1592 and was present at the First Siege of Jinju October
4-10, 1592. Following the Korean campaign Tadaoki brought
Korean potters back to Japan and established pottery works
at Agano and sponsored the construction of their kilns and
directly influenced the esthetics of the pottery they produced.
After Hideyoshi died (1598)
the Hosokawa were faced with the decision of who to side
with in the fractious struggle for power between Ishida
Mitsunari and Tokogawa Ieyasu. Tadaoki and Ieyasu had become
friends during their service to Hideyoshi to the extent
that Ieyasu had helped Tadaoki pay a personal debt to Toyotomi
Hidetsugu. Tama (Gracia) was again caught up in the politics
of the transition of power and would play a central role
in the Hosokawa's decision to side with the Tokugawa. She
was at the Hosokawa residence at Osaka castle when Ishida
Mitsunari attempted to take her captive to be used as a
political weapon to influence the Hosakawa's decision of
who to side with in the upcoming conflict. Tama refused
to be taken captive and had one of her servants kill her.
This act was both an act of defiance toward Ishida Mitsunari
and loyalty to Tadaoki which solidified the decision of
the Hosokawa to side with Tokogawa Ieyasu and join his forces
at the battle of Sekigahara. As troops began to assemble
and move to the final confrontation Fujitaka delayed the
advance of troops from the west at the siege of Tanabe Castle,
his main residence in Tango while Tadaoki lead 5,000 of
his troops at the center of Ieyasu's lines at Sekigahara.
