The Golden age of piracy is about to begin after this, so I'd expect some pirate crews to stay around post war, and a few to get into Japanese service (just bc it'd be interesting and would probably inspire ittl's versions of shogun).
Nobunaga’s Ambition Realized: Dawn of a New Rising Sun
- Thread starter Ambassador Huntsman
- Start date
Japanese wokou piracy at this point is a thing of the past thank to Azuchi's naval enforcement of its seas but there is definitely piracy in Southeast Asia. If I'm correct, Sulu piracy is a big issue for the Spanish Philippines during this time. However, without Zheng Zhilong or Koxinga piracy is nowhere near as prominent in the 17th century as it is IOTL. Definitely a topic I'll explore more.
Something to be answered in due time.
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Ye this is just making me hyped as this war is shaping up into something that will shape the geopolitics of the world for the next few decades.
So, a thought occurred to me. Correct me if we didn't discuss this before...
We've mentioned the development of swords like the Katanna before and mentioned the Tachi being still in use in Samurai cavarly, what about older swords like the Odachi/Nodachi? Are these giant swords still in circulation, or just shown off as status symbols? Or maybe some rare use in samurai cavalry?
Because I like the idea of Japan's enemies seeing Samurai cavalry carrying a huge-ass sword like this:
We've mentioned the development of swords like the Katanna before and mentioned the Tachi being still in use in Samurai cavarly, what about older swords like the Odachi/Nodachi? Are these giant swords still in circulation, or just shown off as status symbols? Or maybe some rare use in samurai cavalry?
Because I like the idea of Japan's enemies seeing Samurai cavalry carrying a huge-ass sword like this:
Samurai cavalry now almost universally fight in the style popularized by Sakuma Moritora: a long yari as the primary weapon in a charge with katana swords and early carbine pistols utilized as well. Kinda like winged hussars. This is especially true because a lot of the samurai cavalry come from the Oshu region where reverence for the Tiger of the North is strongest.So, a thought occurred to me. Correct me if we didn't discuss this before...
We've mentioned the development of swords like the Katanna before and mentioned the Tachi being still in use in Samurai cavarly, what about older swords like the Odachi/Nodachi? Are these giant swords still in circulation, or just shown off as status symbols? Or maybe some rare use in samurai cavalry?
Because I like the idea of Japan's enemies seeing Samurai cavalry carrying a huge-ass sword like this:
With how these wars go, that probably would be true.
When you say the winged hussars I always remember the gun axes:
While I don't think the Japanese would use these I just wanna say that we could see gunsmiths in Japan making some wack combination weapons with guns.
And with your comparison of the Japanese cavalry with the hussars I could imagine the English and Dutch facing the might of the Japanese armies and their writings inspiring a new wave of legends about Asians that fight like them.
Speaking of Samurai Cavalry and guns, I'm wondering if reforms later on will turn certain units into the equivalent of dragoons, with sword and blunderbusses comboWith how these wars go, that probably would be true.
When you say the winged hussars I always remember the gun axes:
While I don't think the Japanese would use these I just wanna say that we could see gunsmiths in Japan making some wack combination weapons with guns.
And with your comparison of the Japanese cavalry with the hussars I could imagine the English and Dutch facing the might of the Japanese armies and their writings inspiring a new wave of legends about Asians that fight like them.
Considering that Japan is majority mountains, valleys and forests, I wonder why the Japanese cavalry is more like the hussars than dragoons lol. Their smaller horses would be easier to get on and off too.
I think that it would fit Japan's native conditions more, and I'd like to see the Japanese develop such tactics in response to moritora-style cavalry being expensive asf.
During the Sengoku period, samurai cavalry in western Japan were actually more like dragoons the way you described it, whereas in the east and north samurai cavalry were heavier and employed shock tactics more frequently ie like the Takeda cavalry. These regional differences continued to exist until just before the Asiatic Northern War, when Sakuma Moritora had become one of the most celebrated generals of his time. Because the Oshu region provided much of the samurai cavalry after the Manji War, his influence carried. So it's kinda happenstance in a way, with the civil wars mostly taking place in the eastern half of Honshu also playing a part in this development.
Japanese involvement in this war is going to be very naval-focused and cavalry won't really play a big part as it has in the civil wars and the Asiatic Northern War.With how these wars go, that probably would be true.
When you say the winged hussars I always remember the gun axes:
While I don't think the Japanese would use these I just wanna say that we could see gunsmiths in Japan making some wack combination weapons with guns.
And with your comparison of the Japanese cavalry with the hussars I could imagine the English and Dutch facing the might of the Japanese armies and their writings inspiring a new wave of legends about Asians that fight like them.
I'm not surprised that that is how is how Japanese cavalry is used in the sengoku period, and I think it would be something that Japan would go back to making the different kinds of cavalry that would be useful in different circumstances.
I could see the Kansai region go back to dragoon-type cavalry as Japan becomes more peaceful and the main source of development comes from emulating European examples and people writing about how different types of cavalry could be used.
Hmm I think that we'd have a few engagements on land, but yeah the siege of Manila could be mostly a naval affair if Japan is on the side of the Spanish.
So, a thought occurred to me, but correct me if I'm wrong about this.
What are the foreign quarters for merchants like in Japan? We've previously talked about foreign merchants in Japan, like the Dutch, Spanish, French, etc, so are there designated foreign quarters in cities like Sakai and Azuchi? Also do the Chinese and Koreans and maybe even some SEA Merchants have some as well? Did they start incorporating native architecture (European, Chinese, etc) to accommodate for these foreign merchants, or is it more Japanese-style buildings?
And if so, how organized are these foreign quarters?
What are the foreign quarters for merchants like in Japan? We've previously talked about foreign merchants in Japan, like the Dutch, Spanish, French, etc, so are there designated foreign quarters in cities like Sakai and Azuchi? Also do the Chinese and Koreans and maybe even some SEA Merchants have some as well? Did they start incorporating native architecture (European, Chinese, etc) to accommodate for these foreign merchants, or is it more Japanese-style buildings?
And if so, how organized are these foreign quarters?
I haven't thought of it too much, but think what we saw in Hirado and Nagasaki IOTL but more established and expansive with foreign architecture. They're also generally concentrated in a certain section of the city, especially in Azuchi. The Chinese and Koreans and Southeast Asians on the other hand do not have established quarters in the same ways but instead unofficial lodgings that do tend to be close to the European sections.
Chapter 138: East Indies War Part I - Shimazu Strife in Kagoshima
Chapter 138: East Indies War Part I - Shimazu Strife in Kagoshima
Although Japan had decisively entered the Bourbon Wars on the side of the Bourbons under the leadership of Oda Nobuie, many remained unhappy with this decision. The court nobility and even the emperor were reportedly against entering the conflict on any grounds while merchants and trade-dependent daimyo did not want to see their profits and commerce disrupted by war. The Shimazu clan and its lands, however, would be where pro-Dutch sentiment festered the most. It was the late Shimazu Nagahisa, after all, who had originally pushed for strong Dutch-Japanese relations and it was in Kagoshima where the VOC first established a commercial foothold in Japan. Additionally, Calvinism had become a secondary faith in the realm and southern Kyushu, popular among samurai, merchants, and farmers alike. All of these circumstances coming together within one region in Kyushu naturally made the Shimazu domain a prime target for the VOC to trigger internal strife and attempt some sort of delaying action, Dutch letters to Joseon and the Lesser Jin receiving little interest. With the prospects of a mainland war that could distract Japan from the south looking dim at best, the VOC now proceeded with their plan in southern Kyushu.
Ever since the adoption of Nobunaga’s 4th son Katsunaga by Shimazu Yoshihisa in 1582, the Shimazu clan heads had been connected to the main Oda clan by blood. However, there still existed cadet branches of the clan descending from Yoshihisa’s younger brothers who governed various fiefs within the Shimazu domain. Although Katsunaga, who took on the name Nagahisa upon his adoption, as well as his grandson Norihisa had been powerful and shrewd men even among all the daimyo whose prestige and influence suppressed any anti-Oda sentiments in southern Kyushu, his son and grandson Tsuguhisa (島津嗣久) and Hirohisa paled in comparison to their predecessors. Under their rule, religious and familial tension grew as Calvinists sought greater influence within the Shimazu clan while relatives took advantage of Hirohisa’s ascension to the lordship as a teenager. Hirohisa’s failure to represent Shimazu interests and voice his opposition towards war with the Dutch only weakened his position within the clan. It was these dynamics that the Dutch would exploit, particularly as the Dutch began temporarily withdrawing from Japan’s major ports in anticipation of forceful expulsion.
Although Azuchi would attempt to find a way to maintain a degree of Dutch-Japanese trade relations, the VOC judged remaining in Japan to be too dangerous, withdrawing to their factories in Joseon and Ryukyu where they continued trading with Japanese merchants. They would make a secret exception in Kagoshima, however. Although officially they left, a number of VOC agents and traders remained behind along with military cargo, taking refuge in the residences of sympathetic Shimazu retainers, including that of Shimazu Hisasue (島津久季). Hisasue was the head of the Shigetomi cadet branch of the Shimazu clan (重富島津氏), the most prominent family in southern Kyushu after the mainline Shimazu clan itself. His grandfather was the naval commander Shimazu Hisamoto, one of Japan’s pivotal military leaders during the Asiatic Northern War. Hisasue was also a Calvinist and had become a fierce critic of Azuchi’s decision to side with the French. Thus, he was all too pleased to covertly assist the Dutch and would even be receptive to their suggestion to usurp the Shimazu clan, restoring native blood to power in southern Kyushu with a promise of full Dutch military support. After much thinking, Hisasue accepted the offer and began making preparations for rebellion, secretly reaching out to other disenchanted retainers to the Shimazu clan.
Ever since the adoption of Nobunaga’s 4th son Katsunaga by Shimazu Yoshihisa in 1582, the Shimazu clan heads had been connected to the main Oda clan by blood. However, there still existed cadet branches of the clan descending from Yoshihisa’s younger brothers who governed various fiefs within the Shimazu domain. Although Katsunaga, who took on the name Nagahisa upon his adoption, as well as his grandson Norihisa had been powerful and shrewd men even among all the daimyo whose prestige and influence suppressed any anti-Oda sentiments in southern Kyushu, his son and grandson Tsuguhisa (島津嗣久) and Hirohisa paled in comparison to their predecessors. Under their rule, religious and familial tension grew as Calvinists sought greater influence within the Shimazu clan while relatives took advantage of Hirohisa’s ascension to the lordship as a teenager. Hirohisa’s failure to represent Shimazu interests and voice his opposition towards war with the Dutch only weakened his position within the clan. It was these dynamics that the Dutch would exploit, particularly as the Dutch began temporarily withdrawing from Japan’s major ports in anticipation of forceful expulsion.
Although Azuchi would attempt to find a way to maintain a degree of Dutch-Japanese trade relations, the VOC judged remaining in Japan to be too dangerous, withdrawing to their factories in Joseon and Ryukyu where they continued trading with Japanese merchants. They would make a secret exception in Kagoshima, however. Although officially they left, a number of VOC agents and traders remained behind along with military cargo, taking refuge in the residences of sympathetic Shimazu retainers, including that of Shimazu Hisasue (島津久季). Hisasue was the head of the Shigetomi cadet branch of the Shimazu clan (重富島津氏), the most prominent family in southern Kyushu after the mainline Shimazu clan itself. His grandfather was the naval commander Shimazu Hisamoto, one of Japan’s pivotal military leaders during the Asiatic Northern War. Hisasue was also a Calvinist and had become a fierce critic of Azuchi’s decision to side with the French. Thus, he was all too pleased to covertly assist the Dutch and would even be receptive to their suggestion to usurp the Shimazu clan, restoring native blood to power in southern Kyushu with a promise of full Dutch military support. After much thinking, Hisasue accepted the offer and began making preparations for rebellion, secretly reaching out to other disenchanted retainers to the Shimazu clan.
Portrait of Shimazu Hisasue
On January 29th, 1704, Hisasue raised the banner of rebellion and began marching towards Kagoshima from his lands in Shigetomi in Osumi province with a force of 1,000 Japanese and 50 Dutchmen. Although his army was initially small, he would quickly be joined by smaller contingents led by men previously contacted by Hisasue. Additionally, Hisasue would send out messengers to the countryside in order to spread news of his rebellion and rouse farmers and commoners into joining arms, especially those of the Calvinist faith. By the time Hisasue had marched within striking distance from Kagoshima, his forces had tripled and had the support of prominent retainers, especially those from Osumi province like Tanegashima Hisamoto (種子島久基). In Kagoshima itself, Shimazu Hirohisa was already busy putting down street riots from the pro-Dutch, anti-French populace from Hisasue. Unable to deal with the enemy both from outside and within the city, the Shimazu clan head was forced to flee the city by sea along with a few hundred men. Hisasue would triumphantly march into the city, taking over Kagoshima Castle and re-establishing a Dutch presence in the port.
Hisasue quickly moved to legitimize his rebellion and secure his footing. He declared that the Shimazu clan had restored one of their own to the top and promised to expand the landholdings of the main Shimazu cadet branches. Hisasue also reaffirmed the old Dutch-Shimazu alliance and would begin to receive supplies from the Dutch. Finally, he wrote letters to other western daimyo encouraging them to join him in petitioning Azuchi in withdrawing from the war and declaring neutrality in the conflict. The usurper would even pen a letter to the daijo-daijin himself petitioning for both a change in Japan’s involvement in the conflict and recognition of his newfound leadership of the Shimazu clan. These efforts would be completely for naught, however, for Hisasue’s letters and messengers would be completely shunned by the daimyo he reached out to. When Nobuie himself heard about what was going on in the Shimazu domain, he vowed to personally lead any army sent to suppress any other daimyo that dared question his decision to join the war on the side of the French.
By the time of Nobuie’s vow, however, things were moving fast against the usurper. Many parts of the Shimazu domain had remained staunchly loyal to Hirohisa, especially in Hyuga province where Sadowara Tadahisa (佐土原惟久) [1] had given shelter to Hirohisa and was preparing a force to retake Kagoshima. Further north, a response to the rebellion was initially delayed as Kyushu Tandai Otomo Yoshitaka was bedridden and would pass away later in the year, leaving it to his son Yoshisato (大友義閭) to manage Kyushu’s shogunal army. In this gap of time, Horiuchi Ujiteru would quickly raise an army and took advantage of his strategic location just north of the Shimazu domain to justify an early march towards Kagoshima ahead of any shogunal army. At the start of spring 1704, Ujiteru’s army entered southern Higo province and was able to secure it from the meager pro-Hisasue forces already eroded by skirmishes with Hirohisa loyalist forces. There, he received word from Hirohisa himself as well as Tadahisa and agreed to join them on an offensive against Kagoshima and Hisasue’s own position.
During this time, Hisasue had been busy securing Osumi and Satsuma provinces, struggling to maintain influence in Hyuga and Higo provinces. When he heard of the converging enemy forces, however, he quickly gathered an army of 8,000 and moved towards Kirishima (霧島) where he built up a defensive position in anticipation of Hirohisa’s army. Hisasue particularly fortified his army’s position at Kirishima Shrine, placing his best cannons and men there. Hirohisa’s army, bolstered by Ujiteru’s reinforcements, numbered 10,000 and arrived just outside of Kirishima on April 8th. Although slightly outnumbering the usurper’s army, Hisasue’s defensive position made defeating them a daunting task. On the night of April 9th, however, Horiuchi Ujiteru personally led a night attack upon Hisasue’s men at the shrine, capturing most of their cannons and dispersing most of the enemy back to Hisasue’s main camp. The next morning, Ujiteru slowly advanced from the shrine, firing upon Hisasue using his cannons and musketeers. At the same time, Hirohisa’s own contingent advanced from the front, only stopping to dismantle barricades and exchange fire with Hisasue’s men. This all became too much for Hisasue’s army despite its best efforts and by the afternoon, the usurper had been forced to flee from the battlefield as his men either chose to defend the camp to the death or join their leader in chaotic flight.
Battle of Kirishima, salmon = Shimazu loyalists/Horiuchi men, blue = Shimazu rebels
In the aftermath of the Battle of Kirishima (霧島の戦い), Hisasue fled back to Kagoshima, only to find that his immediate defeat on the battlefield would see his supporter’s loyalties fray. Even the Dutch began to recede as they saw the writing on the wall and within a week, the combined forces of Horiuchi Ujiteru and Shimazu Hirohisa were within striking distance of Kagoshima, with an army led by Otomo Yoshisato marching southwards. Hisasue would ultimately choose to commit seppuku along with many of his key supporters, and a few days later Kagoshima surrendered to their former master. The Dutch themselves had already left, sailing to their outpost in the Ryukyu Kingdom. Parts of the Osumi countryside, however, would see resistance continue for the rest of the spring.
The crackdown, however, was just getting started. Furious at what had taken place within the Shimazu clan, Nobuie ordered Tsuda Takeakira himself to sail to Kagoshima and suppress further sentiments of dissent in southern Kyushu in a fashion that would set an example for the rest of Japan. Taking the daijo-daijin’s words to heart, the inspector-general would be in Kagoshima in May. By the time he had arrived, Hirohisa had already imprisoned many of the ringleaders and ordered many to commit seppuku. Not content with what he considered light punishment, Takeakira took over and began purging entire families and lineages whose members had participated in the rebellion. Any remaining Dutch traders were publicly executed while Calvinism was brutally suppressed, all of its churches demolished and often replaced with Buddhist temples or Yamato Christian churches. Those considered to have been treasonous and still imprisoned, meanwhile, would be beheaded, denying them the traditional samurai honor of seppuku. Finally, those of traditional Shimazu blood would all be forced to change their surnames just like what Oda Nobutomo had decades ago ordered for the greater Oda clan. In summary, in what would be known as the Great Shimazu Purge (島津の大獄), Takeakira brutally cleaned house and wiped out and abolished bloodlines and families deemed to have either been treasonous or risky to be left alone. Hirohisa himself did not escape punishment, his lands in Bireito ｔtransferred directly to Bireizen governor Wakamatsu Hiroakira (若松煕明) and Shimazu-held southern Higo ceded to Horiuchi Ujiteru. Ujiteru himself would be made the next Kyushu Tandai and would be given Otomo Yoshitaka’s old spot on the Sangi-shu for his feats in defeating the rebels. Until the end of the war, the Shimazu domain would be under partial military occupation by Azuchi.
Although the Shimazu Revolt (島津の乱), as the conflict would be known, had been a distraction for Nobuie, it had hardly delayed his own preparations towards the greater war effort. Under his direction, a large navy under the command of naval shogun Maeda Tomoyori (前田知頼) had been assembled at Shimonoseki and would be tasked with helping liberate Manila, which had fallen to the Dutch in February, and expelling the VOC from the Ryukyu Islands before advancing towards the Grand Coalition’s possessions in Southeast Asia. In fact, this navy had already set sail by the time of the Battle of Kirishima. The true war was about to begin.
[1]: He did not change his surname from Shimazu in the 17th century IOTL.
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@Ambassador Huntsman ! Amazing work!
Nobuie is NOT gonna tolerate any rebellion on his country! this will only add to his determination to defeat the dutch!
And boy are the Dutch in for a rougher time thanks to this!
Nobuie is NOT gonna tolerate any rebellion on his country! this will only add to his determination to defeat the dutch!
And boy are the Dutch in for a rougher time thanks to this!
Things are almost boiled up in Kyushu, hasn’t it? I knew those pesky Shimazu (At least some members) were going to do something stupid like rebelling against Azuchi
Edit: Also this is like the second Religion in Kyushu that had to be purged. They must’ve made their Oda ancestors proud
Edit: Also this is like the second Religion in Kyushu that had to be purged. They must’ve made their Oda ancestors proud
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Not that I'm complaining, but in my opinion "war" is perhaps too... strong a word to describe these events. 'Rebel', 'Insurgency' or something like that would be better.
But I don't have any further comments. Great job and keep up the good work! I will be looking forward to the next chapters.
What about ‘Incident’? As that’s usually common for Japanese history like the OTL Honoji Incident, or ‘Sodo/Disturbance’ like OTL Date-Sodo