The Survival of Pirate War Lords

Hideyoshi came into contact with the Inland Sea Pirate Society as late as 1577, the fifth year of Tensho, when he was ordered to conquer Harima by his lord Oda Nopbunaga. Since then, he kept being committed in the area. He made series of expeditions to Western countries, and attacked Saika in Kii, Shikoku, and Kyushu between the thirteenth and the fifteenth year of Tensho (1585-1587). Farther more, he made dispatched troops to Korea between the twentieth year of Tensho and the third year of Keicho (1592-1598). Through those military operations, he deeply committed himself to the Pirate Society from the time he was a chief servant of Oda Clan till his death after ruling Japan. These days, popular views on Toyotomi regime have tendence to see Hideyoshi’s unification as the result of regional integration by war lords. Even in high schools, they learn that regional torrents toward the integration and unification opened up the road to the national unification by Hideyoshi and enabled him to maneuver the unification sometimes even without military operations. I have been against the view for years. I would rather like to pay attention to the way pirate war lords, such as Kono Clan and Mori Clan, made critical decisions to face the unprecedented crises after years of combats and diplomatic negotiations against Hideyoshi. The pirate war lords who respected authority in Muromatchi period, such as Ashikaga Shogunate and guardian lords in each country. Hideyoshi, meanwhile, advocated to take over Nobunaga’s reform. The both sides had such different outlook on the nation. History is always woven with those kinds of rivalries. The national unification Hideyoshi pursued after taking over Nobunaga’s lines involved developing capable bureaucrats with the new sense of values in the new era, and excluding the incapable bloodline elites from Muromachi period. That was the same with the process of assuming control over the Inland Sea Pirates Society. I am arguing as follows: First, to describe the Inland Sea Pirates Society from various points of view. Second, to reveal the fact how shrewdly and cannily Hideyoshi maneuvered the vassals of pirate war lords mainly during Nobunaga’s last years. Third, to follow the process of the power shift from Kono Clan to Mori Clan in the Inland Sea Pirates Society during and after the end of the Age of Provincial Wars. Forth, to point out the relationship between Toyotomi Regime’s so-called “prohibitions against pirates”, which were ordered several times covering larger territories each time, and Kono Clan’s extinction and Mori Clan’s succeeding reorganization of Murakami Clans. Fifth, to see the birth of the early modern nation from the maritime point of view by paying attention to Ieyasu’s establishing surveillance network against pirates.