Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Portrait of Toyotomi Hideyoshi drawn in 1601
Imperial Regent of Japan
In office 1585–1591
Monarch	Ōgimachi Go-Yōzei
Preceded by	Konoe Sakihisa
Succeeded by	Toyotomi Hidetsugu
Chancellor of the Realm
In office 1587–1598
Monarch	Go-Yōzei
Preceded by	Fujiwara no Sakihisa
Succeeded by	Tokugawa Ieyasu
Personal details
Born	(1537-03-17)March 17, 1537 Nakamura-ku, Nagoya
Died	September 18, 1598(1598-09-18) (aged 61) Fushimi Castle
Nationality	Japanese
Spouse(s)	Nene, Yodo-Dono
Religion	Shinto

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉^?, March 17, 1537 – September 18, 1598) was a preeminent daimyō, warrior, general, samurai, and politician of the Sengoku period who is regarded as Japan's second "great unifier". He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Warring States period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle. After his death, his young son Hideyori was displaced by Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Hideyoshi is noted for a number of cultural legacies, including the restriction that only members of the samurai class could bear arms. He financed the construction, restoration and rebuilding of many temples standing today in Kyoto. Hideyoshi played an important role in the history of Christianity in Japan when he ordered the execution by crucifixion of twenty-six Christians.

Very little is known for certain about Hideyoshi before 1570, when he begins to appear in surviving documents and letters. His autobiography starts in 1577 but in it Hideyoshi spoke very little about his past. According to tradition, he was born in Owari Province, the home of the Oda clan (present day Nakamura-ku, Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture). He was born of no traceable samurai lineage, being the son of a peasant-ashigaru (foot soldier) named Yaemon. He had no surname, and his childhood given name was Hiyoshi-maru (日吉丸^?) ("Bounty of the Sun") although variations exist.