Sanada clan

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The Sanada clan (真田氏, Sanada-shi^?) was a reputed clan that was born within Shinano province during the early 1500's of the Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. Thriving within Northern Chiisagata District's Sanada Village during this period in time, they began their notable service under the Takeda clan for many generations following, capturing variable regions such as Numata castle of northwestern Kozuke and giving birth to many exceedingly famous figures of the day such as Sanada Yukimura, regarded as a hero among others. As the final leading figure of the Takeda--Takeda Katsuyori--was destroyed along with his clansmen within 1582, the Sanada obtained the entire district of Chiisagata, at which the famed Sanada Masayuki constructed the Ueda Castle: A time at which he then submitted to Oda Nobunaga using this newly established "armor" to effectively defend the remaining power that the Sanada still possessed. However, as Nobunaga was killed only a few months following this resolution, Masayuki was surrounded by the independent Uesugi, Tokugawa, and Hojo, forcing him to establish many temporary allegiances and alliances with other neighboring powers, allowing the Sanada to survive even with such an evidentially low level of influence and authority.

As the remaining years of the 1500's had passed by with constant defense from Tokugawa Ieyasu and his consecutive assaults upon the castle of Ueda, the Battle of Sekigahara began in 1600, at which Masayuki, ensuring that the clan of Sanada must essentially survive to all means, ordered his two sons--Nobuyuki and Yukimura--to serve upon individual sides: Nobuyuki would support the the 'eastern' army under Tokugawa Ieyasu; Yukimura would join the 'western' army under the command of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Ishida Mitsunari. With Sekigahara ending in victory for Ieyasu that same year, Masayuki and Yukimura, who were to be executed upon the condition of their mutual support of the 'east', were exiled to Kudoyama in Kii province, solely due to the service of Nobuyuki, who was thus re-attained his position of headship over both Numata castle and Ueda as a result. With the clan of Sanada having survived, they would live up until the year of 1668--the time at which the final heir had died--as daimyo over Numata and that of Matsushiro, their designated replacement over Ueda.

[edit] References

1. Sanada clan - SamuraiWiki. (Samurai Archives) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005