Mogami Iechika

Mogami Iechika (Japanese: 最上 家親 もがみ いえちか[*], Tenshō 10 (1582) – Genna 3, 3rd month, 6th day (April 11, 1617)) was a samurai of the Azuchi–Momoyama period and a daimyo of the Edo period in Japan. He was the 12th head of the Mogami clan and the 2nd lord of Yamagata Domain. His childhood name was Yoshichika (義親).

Life

In Tenshō 10 (1582), he was born as the second son of Mogami Yoshiaki, the 11th head of the Mogami clan. His mother was a member of the Ōsaki (大崎) family. Date Masamune was his cousin.

From Bunroku 3 (1594), he served Tokugawa Ieyasu as a kinsman attendant (近侍), and at age 13 he held his coming-of-age ceremony under Ieyasu. At that time, he received the character "ie" from Ieyasu's name (家康), and changed his name to Iechika (家親). From Bunroku 4 (1595), he became a retainer of Tokugawa Hidetada, Ieyasu's son. In the Battle of Sekigahara of Keichō 5 (1600), he followed Hidetada and took part in the attack on Ueda Castle, which was defended by Sanada Masayuki of the Western Army.

From the Imjin War (1594), he served Tokugawa Ieyasu as a kinsman attendant and was admitted to the adult ceremony at age 13. At first he had received a character from his father and called himself Yoshichika, but after receiving a character from Ieyasu he changed his name to Iechika. From the Imjin War (1595), he served as a retainer of Hidetada, Ieyasu's third son. This was because his father Yoshimitsu, anticipating that Tokugawa Ieyasu would become the ruler of the realm after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, had long ago made his family serve the Tokugawa clan. In the Battle of Sekigahara of Keichō 5 (1600), he followed Hidetada and took part in the assault on , which was defended by of the Western Army.