Early life (1579–1593)

Tokugawa Hidetada was born to Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Lady Saigō on May 2, 1581. This was shortly before Lady Tsukiyama, Ieyasu's official wife, and their son Tokugawa Nobuyasu were executed on suspicion of plotting to assassinate Oda Nobunaga, who was Nobuyasu's father-in-law and Ieyasu's ally. By killing his wife and son, Ieyasu declared his loyalty to Nobunaga. In 1589, Hidetada's mother fell ill, her health rapidly deteriorated, and she died at Sunpu Castle. Later Hidetada with his brother, Matsudaira Tadayoshi, was raised by Achaa no Tsubone, one of Ieyasu's concubines. His childhood name was , later becoming .

The traditional power base of the Tokugawa clan was Mikawa. In 1590, the new ruler of Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi enlisted Tokugawa Ieyasu and others in attacking the domain of the Hōjō in what became known as the Siege of Odawara (1590). Hideyoshi enlisted Ieyasu for this campaign by promising to exchange the five provinces under Ieyasu's control for the eight Kantō provinces, including the city of Edo. In order to keep Ieyasu from defecting to the Hōjō side (since the Hōjō and the Tokugawa were formerly on friendly terms), Hideyoshi took the eleven-year-old Hidetada as a hostage. In 1592 Hideyoshi presided over Hidetada's coming of age ceremony; it was then that Ieyasu's son dropped his childhood name, Takechiyo (竹千代), and assumed the name Hidetada. He was named the heir of the Tokugawa family, being the eldest surviving son of Ieyasu, and his favorite (since Ieyasu's eldest son had been previously executed, and his second son was adopted by Hideyoshi while still an infant). In 1593, Hidetada returned to his father's side.

In 1590, Hidetada married O-Hime (1585–1591), daughter of Oda Nobukatsu and adopted daughter of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. O-Hime died in 1591, and was given the posthumous Buddhist name Shunshoin. In 1595, Hidetada married Oeyo, daughter of Azai Nagamasa and adopted daughter of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Their wedding was held in Fushimi Castle.

Military achievements (1593–1605)

In 1595, Hidetada married Oeyo of the Oda clan and they had two sons, Tokugawa Iemitsu and Tokugawa Tadanaga. They also had several daughters, one of whom, Senhime, married twice. The other daughter, Kazuko hime, married Emperor Go-Mizunoo (of descent from the Fujiwara clan).

Knowing his death would come before his son Toyotomi Hideyori came of age, Hideyoshi named five regents—one of whom was Hidetada's father, Ieyasu—to rule in his son's place. Hideyoshi hoped that the bitter rivalry among the regents would prevent any one of them from seizing power. But after Hideyoshi died in 1598 and Hideyori became nominal ruler, the regents forgot all vows of eternal loyalty and were soon vying for control of the nation. Tokugawa Ieyasu was one of the strongest of the five regents, and began to rally around himself an Eastern faction. A Western faction rallied around Ishida Mitsunari. The two factions clashed at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Ieyasu won decisively, which set the stage for Tokugawa rule.

Hidetada had led 16,000 of his father's men in a campaign to contain the Western-aligned Uesugi clan in Shinano. Ieyasu then ordered Hidetada to march to Sekigahara in anticipation of the decisive battle against the Western faction. But the Sanada clan managed to tie down Hidetada's force, so he arrived too late to assist in his father's narrow but decisive victory. Hidetada and Ieyasu's relationship never recovered. On 3 December 1601, Hidetada's first son, , was born to a young maiden from Kyoto named Onatsu. In September 1602, Chōmaru fell ill and died; his funeral was held at Zōjō-ji temple in Shibe.

In 1603 Emperor Go-Yōzei granted Ieyasu the title of shōgun. Thus Hidetada became the heir to the shogunate.

Shōgun (1605–1623)

To avoid his predecessor's fate, Ieyasu established a dynastic pattern soon after becoming shogun by abdicating in favor of Hidetada in 1605. Ieyasu retained significant power until his death in 1616; but Hidetada nevertheless assumed a role as formal head of the bakufu bureaucracy.

Much to the dismay of Ieyasu, in 1612, Hidetada engineered a marriage between Sen, Ieyasu's favorite granddaughter, and Toyotomi Hideyori, who was living as a commoner in Osaka Castle with his mother. When this failed to quell Hideyori's intrigues, Ōgosho Ieyasu and Shogun Hidetada brought an army to Osaka. Father and son once again disagreed on how to conduct this campaign against the recalcitrant Toyotomi forces in Osaka. In the ensuing siege Hideyori and his mother were forced to commit suicide. Even Hideyori's infant son (Kunimatsu), that he had with a concubine, was not spared. Only Sen was spared; she later remarried and had a new family.

After Ieyasu's death in 1616, Hidetada took control of the bakufu. He strengthened the Tokugawa hold on power by improving relations with the Imperial court. To this end he married his daughter Kazuko to Emperor Go-Mizunoo. The product of that marriage, a girl, eventually succeeded to the throne of Japan to become Empress Meishō. The city of Edo was also heavily developed under his reign.

Ogosho (1623–1632)

In Genna 9 (1623), Hidetada resigned the government to his eldest son and heir, Tokugawa Iemitsu. Like his father before him, Hidetada became Ōgosho or retired shōgun, and retained effective power. He enacted draconian anti-Christian measures, which Ieyasu had only considered: he banned Christian books, forced Christian daimyōs to commit suicide, ordered other Christians to apostatize under penalty of death; and executed fifty-five Christians (both Japanese and foreign) who refused to renounce Christianity or to go into hiding, by burning, along with their children, in Nagasaki in 1628.

Ōgosho Hidetada died in Kan'ei 9, on the 24th day of the 1st month (March 14, 1632). His Buddhist posthumous name is . His ashes were ceremoniously laid to rest in the Taitoku-in Mausoleum in Edo.

Honours

• Senior First Rank (March 30, 1632; posthumous)

Eras

The years in which Hidetada was shōgun are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.

• Keichō (1596–1615)

• Genna (1615–1624)

Family

Parents

Siblings (Mother side)

Wives and Concubines

Children

Adopted Daughters

　• Toyotomi Sadako (1593–1658) daughter of Toyotomi Hidekatsu with Oeyo, later married Kujō Yukiie and had 2 Sons: Nijō Yasumichi and Kujō Michifusa.(Hidekatsu was Oeyo's former husband who died in Japanese Invasions of Korea)

　• Chiyohime (1597–1649), daughter of Ogasawara Hidemasa and Toku-hime (Tokuhime was daughter of Matsudaira Nobuyasu) and married Hosokawa Tadatoshi had 1 son: Hosokawa Mitsunao of Kumamoto Domain

　• Katsuhime (1618–1678), daughter of Senhime with Honda Tadatoshi and married Ikeda Mitsumasa, had 1 son and 1 daughter: Ikeda Tsunamasa, Torihime

　• Kamehime (1617–1681), daughter of Katsuhime with Matsudaira Tadanao and married Takamatsu no Miya Yoshihito-Shinnō

　• Kisahime (1598–1656), daughter of Yūki Hideyasu and married Mōri Hidenari had 1 son: Mori Tsunanori of Chōshū Domain

　• Binhime (1607–1652) daughter of Okudaira Iemasa of Utsunomiya Domain and married Horio Tadaharu had 1 daughter married Ishikawa Kadokatsu

　• Furuhime (1607–1659), daughter of Ikeda Terumasa with Tokuhime (Tokuhime was Hidetada's sister) and married Date Tadamune had 2 sons and 1 daughter: Torachiyo, Date Mitsumune, and Nabehime married Tachibana Tadashige

　• Tsuruhime (d. 1672), daughter of Sakakibara Yasumasa and married Ikeda Toshitaka of Himeji Domain had 1 son: Ikeda Mitsumasa

　• Hisahime (1606–1628) daughter of Matsudaira Tadayoshi of Sekiyado Domain and married Kuroda Tadayuki of Fukuoka Domain

　• Takashi-ho-in (1602–1656), daughter of Gamō Hideyuki with Furihime (Hidetada's younger sister) and married Kato Tadahiro of Kumamoto Domain had 1 son: Katō Mitsuhiro

　• daughter of Okada Mototsugu and married Soma Toshitane of Soma Nakamura Domain

Ancestry

生平

天正七年四月初七日（1579年5月2日）德川秀忠出生於遠江國濱松城（今靜岡縣濱松市），是江戶幕府初代將軍德川家康三子，母親是側室西鄉局。

秀忠曾經和織田信雄的長女小姬訂親，甚至有在天正十八年（1590年）結婚之說，若只有婚約，在家康和信雄反目後就取消婚約。

文祿四年（1595年），經由豐臣秀吉安排，娶淺井長政三女阿江為妻。1600年參與關原之戰，卻因為在上田城被真田軍絆住，耽誤了參與主戰的時間，引起德川家康大怒。德川家康在1603年創立幕府後，為了幫毫無戰功與威名的秀忠鋪路，便在1605年將位置傳給秀忠，自稱「大御所」並移居駿府館，但是實權還是掌握在家康手上，到家康死前秀忠都只是名義上的大將軍而已。大阪之戰時與家康一同出戰，救出女兒千姬，滅豐臣家。大阪之戰前，據說極力主張對豐臣家用兵，以洗刷自己在第二次上田城之戰的恥辱。在消滅豐臣家以後，秀忠致力推行「武家諸法度」、「禁中並公家諸法度」等制度：一般公認秀忠的政治能力遠勝於其軍事上的才能。

元和二年（1616年），父親德川家康過世，享壽七十四歲。他正式掌握天下大權。為了有力統御大名，改易了福島正則等外樣大名，並建立御三家，同時嚴格對待朝廷，將五女德川和子嫁給後水尾天皇。為政風格上，起用了酒井忠世、土井利勝等人擔任幕府中樞的老中，發揮自己的領導風格。另一方面對家臣、親屬，甚至朝廷管制都相當嚴格，對外貿易僅限於平戶、長崎兩地。

元和九年三月五日（1623年），德川秀忠把將軍一職讓給長子德川家光，自己效法父親家康成為大御所退後掌握實權，在江戶城進行二元政治。最初是考慮隱居小田原城遙控政務，但最後是居住在江戶城的西之丸(現在的皇宮所在)。

1631年，因次子德川忠長多有亂行，命他隱居。從此之後身體健康狀況日益不佳，寬永九年正月二十四日（1632年3月14日）德川秀忠病逝於江戶城西之丸殿內，享年五十三歲，安葬於東京增上寺

。法號台德院，追贈正一位。

特徵與評價

根據德川實紀所示，排行老三的秀忠比起其他兄弟來說是唯一個性溫厚、具有文人氣息的子嗣。大哥松平信康生前就被認為是將才而深受父親家康喜愛，且接受其岳父織田信長的偏諱「信」字，代表對大哥的認可，二哥結城秀康是曾被羽柴秀吉稱讚其武勇過人的猛將，接受其養父秀吉的偏諱「秀」字，而四弟松平忠吉與其岳父德川四天王的井伊直政則在關原之戰迎戰使用捨奸戰法撤退的島津軍並擊殺了島津豐久，相對之下秀忠的軍事能力是較差的。

關原之戰中率領德川軍主力的秀忠強攻上田城，被真田昌幸成功地拖延步伐，戰略上造成了東軍的重大損失，而在大阪之役中的天王寺岡山之戰，其部隊更是由於秀忠的指揮不當而造成了很大的混亂。然而根據遺骨推定，秀忠身高約159公分，身上有多處的子彈傷痕，推測作戰時可能都身居第一線，所受傷都深入骨頭。

其高度的政治手腕，正是家康指定為繼承人的一大原因。海音寺潮五郎曾經如此形容德川三代：「家康是所有事自己決定，秀忠是一半自己決定，家光則全部仰賴重臣。」

親族

妻妾

• 御台所（正室，1591年歿）：春昌院小姬（織田信雄長女）

• 御台所（繼室）：崇源院（淺井長政三女）

• 非正式側室：淨光院

子女

• 於江與之方（妻 御台所）

　• 長女：千姬（天樹院）- 豐臣秀頼妻、後改嫁本多忠刻

　• 次女：珠姬（天徳院）- 前田利常妻

　• 三女：勝姬（天崇院）- 松平忠直妻

　• 四女：初姬（興安院）- 京極忠高妻

　• 長子：德川家光- 江戶幕府第三代將軍

　• 次子：德川忠長 - 駿府城主

　• 五女：德川和子（東福門院）- 後水尾天皇中宮

• 於靜之方（侍女）

　• 四子：保科正之 - 保科正光養子，後來成為會津松平家的始祖

• 家女房（侍女）

　• 子：德川長丸（長松丸，出生後九個月夭折）

養女

• 喜佐姬（1597年～1655年），秀忠的姪女，次兄結城秀康次女，長州藩藩主毛利秀就妻，法名龍昌院

• 千代姬（1597年～1649年），姪女登久姬（長兄信康長女，1576年~1607年）和信濃國飯田藩藩主小笠原秀政的次女，熊本藩藩主細川忠利妻，法名保壽院

• 瓶姫（？～1650年）秀忠的外甥下野國宇都宮藩藩主奧平家昌（長姐龜姬和美濃國加納藩藩主奧平信昌的長子）的長女，出雲國松江藩藩主堀尾忠晴妻，法名雲松院

• 振姬，秀忠的外甥女，二姐督姬和播磨國姬路藩藩主池田輝政之女，陸奧國仙台藩藩主伊達忠宗妻，法名孝勝院

• 龜姬（1617年～1681年），秀忠的外孫女，三女勝姬和越前國福井藩藩主松平忠直（結城秀康長子）的長女，高松宮好仁親王妻，法名寶珠院

• 勝姬（1618年～1678年），秀忠的外孫女，長女千姬和播磨國姬路新田藩藩本多忠刻的長女，備前國岡山藩藩主池田光政妻，法名元盛院

• 鶴姬（？～1635年），上野國館林藩藩主榊原康政女，播磨國姬路藩藩主池田利隆室，法名福正院

• 久姬，秀忠的堂弟美濃國大垣藩藩主久松松平忠良（父親家康的異父弟松平康元的長子）之女，筑前國福岡藩藩主黑田忠之妻，法名梅溪院

• 崇法院（1602年～1656年），秀忠的外甥女，長妹振姬和陸奧國會津藩藩主蒲生秀行的長女，出羽國丸岡藩藩主加藤忠廣妻，本名不詳

• 完子（1592年～1658年），本名完姬，從三位北政所，秀忠正室於江與和前夫丹波國龜山城主豐臣秀勝（豐臣秀吉的外甥）的長女，先是成為姨母澱殿的養女，後來成為秀忠的養女，嫁給九條幸家

• 小松姫：本多忠勝女兒、真田信之正室 （另一說法為德川家康的養女）

• 龜鶴姫：秀忠的外孫女，珠姬和前田利常女兒、森忠廣妻

登場作品

;小說

• 德川秀忠之妻（河出書房新社、吉屋信子著）

• 德川秀忠（德間書店、著）

• 德川秀忠：奠定三百年之基的男人（PHP研究所、著）

• 小說 德川秀忠（、著）

• 宿命的兄弟：德川秀忠與結城秀康（學研、阪上天陽著）

• 德川秀忠與阿江（學研、著）

• 德川秀忠與妻阿江：奠定江戶三百年之基的夫婦物語（PHP研究所、著）

• 花與火之帝（講談社、隆慶一郎著）

;影視劇

• 德川家康（1964年、NET、演：中尾純夫）

• 戰國太平記 真田幸村（1966年、TBS、演：）

• （1969年、ABC、演：）

• （1969年、CX、演：）

• （1970年、KTV、演：）

• （1970年、NHK大河劇、演：）

• （1970年、CX、演：）

• （1971年、NHK大河劇、演：）

• （1978年、東映、演：田口直也）

• （1978年、KTV、演：）

• （1979年、東映、演：小阪和之）

• （1980年、CX、演：）

• 女太閤記（1981年、NHK大河劇、演：）

• （1981年、TBS、演：）

• 戰國的女子們（1982年、CX、演：小林薰）

• （1982年、TX、演：）

• 大奧（1983年、KTV、演：）

• （1983年、NTV、演：）

• 德川家康（1983年、NHK大河劇、演：勝野洋）

• （1985年、NHK水曜時代劇、演：中村梅雀）

• 獨眼龍政宗（1987年、NHK大河劇、演：勝野洋）

• 野風之笛（1987年、NTV、演：）

• （1987年、TX、演：）

• 春日局（1989年、NHK大河劇、演：中村雅俊）

• （1989年、TX、演：小林芳宏）

• （1990年、東映、演：）

• （1990年、TX、演：）

• （1993年、TX、演：蟹江敬三）

• 琉球之風（1993年、NHK大河劇、演：岸谷五朗）

• （1997年、TX、演：吉田晃太郎）

• （1998年、TX、演：）

• （1998年、ANB、演：）

• （1999年、NHK、演：）

• 葵德川三代（2000年、NHK大河劇、演：西田敏行）

• 武藏MUSASHI（2003年、NHK大河劇、演：中村獅童）

• 大奧 第一章（2004年、CX、演：）

• 功名十字路（2006年、NHK大河劇、演：中村梅雀）

• （2006年、TX、演：山下真司）

• （2008年、EX、演：松村佑也）

• （2008年、EX、演：）

• 天地人（2009年、NHK大河劇、演：中川晃教）

• 江～公主們的戰國～（2011年、NHK大河劇、演：向井理）

• 寧寧：女太閤記（2009年、TX、演：）

• （2014年、TX、演：山本耕史）

• 真田丸（2016年、NHK大河劇、演：星野源）

;電玩遊戲

• 鬼眼狂刀

• 戰國無雙：真田丸（光榮、配音：）

參考來源

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