Saitō Dōsan


Saitō Dōsan, also known as Saitō Toshimasa, was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period.
He was also known as the Viper of Mino for his ruthless tactics. His honorific title from the Imperial Court was Yamashirō-no-kami and since he was a monk he was also called Saitō Yamashirō-nyudō-no-kami.

Early life

Originally a monk, he later became a seller of oil. He became a daimyō through gekokujō of Toki Yorinari in Mino Province. The Saito fortress was located at Inabayama.
He married Omi no kata, a daughter of Akechi Mitsutsugu.

Career

He defeated Oda Nobuhide at the Battle of Kanōguchi in 1547.
However, eventually Dosan was defeated by Oda Nobuhide and was forced to give his daughter in marriage to Nobunaga. Dōsan became the father-in-law of Oda Nobunaga.
In 1556, Saitō Dōsan fell in battle against forces led by his own adopted son, Saitō Yoshitatsu in the Battle of Nagara-gawa.

Afterwards

In desperation, Dosan is alleged to have named Nobunaga as lord of Mino in his will and sent this document to Nobunaga. Nobunaga, however, was unable to provide help.
Dōsan's head was taken by a certain Komaki Genta, a retainer of Yoshitatsu's son Tatsuoki. His remains were originally interred in Sōfuku-ji, but they were later moved to Jōzai-ji because the Nagara River kept overflowing and covering his burial mound. Both temples are located in Gifu.

Pseudonyms

Saitō Dōsan is known for having a large number of pseudonyms and for frequently changing his name. Some believe that this is because there were two Saitō Dōsan, father and son, and the son adopted his father's name after his death. Other names of Saitō Dōsan are Minemaru, Hōrenbō, Matsunami Shogorō, Nishimura Kankurō Masatoshi, Shinkurō, Nagai Norihide, and Saitō Sakondayu Toshimasa.
The name Saitō was adopted from the former shugodai of Mino who had been overcome by the Nagai clan in the 1520s.

Family