S. A. Polkhov
· 2022
Abstract
The article examines the reprimands of the ruler of Late Medieval Japan, Oda Nobunaga, written in 1580 and addressed to his high-ranking vassal Sakuma Nobumori and his son Sakuma Nobuhide. Copies of this document have been preserved as part of the Shinchō-kō ki chronicle. Sakuma Nobumori, one of the highranking vassals of Oda Nobunaga, who commanded the siege of the Ozaka fortress, fell out of favor in 1580 after Ozaka came under Nobunaga’s control. Probably this disfavor is connected with Nobunaga’s desire to redistribute the lands and control over the vassals in Oda house, and the reprimands were supposed to justify Sakuma Nobumori’s separation from power in the eyes of other samurai. Nobunaga condemned Nobumori for inaction during the siege of the fortress, as well as for inappropriate treatment of subordinate military commanders and stinginess. He recalled the past failures of Nobumori and set his other commanders as an example to him (Akechi Mitsuhide, Hasiba Hideyoshi, etc.), who conquered new lands and glorified themselves. Criticizing Sakuma, Nobunaga simultaneously creates for his vassals the ideal of a commander subject to him, sophisticated in the way of the warrior and skillfully managing his vassal house. Thus, Nobunaga relied on ideas and doctrines that were widespread in Late Medieval Japan. Subsequently, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who became Nobunaga’s successor, also addressed similar documents to the vassals who incurred his wrath. The annex to the article contains a commented translation of Nobunaga’s condemnations into Russian.