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How did Tokugawa Ieyasu regain control of his family’s lands after 1560?
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Tokugawa Ieyasu
Statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Tōshō Shrine in Nikkō, Japan.
Following the death of Imagawa Yoshimoto in 1560, Tokugawa Ieyasu seized the opportunity to return to his family’s castle, where he assumed control over his surviving relatives and vassals.1
To secure his position, Ieyasu took several strategic steps:
- Alliances: He formed an alliance with Oda Nobunaga while simultaneously pacifying the new leader of the Imagawa house to successfully recall his wife and son from Sumpu.1
- Internal Consolidation: He focused on crushing rebellious Buddhist sectarian groups within his domain to stabilize his rule.1
- Administrative Reform: Ieyasu prioritized the development of his domain by improving his army’s command structure, appointing civil administrators, and establishing formal procedures for taxation, law enforcement, and litigation.1
These efforts allowed him to transition from a small-scale leader to a powerful daimyo, eventually expanding his territory and influence across the region.1