Hideyoshi, << hee deh yoh shee >> (1537?–1598), was a Japanese military and political leader who reunited the country after civil war had divided it. Hideyoshi was born a peasant in what is now Aichi Prefecture. He joined the army of Oda Nobunaga, who sought to rule all of Japan, and became a successful general.
After Nobunaga was assassinated in 1582, Hideyoshi took over the task of uniting the nation. He formed alliances with powerful enemies and defeated weak enemies in battle. In 1586, Hideyoshi took the surname Toyotomi, which means bountiful minister. Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered a land survey and revised the land tax. To prevent rebellions, he demolished many armed family forts and allowed only soldiers to own weapons.
Hideyoshi tried unsuccessfully to conquer Korea in 1592 and 1597. Hideyoshi’s accomplishments aided the Tokugawa dynasty, which came to power after his death and ruled Japan for the next 265 years.
See also Tokugawa Ieyasu.
