Shimazu Tadatsune facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shimazu Tadatsune
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| 島津 忠恒 | |
Shimazu Tadatsune
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| Head of Shimazu clan | |
| In office 1602–1638 |
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| Preceded by | Shimazu Yoshihiro |
| Succeeded by | Shimazu Mitsuhisa |
| Lord of Satsuma Domain | |
| In office 1602–1638 |
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| Succeeded by | Shimazu Mitsuhisa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 27, 1576 |
| Died | April 7, 1638 (aged 61) |
| Parents |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Shimazu clan Toyotomi clan Tokugawa shogunate |
| Rank | Daimyo |
| Battles/wars | Korean campaign (1597-1598) Invasion of Ryukyu (1609) |
Shimazu Tadatsune (born November 27, 1576 – died April 7, 1638) was a very important leader in old Japan. He was a tozama daimyō, which means he was a powerful lord who was not a direct follower of the main ruling family, the Tokugawa shogunate.
Tadatsune was the first lord to officially rule the Satsuma Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. He was also the first Japanese leader to take control of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. At the time, he was one of the strongest lords in all of Japan. He showed his loyalty to Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1602. As a reward, he was given the special name Matsudaira Iehisa. This was a huge honor because "Matsudaira" was a family name connected to the Tokugawa, and "Ie" came from Ieyasu's name. By 1603, his lands produced 605,000 koku of rice, which showed how rich and powerful he was.
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Who Was Shimazu Tadatsune?
Tadatsune was the third son of Shimazu Yoshihiro, another famous leader. His uncle, Shimazu Yoshihisa, had no son. His older brother, Shimazu Hisakazu, had passed away. Because of this, Tadatsune was chosen to be the next leader of the Shimazu family. He later changed his name to Iehisa. Like his father and uncle, he was known for being very brave in battles.
A Brave Warrior
During the second part of Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea, Tadatsune fought alongside his father. They helped to push back a huge army from the Ming dynasty of China. The Ming army had over 100,000 soldiers, but Tadatsune and his father only had about 8,000 men. This was a great victory that showed his courage.
Leading the Shimazu Clan
As the head of the Shimazu clan, Tadatsune wanted to make his family's leadership stronger. He worked to remove any leaders who were not loyal or who were causing problems. In 1599, he took strong action against a long-time helper and leader, Ijuin Tadamune, and his son, Ijuin Tadazane. They had tried to break away from the Shimazu clan.
Tadatsune officially became the head of the Shimazu clan in 1602. However, his father still held a lot of power until 1619.
The Ryukyu Kingdom and Trade
On April 5, 1609, Tadatsune led a group of soldiers to the Ryūkyū Kingdom. He took control of the kingdom. This was important because it helped Japan trade with China. The Ryukyu Kingdom was allowed to stay partly independent. It was not fully made a part of Japan until much later, after the Meiji Restoration in 1868. This was because if China knew Japan controlled Ryukyu, they might stop trading. So, Tadatsune made sure the kingdom had this special status.
See also
In Spanish: Shimazu Tadatsune para niños
